Full length evening dress and sash of brocaded silk, designed by Paul Poiret, France, 1913

Full length evening dress and sash of brocaded silk. The dress is of white silk with a gold brocade design of circular seed-pod motifs on a ground of trailing fronds. The dress is cut straight, without a waist, but with a slight flare. It has a low round neckline and is sleeveless, with hooks and eyes at the shoulders. There are slits around the waist to enable the threading through of the sash in the same brocade, lined with gold lamé. The dress is lined with white silk, and the hem is faced with gold lamé.

This gown was worn by Miss Emilie Grigsby (1876-1964) who was a wealthy independent American who came to England from New York. She established a salon which was frequented by writers and the military. She was considered to be one of the great international beauties, with extremely pale, almost transparent skin and golden hair. She was frequently the subject of articles in the New York Times during the early 20th century. Her clothes were purchased from couturiers in London, Paris, and New York, and demonstrated an elegantly avant-garde approach to style. While most of the clothes of hers held by the Museum are from the 1920s, the collection also includes a group of 1910s clothes such as this gown associated with Paul Poiret, who was a personal friend of Emilie Grigsby.

T.161&A-1967