Evening ensemble

Jean Dessès

1956 · silk, synthetic, fur · 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. This glamorous evening gown exhibits Dessès' draping techniques. The use of gold Lurex is typical of the time period, for in the Fifties, it began to replace lamé. The advantage of the new fabric being it did not tarnish. To further enhance the elegance of this dress, the stole is trimmed in brown mink.

Artist

Jean Dessès

Date

1956

Medium

silk, synthetic, 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 the Aluminum Company of America, 1957