Wunderbare Welt

“Swan”

Charles James

c.1954

Among James’s many allusions to historical silhouettes and decoration, his Swan is the most literal. For this airier contemporary version of a heavily draped Victorian bustle dress, he deployed transparent chiffon and stiff nylon tulle, a then relatively new textile innovation. The skirt’s six layers, composed of 1,080 square feet of tulle, are combined in various colors to give it depth and luminosity. Despite its ethereal appearance, it is, at twelve pounds, the weightiest of his grand creations. The beautiful curvature of the bodice back is signature James anatomical styling designed to displace extra flesh that might ruin the graceful line.

The MET (Accession Number: 2009.300.8523)

Dress

c.1832