Imprudence
Fashion Illustration
late 1939 (made)
late 1939 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This fashion design shows a dress by Netty Ferro (1897-1942) designed for the House of Worth in late 1939. The dress, which is full skirted, is constructed as a continious spiral frill of white crisply-pleated net, deliberately intended to echo the form of the Lalique glass flagon holding Worth's perfume "Imprudence". A large bottle of "Imprudence" is placed on a pillar beside the model, who also wears a small spiralling hat echoing both dress and bottle. This drawing was used as the basis for the cover for the Christmas 1939 issue of L'Officiel de la Mode (issue 209), nearly four months after the outbreak of the Second World War.
Netty Ferro was born in Novgorod, Russia on 4 April 1897. By the late 1930s she was one of the chief designers for Worth, Paris, under the supervision of Roger Worth who oversaw design between 1935 and 1952. Roger was the great-grandson of Worth's founder, Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), who founded the house in 1858, and went on to become known as the first haute couture designer. Following his death, Charles was succeeded by his son Jean-Philippe Worth (1856-1925). The house then passed to Jean-Philippe's nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, who retired in 1935 and handed Worth to his nephews Roger and Maurice. The Paris house closed in 1954 following a buy-out by Paquin, who themselves closed two years later.
Worth was among the Paris fashion houses that remained in business during the course of the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Nazi occupation of France from 1940-44. Annotations to the bottom of this design, made a few years afterwards, tell a sad story. On the 15th July 1942, Madame Ferro was apprehended whilst on the premises of Worth by pro-Nazi French authorities. She became one of 13,152 men, women and children arrested during the so-called "Vel d'Hiv Roundup" of non-French Jews in Paris, and was transported to the concentration camp Auschwitz. Her colleagues at Worth picked out this design to serve as a memorial to her, inscribing it with the details of her capture, death, and the words "In Memoriam".
Netty Ferro was born in Novgorod, Russia on 4 April 1897. By the late 1930s she was one of the chief designers for Worth, Paris, under the supervision of Roger Worth who oversaw design between 1935 and 1952. Roger was the great-grandson of Worth's founder, Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), who founded the house in 1858, and went on to become known as the first haute couture designer. Following his death, Charles was succeeded by his son Jean-Philippe Worth (1856-1925). The house then passed to Jean-Philippe's nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, who retired in 1935 and handed Worth to his nephews Roger and Maurice. The Paris house closed in 1954 following a buy-out by Paquin, who themselves closed two years later.
Worth was among the Paris fashion houses that remained in business during the course of the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Nazi occupation of France from 1940-44. Annotations to the bottom of this design, made a few years afterwards, tell a sad story. On the 15th July 1942, Madame Ferro was apprehended whilst on the premises of Worth by pro-Nazi French authorities. She became one of 13,152 men, women and children arrested during the so-called "Vel d'Hiv Roundup" of non-French Jews in Paris, and was transported to the concentration camp Auschwitz. Her colleagues at Worth picked out this design to serve as a memorial to her, inscribing it with the details of her capture, death, and the words "In Memoriam".
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Imprudence (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | watercolour, with annotations |
| Brief description | Netty Ferro for Worth. "Imprudence". Design for a spiralling flounced white evening gown to promote the Worth perfume, used as basis for the cover of L'Officiel de la Mode issue 209, Christmas 1939. Paris. Inscribed at the bottom with a memoriam note for the designer who died at Auschwitz in 1942. |
| Physical description | Watercolour drawing of an elegant woman in a full-skirted white evening gown comprised of a spiralling flounce of pleated white chiffon, standing beside a pedestal holding a large Lalique bottle for Imprudence perfume. She also wears a spiralling white hat. |
| Marks and inscriptions | NOËL 1939.
"IMPRUDENCE"
Couverture de L'Officiel de la et de la Mode
Création réalisée a l'occasion de
l'apparition du parfum "Imprudence"
Modéle de Madame Netty Ferro
arrrétée chez Worth le 15 Juill[et]
et présumée décédée a Auschwi[tz]
en 1943.
IN MEMORIAM
|
| Credit line | Given by the House of Worth |
| Summary | This fashion design shows a dress by Netty Ferro (1897-1942) designed for the House of Worth in late 1939. The dress, which is full skirted, is constructed as a continious spiral frill of white crisply-pleated net, deliberately intended to echo the form of the Lalique glass flagon holding Worth's perfume "Imprudence". A large bottle of "Imprudence" is placed on a pillar beside the model, who also wears a small spiralling hat echoing both dress and bottle. This drawing was used as the basis for the cover for the Christmas 1939 issue of L'Officiel de la Mode (issue 209), nearly four months after the outbreak of the Second World War. Netty Ferro was born in Novgorod, Russia on 4 April 1897. By the late 1930s she was one of the chief designers for Worth, Paris, under the supervision of Roger Worth who oversaw design between 1935 and 1952. Roger was the great-grandson of Worth's founder, Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), who founded the house in 1858, and went on to become known as the first haute couture designer. Following his death, Charles was succeeded by his son Jean-Philippe Worth (1856-1925). The house then passed to Jean-Philippe's nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, who retired in 1935 and handed Worth to his nephews Roger and Maurice. The Paris house closed in 1954 following a buy-out by Paquin, who themselves closed two years later. Worth was among the Paris fashion houses that remained in business during the course of the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Nazi occupation of France from 1940-44. Annotations to the bottom of this design, made a few years afterwards, tell a sad story. On the 15th July 1942, Madame Ferro was apprehended whilst on the premises of Worth by pro-Nazi French authorities. She became one of 13,152 men, women and children arrested during the so-called "Vel d'Hiv Roundup" of non-French Jews in Paris, and was transported to the concentration camp Auschwitz. Her colleagues at Worth picked out this design to serve as a memorial to her, inscribing it with the details of her capture, death, and the words "In Memoriam". |
| Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1957-1958 London: HMSO, 1964 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.22196-1957 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
