Pleats. From Ancient Greek Dress to 21st Centuty Fashions

Proposal to The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation
Anne Bissonnette, Curator
Kent State University Museum

 

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Late 20th century Designs
Front Profile Back

Suit attributed to Christian Dior, France, circa 1948.
Gray wool bodice and skirt with permanently pleated back panel.
Kent State University Museum
Gift of Anne Slater
KSUM 1990.68.1ab
AB notes: Nice back pleats in wool. A change from evening wear.

 

Front, 3/4 view Profile Back Profile

Ball gown of ruby red silk velvet and satin over ivory pleated organdy. Designed by Charles James, New York, United States of America, 1949. From the wardrobe of Mrs. Sloane Simpson.
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1983.1.413
AB notes: Wonderful draped and pleated garment. Good condition. Has its own custom-made form in which it travels

 

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Copper colored faille cocktail dress with self-fabric reversed flounces and black velvet bows. Design attributed to Charles James, New York, United States of America, c.1950.
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1983.1.411

AB notes: Very unusual Charles James. Has its own custom-made form. Travels relatively well.

 

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Evening dress by Pierre Balmain, France, 1952.
Strapless evening dress of white crepe organza with shell pink satin sash.
From the wardrobe of Mrs. Nina De Witz
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1983.001.0043
AB: Needs to be behind glass as the silk crepe catches all the dust (costs $500 to dry-clean).

 

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"Butterfly" evening dress by Charles James, born in England,
establish in the United States of America, 1954.
Smoke-grey chiffon over white satin with sides structured of light mauve satin and back of dark brown, sienna and lavender tulle. Several version of this style were published in fashion magazines over a four-year period. Elizabeth Ann Coleman in The Genius of Charles James describes the back as having "25 yards of tulle weighing 18 pounds" suspended from the waist. This dress belonged to Melanie Kahane of New York, who wore it to a Metropolitan Opera opening -she needed three seats. The first version was sold to Mrs. Randolph Hearst, Jr. for $1250 in 1954.
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1997.71.1
AB notes: I'm just teasing you with this own. It extremelly fragile and cannot travel but you might want to think of it in terms of catalogue visual.

 

Front

Yellow satin bolero jacket and chiffon cocktail dress.
Designed by James Galanos, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, c.1965.
Kent State University Museum
Gift of Vera Gawansky
KSUM 1985.33.2ab

AB note: The skirt is not pleated but gored in multiple circular panels. The effect looks pleated.

 

Front

Norman Norell, American, c.1965-66
Ice blue silk jersey bodice decorated with silver sequins.
Worn with ice blue accordion pleated silk chiffon palazzo pants.
From the wardrobe of Cyd Charisse.
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection

KSUM 1983.1.482ab
AB notes: Bad picture but nice ensemble. The pants legs are very wide and can hardly be distinguished from a skirt. Mr. Papantoniou mentioned that Cid Charisse was Greek.

 

Front Back

Red printed silk tunic and skirt, c.1977
Design by Issey Miyake
Kent State University Museum
Gift of The Fashion Institute of Technology
KSUM 1997.35.5ab
AB notes: The tunic style is very close to drapery in statuary.

 

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Evening dress by Halston, , United States of America, 1978.
Purple silk organza evening dress from the Made-to-order Collection. Constructed of a half circle and an added flounce.
From the wardrobe of Mrs. Michael Lichenstein
Kent State University Museum
Silverman/Rodgers Collection

KSUM 1983.1.590
AB notes: semi-circle draped around the body. Thought process and pattern very interesting and similar to Roman capes.

 

Front Back

Orange, gold and red evening dress and scarf, c.1970-79
American, George Stavropoulos
Kent State University Museum
Gift of George Stavropoulos
KSUM 1991.4.62 ab
AB: Greek designer. I just loved this Stavropoulos. The fabric is gorgeous but the style is rather minimal. Might not be close enough to our topic.

 

Front

Bias-cut apple green wool, silk and nylon satin evening dress with draped upper bodice. Designed by Gianni Versace, Milan, Italy, Fall 1995.
Kent State University Museum
Gift of Barbara Kaplan Israel
KSUM 1997.19.1
AB: If you are to have some Vionnet bias-cut gowns, you might be interested in contemporary bias-cut pieces.

 

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Evening dress and coat by George Stavropoulos, born in Greece, established in the United States of America, 1984.
Pale lavender silk peau de soie.
Kent State University Museum
Gift of George Stavropoulos
KSUM 1991.4.70ab
AB notes: Greek designer. Mininal draping.

 

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Kangaroo Gown by Isabel Toledo, Autumn-winter 1993-94
©Toledo Enterprises
AB: A fabulous piece, very three-dimentional, minimal and nature-based.

 

Front Pattern

Right: zig-zag dresses in silk georgette by Isabel Toledo, Autumn-winter 1997-98
©Toledo Enterprises
AB notes: Part origami (based on simple folded style)

 

Front Detail

Cornflower dress by Isabel Toledo, Autumn-winter 1998
©Toledo Enterprises
AB notes: Three semi-circles draped from the hip.

 

Back
Isabel Toledo
Back view of the pouch dress.
AB: Again, very minimal. The drape without symmetry.
Profile

Isabel Toledo
AB note: I will have to re-scan this. It's the most perfect dress for the exhibition. The drape countors the body and is anchored by the arms going thru the armholes. It has two or three colors which also you to follow the movement of the fabric around the body.

Front Profile Back Detail
       

To be added later
Jean-Paul Gaulthier (from Bissonnette's collection)

 

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To be added later
Jean Desses. Yellow chiffon assymetrical draped gown.

 

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Teagowns
Preview

Liberty of London Tea Gowns

Liberty Tea Gowns
The Lady's World, July 1887

 

Front Back

Tea gown with bustle. Le moniteur de la mode, 1886.

 

Front Profile Detail Fashion Plate

Tea Gown
United States, early 1890s
Tan silk faille, tan/cream checked silk, grosgrain ribbon, lace
Allent Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin
Kent State University Museum
Gift of Mrs. Robert T. McEwen, 1952
KSUM L1995.17.3

 

Front Profile

Tea Gown
United States, 1890s
Wool challis, printed with naturalistic peaches and peach blossoms on a purple ground, red/yellow iridescent silk foulard front panel
The Ohio State University Historic Costume and Textiles Collection
P-N1W-5
On loan to The Kent State University Museum

 

Front Profile

Tea Gown
United States, 1910s
Rust colored silk velvet and chiffon with pink trim
The Kent State University Museum
The Shannon Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1987.41.98

 

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"Delphos" Tea Gown
Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949)
Venice, Italy, 1920-1949
Pale blue silk, part pleated, part stenciled in gold, glass beads
The Kent State University Museum
KSUM 1987.5.1ab
Gift of Mrs. Susan G. Rossback

 

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Fortuny Reproductions by Judith Straeten

From "Victoria" Magazine

Reproduced: single dress in sleeveless style (see KSUM 1987.5.1ab), long-sleeved single dress, crescent trunic and 4 pointed tunic.

.

Lilian Gish in Fortuny Straetan's reproduction

See Gullermo de Osma, p.155

 

Crescent-cut tunic Crescent-cut tunic

See Gullermo de Osma, p.108, 109, 157.

 

Revised 02/04/02

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