Evening dress

Sophie Gimbel

1955 · silk, rhinestones · 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. She regularly offered a number of classic designs to her customers, her most popular being a bare-bodiced, full-skirted ball gown with detailed handwork, just as the one seen here.

Artist

Sophie Gimbel

Date

1955

Medium

silk, rhinestones

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 Sophie Gimbel, 1955