Evening dress

House of Dior|John Galliano|House of Dior

fall/winter 2002–3 · silk · Costume Institute

Originally shown in a state of such asymmetrical slippage as to expose one breast, this dress, in its transit from the runway to its haute-couture client, has stabilized its relationship to the body. The decorative zone of cording and knotted openwork, once loosely shifting on the upper hipbone, is now anchored at the waist. The lining is cleverly pieced to preserve the effect of the garment's bareness while securing the wearer's modesty. In his use of tie-dye and macramé effects, Galliano clearly alludes to 1967 and the "Summer of Love," while also suggesting the softly draped disco dresses of the period that followed. Galliano's handkerchief hemlines play with the coquettish exposure of the legs and introduce the possibility of animation on the dance floor.

Artist

House of Dior|John Galliano|House of Dior

Date

fall/winter 2002–3

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Randolph Hearst, 2004