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Creator
Dior, Christian
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Topic
Evening gowns
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- Description:
- Floor-length, navy blue synthetic silk faille evening dress. Stand-up collar. Long raglan sleeves with gathers at inseam. Navy blue velvet insertion at decolletage with large navy blue velvet bow. Slit pockets on hips. Medium-full skirt over attached black petticoat with wide pleated flounce at hem. White crepe inner bodice and grosgrain boned corselette. Clothing label: Christian Dior/PARIS/MADE IN FRANCE. Stamped on label: 8344. This garment was owned by Elizabeth Parke Firestone, daughter of Mr. Harvey Firestone of Detroit, Michigan.This is believed to be the first Dior purchased by Elizabeth Parke Firestone; it was made for the wedding of her second daughter, Martha, to Mr. William Clay Ford. Dior had just caused a sensation introducing his New Look to the world, emphasizing slim waists and rounded feminine features. He surely caught the eye of Mrs. Firestone, and she became a client when she visited his salon in 1946 and commissioned this dress. Interestingly, it is made of synthetic fiber - silk was probably difficult to obtain so soon after the war.
- Date Issued:
- [1944 TO 1950]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- Red silk dress with stole. Corselet in bodice made of white cotton net, stiffened with boning. Dress lined with multiple layers of net. Loose, slip-like lining of white and dark red silk. Skirt has been shortened a fraction. Rectangular stole folded in half; additional fold stitched in back. Stole has self-fabric fringe and two silk fabric loops for arms. Clothing label: AUTOMNE-HIVER 1952/Christian Dior/PARIS/MADE IN FRANCE. Stamped on label: 24345. Handwritten on tag sewn on back of label: 53991. This garment was owned by Elizabeth Parke Firestone, daughter of Mr. Harvey Firestone of Detroit, Michigan.From Dior's Profile Line, this is the ultimate evening gown, perhaps the most stunning in the collection. Of deep red silk faille, it is strapless, form-fitting, and of simple yet classic lines that surely made Mrs. Firestone look extraordinary. It is highly structured with linings, slips, and nets, which is characteristic of Dior's work. It was made with three pairs of shoes - in the event that one pair was ruined while dancing, it could be easily replaced. Dior used a great deal of red in his lines, but it was an extremely unusual color choice for Elizabeth Firestone. She usually preferred powdered pinks and fuschias over true reds.
- Date Issued:
- 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- Powdery-blue or blue-grey satin evening gown. Floral embroidery of silver, pink and blue-grey colored metallic threads (some appear to be tarnished silver, others may be synthetic) decorated with iridescent rhinestones and tiny sequins. Embroidery diminishes towards bottom of dress; no embroidery at hemline. Skirt smooth and curved in front, gathered in back. At center-back waistline is a large asymmetrical vertical bow with attached sash. Corselet inside of bodice. Bodice stiffened with white cotton net. Skirt lined with white silk organza; four layers of white nylon stiffened with horse hair. Inside-skirt of white silk crepe. Clothing label: AUTOMNE-HIVER/Christian Dior/PARIS/MADE IN FRANCE. Stamped on label: 78059. This dress was made for Elizabeth Parke Firestone, daughter of Harvey Samuel Firestone, for the re-opening of the Vienna Opera House, which had been badly damaged during World War II. It was worn with a mik stole; the embroidery is an interpretation of 18th century Chinoiserie. Mrs. Firestone was photographed extensively in this dress. Life Magazine included photos of her in an article about the Vienna Opera re-opening, mentioning this gown specifically. A number of articles also discussed the extraordinary cost of the dress - it was said to cost $10,000, but this cannot be verified. Some columnists claimed that the dress was decorated with real diamonds, but it was not.
- Date Issued:
- 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- White cotton organdy gown with floral pattern embroidery. Embroidery includes white raffia, silver threads, silver beads, white horsehair, pearl-like sequins, silk(?) flower petals. Embroidery on bodice and wide band at the hem of the skirt. Underneath top layer is one layer of organdy, one layer of nylon stiffened with horsehair, two layers of white nylon net, and white silk slip. Matching wrap is large and oblong with same embroidery and triple scalloped end. Clothing label: PRINTEMPS-ETE 1955/Christian Dior/PARIS. Stamped on label: 53344. Handwritten on tag sewn on back of label: 74429.
- Date Issued:
- 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection