Evening Dress
1957 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Christian Dior founded his Parisian fashion house in 1946, with backing from the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the ‘New Look’ by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world.
Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele. In December 1954, the company changed name to Christian Dior London Ltd.
Dior wrote that ‘many a dress of mine is born of the fabric alone’, and in this dress he manipulates the luxurious, crisp satin organza to great effect. The two bows on the bodice of this dress appear to hold the soft gathers of the material together as it flows from the deep, falling collar into the closely fitting bodice. The bodice is complemented by a simple skirt. Full and short, its bouffant shape is pleated into a tight waist and supported by four layers of net petticoat beneath, the innermost reinforced by horsehair stiffening.
Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele. In December 1954, the company changed name to Christian Dior London Ltd.
Dior wrote that ‘many a dress of mine is born of the fabric alone’, and in this dress he manipulates the luxurious, crisp satin organza to great effect. The two bows on the bodice of this dress appear to hold the soft gathers of the material together as it flows from the deep, falling collar into the closely fitting bodice. The bodice is complemented by a simple skirt. Full and short, its bouffant shape is pleated into a tight waist and supported by four layers of net petticoat beneath, the innermost reinforced by horsehair stiffening.
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Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Satin organza, net and horsehair stiffening |
Brief description | Dress by Christian Dior London Ltd., silk (organza), net and crin, London, 1957 |
Physical description | Cocktail dress of satin organza, net and horsehair stiffening. With two softly tailored bows. Precisely placed at either side of the bodice, the bows draw attention to the flattering cross-over decolletage. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Production type | Ready to wear |
Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label | Cocktail dress (robe de cocktail)
Christian Dior (1905-57)
London
1957
Dior always included a red dress in his collections. He wrote that red 'is the colour of life. I love red and I think it suits almost every complexion. Bright reds - scarlet, pillar-box red, crimson, cherry are very gay and youthful.' He also described bows as the 'natural ornament' of a dress.
Satin organza
Given by Mrs William Mann
V&A: T.235-1985
[displayed with]
Shoes
Christian Dior
Late 1950s
Satin
Given by Mrs Gloria Guinness
V&A: T.153&A-1974(22/09/2007-06/01/2008) |
Credit line | Given by Mrs William Mann |
Object history | Dior established his London house in 1954. Along with various other international 'branches' it provided high-end ready-to-wear. |
Historical context | This dress is very typical of the Dior silhouette from 1957. The bodice is tight and moulded, flaring from the waist to a rounded bell-skirt. |
Production | Attribution note: High-end ready-to-wear |
Summary | Christian Dior founded his Parisian fashion house in 1946, with backing from the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the ‘New Look’ by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world. Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele. In December 1954, the company changed name to Christian Dior London Ltd. Dior wrote that ‘many a dress of mine is born of the fabric alone’, and in this dress he manipulates the luxurious, crisp satin organza to great effect. The two bows on the bodice of this dress appear to hold the soft gathers of the material together as it flows from the deep, falling collar into the closely fitting bodice. The bodice is complemented by a simple skirt. Full and short, its bouffant shape is pleated into a tight waist and supported by four layers of net petticoat beneath, the innermost reinforced by horsehair stiffening. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | T.235-1985 |
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Record created | December 15, 1999 |
Record URL |
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