Evening dress
Brand
Balenciaga
(French, founded 1937)
Designer
Cristóbal Balenciaga
(1895 - 1972)
1950
Silk taffeta
Gift of Doris Duke
Object number71.265.15
Fashion editor Diana Vreeland’s curatorial work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art brought unprecedented attention to fashion in museum spaces. She curated The World of Balenciaga (1973) as the first monographic designer retrospective at The Met, and The Museum at FIT loaned this dress that exemplifies the couturier’s masterful technique and artistic eye. While this was far from the first exhibition of clothing, Vreeland’s curatorial choices, alongside her theatrical style – Balenciaga’s work was shown next to paintings by Francisco de Goya and Diego Velázquez and Balenciaga perfume was pumped into the galleries – lent both legitimacy and scrutiny to fashion’s place in one of the country’s most respected art museums.
DescriptionLong evening dress in white silk taffeta with brown warp print of meandering lines; deep front and back cowl neck, 7/8 length sleeves, asymmetrically draped bodice and lower skirt, and wide flared hem ruffle; self belt.Collections
Exhibitions