{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1803101"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1803101/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PN0893/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PN0893/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PN0893","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0895","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0897","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0902","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0899","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0898","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PN0894","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PM4128","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PM4129","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1803101/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1803101","accessionNumber":"T.137:1 to 2-2025","objectType":"Dress","titles":[{"title":"‘Printed Tulle isiShweshwe Dress’ ","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Named Designer of the Year at the 2014 Africa Fashion Awards, Marianne Fassler opened her first shop in 1976, having taken design and pattern-cutting classes alongside her university studies. She named the shop Leopard Frock, a play on Leopard Rock, a popular place name in South Africa, and a neat allusion to what would become distinctive features of her work: her love of African design and leopard print and her belief in the importance of fun in fashion. The South African designer – who has offered ready-to-wear and bespoke womenswear from several Johannesburg bases – also became known for engaging with topical subjects and celebrating ethical, sustainable production. The atelier’s use of leftover fabrics suited its pattern mixing aesthetic, another of Fassler’s hallmarks.\n\r\nFor this dress dating to 2005 Fassler combined bright appliqué details with forms of isiShweshwe or shweshwe. She retained the blue and white colour scheme of conventional indigo-dyed discharge printed isiShweshwe and its precursor blaudruck or blueprint, which was brought to the area by German missionaries and traders in the mid-19th century. But whereas such textiles were typically made from starched cotton, the starch being used to protect the fabric during the sea journey from Europe to South Africa, Fassler introduced airy unstarched tulle. The tulle was printed for Fassler by the eminent South African firm Da Gama Textiles. The designer explained to the V&amp;A that this experiment was not repeated because the tulle was found to be incompatible with the firm’s printing presses. Fassler reflected that this ‘process of discovery’ led to ‘many other subversive interpretations of traditional prints and fabrics’.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Strapless, ankle-length dress made up of a bustier and skirt. \n\r\nThe boned bustier has a sweetheart neckline and a curved, upward-facing point at the centre front. It has been constructed using a range of fabrics including printed blue tulle which is gathered around most of the bodice and hangs down in irregular points with raw edges. The extending parts of the bodice create a full peplum. Colourful motifs from another printed fabric have been applied at irregular intervals on both the front and the back. One of the motifs used is a bird. The bustier closes at the back using hook and eye fastenings. There are two rows of eyes.\n\r\nThe full tulle skirt falls in an A-line shape. The printed blue tulle features white motifs. It is an all-over pattern with a feature band going around the middle of the skirt. There is a feature waistband in a geometric pattern in cream, pink, black and purple.\r\n\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Marianne Fassler","id":"AUTH392831"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"tulle","id":"AAT256611"},{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},{"text":"appliqué","id":"AAT53646"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"printed tulle isiShweshwe and cotton isiShweshwe with printed hand appliqué details","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2026PN0893","2026PN0895","2026PN0897","2026PN0902","2026PN0899","2026PN0898","2026PN0894","2026PM4128","2026PM4129"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES404195"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES404195"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bustier","id":"AAT224940"}],[{"text":"Skirt","id":"AAT209932"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Johannesburg","id":"x32784"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2005","earliest":"2005-01-01","latest":"2005-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"<i>Josephine Baker </i>collection"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Marianne Fassler","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"87","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Bustier","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"30","unit":"cm","qualifier":"bustier across waist","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Bustier","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"bustier maximum width","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Bustier","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"103","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Skirt","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31","unit":"cm","qualifier":"skirt across waist","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Skirt","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"112","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Skirt","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"measured by curatorial","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"‘Marianne Fassler / MADE IN AFRICA’","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"black rectangular label with white text – one in the bodice parallel with edge on the side with the eye fastenings, another in the skirt affixed to the bottom of the inside of the waistband "}],"objectHistory":"This dress was presented on the runway as part of Marianne Fassler’s 2005 <i>Josephine Baker</i> collection, styled with numerous accessories. The show took place at the Fair Lady Fashion Awards. Because the tulle proved to be incompatible with the printing presses at Da Gama Textiles, the firm printing the textile for Fassler in South Africa, it was not possible to use it for a commercial range of garments. The dress formed part of the designer’s archive before Fassler donated it to the V&A.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"‘Printed Tulle isiShweshwe Dress’ from the <i>Josephine Baker</i> collection, consisting of a bustier and skirt, printed tulle isiShweshwe and cotton isiShweshwe with printed hand appliqué details, Marianne Fassler, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2005, tulle isiShweshwe printed by Da Gama Textiles in South Africa","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Booklet provided by Marianne Fassler in 2025"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Iziko Museums of South Africa, ‘Fabric, Fashion and Identity - The story of IsiShweshwe’, Google Arts & Culture webpage, https://artsandculture.google.com/story/fabric-fashion-and-identity-the-story-of-isishweshwe-south-african-national-gallery/JQVRfVGh0BzHKg?hl=en"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.137:1-2025","T.137:2-2025"],"accessionNumberNum":"137","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2025,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2025-04-17","availableToBook":false}}