Dress

Pierre Cardin

ca. 1959 · silk · Costume Institute

Short, black cocktail and evening ensembles were staples of Mrs. Kempner's wardrobe. An exception is a cocktail dress by Pierre Cardin, one of the few examples of Mrs. Kempner's couture wardrobe from the 1960s to survive the flood in her storeroom. With its skirt of organza roundels, the dress, though clearly of its time, also manifests in nascent form Cardin's evolving interest in geometry. As an example of couture, it attests to Mrs. Kempner's design acuity.

Artist

Pierre Cardin

Date

ca. 1959

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Thomas L. Kempner, 2006