78.147.12

Images (3)

Paris Refashioned_1 Left to right 82.18.3 (gold gown), 72.112.38 (ivory dress with beading), PL74.1.24 (gown with embellished bodice), 78.147.12 (ivory gown), 96.116.3 (polka dot gown)

Object: Evening gown

Brand: Christian Dior (French, founded 1947)

Designer: Yves Saint Laurent (1936 - 2008)

Date: Spring 1958

Medium: Silk satin, net, sequins, and beads

Country: France

Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. H. J. Heinz II

Object number: 78.147.12

DescriptionGown, slipper satin skirt off white, bodice of doubled white net, embellished with silver thread embroidered circles, sequins beaded tassels around decollate, sleeveless; couture

Label Text:In his 1957 autobiography, Christian Dior wrote, “haute couture has become an expression of a single personality: that of the head of the house.” Following his death that same year, it came as a surprise that young, then-unknown Yves Saint Laurent was selected to take his place. While Saint Laurent was recognized for his forward-thinking designs, this evening gown demonstrates that he also made highly opulent creations in the Dior tradition.

Exhibitions:

Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968