Evening ensemble

Madame Marie Gerber|Callot Soeurs

ca. 1910 · silk, metal · Costume Institute

First established in the 1890s by the four Callot sisters as a lingerie and lace business, Callot Soeurs evolved into a premier dressmaking house in the early years of the 20th century. Madame Gerber, the eldest Callot sister, served as the primary designer for the house until 1927 when her sons took over the business. Rita de Acosta Lydig (1880-1929), a noted beauty and style icon of the early twentieth century, owned this garment attributed to Callot Soeurs. A great admirer and collector of lace, de Acosta Lydig favored simple silhouettes which she paired with lace vests or jackets. De Acosta Lydig's preference for bifurcated garments, which were commonly worn by women in 1910, indicates her idiosyncratic taste in dress.

Artist

Madame Marie Gerber|Callot Soeurs

Date

ca. 1910

Medium

silk, metal

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 Mercedes de Acosta, 1954