Dress Fabric thumbnail 1
Dress Fabric thumbnail 2
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Dress Fabric

ca. 1928 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of blue, beige and white, outlined in black. It was made for use by Coco Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272021, stamped upon it.

In the early 1920s Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine to cater for the demand for her signature silk-enriched wool and cotton jersey fabrics. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee that Chanel fabrics were exclusive to her alone. Until around 1929, the factory was called 'Tricot Chanel'. After Chanel expanded into producing exclusive printed silks and other woven fabrics, the factory was renamed 'Tissus Chanel'.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.This is a woven fabric stamped 'Tricot Chanel', so is probably one of Chanel's first fabric prints before the factory's official name change.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed wool and silk
Brief description
Dress fabric of printed wool and silk, manufactured by Tricots Chanel, Asnières-sur-Seine, France, ca. 1928.
Physical description
Plain weave, lightweight fabric of wool and silk, printed with an abstract pattern of irregular meandering vertical bands in dark and light blue, beige and cream outlined in black.
Dimensions
  • Length: 13in
  • Width: 19in
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Tricots Chanel' (1) Makers's mark; French; Selvedge; Stamping)
Gallery label
(2021)
Controlling larger-scale production

In the early 1920s, fashion designer Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine, France to meet growing demand for her fabrics and to gain control over the production process. The dedicated factory also guaranteed that Chanel fabrics were of consistent quality and exclusive to her alone, even when produced at scale. Using these fabrics for matching dresses and coat linings became one of the brand’s design trademarks.

Patterned dress fabrics
About 1928
Manufactured by Tricots Chanel, France
Printed wool and silk
Given by the Manchester Design Registry
Museum nos. T.191, 195-1975

The object sits in the 'Automation and Labour' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.
Credit line
Given by the Manchester Design Registry
Object history
Registration number 272021
Production
Made for use by Coco Chanel.
Summary
This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of blue, beige and white, outlined in black. It was made for use by Coco Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272021, stamped upon it.

In the early 1920s Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine to cater for the demand for her signature silk-enriched wool and cotton jersey fabrics. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee that Chanel fabrics were exclusive to her alone. Until around 1929, the factory was called 'Tricot Chanel'. After Chanel expanded into producing exclusive printed silks and other woven fabrics, the factory was renamed 'Tissus Chanel'.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.This is a woven fabric stamped 'Tricot Chanel', so is probably one of Chanel's first fabric prints before the factory's official name change.
Associated objects
Other number
272021 - Manufacturer's number
Collection
Accession number
T.195-1975

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Record createdJanuary 10, 2008
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