Superb materials and top-quality workmanship combine to create this stunning evening dress. Light-reflecting beads and sequins had long been popular decoration for evening fabrics, but in the 1920s the fashion reached its peak. The embroidery follows the lines of the printed floral design to enhance the pattern and catch the light. This dress was designed by the fashion house Callot Soeurs. Four sisters, Marie, Marthe, Regina and Joséphine, had opened a lace shop in 1888. The eldest, Marie (Madame Gerber), developed the couture side of the business at 9 avenue Matignon, Paris, where it continued until the mid 1930s. The sisters worked with exquisite and unusual materials, including Chinese silks and rubberised gabardine. Callot Soeurs was also known for its use of lace and decorated sheer fabrics.

This dress was worn by a British aristocrat, Winifred, Duchess of Portland. It was given to the Museum by Lady Victoria Wemyss and forms part of the Cecil Beaton Collection. This Collection was brought together by the society photographer Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), contacted the well-dressed elite of Europe and North America to help create this lasting monument to the art of dress. The Collection was exhibited in 1971, accompanied by a catalogue that detailed its enormous range.