This is one of a group of 157 sketches for dresses bound in volumes entitled Hiver 1911 (Winter 1911) from the Paris fashion house of Paquin. Founded by Jeanne Paquin (1869-1936) in 1891, Paquin was one of the most successful couture establishments at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her clientele was very wide-ranging, including royalty and aristocracy from across Europe, wealthy Americans, and also actresses and singers and even courtesans such as the notorious La Belle Otero.

The vast majority of sketches show Paquin's gowns being modelled by pink-cheeked Caucasian models, which makes this design unusual in that the model is explicitly shown with a darker skintone. This is not an isolated incident, as a run of four designs for walking suits (E.2090 to 2093-1957) all show the same colouring. Many of the leading Paris couture houses provided Western fashions to an international clientele, and it is very possible that this group of designs (titled Vittoria, Zenda, Otrante, and Zaire) were drawn up for a specific client to offer an indication of how they would suit her colouring.