Evening dress
Brand
Givenchy
(French, founded 1952)
Designer
Hubert de Givenchy
(1927 - 2018)
1971
Striped silk
Gift of Mrs. Edwin Hilson
Object number75.94.14
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.
DescriptionLong shift gown in silk organza over sild rep each printed with matching large irregular stripes in orange, brown and black; flat round neck; long slim sleeves end in orange stripe and are snap closed at wrist; dress is seamed so that orange stripe starts at torso line; 22 cm double ruffle shirred through center of black organza placed around hem of dress rep dress has center back zipper closing; over dress of organza has snap closing at center back. Half slip in brown satin back crepe has zipper closing at center back with 60 cm hem slit in back.Collections