Evening Dress thumbnail 1
Evening Dress thumbnail 2
Not on display

This object consists of 4 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Evening Dress

1994 (made)
Artist/Maker
Vivienne Westwood (designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

Vivienne Westwood created this romantic dress for Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran to wear to Queen Charlotte’s Ball in 1994. This élite charity event has effectively taken over the role of court presentations: etiquette demands that women wear white dresses and pearls are considered appropriate jewellery. Vivienne Westwood’s design provided the grand statement that the occasion demands. Inspired by 18th-century rococo motifs, she gave the dress a modern note by shredding the tulle skirt.

Object details

Categories
Fashion
Evening Wear
Womenswear
Object type
Evening dress
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Corset
  • Skirt
  • Apron
  • Shawl
Materials and techniques
Flocked tulle and satin
Tulle
Flocked
Satin Weave
Brief description
Flocked tulle and satin evening dress bodice, skirt, apron and stole, designed by Vivienne Westwood, Great Britain, 1994
Physical description
Cream flocked tulle and satin bodice, skirt, apron and stole.
Production typeHaute couture
Gallery label
(1997)
Vivienne Westwood created this ingénue dress for Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran to wear to the Queen Charlotte's Ball in 1994. This élite charity event has effectively taken over the role of court presentations: etiquette demands that white dresses are worn and pearls are appropriate jewellery. Vivienne Westwood's design provided the grand statement that the occasion demands. Inspired by 18th-century rococo motifs, she gave the dress a modern note by shredding the tulle skirt.
(25/07/2012)
Vivienne Westwood created this romantic interpretation of a debutante's dress for Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran to wear to Queen Charlotte's ball in 1994. When Court Presentations ended in 1957, other events gained prominence. By the 1990s, elite charity balls such as Queen Charlotte's Birthday Ball had effectively taken over the role of court presentations. For this event etiquette demanded that women wear white dresses; pearls were considered appropriate jewellery. Vivienne Westwood's design provided the grand statement that the occasion demanded. Inspired by 18th-century rococo motifs, she gave the dress a modern note by shredding the tulle skirt.
Credit line
Given by Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran
Summary
Vivienne Westwood created this romantic dress for Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran to wear to Queen Charlotte’s Ball in 1994. This élite charity event has effectively taken over the role of court presentations: etiquette demands that women wear white dresses and pearls are considered appropriate jewellery. Vivienne Westwood’s design provided the grand statement that the occasion demands. Inspired by 18th-century rococo motifs, she gave the dress a modern note by shredding the tulle skirt.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.14:1 to 4-1997

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Record createdAugust 20, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O83545/evening-dress-vivienne-westwood/
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