1987
CHRISTIAN LACROIX
“Carême” Evening Ensemble
Autumn/winter 1987–88 haute couture
Christian Lacroix, French, born 1951
Dress of black synthetic faille overlaid with black
synthetic lace embroidered with black synthetic
grosgrain; panniers of black synthetic net flocked
with black synthetic velvet dots
Gift of Mrs. William McCormick Blair Jr., 1989 (1989.334.1a, b)
1952
CHARLES
JAMES
Evening Dress
1952
Charles James, American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978
Black silk faille overlaid with black silk tulle embroidered with black paillettes
Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013 (2013.403)
One of Christian Lacroix’s famed pouf designs, this dress captures the exuberance and romantic excess of 1980s fashion. With a deep appreciation and understanding of the history of dress, Lacroix transformed styles from the past into contemporary fashion statements. This ensemble represents a conflation of two centuries of costume history. The primary source for its silhouette is the robe à la polonaise, a style that was in fashion precisely two hundred years earlier. The profuse ribbon-work decoration recalls the opulent embellishment of belle epoque gowns from the early twentieth century.
Allusions to historical precedents were enduring features of Charles James’s oeuvre. The boned bodices and elaborately supported skirts of the mid- to late nineteenth century were fertile sources of inspiration, as they aligned with his preference for creating fixed volumes that could be enhanced with complex manipulations of fabric. The draping of silk tulle at the back of this dress imitates the effect of an 1870s bustle, though James introduces a novel element at the front: a broad puff of gathered tulle that winds across the skirt. Although the understructure is simple, James’s buoyant use of tulle generates the architectural effect for which he was renowned.
Allusions to historical precedents were enduring features of Charles James’s oeuvre. The boned bodices and elaborately supported skirts of the mid- to late nineteenth century were fertile sources of inspiration, as they aligned with his preference for creating fixed volumes that could be enhanced with complex manipulations of fabric. The draping of silk tulle at the back of this dress imitates the effect of an 1870s bustle, though James introduces a novel element at the front: a broad puff of gathered tulle that winds across the skirt. Although the understructure is simple, James’s buoyant use of tulle generates the architectural effect for which he was renowned.