Dress

Zack Carr|Calvin Klein, Inc.

ca. 1988 · silk · Costume Institute

The sensuous minimalism and clean lines of this wrap halter-neckline dress herald the pared down aesthetic of the new decade, in a time when broad-shouldered, tailored silhouettes were still the norm. Calvin Klein's longtime artistic director, Zack Carr, was known for his deep knowledge of fashion history and references to specific shapes and colors of past eras. This dress echoes Madeleine Vionnet's 1930s haute couture designs, which clung to the body, and nods to the American version of minimalism as defined by Halston in the 1970s.

Artist

Zack Carr|Calvin Klein, Inc.

Date

ca. 1988

Medium

silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Christine Royer, 2019