Ensemble

Griffe of Paris|Jacques Griffe|André Perugia|Alwynn

spring/summer 1951 · silk, cotton, leather, nylon · Costume Institute

Griffe, who had worked with Vionnet, permitted the graduated structural elements to become ornament. Far more grandiloquent than Vionnet and, in the manner of the 1950s, returning to crinoline-like shaping and picturesque resplendence in fashion, Griffe created a full skirt with welt tuckes that encase bands of horsehair. One feature of this period is that the horsehair progresses very subtly from narrow to wider, demonstrating the sophisticated resources of the couture. Arguably, every skill of the couture flourished in the 1950s, and dresses seem to celebrate the métiers in an almost self-concious flamboyance.

Artist

Griffe of Paris|Jacques Griffe|André Perugia|Alwynn

Date

spring/summer 1951

Medium

silk, cotton, leather, nylon

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Byron C. Foy, 1953