Evening vest

Elsa Schiaparelli

fall 1938 · silk · Costume Institute

Schiaparelli's fall 1938 pagan collection dazzled with references to spring eternal throughout. Flowers, insects and woodland creatures added decorative whimsy to her creations. This evening vest from that collection, owned by Millicent Rogers who was ever in vogue, features apple blossoms with three-dimensional centers blossoming freely over supple satin and rich velvet. The idea is fanciful and in keeping with Schiaparelli's desire to provide clothing for women who possessed an unconventional chic. The rickrack edging, which is more commonly applied, is embroidered instead and adds a sense of playfulness to a couture garment.

Artist

Elsa Schiaparelli

Date

fall 1938

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954