Tuesday, May 22, 2012

History's Runway: 'Bosphore' (Bosphorus); La Ligne Aimant



Blue Velvet Embroidered Gown with Pearls
Christian Dior, 1956
The Cecil Beaton Collection
This and all related images from the
Victoria & Albert Museum


This short and strapless, midnight-blue velvet dress was designed in Paris in 1956 by Christian Dior (1905-57) and features delicate embroidery by Rébé, which includes velvet birds’ nests with clusters of pearl “eggs.:

The cut of the dress is simple and elegant, designed to showcase the gown’s opulent surface detail—divine embellishment  which would have required meticulous patience for, as Dior explained, “a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately.”

The dress cleverly has two attached petticoats, one of black net and one of navy blue silk to add delicate volume without being too puffy.  Originally, the dress was designed to be worn with a plain velvet bolero.  The jacket did exist, but was not part of the bequest to the V&A when the gown was given by Mrs. Stavros Niarchos III (1926-70) to Cecil Beaton who was orchestrating a couture collection for the museum.

Mrs. Niarchos was the ideal couture client - beautiful, stylish and exceedingly rich. Beaton had once written that “Mme Stavros Niarchos was about the only person who could afford to order one of the incredibly beaded dresses that Dior has designed.” 

According to the V&A,  “Beaton did indeed manage to persuade her to donate her Dior dress, which thankfully she had 'never had the heart to throw away', although she added, 'but I'm afraid they ain't too fresh-looking'.”






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