Evening Dress
1935 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The sinuous design of this glamorous evening dress exemplifies the style of the French designer Jeanne Lanvin during the 1930s. Smooth glossy silk satin was especially exacting to make and accuracy was crucial as the tiniest mistakes could not be concealed. This attention to detail can be seen in the careful construction of this dress with its hip panels, seaming and collar with its rows of parallel top-stitching. Lanvin favoured decorative techniques such as top-stitching and ruching to create stunning visual effects and low-key Art Deco relief.
Miss Sylvia Golding owned the dress and gave it her niece Sarah Golding in 1959 to dress up in. Sarah does not know how the dress came into her aunt's possession and she never saw her wearing it. Sylvia worked in the wages office for Marconi of Chelmsford and loved the theatre all her life as well as the colour purple so there may be a connection there. Her fiancé was killed in the Second World War and she never married.
Miss Sylvia Golding owned the dress and gave it her niece Sarah Golding in 1959 to dress up in. Sarah does not know how the dress came into her aunt's possession and she never saw her wearing it. Sylvia worked in the wages office for Marconi of Chelmsford and loved the theatre all her life as well as the colour purple so there may be a connection there. Her fiancé was killed in the Second World War and she never married.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk satin decorated with machine top-stitching; machine-sewn and hand-finished |
| Brief description | Floor-length evening dress with halter back and deep geometrical-style collar, silk satin, designed by Jeanne Lanvin, France (Paris), 1935 |
| Physical description | This sinuous, floor-length evening dress has a halter back and deep geometrical-style collar decorated with rows of parallel top stitching. The hip panels and girdles accentuate the long, elegant and clinging silhouette. |
| Credit line | Given by Sarah Golding |
| Summary | The sinuous design of this glamorous evening dress exemplifies the style of the French designer Jeanne Lanvin during the 1930s. Smooth glossy silk satin was especially exacting to make and accuracy was crucial as the tiniest mistakes could not be concealed. This attention to detail can be seen in the careful construction of this dress with its hip panels, seaming and collar with its rows of parallel top-stitching. Lanvin favoured decorative techniques such as top-stitching and ruching to create stunning visual effects and low-key Art Deco relief. Miss Sylvia Golding owned the dress and gave it her niece Sarah Golding in 1959 to dress up in. Sarah does not know how the dress came into her aunt's possession and she never saw her wearing it. Sylvia worked in the wages office for Marconi of Chelmsford and loved the theatre all her life as well as the colour purple so there may be a connection there. Her fiancé was killed in the Second World War and she never married. |
| Associated object | T.340-1965 (Version) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.61-2004 |
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| Record created | May 11, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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