Evening dress
Design House House of Balenciaga French
Designer Cristobal Balenciaga Spanish
Not on view
Evening gowns of the mid- to late-1930s mirrored the excesses and extravagances of the period. Just as the blithe world of le beau monde reflected the opulence of a by-gone age, fashions revealed a propensity towards ostentation and lavishness. Designers rejected the stripped-down purism of international modernism in favor of theatricality and ornamentation. It was a form of reactionary anti-modernism that was also prevalent in the decorative arts of the time.
This proud, stately gown heavily encrusted with jet beads reveals Balenciaga's Spanish influences. Its monumentality is enhanced by a prominent bustle, a silhouette that references the 1880s.
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