{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O128302"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128302/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6180/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6180/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM6180","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6189","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6186","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6185","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6184","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6183","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6182","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6181","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6179","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV2806","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV2805","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV2804","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MU8203","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O128302","accessionNumber":"T.133 to B-1974","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[{"title":"La Ligne Muguet","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Gloria Guinness (1912-80) was a wealthy, elegant socialite and writer.  She was voted 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by <i>Time</i> magazine in 1962, second only to Jacqueline Kennedy.\r\n\r\nGloria Guinness kept a full wardrobe in each of her seven homes, so that she would never have to pack.  She saw haute couture as an art form and patronised many couture houses. \r\n\r\nThis embroidered evening dress by Christian Dior (1905-57) was a special commission.  It is a variation of a dress featured in Dior's spring/summer collection of 1954, called <i>Belle de Nuit</i> but Mrs. Guinness had the skirt lengthened and the bolero added.  This would have greatly increased the cost, as embroidery was an expensive and time consuming addition.  She may have been so taken with it because it was in yellow - a colour she favoured as it suited her dark hair.","physicalDescription":"Evening ensemble comprising a full-length evening dress, bolero, and cummerbund belt. The dress and bolero are decorated with alternating horizontal bands of beading and ribbon-work embroidery with beads and sequins, and interspersed with flowers worked in metal thread. The dress is strapless with a straight skirt.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Christian Dior","id":"A1790"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Organza","id":"x30432"},{"text":"sequins","id":"x30374"},{"text":"beads","id":"x32809"},{"text":"metal thread","id":"x30421"}],"techniques":[{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Embroidered silk organza with metal threads, beads, sequins and ribbon, lined with cotton net and boned","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Embroidery","id":"THES48960"}],"styles":[{"text":"1950s","id":"x37508"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2007BM6180","2007BM6189","2007BM6186","2007BM6185","2007BM6184","2007BM6183","2007BM6182","2007BM6181","2007BM6179","2012FV2806","2012FV2805","2012FV2804","2021MU8203"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES307861"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES307861"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"U","id":"THES297002"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES307861"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cummerbund","id":""}],[{"text":"Bolero","id":""}],[{"text":"Evening dress","id":""}],[{"text":"Fabric","id":"AAT162391"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1954","earliest":"1954-01-01","latest":"1954-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Loel Guinness","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"waist","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"77","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"chest","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Christian Dior Paris Spring/Summer 1954'","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 inside bodice, black on white"}],"objectHistory":"This dress was a special commission by Christian Dior for Gloria Guinness, and was given to the Museum as part of the Beaton gift in 1971.  It is a variation of<i>Belle de Nuit</i>, of  Dior's 1954 s/s collection listed in the Dior Archive, Paris.  However, the original design features straps, a fuller skirt and a plain silk stole rather than a bolero.  Embroidered dresses were a theme of Dior's 1954 s/s collection.\r\n\r\nGloria Rubio y Alatorre, better known as Gloria Guinness (1912-1980) was an elegant socialite and writer of the mid 20th century.  Her third husband, whom she married in 1951, was Group Capt. Thomas Loel Guinness, a Member of Parliament (died 1989) and an heir to the Guinness beer fortune.  She was voted second 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by Time magazine in 1962.  Jackie Kennedy was in first place.  (See <i>Time</i> magazine Jan 26 1962)","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Full-length evening dress, bolero, and cummerbund belt 'La Ligne Muguet' in embroidered silk organza, designed by Christian Dior, Paris, 1954","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"p.26","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vickers, H., 'Cecil Beaton' in Wilcox, C., ed., <i>The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57</i> (V&A Publications, 2007), p.169 and pl.7.12 & 7.13"}],"production":"Spring/summer 1954. A variation of the <i>Belle de Nuit</i> design\n\nAttribution note: A special commission for the client\nReason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Beaton, Cecil","id":"N2787"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Flowers","id":"x31099"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Evening dress with bolero jacket (robe du soir)\r\nChristian Dior (1905-57)\r\nParis\r\n1954 spring/summer, Ligne Muguet\r\n\r\nThe expensively embroidered ensemble may have been made specially for Mrs Gloria Guinness, as it does not appear in the list of designs for that season. She was one of the few couture clients able to afford special orders. \r\n\r\nSilk organza with bands of bead and ribbon embroidery\r\n\r\nWorn and given by Mrs Gloria Guinness\r\nV&A: T.133&A, B-1974","date":{"text":"22/09/2007-06/01/2008","earliest":"2007-09-22","latest":"2008-01-06"}}],"partNumbers":["T.133B-1974","T.133A-1974","T.133-1974","T.133C-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"133","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Dior Label number","id":"THES50280"},"number":"44153"},{"type":{"text":"Number on label","id":"THES56954"},"number":"66815"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Cummerbund","Bolero","Evening dress"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-18","recordCreationDate":"2006-10-05","availableToBook":true}}