'Bosphore' (Bosphorus)
Evening Dress
1956 (made)
1956 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This dress, designed by Christian Dior (1905-57) in 1956, is short and strapless in midnight-blue velvet with delicate embroidery by Rébé, which includes velvet birds’ nests with clusters of pearl eggs.
The dress is simply cut, to show off its sumptuous surface detail. Such embellishment required meticulous patience for, as Dior explained, ‘a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately’.
The dress is simply cut, to show off its sumptuous surface detail. Such embellishment required meticulous patience for, as Dior explained, ‘a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Embroidered velvet with gold thread, sequins, pearls and pastes, and net, silk and boned |
| Brief description | Strapless sheath evening dress 'Bosphore' from 'La Ligne Aimant ' in embroidered velvet, designed by Christian Dior, embroidered by Rébé, Paris, A/W1956 |
| Physical description | Strapless and short sheath evening dress of dark royal blue velvet with embroidery of gold thread, sequins, pearls and green and blue pastes in a design of sprays and tendrils springing from nests of pearls in velvet. The dress has two attached petticoats, one of black net and one of navy blue silk, and the net liner bodice is boned. There is a zip down the back of the dress and the inner bodice fastens with hooks and eyes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Christian Dior Paris Automne-Hiver 1956 84193' (Label inside bodice) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Mr Stavros Niarchos III |
| Object history | The dress was originally designed with a plain velvet bolero, which was not given. Worn by Mrs Eugenia Niarchos and given by Mr Stavros Niarchos III |
| Production | The Aimant (Magnet) line |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This dress, designed by Christian Dior (1905-57) in 1956, is short and strapless in midnight-blue velvet with delicate embroidery by Rébé, which includes velvet birds’ nests with clusters of pearl eggs. The dress is simply cut, to show off its sumptuous surface detail. Such embellishment required meticulous patience for, as Dior explained, ‘a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately’. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 84193 - Dior label number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.119-1974 |
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| Record created | October 17, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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