{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1221081"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1221081/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FG5468/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FG5468/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FG5468","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1221081/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1221081","accessionNumber":"S.892-1983","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"A Tragedy of Fashion","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Sophie Fedorovitch for the outfit ‘Desir du cynge’ modelled by Elizabeth Vincent in Frederick Ashton’s ballet A Tragedy of Fashion added to the revue Riverside Nights at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on 15 June 1926 where it received 50 performances. It was danced to Eugene Goossen’s Kaleidoscope (1917) arranged by Ernest Irving\r\nA Tragedy of Fashion or The Scarlet Scissors was a small-scale work that reflected the influence of Ballets Russes productions that Ashton had seen, notably Les Biches and Boutique fantasque, and was regarded as some (within it’s context of performance with a revue as a burlesque on the Russian company). It has assumed great importance as it is regarded as the work that marks the start of Twentieth Century British Ballet. The idea for the ballet was put forward by Marie Rambert’s husband Ashley Dukes inspired by letters written by Madame de Sévignée concerning the French chef, Vatel, who died by suicide because of his shame that a fish dish did not arrive in time for Louis XIV. Given the Ballets Russes had produced The Good-Humoured Ladies with a theme of food Dukes repurposed the narrative around fashion. In the ballet M. Duchic (played by Ashton) kills himself with his cutting scissors when his fashions fail to please his customers.\r\nA Tragedy of Fashion was Ashton’s first ballet and he was invited to choreograph it when he made suggestions about how M. Duchic should move. Ninette de Valois saw the work and congratulated Rambert on discovering ‘a real choreographer’. The designs in the programme are credited to F.E.D. Ashton would have like Chanel to design the work but Rambert pointed out they could not afford her and anyway had reservations about fashion designers working for the stage. Instead, she introduced her friend Sophie Fedorovitch who created a setting of mirrored screens overhung with a vast pair of scissors and clothes for the models that were fashionably up-to-date. It launched the major collaboration between choreographer and designer that continued until Fedorovitch’s death in 1953.\r\nElizabeth Vincent was one of the two dancers who presented the fashions of the late 1920s. Here the dress has a drop-waist and the full skirt is deliberately longer at the back than the front. An alternate version of this costume design is S.882-1983\r\n","physicalDescription":"Full-length image of a woman with her right foot raised in a white dress with blue decoration on the bodice and lining the skirt. The drop waist of the skirt is emphasised by an elaborate sash tied front right and the skirt is short at the front but long at the back. A touch of flesh colour has been added to the skirt and the end of the sash suggesting the designer did not want the costume to be too white. The woman holds a mask in her right hand. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Fedorovitch, Sophie","id":"A4752"},"association":{"text":"costume designers","id":"AAT163428"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2012FG5468"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356657"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1926","earliest":"1926-01-01","latest":"1926-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Dame Marie Rambert","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Marie Rambert bequest","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Sophie Fedorovitch for Desir du cygne modelled by Elizabeth Vincent in<i> A Tragedy of Fashion</i>, in<i> Riverside Nights</i> at Lyric Hammersmith, 15 June 1926","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.892-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"892","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-18","recordCreationDate":"2011-05-12","availableToBook":true}}