Cocktail ensemble

House of Dior|Marc Bohan

ca. 1968 · silk · Costume Institute

After the death of Christian Dior and the sudden retirement of his successor Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan served as head designer for Christian Dior for more than three decades. In his early Dior collections, Bohan's work recalled the designs of Dior, featuring luxury textiles and emphasizing a feminine silhouette. In his subsequent work, he sought to bring Dior into the present, contending with the rising hemlines and more androgynous silhouette of the later 1960s. Bohan's garments, like this mini-length cocktail dress, show his ability to keep Dior current and relevant during decade of sweeping transformation in fashion and increasing competition from new designers.

Artist

House of Dior|Marc Bohan

Date

ca. 1968

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. Claus von Bülow, 1971