Evening gown worn by Princess Margaret

This evening gown was worn by Princess Margaret, and was designed by the Filipino designer Jose Pitoy Moreno. Princess Margaret likely purchased this dress on her 1980 state trip to the Philippines and was photographed the same year wearing it at an official occasion in the UK.

Moreno drew from traditional Filipino clothing to create contemporary fashions using historical silhouettes and materials. Influential women of the 20th century, ranging from Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos to Oscar-winner Rita Moreno, sported Moreno's designs. The dress contains the label J. Moreno Manila.

Moreno is in part credited with the 20th century revival of jusi and piña fabrics, textiles that developed under the Spanish colonies in the Philippines. Both involve a combination of European and pre-colonial Filipino weaving techniques but utilise pineapple and banana fibres rather than pure silk or cotton.

Historic Royal Palaces undertook scientific analysis of the fibres used in the dress. This analysis concluded that the fibre used for the outer layer of the dress was not cellulose-based, so is not pineapple fibre, but is most likely silk. This silk is coated with an unknown organic substance, probably starch, which may have been used to enhance the stiffness of the ground fabric and potentially mimic the appearance of a pineapple fibre fabric. Additionally, the first lining of the dress and the embroidery fabrics are made of cellulose-based viscose while the second lining is made of polyester. These findings highlight the careful selection of different materials by Moreno, and provide insights into his working practices.