Evening ensemble

Sophie Gimbel

ca. 1962 · silk, silver beads, pearls · Costume Institute

Sophie Gimbel was the wife of Adam Gimbel, President of Saks Fifth Avenue beginning in 1926. Sophie was the in-house designer by 1931, working in the exclusive Salon Moderne. Extremely talented, she tripled the sales of her department, selling French couture as well as her own collection, which was shown three times a year. She was known for her subdued yet striking color palette and her use of wonderful materials. Highly respected as a custom designer, she was the first American fashion designer to appear on the cover of Time magazine in 1947. This evening ensemble is a wonderful representation of the designer's work, an exclusive look made especially for Saks' clientele.

Artist

Sophie Gimbel

Date

ca. 1962

Medium

silk, silver beads, pearls

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Frances Harris, 1986