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Evening Dress

1986 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Godley, Georgina (designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

Georgina Godley's sculptural designs reflect her training in fine art. This fluid, semi-transparent dress skims the body until it flares at the hooped hem. The neck and wrists are also emphasized with boned hoops. It was designed to be worn with a bodystocking dyed to match the silk jersey. Godley challenged conventional notions of femininity by featuring decorative padded stomachs and bottoms in some of her most radical designs.

Object details

Categories
Womenswear
Fashion
Underwear
Evening Wear
Object type
Evening dress
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Dress
  • Bodystocking
Materials and techniques
Silk jersey with boned hoops
Silk Jersey
Boned
Brief description
Semi-transparent dress in silk jersey and bodystocking, designed by Georgina Godley, Great Britain, 1986
Physical description
Semi-transparent green dress in silk jersey, and with boned hoops at the hem, neck, and wrists. With bodystocking dyed to match the dress.
Dimensions
  • Centre front length: 117cm (Note: Centre front - from neck seam to hem)
  • Under bust circumference: 65cm
Production typeHaute couture
Gallery label
(1997)
Georgina Godley's sculptural designs reflect her training in fine art. This fluid, semi-transparent dress skims the body until it flares at the hooped hem. The neck and wrists are also emphasized with boned hoops. It was designed to be worn with a bodystocking dyed to match the silk jersey. Georgina Godley has challenged conventional notions of femininity: her most radical designs have decorative padded stomachs and bottoms.
(1988)
DRESS
English. Georgina Godley, Summer 1986
Silk jersey

The fluid semi-transparent dress fits the body like a second skin, with godets allowing it to flare out at the hem. The neck and wrist-edges and the hemline are emphasised by boning. It is worn simply over a body stocking dyed to match the silk jersey.
Georgina Godley maintains a reputation for radical and highly innovative design.

Given by Georgina Godley
T.7 & A-1988
Credit line
Given by the designer
Object history
Registered File number 1988/108.
Production
Attribution note: Designed to be worn with a bodystocking dyed to match the silk jersey
Summary
Georgina Godley's sculptural designs reflect her training in fine art. This fluid, semi-transparent dress skims the body until it flares at the hooped hem. The neck and wrists are also emphasized with boned hoops. It was designed to be worn with a bodystocking dyed to match the silk jersey. Godley challenged conventional notions of femininity by featuring decorative padded stomachs and bottoms in some of her most radical designs.
Bibliographic references
  • De La Haye, Amy, ed. The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion 1947-1997. London: V&A Publications, 1997. pp. 30 and 204.
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.7&A-1988

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Record createdAugust 21, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O83593/evening-dress-godley-georgina/
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