Evening Dress thumbnail 1
Evening Dress thumbnail 2
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Not on display

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Evening Dress

1950-1955 (made)
Artist/Maker
Balmain (designer)
Place of origin
Paris (made)

Pierre Balmain (1914–82) opened his couture house in 1945. He had previously trained alongside Christian Dior at the couture house of Lucien Lelong.

Balmain became one of the most successful couturiers of his generation and by 1956 his house employed 600 workers, with 12 couture workrooms and in-house fur and millinery ateliers.

This youthful summer dress has a boned petticoat, showing the care given even to the under-garments.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
read 'My Years and Seasons' by Pierre Balmain Legendary French couturier Pierre Balmain (1914 – 82) spent his early years working in wartime Paris alongside fellow up-and-coming designer Christian Dior. This extract from his 1964 autobiography describes the 'Birth of Balmain', his very first fashion show.

Object details

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

  • Evening Dress
  • Petticoat
Materials and techniques
Silk grosgrain with embroidery, lined with linen, supported by boning and net
Grosgrain
Linen
Baleen
Net
Weaving
Sewing
Embroidering
Brief description
Evening dress of silk grosgrain with petticoat of net, designed by Pierre Balmain, Paris, 1950-1955.
Physical description
Evening dress of silk grosgrain with petticoat of net.
Dimensions
  • Weight: .72kg
Production typeHaute couture
Gallery label
(22/09/2007)
PARIS DRESSMAKING
The Paris dressmaking schools, Les Ecoles de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, were established in 1929 to train a skilled workforce of petit-mains (seamstresses) for France's vast fashion industry.

In the early 1950s, a leading Paris house would typically employ between 500 and 850 staff in the different departments. In the flou workshops, dressmakers worked delicate fabrics entirely by hand to create blouses, skirts and dresses. Dior described them as having 'doigts de fées' - fairy fingers. [78 words]


[labels]

Dress and petticoat
Pierre Balmain (1914-82)
Paris
About 1950

Pierre Balmain, like Dior, worked for Lucien Lelong before opening his couture house in 1945. He became one of the most successful couturiers of the decade. By 1956 Balmain had 600 employees, 12 couture workrooms and in-house fur and millinery ateliers. This youthful summer dress has a boned petticoat, showing the care given even to the under-garments. [57 words]

Dress: silk grosgrain with machine-made Swiss embroidery
Petticoat: boned silk net and silk

Given by Mrs G. Sachet
V&A: T.349&A-1975
Credit line
Given by Mrs G. Sachet
Object history
Worn and given by Mrs G. Sachet, c/o Marks & Spencer
Subjects depicted
Medallions
Flowers
Association
Beaton
Summary
Pierre Balmain (1914–82) opened his couture house in 1945. He had previously trained alongside Christian Dior at the couture house of Lucien Lelong.

Balmain became one of the most successful couturiers of his generation and by 1956 his house employed 600 workers, with 12 couture workrooms and in-house fur and millinery ateliers.

This youthful summer dress has a boned petticoat, showing the care given even to the under-garments.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.349&A-1975

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Record createdJanuary 19, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O120591/evening-dress-balmain/
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