Turquoise “Delphos” Evening Gown

Painter, photographer, chemist, physicist and inventor, Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) of Spain, who was inspired by his father’s collection of historic fabric, engaged with fabric design and fabric printing time and again. Although he was not a fashion designer, the pleated silk gowns in antique Greek style, known as “Delphos”, belong to his best-known creations. In 1909 he patented the art of producing this finely pleated silk. In spite of various drawings, however, his exact production process remains unknown. Although Fortuny did not advertise, these clothes were tremendously successful and were produced with small alterations and in different colour schemes until the 1940s. In order to maintain the elastic folds these pieces were twisted into skeins and kept in small boxes. It was not the actual fashion line that was important for Fortuny, but the beauty of the texture that caressed the human body, without constricting or concealing it. Early models displayed overlapped shoulders that formed short sleeves, but from the 1920s on the pieces were sleeveless. The transverse oval cutout in the neckline was shirred with a tunnel ribbon. The side was adorned and weighted down by cording trim into which Venetian glass beads were inserted. The simple belt of the dress on the right with gold coloured print has a hook and eye closure.