Dress

Madeleine Vionnet

ca. 1926 · silk · Costume Institute

Madeleine Vionnet was a consummate technician, particularly known for her innovative use of the bias cut and the mathematically precise construction of her garments. Minimalist by philosophy, Vionnet's construction details were often executed so as to create decorative effects, obviating the need for any trimming. The pin tuck is a common surface treatment, used on everything from infant's wear to women's undergarments to men's formal dress shirts. In Vionnet's hands, the pin tuck becomes a testament to her design sensibility and a signature of her workmanship. The fine hand-stitched tucking not only pulls the garment closer to the upper body and hips, the gathers criss-cross with geometrical exactitude, forming an intricate diamond.

Artist

Madeleine Vionnet

Date

ca. 1926

Medium

silk

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 Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Ittelson, 1965