Medium: Orange, brown and black striped silk

Date: 1971

Country: France

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Edwin Hilson

Givenchy treats this dress from 1971 as a canvas. Inspired by the work of American artist Mark Rothko. the layering of translucent hand-dyed silk organza over a matching silk under-dress produces a luminosity also present in Rothko's work. "Color Field" artists, such as Rothko, were fascinated by the emotional power of color; in their abstract paintings, they used layers of paint to create rectangular forms that conveyed emotion through the interactions of colors. This dress has "blocks" of orange, brown and black that are similar to Rothko's dark palette from the late 1950s, a color combination that, coincidentally, became a popular trend in 1970s fashion. Givenchy adds a subtle element from the "romantic" look of the early 1970s: a monochromatic hem ruffle.

Object Number: 75.94.14