Evening Dress
ca. 1923 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This mid-calf evening dress is made of multi-coloured silk and velvet appliqué on red silk. Natalia Goncharova designed it for the Maison Myrbor (House of Myrbor) in Paris about 1923. The dress is sleeveless and has a square, straight shape with a wide, round neckline. The shoulders are slightly ruched and there are slits on both sides of the dress from the hip level down. The appliqués are embroidered with metallic thread. The neck and armholes are bound with lamé.
Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) had a long career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She produced astonishing costumes that were inspired by her Russian background and her work with avant-garde artists. Like many Russian refugees in Paris, she also designed dresses. These strongly reflected her work for Diaghilev. Between 1922 and 1926 she worked for the Maison Myrbor. This exclusive shop was owned by the French Marie Cuttoli. It sold fashion, rugs and curtains designed by the international avant-garde.
Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) had a long career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She produced astonishing costumes that were inspired by her Russian background and her work with avant-garde artists. Like many Russian refugees in Paris, she also designed dresses. These strongly reflected her work for Diaghilev. Between 1922 and 1926 she worked for the Maison Myrbor. This exclusive shop was owned by the French Marie Cuttoli. It sold fashion, rugs and curtains designed by the international avant-garde.
Delve deeper
Discover more about this object
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk with embroidered silk and velvet appliqués with metal thread, bound with lamé |
| Brief description | Silk evening dress with embroidered silk and velvet appliqués, designed by Natalia Goncharova for Marie Cuttoli, retailed by House of Myrbor, Paris, ca. 1923 |
| Physical description | Evening dress made of multi-coloured silk and velvet appliqués on red silk. Mid-calf and sleeveless dress with a square and straight shape, a round and wide neckline, shoulders slightly ruched, and slits on both sides of the dress from hip-level down. The appliqués are embroidered with metallic thread. The neck and armholes are bound with lamé. Hand-sewn. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Object history | This dress 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. At the time of acquisition, Miss Grigsby's friend, Miss Chisholm said that the patchwork on similar Myrbor items was the work of Madame Coutoli, who had workshops in Algeria. |
| Historical context | Natalia Goncharova had a long career with Les Ballets Russes, producing astonishing costumes inspired by her Russian heritage and her work with the avant-garde. Like many Russian refugees in Paris, she also designed dresses, which strongly reflected her work for Diaghilev. Between 1922 and 1926, Natalia worked for the House of Myrbor, an exclusive shop owned by the French Marie Cuttoli, who sold fashion, rugs and curtains designed by the international avant-garde. |
| Production | For the House of Myrbor (Maison Myrbor) |
| Summary | This mid-calf evening dress is made of multi-coloured silk and velvet appliqué on red silk. Natalia Goncharova designed it for the Maison Myrbor (House of Myrbor) in Paris about 1923. The dress is sleeveless and has a square, straight shape with a wide, round neckline. The shoulders are slightly ruched and there are slits on both sides of the dress from the hip level down. The appliqués are embroidered with metallic thread. The neck and armholes are bound with lamé. Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) had a long career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She produced astonishing costumes that were inspired by her Russian background and her work with avant-garde artists. Like many Russian refugees in Paris, she also designed dresses. These strongly reflected her work for Diaghilev. Between 1922 and 1926 she worked for the Maison Myrbor. This exclusive shop was owned by the French Marie Cuttoli. It sold fashion, rugs and curtains designed by the international avant-garde. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.329-1968 |
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 | January 9, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
