86.7.1

Images (4)

RetroSpective_12 Left to right P85.56.1 (textile wall), 83.17.1 (bag case), 89.164.150 and 89.164.152 (shoes case), 89.1.1 (choker case), 82.32.1 (sequinned dress), 83.194.1 (top), P90.20.1 (gown), 71.263.3 (shoes case), 86.7.1 (purple dress), 95.173.1 (black dress), 99.14.2 (mini dress), 98.140.1 (jacket), 91.158.1 (gold dress), 98.20.8 (suit), 93.86.9 (textile wall), 93.86.36 (textile wall), 93.86.18 (textile wall)

Rainbow_3 Left to right 95.128.1 (red dress), 90.163.3 (orange dress), 90.188.33 (yellow dress), 2005.71.3 (green dress), 78.208.1 (blue coat), 86.7.1 (purple dress), 99.67.1 (white dress), 2003.32.2 (black dress)

Object: Evening dress

Brand: Yves Saint Laurent (French, founded 1961)

Designer: Yves Saint Laurent (1936 - 2008)

Date: Fall 1966

Medium: Purple silk crepe, gold beads, and multicolor plastic stones

Country: France

Credit Line: Gift of Mary McFadden

Object number: 86.7.1

DescriptionLong Byzantine evening shift dress in purple shot silk crepe encrusted with gold beads large multicolor jewels at shoulder yoke, cuffs and hem

Label Text:Luminosity is a striking element in the majestic aura of this purple silk shift with encrusted trim. Purple was a color reserved for royalty in Roman and Byzantine times; due to the rarity of the murex mollusk from which purple dye was made, purple cloth was the ultimate luxury. As a 20th-century equivalent, Yves Saint Laurent selected specialty fabric and embroidery from renowned French companies, such as Abraham and Rébé. This silk crepe, woven with thick red-violet and blue-violet threads, has an unusual depth and luster. As it caresses the body, the wide bands of bugle beads strewn with multicolor stones lend additional weight and grandeur, conveying the wearer's spirit as well as her status. The simple, narrow shift imitates the graceful purity of medieval dresses with their slim flowing lines, deep, solid colors, long sleeves, and edging bands of gold. Saint Laurent's couture collection for fall 1966 was inspired by paintings of the 13th century. His interest may have been sparked by the costumes for Notre-Dame de Paris, a stunning production staged in Paris by Roland Petit the previous year. The flat, austere richness serves as an antidote to the fussiness of conservative French couture, and a means of synchronizing his styles with the modern aesthetic of the late 1960s.

Exhibitions:

RetroSpective
She's like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion