Evening Dress
February 1962 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Full-length dress consisting of a gathered skirt of matte cream silk gazar and a bodice of black lace with a boned foundation. The bodice has lace frills framing the wide off-the-shoulder neckline and trimming the three quarter length sleeves. Black satin bows peep from below the black lace at neck and bust level, and a black satin ribbon tieds round the waist. There is a side zip fastening.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk gazar, lace and satin ribbon |
| Brief description | Evening dress of silk gazar and lace, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, February 1962. |
| Physical description | Full-length dress consisting of a gathered skirt of matte cream silk gazar and a bodice of black lace with a boned foundation. The bodice has lace frills framing the wide off-the-shoulder neckline and trimming the three quarter length sleeves. Black satin bows peep from below the black lace at neck and bust level, and a black satin ribbon tieds round the waist. There is a side zip fastening. |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Ian Fleming |
| Object history | Worn and given by Mrs Ian Fleming |
| Historical context | Ann Charteris (1913-81) married her third husband Ian Fleming in 1952, the year in which he began to write the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale (published in 1953). They were still living together at the time she bought and wore this dress, though they were not a conventional married couple. Ann was known for her rich social life and her qualities as hostess, for which no doubt this kind of couture garment was indispensable. After Fleming's death in 1964, she benefited from the royalties from his books and the exploitation of the Bond franchise. |
| Associations | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 139 - Model number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.28-1974 |
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| Record created | February 28, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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