Black silk crepe women's gown

Made of black silk crepe and trimmed with pink silk lace and crepe detail, this gown dates from the 1930s. The maker is unknown, but believed to be French. It was donated by Hester Borron, but it originally belonged to and was worn by her grandmother. Most of the work was done on machine, though there is evidence of hand stitching which could signify repair work. The design appears to have been inspired by the work of the French designer Vionnet, since it has a bias cut which was pioneered by the designer, as well as the work of Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli who designed a very similar dress. Both designers were based in Paris in the 1930s.