{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O138847"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138847/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LH7215/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LH7215/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LH7215","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LH7216","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LH7217","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013FY7666","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013FY7665","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O138847","accessionNumber":"T.132-1974","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[{"title":"Soirée à Versailles","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Marc Bohan was the House of Dior’s longest-serving creative director. He worked at several Parisian couture houses including Piguet, Molyneux and Patou before joining Dior in 1958. His initial role was to design the London collections. In 1961, he showed his first collection as Christian Dior's creative director in Paris, receiving jubilant reviews from the fashion press. Bohan continued as creative director, steering the house through the cultural shifts of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, until departing in 1989.\n\nThis evening dress, hand-embroidered in sequins and crystals, was ordered from Dior by Gloria Guinness. \n","physicalDescription":"Evening dress of silver net over silk organza and embroidered with silver sequins and brilliants. High waisted with shoulder straps, and zip fastening at the side back. Slit at the front to below the knee. Lined with silk and chiffon, with the bodice lining in cotton net, and boned, and with hook fastening.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Marc Bohan","id":"A7022"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Christian Dior","id":"A4421"},"association":{"text":"designed for","id":"x41471"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"sequins","id":"x30374"},{"text":"diamante","id":"x33303"},{"text":"net (textile)","id":"AAT249438"}],"techniques":[{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver net over silk organza, embroidered with sequins and brilliants, lined with silk, chiffon and cotton net, boned","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Formal wear","id":"THES48950"},{"text":"Embroidery","id":"THES48960"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2019LH7215","2019LH7216","2019LH7217","2013FY7666","2013FY7665"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES307954"},"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":"1962","earliest":"1962-01-01","latest":"1962-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Spring/Summer"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Loel Guinness","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'PRINTEMPS / ETE 1962 / Christian Dior Paris'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On woven label, black on white"},{"content":"'115149'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Stamped on woven label, black on white"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"Gloria Guinness (née Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, 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. \r\n\r\nShe was voted second 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by <i>Time</i> magazine in 1962, behind Jackie Kennedy in first place (see <i>Time</i> magazine January 26<sup>th</sup> 1962). She owned seven homes, with a full wardrobe in each so that she would never have to pack or wait at customs.  She spread her patronage widely, and amongst donations to the V&A of pieces by Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy etc., are pieces by lesser known couturiers such as Chaumont and Lafaurie.","briefDescription":"<i>Soirée à Versailles</i> evening dress, Christian Dior by Marc Bohan, haute couture autumn/winter 1962, silk, metal thread, sequins and crystal beads, Paris, France","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"79","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks, <i>Christian Dior</i>, (V&A: London, 2019)"}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Beaton","id":"N2787"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<i>Soirée à Versailles</i> dress\r\n(‘Evening in Versailles’)\n\r\nChristian Dior by Marc Bohan (b.1926)\r\nHaute couture, Autumn/Winter 1962\r\n<i>Flèche</i> line (‘Arrow’)\r\nSilk, metal thread, sequins and Swarovski crystal beads\n\r\nVictoria and Albert Museum - T.132-1974 - Given by Gloria Guinness\n\r\n\nChristian Dior: Designer of Dreams, 2<sup>nd</sup> February - 14<sup>th</sup> July 2019","date":{"text":"02/02/2019-14/07/2019","earliest":"2019-02-02","latest":"2019-07-14"}}],"partNumbers":["T.132-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"132","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2007-08-31","availableToBook":false}}