Dress Fabric
ca. 1928 (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 red, beige and cream, 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, 272019, 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.
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, ca. 1928. |
| Physical description | Plain weave, lightweight fabric of wool and silk, printed with an abstract pattern of irregular meandering vertical bands in bright orange, grey green, beige and pale yellow outlined in black. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Tricots Chanel' (1) Makers's mark; French; Selvedge; Stamping) |
| Credit line | Given by the Manchester Design Registry |
| Production | Made for use by Coco Chanel. |
| Summary | This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of red, beige and cream, 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, 272019, 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 objects |
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| Bibliographic reference | Charlotte Samuels, 'Art Deco Textiles' (V&A: V&A Publications, 2003), pl.59 |
| Other number | 272019 - Manufacturer's number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.193-1975 |
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| Record created | August 23, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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