Blouse

Valentina

ca. 1940 · wool · Costume Institute

Ingenious handling of fabric was a hallmark of Valentina's design career. In this blouse, she thoughtfully used the pattern of a scarf to create a garment, allowing the floral pattern to make up the front and back torso and the points of the scarf to become the collar. The care taken to incorporate the pattern into the design is reminiscent of the same thoughtfulness that went into creating garments from paisley shawls in the 19th century.

Artist

Valentina

Date

ca. 1940

Medium

wool

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 Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1955