Amorphous
Dress
1977 (designed), early 1983 (made)
1977 (designed), early 1983 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This black lycra disco dress was designed by Swanky Modes in 1977, and made throughout the 1980s. Swanky Modes was based in London's Camden Town district, and consisted of a team of four young designers: Judy Dewsbury, Melanie Herberfield, Willie Walters and Esme Young. For this dress, the lycra was draped on a stand and had sections of the fabric cut away to create the garment's distinctive look. When laid flat on the floor, the dress resembles an amoeba, or single-cell animal, which led to the designers naming the dress "Amorphous". The resulting form-hugging sheath dress became a popular choice for young nightclub-goers through the 1980s.
Lycra is an elastane-based jersey fabric that is easy to care for, crease-resistant, lightweight and comfortable. It springs back into shape and fits closely, which makes it popular for activewear and with body-proud athletes and disco dancers. Disco dancing became popular again following the release of the film Saturday Night Fever in 1978.
Lycra is an elastane-based jersey fabric that is easy to care for, crease-resistant, lightweight and comfortable. It springs back into shape and fits closely, which makes it popular for activewear and with body-proud athletes and disco dancers. Disco dancing became popular again following the release of the film Saturday Night Fever in 1978.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Amorphous (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Machine-sewn lycra and nylon blend jersey |
| Brief description | Disco dress 'Amorphous' of machine-sewn lycra-nylon jersey, designed by Swanky Modes, London, 1977, textile by Courtaulds Textiles and made in 1983 |
| Physical description | Disco dress of black machine-sewn lycra-nylon blend jersey with five side fastening and a high neckline. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Swanky Modes |
| Summary | This black lycra disco dress was designed by Swanky Modes in 1977, and made throughout the 1980s. Swanky Modes was based in London's Camden Town district, and consisted of a team of four young designers: Judy Dewsbury, Melanie Herberfield, Willie Walters and Esme Young. For this dress, the lycra was draped on a stand and had sections of the fabric cut away to create the garment's distinctive look. When laid flat on the floor, the dress resembles an amoeba, or single-cell animal, which led to the designers naming the dress "Amorphous". The resulting form-hugging sheath dress became a popular choice for young nightclub-goers through the 1980s. Lycra is an elastane-based jersey fabric that is easy to care for, crease-resistant, lightweight and comfortable. It springs back into shape and fits closely, which makes it popular for activewear and with body-proud athletes and disco dancers. Disco dancing became popular again following the release of the film Saturday Night Fever in 1978. |
| Bibliographic reference | Mendes, Valerie. Black In Fashion. London: V&A Publications, 1999.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.135-1983 |
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| Record created | January 8, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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