Ball gown

Christian Dior|House of Dior

spring/summer 1953 · silk, nylon, glass, metallic · Costume Institute

Not since the House of Worth in the Belle Époque has a designer carries a love of the barely perceived detail to such extravagant extreme. A veil of tulle dulls the shimmer of the satin ground but then is embellished with a scalloped web of silver seed beads and pendant crystals. Excess and obsession govern the selection of ornamental elements. The waist is emphasized as the point of convergence of the scallops; in the bodice, the swags drop down; on the skirt, the scallops work upward.

Artist

Christian Dior|House of Dior

Date

spring/summer 1953

Medium

silk, nylon, glass, metallic

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Byron C. Foy, 1955