Evening suit
Medium
silk (rep, damask), metal and plastic (fastenings)
Measurements
(a) 73.0cm (centre back) 61.0 cm (sleeve length)
(b) 83.0 cm (centre back) 31.0 cm (waist, flat)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gift Program, 2025
Gallery location
Mid 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Established in 1909 as a millinery business by Jeanne Lanvin, Lanvin later expanded into womenswear and childrenswear. By the 1920s, the house was one of the most commercially successful couturiers in Paris, celebrated for youthful designs and a distinctive use of colour, perfected in Lanvin’s own dye factory. Lanvin combined a romantic sensibility with a pragmatic understanding of a woman’s wardrobe. This balance ensured the house’s continued success into the 1930s, and is evident in this design, which demonstrates Lanvin’s aptitude for fashionable daywear. After her death, the label remained successful under the creative directorship of her daughter Marie-Blanche, and today is overseen by Bruno Sialelli.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Inscription
(a) label, centre back neckline, woven in gold on black synthetic fabric: (figure) JEANNE / LANVIN / PARIS / 22 Frg St Honore
Accession Number
2025.752.a-b
Department
International Fashion and Textiles