Medium: Orange acrylic / wool blend

Date: 1968

Country: France

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Phillip Schwartz

This "day-glo" or "acid" orange pantsuit from 1968 represents one typical color from the kaleidoscope of vibrant tones popularized by both the Op Art and the psychedelic hippie movements of the 1960s, a time of cultural experimentation in lifestyle, art, and fashion. In addition to its bold color and form, the concept of this outfit was shocking because women were still not commonly seen in trousers. Courréges appealed to younger clients and this outfit, designed under his ready-to-wear line Couture Future, would have been more affordable to this younger - and wider - audience than his couture line. Just as in the 1920s, the simple chemise dress was the idenifying garment of the flapper girl, the geometric pantsuit by Courréges makes a strong and prophetic statement for youth liberation and modernism in the 1960s.

Object Number: 81.132.4