Babouchka
Dress Fabric
1954 (designed and made)
1954 (designed and made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The simple printed silk third from the right comes from the archive of Zika Ascher, an innovative textile manufacturer who based himself in London after the annexation of Czechoslovakia. In the post-war period, Ascher Ltd. developed a range of different fabrics for use at the top end of the market: woollens and mohairs for winter, silks and cottons for summer.
Called 'Babouchka' by Ascher, this light-weight, semi-transparent silk was used by Christian Dior Boutique in Spring/Summer 1954 in a day dress called 'Gracieux'. It belonged therefore to Dior's cheaper, ready-to-wear collections, and was described as a 'go anywhere' dress, suitable for hot days of summer. It was sleeveless, with a low V-shaped neck and full, pleated skirt. Customers could choose one of three colours for the background: royal blue, pistachio green, or light rose.
Called 'Babouchka' by Ascher, this light-weight, semi-transparent silk was used by Christian Dior Boutique in Spring/Summer 1954 in a day dress called 'Gracieux'. It belonged therefore to Dior's cheaper, ready-to-wear collections, and was described as a 'go anywhere' dress, suitable for hot days of summer. It was sleeveless, with a low V-shaped neck and full, pleated skirt. Customers could choose one of three colours for the background: royal blue, pistachio green, or light rose.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Babouchka |
| Materials and techniques | Screen-printed silk georgette |
| Brief description | Dress fabric 'Babouchka' of screen-printed silk georgette, made by Ascher Ltd, Great Britain, 1954 |
| Physical description | Dress fabric of screen-printed silk georgette with a design of a small rose on pistachio green ground. The rose itself is outlined in black and coloured in two reds/pinks and green. |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Zika Ascher |
| Object history | One sample from three, with three different colourways T.184 to B-1988. |
| Historical context | Called 'Babouchka' by Ascher, this light-weight, semi-transparent silk was used by Christian Dior Boutique in Spring/Summer 1954 in a day dress called 'Gracieux'. It belonged therefore to Dior's cheaper, ready-to-wear collections, and was described as a 'go anywhere' dress, suitable for hot days of summer. It was sleeveless, with a low V-shaped neck and full, pleated skirt. |
| Summary | The simple printed silk third from the right comes from the archive of Zika Ascher, an innovative textile manufacturer who based himself in London after the annexation of Czechoslovakia. In the post-war period, Ascher Ltd. developed a range of different fabrics for use at the top end of the market: woollens and mohairs for winter, silks and cottons for summer. Called 'Babouchka' by Ascher, this light-weight, semi-transparent silk was used by Christian Dior Boutique in Spring/Summer 1954 in a day dress called 'Gracieux'. It belonged therefore to Dior's cheaper, ready-to-wear collections, and was described as a 'go anywhere' dress, suitable for hot days of summer. It was sleeveless, with a low V-shaped neck and full, pleated skirt. Customers could choose one of three colours for the background: royal blue, pistachio green, or light rose. |
| Bibliographic reference | Mendes, Valerie. Ascher. Fabric, Art, Fashion. London: V&A Publications, 1987, pp. 166-7.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.184-1988 |
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| Record created | April 20, 2007 |
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