Dress Fabric
1928 - 29 (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 pale blue, pink, yellow, and white, outlined in black. It was made for use by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel between 1928 and 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272017, stamped upon it.
In the 1920s Chanel began producing jersey textiles under the name of Les Tricots Chanel in partnership with a textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee exclusive designs for her couture collections. She employed the multidisciplinary artist Ilia Zdanevich, known as Iliazd, as a textile designer. In 1928 Chanel took over the factory at Asnières and established a new company, Tissus Chanel.
Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks, as well as for accessories. A metal top framed handbag dating from 1928-29 made in the same fabric and colourway as this sample survives in the Chanel archives in Paris.
In the 1920s Chanel began producing jersey textiles under the name of Les Tricots Chanel in partnership with a textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee exclusive designs for her couture collections. She employed the multidisciplinary artist Ilia Zdanevich, known as Iliazd, as a textile designer. In 1928 Chanel took over the factory at Asnières and established a new company, Tissus Chanel.
Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks, as well as for accessories. A metal top framed handbag dating from 1928-29 made in the same fabric and colourway as this sample survives in the Chanel archives in Paris.
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, 1928 - 29. |
| Physical description | Lightweight dress fabric of wool and silk, printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of pale blue, pink, beige and cream outlined in black. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Stamped with the registration number '272017' |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Manchester Design Registry |
| Object history | A metal top framed handbag dating from 1928-29 made in the same fabric and colourway as this sample survives in the Chanel archives in Paris: ACC.HC.INC.1928-1929.1 |
| Summary | This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of pale blue, pink, yellow, and white, outlined in black. It was made for use by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel between 1928 and 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272017, stamped upon it. In the 1920s Chanel began producing jersey textiles under the name of Les Tricots Chanel in partnership with a textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee exclusive designs for her couture collections. She employed the multidisciplinary artist Ilia Zdanevich, known as Iliazd, as a textile designer. In 1928 Chanel took over the factory at Asnières and established a new company, Tissus Chanel. Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks, as well as for accessories. A metal top framed handbag dating from 1928-29 made in the same fabric and colourway as this sample survives in the Chanel archives in Paris. |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | Cullen, Oriole and Karol Burks, Connie. "Gabrielle Chanel". London: V&A Publishing, 2023
p 114
From the mid-1920s, advertisements and editorials recommending Chanel handbags appeared regularly in the fashion press. Many of these bags took the form of a structured frame with a top handle similar to this example from 1928. Tiny gold loops on the frame indicate where the now missing handle would have been attached. A sample of fabric from the V&A collection shows the original colourway of the handbag, which has faded through time and use. During this period Chanel produced handbags in a variety of materials, from the softest suede to Chanel’s own print fabrics, often with matching accessories such as scarves and belts. In 1928 the Tatler magazine noted ‘the chief characteristic of Chanel’s bags is novelty’, highlighting several Chanel handbags available from the Fortnum & Mason department store, including two made from a printed Chanel textile design of overlapping square sheets, similar to this bag, with a matching scarf in the same print. |
| Other number | 270217 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.192-1975 |
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| Record created | January 10, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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