Object: Evening dress
Brand:
Carolina Herrera
(American, founded 1981)
Designer:
Carolina Herrera
(born 1939)
Date: Fall 1981
Medium: Silk peau de soie satin
Country: USA
Credit Line: Gift of Carolina Herrera, Ltd.
Object number: 88.105.10
DescriptionEvening dress in ecru silk peau de soie, with voluminous puffed sleeves draped to elbow, on fitted square neck peasant bodice; ankle length bell skirt gathered at slightly raised waist
Label Text:This evening dress from the beginning of Carolina Herrera's career is representative of the 1980s' revival of interest in luxury materials and investment dressing. The sheer volume of its dramatic sleeves is the focal point, which is in contrast to the garment's otherwise simple styling and understated color. The aristocratic Herrera, who was on many best-dressed lists during the 1970s, is well-known for her love of exaggerated and embellished sleeves. As she told the New York Times in 1980: "When you sit at [a] table, what is most important is everything that can be seen from the waist up. That is why I pay so much attention to the sleeves. They make you important."
Exhibitions:
- 50 Years of Fashion, 1947 - 1997
- RetroSpective
- Food and Fashion