Evening dress
Designer
Halston
(1932 - 1990)
1972
Polyester jersey and sequins
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Object number74.107.30
The long sequined shift exemplifies the "glitter principle" characteristic of many of Halston's designs for evening. Luxurious and glamorous in appearance, the dress is a simple pullover, devoid of closure or detail. The fabric is a stretchy polyester knit to which the iridescent sequins are machine-stitched with clear synthetic thread. Halston's choice of inexpensive "sequins by the yard" over the costly hand-sewn type strengthens the garment, making it marketable as well as wearable. The sequined jersey is cut as yardage in a narrow, slighly A-line shape that has a theatrical "second skin" quality. As the fabric adapts to the wearer's shape and movement, the sequins shift to catch the light, which was perfect for the milieu of discothéques like Studio 54 in New York, where Halston and his associates spent many a night. Deep lapis or blue-violet is in sharp contrast to the muted colors that Halston used in his early collections. From the mix of rich, ethnographic inspiration prevalent in the fashions of the 1970s, Halston chose color alone as a sign of exoticism for this model. The iridescence emphasizes the surface of the fabric, correlating with artistic minimalism in form and substance.
DescriptionDeep blue / violet sequinned jersey evening shift; floor length pullover dress with deep scoop neck, long narrow sleeves, slightly flared; machine applied sequinsCollections
Exhibitions