Dress, evening

item details

NameDress, evening

ProductionMarcel Rochas; fashion designer; circa 1948; Paris

Classificationevening dresses, gowns

Materialswool

Materials SummaryWool mousseline

Techniquesmachine sewing

DimensionsCentre back: 1280mm (length)

Registration NumberGH015667

Credit lineGift of Mary-Annette Hay, 2007

Overview

This slender evening gown, which features a 'mermaid' silhouette, was designed by the French couturier Marcel Rochas (1902-1955). The gown is made from mousseline de laine, or 'muslin of wool', a light woollen fabric that the French first began producing in the 1820s. The gown is strapless bodice, and features heavily gathered panels which extend around the back giving the appearance of a draped stole. The drape and fall of stole and 'mermaid tail' highlight the fineness of the fabric.

Paris Says Wool

This gown was sent to the New Zealand Wool Board by the International Wool Secretariat (IWS). The IWS worked closely with the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne to promote fashions in wool. in 1951 they produced a book entitled 'Paris Says Wool', in which French designers such as Marcel Rochas extolled the values of wool, and advised women on the 'must haves' for their wardrobes.

The Romance of Wool

Mary Annette Hay (nee Burgess), the Wool Board's Promotions Officer, included this gown in a range of promotional stage shows around the country, including The Romance of Wool in 1950. Tall and slender, she also frequently modelled the gown herself.