"Buée"

Karl Lagerfeld|Chloé

fall/winter 1983–84 · acetate, rayon, glass, plastic · Costume Institute

Karl Lagerfeld's irreverent humor is very pertinent in this iconic trompe l’oeil (optical illusion) “Shower Dress,” which he created for the French house of Chloé, where he was artistic director from 1966–1983 and from 1992–1997. The embroidered showerhead, water stream and wraparound hose are camp examples of "a double sense in which things can be taken," as Susan Sontag wrote in her 1964 essay "Notes on Camp."

Artist

Karl Lagerfeld|Chloé

Date

fall/winter 1983–84

Medium

acetate, rayon, glass, plastic

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2020