2018
THOM BROWNE
Dress
Spring/summer 2018
Thom Browne, American, born 1965
Black quilted synthetic tulle trimmed with black synthetic
faille, appliquéd with white synthetic crepe, and
embroidered with black bugle beads, black seed beads,
clear crystals, and black silk thread
Gift of Thom Browne, in celebration of
the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2020
1951
CHARLES JAMES
Dress
1951
Charles James, American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978
Black wool knit
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954 (2009.300.178)
In his spring/summer 2018
collection, Thom Browne presented a fantasy of the feminine ideal. This dress
is made of quilted channels of black tulle filled with shredded tulle and
embroidered with black bugle beads in forms that reference the female anatomy.
Unlike the straight lines of Browne’s tailored patterns, the structure and
seaming of this garment exaggerate the contours of the body and create an
hourglass shape accentuated by a crystal-embroidered clockface at the neckline.
Browne’s design mimics the idealized anatomical cut of this Charles James dress of black wool knit from 1951. James studied the mathematics of the female figure and designed garments to alter and perfect its proportions. Here, the side-front bodice seams arc from the waist to the sleeve ends to form a broad, round shoulder, and the skirt panels are draped to accentuate the hip and diminish the waist.
Browne’s design mimics the idealized anatomical cut of this Charles James dress of black wool knit from 1951. James studied the mathematics of the female figure and designed garments to alter and perfect its proportions. Here, the side-front bodice seams arc from the waist to the sleeve ends to form a broad, round shoulder, and the skirt panels are draped to accentuate the hip and diminish the waist.