Evening dress

Hattie Carnegie, Inc.|House of Paquin|Ana de Pombo

1938 · silk, cotton, fur · Costume Institute

Monkey fur became fashionable during the mid- to late-1930s, although it tended to be the reserve of the more adventurous. At a Paris theater, the Honorable Mrs. Reginald Fellowes appeared wearing a black monkey-fur cape by Paquin. As Janet Flanner commented, "Few of the audience in the first rows looked at the stage during the first act: the star of the evening for their eyes was Mrs. Fellowes' cape." Although the fabric and silhouette recalls the innocence and sweetness of a jeune fille dress, the use of monkey fur, strategically placed, introduces a surrealistic 'coming of age' feel.

Artist

Hattie Carnegie, Inc.|House of Paquin|Ana de Pombo

Date

1938

Medium

silk, cotton, fur

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. John Chambers Hughes, 1958