Wedding Dress
1993 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Wedding dress of smocked silk Dupion, satin and habotai with glass and metal beads and ribbon decoration.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Smocked silk dupioni, satin and habotai with beads and ribbons |
| Brief description | Wedding dress, smocked silk dupioni, satin and habotai with beads and ribbons, designed by Mrs Julian Akers Douglas, made in East Hoathly, Lewes, East Sussex, 1993. |
| Physical description | Wedding dress of smocked silk Dupion, satin and habotai with glass and metal beads and ribbon decoration. |
| Gallery label | The design of this wedding dress was informed by rural smocks and the square cut of ethnographic clothing. The beadwork and pendants suspended from fine ribbon were designed to harmonise with the Chinese and Indian cream- coloured silks.(1997) |
| Credit line | Given by the designer |
| Object history | Registered File number 1993/1810. |
| Historical context | Julian Akers-Douglas opened her womenswear business in 1984. It was a small industry based in East Hoathly, Lewes, East Sussex, specialising in individually handmade garments and fine hand-smocking. In her catalogue for 1992-93, the designer stated that smocking was her hallmark, and that she only used the best natural silks, soft wools and fine cotton lawn. She cited historical fashions as a great influence on her work. Each garment was handmade to order by a small team of skilled needlewomen. Julian Akers-Douglas, who was entirely self-taught as a designer, developed her own unique smocking pattern, which she called the 'Barham', and this was used alongside other traditional patterns and smocking techniques. Most of the garments typically took 28 days to be made and delivered (through mail order), though the Barham smocked dress could take 35 days. |
| Production | Made in East Hoathly, Lewes, East Sussex |
| Bibliographic reference | De la Haye, Amy (ed.). The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion 1947- 1997. London, England: V&A Publications, 1997.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.528-1993 |
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| Record created | August 20, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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