Evening dress

Christian Dior|House of Dior

spring/summer 1957 · silk · Costume Institute

Christian Dior's final collections in 1957 showed glimpses of a new direction, an abandonment of the "New Look" silhouette in favor of a softer, less defined waist. The title of his spring-summer line in 1957, "Libre" or "Free," provided some indication of the designer's intent and pieces like this one show how he represented the idea. The pink color, the use of organza, the wrapped neckline and princess seams uniting the bodice, waist and hip all convey a feeling of softness. The bodice, however, is still completely boned, showing that Dior's notion of freedom had limitations.

Artist

Christian Dior|House of Dior

Date

spring/summer 1957

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 Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1975