{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1389100"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1389100/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KB8549/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KB8549/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KB8549","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1389100/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1389100","accessionNumber":"T.1608-2017","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[{"title":"Lily-of-the-Valley","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The 'Lily-of-the-Valley' evening dress is an excellent example of John Bates's designs for Jean Varon. Bates (1935-2022) was a British fashion designer who became famous in the 1960s for his young, avant-garde designs featuring miniskirts and bold graphic designs. He also created slightly more conventional dresses such as this ankle-length evening dress which proved very popular.\n\nThe high-waisted Empire line dress was a signature John Bates/Jean Varon design staple, made continuously from the early 1960s into the early 1970s in various colourways, materials and with skirts that could be made full or narrow; in every length from micro-mini to floor; and with or without sleeves of any style. This dress shows the earliest form of the design, with an extremely narrow ankle-length silhouette which felt young and original when compared to more traditional fuller-skirted, natural-waisted gowns of the early 1960s. This particular design was called 'Lily-of-the-Valley' because of the flowers densely massed upon the bodice, and was modelled by Jean Shrimpton, one of the most famous British fashion models of the time, in 1964.\n\n1964 was a particularly significant year for John Bates and Jean Varon, with the label was becoming fully established and orders placed by many shops and department stores. In August 1963 <i>Women's Mirror Magazine</i> featured Julie Christie on the cover wearing a Jean Varon dress and Jean Varon dresses were also featured in the September issue of Vanity Fair. Towards the end of 1964, Bates designed a linen and mesh dress called 'Casbah' which Jean Shrimpton modelled for a fashion spread published in British <i>Vogue,</i> January 1965. Casbah, probably the first 1960s dress deliberately designed to be worn significantly above the knee, was chosen as Dress of the Year 1965 for the Fashion Museum, Bath's collection, and consolidated Bates and Jean Varon as a leading name for young fashion.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Evening dress made of pink organza. The dress is floor-length with an empire waist and no sleeves. The bodice part of the dress is decorated with small white flowers and a pink bow. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"John Bates","id":"A10101"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Jean Varon","id":"A19533"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"organza","id":"x30432"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2017KB8549"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"010","id":"THES308122"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"evening dress","id":"AAT243843"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1964","earliest":"1964-01-01","latest":"1964-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Judith M Hitchman","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This dress was purchased from Fenwick, Bond Street. It was worn by the donor at the Cambridge May Ball, probably in 1964 but possibly in 1965.\n\r\nAn image of Jean Shrimpton wearing the 'Lily-of-the-Valley' dress in 1964 is published in John Bates: Fashion Designer (Richard Lester, Antique Collector's Club, 2006).","historicalContext":"This dress is designed to be worn for evening events. \r\n\r\nWe have found an image of model Jean Shrimpton wearing the same design. We have not yet been able to find the original source of the image but have found similar pictures of Varon pieces featured in Vogue in 1964.","briefDescription":"'Lily-of-the-Valley' evening dress, pink organza decorated with white flowers, John Bates for Jean Varon, England, 1964","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Judith Hitchman","id":"AUTH344131"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"","id":""}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.1608-2017"],"accessionNumberNum":"1608","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2017,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-19","recordCreationDate":"2017-04-05","availableToBook":true}}