Evening Dress

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Not on display

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Artist/Maker	Jacques Fath (designer)
Place of origin	Paris (made)

Evening dress in eau-de-nil silk satin and velvet and the silk skirt lined is in cotton net.

Object details

Categories	Fashion Womenswear Clothing Evening Wear
Object type	Evening dress
Parts	This object consists of 2 parts. Petticoat Dress
Materials and techniques	Silk satin with velvet, silk lined with cotton net, and boned Silk Satin Velvet Cotton Cotton Net Metal Boning Taffeta Sewing Dress-Making
Brief description	Evening dress, A/W 1953-1954, French, Jacques Fath, silk satin bodice with net and silk taffeta skirt
Physical description	Evening dress in eau-de-nil silk satin and velvet and the silk skirt lined is in cotton net.
Dimensions	Waist circumference: 62cm Bust circumference: 81cm Mannequin size (Stockman UK Female) 38
Production type	Haute couture
Marks and inscriptions	'Jacques Fath / Paris' [with emblem above] (Label, black on white)
Gallery label	(22/09/2007) LADY ALEXANDRA: A COUTURE CLIENT [case panel] Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (later Lady Dacre) was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris. She required an extensive wardrobe for the many formal dinners and state functions that she had to attend. A couture client would attend all the fashion collections, seated in the front row if she were especially important. After the show, she would place her orders with her personal vendeuse or saleswoman. A calico toile would be created, then the final garment, a process involving numerous time-consuming fittings. Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at Jacques Fath. The designer lent her evening and day dresses each season, aware of the publicity that this would give his house. 'If there was a Fath dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to - Fath was perfection.' [object label] Wardrobe Jacques Fath (1912–54) Paris This wardrobe contains a further selection of Lady Alexandra’s hats and dresses. 1. Evening dress with train, satin with velvet trim, lined with cotton net 1953 Given by Lady Dacre V&A: T.177-1974 2. Day dress, spotted silk twill, lined with silk and chiffon 1949 Given by Lady Dacre V&A: T.176-1974
Credit line	Given by Lady Alexandra Trevor-Roper
Object history	This dress was originally worn with pink velvet rose, removed by Lady Trevor-Roper and attached to T.174-1974. A similar dress is owned by the Royal Ontario Museum. It was donated by Signy Eaton.
Production	Autumn / winter 1953-4
Association	Beaton, Cecil
Bibliographic references	Palmer, A., Couture and Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s (University of British Columbia Press: 3rd edition, 2001) Harper's Bazaar, September 1953, p.232 Beaton Collection Registered Papers RP/1970/3752 Part 5
Collection	Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number	T.177&A-1974

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Record created	January 28, 2008
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144132/evening-dress-jacques-fath/

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