{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117547"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117547/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CD4208/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CD4208/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CD4208","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CD4211","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117547","accessionNumber":"T.124-1974","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[{"title":"Musique de Nuit","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"La Ligne Aimant","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This dress was designed by Christian Dior for his autumn/winter 1956-7 collection, called <i>La Ligne Aimant</i> (the ‘Magnet line’).  It was called <i>Musique de Nuit</i> (‘Night Music’) by Dior, who gave individual names to all his designs.\r\n\r\nIt was donated to the V&A by Baronne Martine de Courcel, wife of the French Ambassador to London (1962-65).  The wives of diplomats played a very important role in promoting couture across the world.  They were photographed at high-society events and interviewed for newspaper articles.  Often, they would be given dresses by the couturiers, who benefited from the publicity.\r\n\r\nThis dress was depicted in a photograph taken by Richard Avedon for American <i>Harper’s Bazaar</i>, October 1956.  The image shown here displays the dress in a pose reminiscent of that photograph, created for the 2007 V&A exhibition <i>The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957</i>.","physicalDescription":"Ankle-length evening dress of smoke grey silk faille and with a princess line. The bodice has a low V-neck at the front, draped into a tie and higher V-neck at the back. Three-quarter length sleeves and a centre back zip. The petticoat attached inside is boned, with a black net top and black silk and stiffened net skirts. Lined with silk.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Yves Saint Laurent","id":"A2540"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Ida & Berthe","id":"A21147"},"association":{"text":"atelier","id":"x40530"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Christian Dior","id":"A4421"},"association":{"text":"designed for","id":"x41471"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Lajoinie","id":"A17533"},"association":{"text":"textile designer","id":"x36044"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"faille","id":"AAT249448"},{"text":"Net","id":"x29761"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Weaving","id":"AAT53642"},{"text":"Hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silk faille lined with silk, boned and stiffened net","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2009CD4208","2009CD4211"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"U","id":"THES297002"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Evening dress","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1956-1957","earliest":"1956-01-01","latest":"1957-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Autumn/Winter"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"PH.24-1985","id":"O166900"},"association":"Depiction"}],"creditLine":"Given by Madame de Courcel","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"86","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bust","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"63","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"waist","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"300","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bottom hem","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"2.5","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Christian Dior Paris / Made in France'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label, white on black, inside bodice"},{"content":"140808","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Number printed on back of label"}],"objectHistory":"The dress was donated by Baronne Martine de Courcel, wife of Baron Geoffroy de Courcel, French Ambassador to Great Britain (1962-65). Worn by the donor.\r\n\r\nThe original model at Dior was Renée.\r\n\r\nThe label, reading 'Christian Dior Paris Made in France' suggests that the dress was purchased outside France, possibly at Liberty's of London as per the entry in <i>Vogue</i> (UK), October 1956.\r\n\r\nAn identical model, with original stole, was sold at Doyle's auction house, New York, for $15,535 on 21 April 2004 (lot 2038).  Attributed to Yves Saint Laurent for Dior. \r\nThe label read:\r\nChristian Dior/ Paris /Automne-Hiver 1956 / 82373 and tape label 82373/S.c.c. \r\nBergdorf Goodman/Robe Musique-de-Nuit-/ Made in France.\r\nInformation provided by the dealer, Clair Watson, about the buyer:\r\n\"it was purchased by an English agent (well known pair) who buy mainly for Asia\"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Ankle-length evening dress 'Musique de Nuit' from 'La Ligne Aimant', of silk faille, designed by Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior, Paris, 1956-1957\r\n","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"American <i>Harper's Bazaar</i>, October 1956, pages 144-5.  Suzy Parker, photographed by Richard Avedon."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bailey, David, ed., <i>Shots of Style</i>; (London: V&A Publications, 1985)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Richard Avedon, <i>Avedon Photographs 1947-57</i> (Thames and Hudson, 1978), p.128"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Judith Thurman, <i>Richard Avedon: Made in France</i> (Fraenkel Gallery, San Fransisco: 2001)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Thomas, A., 'Richard Avedon' in Wilcox, C., ed., <i>The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57</i> (V&A Publications, 2007), p.200-1"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Vogue</i> (British edition) October 1956, p.144"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dior Archives, Paris"},{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Beaton, Cecil","id":"N2787"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"[For <i>The Golden Age of Couture</i> exhibition, the dress was displayed on a mannequin posed as (- and in a replication of the back-drop of - ) Suzy Parker in the <i>Harper's Bazaar</i> shot by Richard Avedon:]\r\n\r\n'Musique de Nuit' dinner dress\r\nChristian Dior (1905-57)\r\nParis\r\n1956-7 autumn/winter\r\n\r\nSilk faille by Lajoinie, lined with black silk and stiffened net\r\n\r\nGiven by Madame de Courcel\r\nV&A: T.124-1974","date":{"text":"September 2007","earliest":"2007-09-01","latest":"2007-09-30"}}],"partNumbers":["T.124-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"124","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Dior label number","id":"THES50280"},"number":"140808"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-10","recordCreationDate":"2005-10-10","availableToBook":true}}