Evening dress

Jean Dessès

ca. 1955 · silk · Costume Institute

Jean Dessés originally travelled to Paris from Egypt to study law and diplomacy; however, he soon discovered that his true passion was designing. He opened his own couture house in Paris in 1937 and became known for his characteristic twists and gathers which he magically executed on a variety of fabrics. Considered his best work are his evening dresses of chiffon, which have the appearance of classical sculpture. He favored ombré fabrics and colors other than black, such as Wedgwood blue, old rose, taupe, eggplant, green, brown, pale grays, faint pinks, and whites. With this evening dress, Dessés has combined the full skirted silhouette of the period with his draping techniques. The bodice of the dress consists of woven strips of chiffon, which release into the full skirt, supported by petticoats. The loosely gathered chiffon straps and draped neckline soften the bodice. Each element of the dress is characteristic of Dessés finest work.

Artist

Jean Dessès

Date

ca. 1955

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 Mary Sefton Thomas, 1986