Dress
Brand
Christian Dior
(French, founded 1947)
Designer
Christian Dior
(1905 - 1957)
c. 1950
Blue silk chiffon and ivory silk organza
Gift of Mrs. Tilly Friedman
Object number85.172.3
Dior's prime concerns were silhouette and form, and he admitted that he could happily produce all of his collections in black or white. "Colour cannot transform a failure of a dress into a success, " he said. "It merely plays a supporting role in a cast where the cut is the star performer." While Dior was famously inspired by memories of his beautiful mother dressed in the elaborate fashions of the Belle Époque, his approach to color was less personal. He often claimed to choose a season's palette from the samples presented to him by manufacturers. It is impossible to know whether blue was a conscious choice for this particular dress, but for centuries this same deep blue has been linked in western history with the feminine ideal - in particular, with the Virgin Mary. Medieval artists frequently used this blue for the Virgin's robes, since that was the most expensive pigment. Through this repeated association, blue has become the color of tranquility, peace, and faith.
DescriptionTwo piece dress: navy blue silk chiffon bodice on ivory silk organza boned strapless underbodice; large portrait collar; self straps; front cross-over bodice with left side hook closing; center front hook and eye closing. Matching mid calf skirt: 2.3 cm. waistband; three gore straight line with side seam slits; six flared self panels over two layers of ivory organza; ivory taffeta lining; left side zipper closing.Exhibitions