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Description: | Black felted wool evening jacket, from the autumn/winter 1936 collection, with printed white Schiaparelli, London label. Lavishly embroidered on the notched stand collar, pockets and fronts in gold metal strip and gold thread with an exotic design of palm trees and flower heads, highlighted with sequins and seed pearls. Narrow front panel with black silk covered buttons to fasten Lined black crepe.
Marlene Dietrich bought the same model of jacket for 1000 francs, and Schiaparelli herself wore one for the opening of the play 'Fric-Frac' in Paris. (this is now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and has more decorated buttons). She designed it to be worn over a simple black crepe dress, and with a cone hat with ostrich feathers. Schiaparelli's autumn/winter 1936 collection included 'youthful surrealist suits' and tailoring, and this exuberant embroidery is typical of her dramatic decoration. American Vogue (1 Dec 1936, pp. 84-5) relates that 2 other society women (apart from Schiaperelli herself) wore the jacket: 'Mrs Bryon Foy wears it with a day-length skirt for cocktail parties; Mrs Harry Luce wore it with a full length skirt and without a hat to the opening of 'Tovarich'. (reference courtesy Clive Warwick)
In 1936 there was a show of Napoleonic paintings in Paris, which impressed Schiaparelli, hence the use of the palm tree motif.
Schiaparelli used gold embroidery as a theme throughout the later 1930s. Albert Lesage was commissioned by Schiaparelli to improve the production of more pliable flat metal ribbon and also to develop a spiral twisted metal thread (both used here). the flat ribbon was stitched over a fabric padding to give a remarkable raised effect.
Schiaparelli's London store opened in November 1933 and closed in 1939.
Purchased with generous funding from V&A/MLA purchase grant (50%) and Friends of Manchester Art Gallery (50%)
Technique: embroidering
Material: wool
Material: gold strip
Black felted wool evening jacket, from the autumn/winter 1936 collection.
Schiaparelli jacket, 1936, detail, label
Schiaparelli jacket, 1936, detail
Schiaparelli in jacket, 1936.
Schiaparelli jacket, 1936. | Source: | Manchester City Galleries | Identifier: | mcag.emu.ecatalogue.64591 | Go to resource |
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