Evening Dress
1954-1955 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Jean Dessès opened his couture salon in 1937, two years before France went to war. In the post-war period, when restrictions on materials and shifting client fortunes might have threatened his business, Dessès found great success. He designed the wedding outfits of Princess Sophia of Greece to Prince Juan Carlos and his many other clients included wealthy Americans and the European aristocracy.
This dress illustrates Dessès's career-long preoccupation with draping and form. The skirt is made from twenty-one lace-trimmed squares, each suspended from a point at the waist and falling to a handkerchief hem. By stitching each square to the next, Dessès created a design of graceful volume and movement.
This dress illustrates Dessès's career-long preoccupation with draping and form. The skirt is made from twenty-one lace-trimmed squares, each suspended from a point at the waist and falling to a handkerchief hem. By stitching each square to the next, Dessès created a design of graceful volume and movement.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk chiffon and lace |
| Brief description | Silk chiffon and lace evening dress, designed by Jean Dessès, Paris, 1954-1955 |
| Physical description | Brown silk chiffon and lace short dance dress with full skirt and wide bands of brown lace. The skirt is composed of handkerchief pointed layers, each edged with lace, and the fitted bodice has lace insertion crossing at the bust and wide lace shoulder straps. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Gallery label | [Label written for The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 September 2007, though dress pulled at last minute]
Cocktail dress (robe de cocktail)
Jean Dessès (1904-70)
Paris
1954-5
The skirt is made from lace-trimmed squares, each suspended from a point at the waist and falling to a handkerchief hem. Brown was an unusual choice for evening but Dessès often employed an atypical palette of colours.
Chiffon with lace
V&A: T.34-1988(22/09/2007-06/01/2008) |
| Object history | Purchased. Registered File number 1988/246. |
| Historical context | Dessès created a similar 'handkerchief' dress, which can be dated firmly to autumn/winter 1954-5. It is an evening gown with cape, and was worn by the Vicomtesse de Ribes. French Vogue, April 1955 p.89, also French Vogue September 1954, p.89. The dress is in UCAD, Paris, UF 66-38-20 |
| Summary | Jean Dessès opened his couture salon in 1937, two years before France went to war. In the post-war period, when restrictions on materials and shifting client fortunes might have threatened his business, Dessès found great success. He designed the wedding outfits of Princess Sophia of Greece to Prince Juan Carlos and his many other clients included wealthy Americans and the European aristocracy. This dress illustrates Dessès's career-long preoccupation with draping and form. The skirt is made from twenty-one lace-trimmed squares, each suspended from a point at the waist and falling to a handkerchief hem. By stitching each square to the next, Dessès created a design of graceful volume and movement. |
| Bibliographic reference | Stanfill, S. 'Jean Dessès' in Wilcox, C., ed. The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957. London: V&A Publications, 2007, p.84
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.34-1988 |
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| Record created | September 3, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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