Cocktail dress
Brand
Fontana
(Italian, founded 1943)
c.1957
Grey silk taffeta, raffia and net
Gift of Mrs. Barbara Halpern
Object number92.213.2
The Fontana Sisters were renowned for extraordinary fabrics and unique, lavish embellishments, as seen in this raffia-embroidered taffeta dress. In 1958, journalist Gloria Emerson characterized Fontana couture evening gowns as “sumptuous, feminine, and fragile looking.”
DescriptionGrey silk taffeta sleeveless cocktail dress embroidered with matching raffia, large leaf motifs filled with off-white pleated net; bodice with wide V-neck, fitted with princess seams; calf-length flared skirt; couture finishingExhibitions