Ball gown

Jacques Fath|House of Jacques Fath

ca. 1951 · silk, glass, metal, plastic, rhinestones, mink · Costume Institute

Known for flattering dinner dresses that set off the head and shoulders with an audacious décolletage, Fath created a cantilevered outer bodice with a modest ivory satin underbodice. The extended plane of the outer bodice is like the soaring shapes of Saarinen's buildings, establishing an artifice within the canon of modernist restraint. Fath played with contrast—of matte and shiny, of ivory and black, of white fur and gold bullion—as a rich textural perimeter for the dress.

Artist

Jacques Fath|House of Jacques Fath

Date

ca. 1951

Medium

silk, glass, metal, plastic, rhinestones, mink

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Giorgio Uzielli, 1984