Chanel, Coco; 1936 Black Lace Dress

Description

Chanel black lace, V-neck, sleeveless, long evening gown. Thin gold cording straps. Lined with black silk crepe. The bodice lining has 2 vertical, Princess seam type darts, 2 horizontal bust darts and 2 horizontal darts at the center front. The bodice is attached to the lining with a hand set zipper at the center back. The zipper closure is completed with hook and bar at the top. The upper part of the bodice is trimmed in lace that is cut along the edges of the lace design. There are hand bound vertical slits in the lace bodice that are threaded with black grosgrain ribbon that is tied at center front and brought down the front of the bodice. The ends of the grosgrain are on the outside of the garment and are not finished. The skirt is A-line black, silk tulle with vertical inserts of the same silk/rayon lace as the bodice. The hem of the skirt is finished with a lace ruffle. The skirt has a hand set zipper placed diagonally to the left of center back, finished with a snap closure. The lining has an inverted V shape slit at the bottom of the center front. The slit is edged in lace and the hem of the lining is finished in lace.

Source

HCT.1988.433.5

Date

1936

Provenance

This dress was worn, and donated, by Marochka Chatfield-Taylor. Marochka was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 24, 1906. Her father, Boris Anisfeld, was a well known artist who designed sets and costumes for the Russian theater and opera before the 1917 Russian revolution. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1918 when Boris' paintings were on exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. He was employed by the Metropolitan Opera Company from 1918-1927. They moved to Chicago in 1929 when her father became a professor of advanced painting at the Chicago Art Institute. Marochka attended the Art Institute and began creating murals for cafes and bars in Chicago as well as designing high-fashion clothing. She married journalist, Otis Chatfield-Taylor, in 1936. Upon Otis' death in 1948, Marochka moved to Manhattan and founded the company Maggie Taylor Gowns and produced her own original clothing designs.