Evening Dress
ca. 1937 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This elegant dress and slip by Madeleine Vionnet belonged to Alexandra Everts. Alexandra was born in Corfu in 1880 and died in Brussels in 1961. She was the wife of Robert Everts, who was Belgium's ambassador to Spain (1932-1939) and resided at St. Jean de Luz during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Alexandra bought the dress in the late 1930s. Her daughter, Lady Logan, remembers dresses being modelled for her mother at home by agents based in Biarritz. This dress is associated with those acquisitions.
Madeleine Vionnet was born in 1875 in Aubervilliers, France. Apprenticed to a seamstress at an early age, she worked in the Paris suburbs in her late teens before joining Kate O'Reilly, a London dressmaker, in about 1897. She returned to Paris, working with David Bechoff, Callot Soeurs and Douçet, before opening her own fashion house in 1912. Her work was interrupted by the First World War of 1914-1918, but she reopened in 1918, moving to 50 avenue Matignon. She retired in 1939.
Vionnet is celebrated as master of the bias-cut dress, which moulds the body without restriction and flows with its movement. She was at the forefront of the neo-classical style and her label depicts a classical image of a woman poised on a column raising the straps of her tunic above her head. From 1924 her embroidery designs were inspired by Greek vases and Egyptian frescoes. Her bias-cut garments appear simple, but the cut and construction are complex and immaculately executed. During the 1930s she largely abandoned her famous bias-cut dresses in favour of classical-style draping and folding.
Madeleine Vionnet was born in 1875 in Aubervilliers, France. Apprenticed to a seamstress at an early age, she worked in the Paris suburbs in her late teens before joining Kate O'Reilly, a London dressmaker, in about 1897. She returned to Paris, working with David Bechoff, Callot Soeurs and Douçet, before opening her own fashion house in 1912. Her work was interrupted by the First World War of 1914-1918, but she reopened in 1918, moving to 50 avenue Matignon. She retired in 1939.
Vionnet is celebrated as master of the bias-cut dress, which moulds the body without restriction and flows with its movement. She was at the forefront of the neo-classical style and her label depicts a classical image of a woman poised on a column raising the straps of her tunic above her head. From 1924 her embroidery designs were inspired by Greek vases and Egyptian frescoes. Her bias-cut garments appear simple, but the cut and construction are complex and immaculately executed. During the 1930s she largely abandoned her famous bias-cut dresses in favour of classical-style draping and folding.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Red silk crepe evening dress, Vionnet, French, ca. 1937 |
| Physical description | Bias-cut red crepe dress with a flared skirt. Long sash-like drapes fall over the shoulders and are secured with poppers. With bias cut pink silk crepe slip with ivory lace insert around neck and spagetti straps |
| Credit line | Given from the Everts-Comnene-Logan Collection |
| Historical context | Donated by Lady Logan from the collection of her parents, Robert and Alexandra Everts. Robert Everts (b. Brussels 12 Sept. 1875; d. Brussels 30 April 1942) was born in Brussels the son of the Dutch Consul who adopted Belgian nationality c.1898 and entered the Belgian Diplomatic Service, serving in Paris (1900-09), Mexico (1901-02) and Bucharest (1902-06). He married Alexandra (b. Corfu 4 Feb. 1880; d. Brussels 1961) whose mother was Angelia née Calvocoressi and who chose the family name Comnÿne, in Brussels in 1913. Alexandra accompanied her husband in his foreign postings to Peking between 1910-16 and again in 1920-24, Berlin 1924-31 and Madrid 1932-29 after which the couple resided in Brussels. Together they formed collections of Mexican armour, Mexican textiles, Puebla ceramics, Spanish colonial glass; Chinese textiles, Chinese and Japanese lacquer, Chinese furniture, ceramics and metalwork; and they preserved inherited period lace. Parts of these collections have been acquired by museums internationally: The British Museum: Mexican textiles and beadwork (1994 AM3.1, AM7.1-20; 1996 AM10 1-18; 1997 AM4.1) Mexico City, Franz Mayer Museum: Mexican rebosos and textiles (1994 AD-004, AD-020;DRA-0009, DRA-0025; AD-021, AD-030; DCH-0001, DCH-0010; AD-031, AD-038; DFB-007, DFB-0014); Ecclesiastical embroidered panels, XVI century (2002 09157-01966; DCN-0013, FCF-0011-15; FPA-0013-16) Alexandra Comnÿne-Everts was herself a proficient artist and designer. Albums of her drawings of ornament on Chinese monuments (c. 1919-25) have been acquired by the British Library (1998 N Or.15493/1-6) and the bridal tiara she commissioned from Cartier in Paris is on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The acquisitions from this collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum are: Asian, set of 8 kessus (silk tapestry), late Ming period (T.269-G-1971); feather fan, carved jewelled handle, Chinese, c. 1910 (FE-2008) Fashion, 20th century dress (T.12-203 - T.17-2003); Textiles, Belgian and Flemish lace (T.5-2003; T.6-T.10-2003; T.62-2008; T.63-2008; T.64-2008; T.65-2008) Ref: Claire Brisby, 'Angelia Calvocoressi 1840-1929: A Cosmopolitan Life', Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, 30.2 (2004), 97-130. |
| Summary | This elegant dress and slip by Madeleine Vionnet belonged to Alexandra Everts. Alexandra was born in Corfu in 1880 and died in Brussels in 1961. She was the wife of Robert Everts, who was Belgium's ambassador to Spain (1932-1939) and resided at St. Jean de Luz during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Alexandra bought the dress in the late 1930s. Her daughter, Lady Logan, remembers dresses being modelled for her mother at home by agents based in Biarritz. This dress is associated with those acquisitions. Madeleine Vionnet was born in 1875 in Aubervilliers, France. Apprenticed to a seamstress at an early age, she worked in the Paris suburbs in her late teens before joining Kate O'Reilly, a London dressmaker, in about 1897. She returned to Paris, working with David Bechoff, Callot Soeurs and Douçet, before opening her own fashion house in 1912. Her work was interrupted by the First World War of 1914-1918, but she reopened in 1918, moving to 50 avenue Matignon. She retired in 1939. Vionnet is celebrated as master of the bias-cut dress, which moulds the body without restriction and flows with its movement. She was at the forefront of the neo-classical style and her label depicts a classical image of a woman poised on a column raising the straps of her tunic above her head. From 1924 her embroidery designs were inspired by Greek vases and Egyptian frescoes. Her bias-cut garments appear simple, but the cut and construction are complex and immaculately executed. During the 1930s she largely abandoned her famous bias-cut dresses in favour of classical-style draping and folding. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.15:1, 2-2003 |
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| Record created | April 5, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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