Dress

Alberta Ferretti

spring/summer 2002 · silk · Costume Institute

The delineation of drapery as a foil for nudity in classical art often appears, especially in sculptural fragments, to cling in disrupted segments around the body in gravity-defying animation. In fashion, this vivified drapery takes the form of gathered rolls, pleats, and fluted edges that attach to the surface of the garment. Alberta Ferretti, whose work is characterized by a romantic ephemerality, bunches the sheer chiffon of her dress to create a raised cicatrix, like the fractured stubs seen on marble sculptures where an extension of cloth has been lost. The gathering of the fabric to achieve this raised relief also amplifies the draped effect of the rest of the dress.

Artist

Alberta Ferretti

Date

spring/summer 2002

Medium

silk

Culture

Italian

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Alberta Ferretti, 2003