Dinner Dress
ca. 1909 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A label sewn into the waist tape of this sophisticated dinner gown tells us it is designed by court dress-maker and tailor John Redfern. Redfern was one of the most prolific and prestigious couturiers of the Edwardian period with outlets in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Paris and New York.
The higher neckline and longer ruched sleeves, distinguish this from sleeveless low cut ball gowns. The dress fastens at the back along a diagonal with two sets of hooks and eyes, one for the inner bodice and one for the outer structure. It has long self fabric flounces which run the length of the skirt and has a slight train at the back. The intentionally historical appearance of the gown suggests it may have been made for fancy dress. The dress is part of a collection of well over 100 pieces of clothing worn by Miss Heather Firbank and donated to the museum in 1960. The cut glass decorations match those on a pair of black velvet shoes, also worn by Miss Firbank, (T.30&A-1960) and may well have been worn with the dress.
The higher neckline and longer ruched sleeves, distinguish this from sleeveless low cut ball gowns. The dress fastens at the back along a diagonal with two sets of hooks and eyes, one for the inner bodice and one for the outer structure. It has long self fabric flounces which run the length of the skirt and has a slight train at the back. The intentionally historical appearance of the gown suggests it may have been made for fancy dress. The dress is part of a collection of well over 100 pieces of clothing worn by Miss Heather Firbank and donated to the museum in 1960. The cut glass decorations match those on a pair of black velvet shoes, also worn by Miss Firbank, (T.30&A-1960) and may well have been worn with the dress.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk velvet, chemical lace |
| Brief description | Dinner dress of black silk velvet with chemical lace and diamante trimmings, John Redfern, London, ca. 1909 |
| Physical description | Evening dress of black silk velvet trimmed with white chemical lace in the Van Dyck manner. High neckline and long ruched sleeves. The dress fastens at the back along a diagonal with two sets of hooks and eyes, one for the inner bodice and one for the outer structure. It has long self fabric flounces which run the length of the skirt and has a slight train at the back. |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'PARIS Redfern / LONDON / 26 CONDUIT STREET' (On woven label on waist-stay inside the dress) |
| Object history | Worn by Heather Firbank |
| Summary | A label sewn into the waist tape of this sophisticated dinner gown tells us it is designed by court dress-maker and tailor John Redfern. Redfern was one of the most prolific and prestigious couturiers of the Edwardian period with outlets in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Paris and New York. The higher neckline and longer ruched sleeves, distinguish this from sleeveless low cut ball gowns. The dress fastens at the back along a diagonal with two sets of hooks and eyes, one for the inner bodice and one for the outer structure. It has long self fabric flounces which run the length of the skirt and has a slight train at the back. The intentionally historical appearance of the gown suggests it may have been made for fancy dress. The dress is part of a collection of well over 100 pieces of clothing worn by Miss Heather Firbank and donated to the museum in 1960. The cut glass decorations match those on a pair of black velvet shoes, also worn by Miss Firbank, (T.30&A-1960) and may well have been worn with the dress. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.29-1960 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
