This ensemble was acquired by the fashion writer and editor Suzy Menkes in 1988, the year she began working for the International Herald Tribune (Paris) first as fashion reporter and later as fashion editor. Menkes is one of the most authoritative fashion journalists of her generation, she also became (and remains) known for her distinctive and very personal style, not least for her pompadour hairstyle. In July 2013 Menkes sold off the contents of her personal wardrobe in an auction at Christies. The sale catalogue entry for this item noted that although Menkes prefers strong colours and patterns, this black and white outfit ‘appeals to Suzy on the grounds of being striped and checked at the same time’.
Christian Lacroix was one of the designers that Menkes favoured for her personal wardrobe throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. This suit from his ready-to-wear label, launched in 1988, is an excellent example of Lacroix's work when he was at the height of his acclaim. The quality of the fabric, the structured tailoring and the exuberant oversized patterning are markers of his opulent high fashion aesthetic. This ensemble builds on a particular area of strength in the V&A’s collection of fashionable dress, that of items which have belonged to figures closely associated with the fashion industry and noted for their own personal style.