Evening dress
Brand
Chanel
(French, founded 1914)
Designer
Karl Lagerfeld
(1933 - 2019)
Manufacturer
Lesage
(French, founded 1924)
1983
Black silk crepe with trompe-l'oeil embroidered jewelry (embroidery by Lesage)
Gift from The Estate of Tina Chow
Object number91.255.9
After the death of Coco Chanel in 1971, the house of Chanel fell into a decline, which lasted until Karl Lagerfeld's appointment as director in 1983. This dress cites the history and symbolism of the Chanel style. While avoiding the obviousness of the double C's or the stylistic vocabulary of the classic Chanel suit, it alludes directly to Mlle. Chanel's personal preference for decorating a black dress with a wealth of costume jewelry - trompe-l'oeil jewelry, in this case. According to the scholar Barbara Vinken, author of Fashion Zeitgeist, the griffe (the sign of the house) has become "the centerpiece of Chanel fashion after Coco" under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld.
DescriptionHomage to Coco Chanel evening dress in black silk crepe with trompe-l'oeil costume jewelry beadwork by Lesage; open round neck, shoulder pads, long sleeves, floor-length straightline skirt; heavily beaded multistrand necklace, chain belt and cuff braceletsCollections
Exhibitions