Cocktail dress
Designer
Geoffrey Beene
(1927 - 2004)
Retailer
Balliet's
1969
Gold lamé, tan crepe, gold braid, and brass filigree
Gift of Jane L. Rodgers
Object number2002.58.1
Reflecting the eclecticism of the 1960s, youth culture and Eastern fashion merge in this dress. Drawing his inspiration from traditional Indian menswear, Geoffrey Beene uses gold braid trim to imitate the look of the sherwani - a fitted coat-like garment customarily reserved for formal occasions. Indian-inspired brass jewelry is attached along the neckline of the dress, reflecting Beene's fondness for incorporating accessories into a garment. While the above-the-knee length silhouette harkens to the comfort and freedom of youth fashion, this dress preserves the rigid, heavy construction of New Look fashions that many women still deemed "proper."
DescriptionShort Indian cocktail dress in pebble texture gold lamé on tan crepe, with gold braid on collar, placket, cuffs and hem; attached brass filigree necklace with large pendant tassels; wide beltCollections
Exhibitions