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Molyneux, design house

Evening coat, ca. 1932

Description

Maker

  • Molyneux, 1919 - 1950, design house
  • Edward H. Molyneux, 1891-1974, British, designer

Title

Evening coat

Year

ca. 1932

Medium

Silk, metallic yarn; plain weave, quilted

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silk,
  • metallic yarn

Techniques

  • quilted

Dimensions

43.2 x 88.9 cm (17 x 35 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Made in England
Modèle Molyneux

  1. Grosvenor St. London

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt Gerry

Object Number

59.031.4

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Golden Glamour

March 13 - July 5, 2015

Edith’s garments came from the toniest fashion houses of Paris, but glowing metallic fashions were also becoming increasingly popular in America. The strong shoulders and full drape of this evening coat evoke the fast-talking Hollywood heroines of the 1930s. English author Graham Greene described one such woman, actress Carole Lombard, as having “a figure to be swathed in silver lamé.”

The reflective nature of metallic fabrics translated beautifully to film, offering actresses an otherworldly glow. For Edith, who possessed a great love of the theater and fantasy, this quality must also have held great appeal, placing her in the “spotlight” wherever she went.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Evening coat with the accession number of 59.031.4. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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