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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 Coco Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272016, stamped upon it.

In the early 1920s Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine to cater for the demand for her signature silk-enriched wool and cotton jersey fabrics. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee that Chanel fabrics were exclusive to her alone. Until around 1929, the factory was called 'Tricot Chanel'. After Chanel expanded into producing exclusive printed silks and other woven fabrics, the factory was renamed 'Tissus Chanel'.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.This is a woven fabric stamped 'Tricot Chanel', so is probably one of Chanel's first fabric prints before the factory's official name change.


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
  • Length: 65cm
  • Width: 48cm
Style
Gallery label
  • [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(16/09/2023)
  • 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. (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 Coco Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272016, stamped upon it.

In the early 1920s Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine to cater for the demand for her signature silk-enriched wool and cotton jersey fabrics. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee that Chanel fabrics were exclusive to her alone. Until around 1929, the factory was called 'Tricot Chanel'. After Chanel expanded into producing exclusive printed silks and other woven fabrics, the factory was renamed 'Tissus Chanel'.

Chanel used printed fabrics for coat linings worn with matching dresses, which became one of her design trademarks.This is a woven fabric stamped 'Tricot Chanel', so is probably one of Chanel's first fabric prints before the factory's official name change.
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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