{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O139885"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O139885/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6000/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6000/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM6000","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6006","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6005","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6004","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6003","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6001","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM5999","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM5998","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6007","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM5997","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O139885/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O139885","accessionNumber":"T.173 to B-1974","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Jacques Fath opened his Parisian couture house in 1937. He quickly became known both for his softly sculpted garments and a talent for self promotion. This dress is likely to have been designed by Fath’s wife and muse Geneviève, who upon Fath’s death in 1954, oversaw the house until it closed in 1957. \r\n\r\nWhile the dress’s surface is a soft, delicate lace, in contrast the underpinnings are highly structured: its petticoat features a boned bodice and a crinoline skirt. The pale violet colour and two-tiered skirt suggest a romantic view of women’s fashion.","physicalDescription":"Purple lace evening dress, silk petticoat and velvet sash.\r\nSleeveless evening dress in lilac machine-made lace with a low round neck. Full-length skirt with a second layer top layer attached at the waist, falling approximately mid-way, curving round the sides and down at the back into a slight train just below the hemline. The hem is slightly raised at the front. Centre back zip fastener.\r\nAssociated petticoat with a corset bodice. Full-length in pink silk. Attached bodice is boned, strapless, and lined in white cotton with a centre back hook fastening. The front has two layers of net, and the back is made up five graduating lengths of pale lilac net attached to the pink lining, with a half-loop midway. The layers of net are stiffened with a band of plastic net, and stitched to the waistline is a small layer of gathered nylon material. Hem of lining is wired.\r\nSash in lilac velvet tied in a big bow, and with three hook fastenings.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Jacques Fath","id":"A2145"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lace","id":"AAT132861"},{"text":"velvet","id":"AAT133711"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"net","id":"AAT249438"}],"techniques":[{"text":"lace making","id":"AAT53651"},{"text":"dress making","id":"AAT53650"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Machine-made lace, silk lined with cotton, boned, net, plastic and nylon, and velvet","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Formal wear","id":"THES48950"},{"text":"Lace","id":"THES48926"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2007BM6000","2007BM6006","2007BM6005","2007BM6004","2007BM6003","2007BM6001","2007BM5999","2007BM5998","2007BM6007","2007BM5997"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"U","id":"THES297002"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"U","id":"THES297002"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"U","id":"THES297002"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Evening dress","id":""}],[{"text":"Petticoat","id":""}],[{"text":"Sash","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1957","earliest":"1957-01-01","latest":"1957-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Lady Gladwyn","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"84","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bust","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"58","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"waist","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"104","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"skirt front","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"125","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"skirt back","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"61","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Petticoat waist - measured inside the garment","note":"Measured by Conservation"},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"70","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Petticoat underbust - measured inside the garment","note":"Measured by Conservation"},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"86","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Pettocoat hip - measured inside the garment","note":"Measured by Conservation"},{"dimension":"Length","value":"118","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Pettocoat waist-hem","note":"Measured by Conservation"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Cynthia Jebb (Lady Gladwyn) was the wife of the British Ambassador to Paris, Sir Gladwyn Jebb, 1954-60.  She hosted the state visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, April 8-11th 1957.  \r\n\r\nThis dress was worn on the last evening of the state visit, Wednesday 10 April, to dinner in the Salle des Caryatides of the Louvre palace.   “Tremendous trouble had been taken; statues moved, velvet curtains hung over the windows, small orchestra in the gallery” - <i>The Diaries of Cynthia Gladwyn</i>, p.211.  She wore it with her 'Aunt Amie's wreath' - a wreath-like tiara worn forwards. \r\n\r\nDuring the state visit, Mme. Dufy - Lady Gladwyn's vendeuse at Fath - attended her at the Embassy to dress her.  On the first evening she wore a lime coloured satin gown, and on the second she wore a white tulle gown with red velvet bows on the back.  The latter dress was sketched by Cecil Beaton who was also attending: \"...at half past one Cecil Beaton was stilll sketching Diana Copper and Anne Nrowich in the Ionian Room.  He then wanted to do me, but I aws too sleepy, and after a few minutes posing, went to bed\" -<i>The Diaries of Cynthia Gladwyn</i>, p.210.\r\n\r\nCecil Beaton collected several of the dresses worn during the events of this particular state visit – the Queen’s dress, T.264-1974; Diana Cooper’s dress, T.50-1974; and the Baroness Alain de Rothschild’s dress, T.121-1974.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Lace evening dress, silk petticoat and velvet sash, designed by Jacques Fath, Paris, 1957","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jebb, M., ed., <i>The Diaries of Cynthia Gladwyn</i> (London, 1995), pp.205-213."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jebb, M., ed., <i>The Diaries of Cynthia Gladwyn</i> (London, 1995)"},{"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, London), p.165 & pl.7.9."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Sir & Lady Gladwyn Arrive For State Dinner [at the Opera on the first night?].\r\nPhoto by Pierre Boulat/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images. Image #:  53317202"},{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"95","free":""}],"production":"House of Fath","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Beaton, Cecil","id":"N2787"},{"text":"Elizabeth II (Queen of Great Britain)","id":"N38"},{"text":"Cooper, Diana","id":"N4577"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.173-1974","T.173A-1974","T.173B-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"173","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Evening dress","Petticoat","Sash"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-24","recordCreationDate":"2007-10-09","availableToBook":false}}