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Dress Fabric

1928-1929 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of blue, cream, deep pink and grey, outlined in black. It was made for use by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272016, stamped upon it.

In the 1920s Chanel began producing jersey textiles under the name of Les Tricots Chanel in partnership with a textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee exclusive designs for her couture collections. She employed the multidisciplinary artist Ilia Zdanevich, known as Iliazd, as a textile designer. In 1928 Chanel took over the factory at Asnières and established a new company, Tissus Chanel.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed wool and silk
Brief description
Dress fabric of printed wool and silk, manufactured by Tricots Chanel, Asnières-sur-Seine, France, 1928 -29.
Physical description
Lightweight dress fabric of wool and silk, printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of magenta, blue, beige and white outlined in black.

Plain weave, with one edge of selvedge, looks to have a silk warp and a wool weft.
Dimensions
  • Board length: 56.5cm (Maximum)
  • Board width: 52cm (Maximum)
  • Textile length: 54.5cm (Maximum)
  • Textile width: 49cm (Maximum)
Measured by conservation
Style
Gallery label
(16/09/2023)
[Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition, September 2023 - March 2024]

BRITISH CHANEL FABRICS

In the late 1920s, Chanel was spending time in Britain due to her relationship with the Duke of Westminster. She opened a salon in Mayfair and was considering possible British business ventures. In February 1929, she registered these textile designs in various colourways. They were the only designs that she ever registered in Britain.

Tricots Chanel textile samples
1929
Printed silk and wool crepe
V&A: T.191, 192, 194-1975
Given by the Manchester Design Registry
(2021)
Controlling larger-scale production

In the early 1920s, fashion designer Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine, France to meet growing demand for her fabrics and to gain control over the production process. The dedicated factory also guaranteed that Chanel fabrics were of consistent quality and exclusive to her alone, even when produced at scale. Using these fabrics for matching dresses and coat linings became one of the brand’s design trademarks.

Patterned dress fabrics
About 1928
Manufactured by Tricots Chanel, France
Printed wool and silk
Given by the Manchester Design Registry
Museum nos. T.191, 195-1975

The object sits in the 'Automation and Labour' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.
Credit line
Given by Manchester Design Registry
Object history
Registration number 272016
Summary
This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of blue, cream, deep pink and grey, outlined in black. It was made for use by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272016, stamped upon it.

In the 1920s Chanel began producing jersey textiles under the name of Les Tricots Chanel in partnership with a textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee exclusive designs for her couture collections. She employed the multidisciplinary artist Ilia Zdanevich, known as Iliazd, as a textile designer. In 1928 Chanel took over the factory at Asnières and established a new company, Tissus Chanel.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.
Associated object
T.192-1975 (Colourway)
Bibliographic reference
Samuels, Charlotte. Art Deco Textiles. London : V&A Publications, 2003. Plate 59.
Other number
272016
Collection
Accession number
T.191-1975

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Record createdAugust 23, 2002
Record URL
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