Dress

Geoffrey Beene

fall/winter 1996–97 · silk, metallic · Costume Institute

Although he abandoned medical school for fashion design, Beene informs his work with surgical precision. Signature Beene gestures include his anatomical cut, piped finishes, and a harnessed torso. Beene has since the late 1980s focused increasingly on the play of apertures over the body, but while his designs may appear to verge precariously on the edge of undress, his affinity for decorous propriety and his mastery of cut never allow for any untoward exposure.

Artist

Geoffrey Beene

Date

fall/winter 1996–97

Medium

silk, metallic

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Geoffrey Beene, 2001