Evening coat
Edward Molyneux
ca. 1942 · wool, fur · Costume Institute
Often remembered as Captain Molyneux, Edward Molyneux began his career with the English couturiere Lucile, Lady Duff Gordon, as a fashion sketcher and later assistant, traveling with her from London to New York and Chicago. Returning after WWI with blindness in one eye, Molyneux opened his own couture house in 1919 in Paris at 14 rue Royale. He opened several other branches, in both Monte Carlo and Cannes, and finally London. Molyneux had an artistic flair and obsession with the bourgeois. His clientele included the social elite as well as stars of the stage. Working in luxurious fabrics, he created exquisite pieces for both day and night, his colors of choice being navy, black and beige. His simplistic masterpieces were perfect for the woman who desired to look "absolutely" right. This evening coat showcases Molyneux's elegant simplicity in the use of broadtail. He has added interest by juxtaposing the sheen and matte areas with his use of fur and wool.
- Artist
- Edward Molyneux
- Date
- ca. 1942
- Medium
- wool, fur
- 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 Joseph McCrindle, 1960
