Evening cape
Brand
Chanel
(French, founded 1914)
Designer
Gabrielle Chanel
(1883 - 1971)
Retailer
Mary Walls Frocks
1927
Red silk crepe de chine and feathers
Gift from The Dorothea Stephens Wiman Collection
Object number96.69.15
This ravishing evening cape by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel exemplifies the glamour of Paris fashion between the wars, when the New Woman took center stage. The 1920s and 1930s were a golden age for women designers in Paris. Chanel was the most famous, but her rivals included Schiaparelli, Vionnet, Lanvin, and Alix (later known as Madame Grès). By contrast, the postwar period was dominated by men, such as Dior, Balenciaga, and Fath.
DescriptionCalf length evening cape in doubled red silk crepe de chine crinkled and smocked along curved edges of cocoon silhouette, crimson feather trim forming shawl collar and wide hem bandCollections
Exhibitions