Evening dress

Elsa Schiaparelli

fall 1939 · silk, glass, rhinestones, metal · Costume Institute

A theme that Schiaparelli continually revisited throughout her career was the cosmic realm. In this evening dress from fall 1939, the belt, featuring glyphs of Jupiter and Mars, is the more obvious reference, but the embroidery, all applied by hand, could symbolize shimmering stardust or astrological symbology. In planetary mythology, Mars, the god of war, is the rebellious son of Jupiter and Juno. Jupiter, or Zeus, was worshipped as the king of gods in ancient Greece. Although A-line construction was not typical for 1939, Schiaparelli's designs often differed from the accepted style, choosing instead to express her ideas unfettered by the trend of the moment.

Artist

Elsa Schiaparelli

Date

fall 1939

Medium

silk, glass, rhinestones, 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 Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954