Trio of Dresses

Left:
Wedding Dress 1976
Silk chiffon
Halston (1932–1990)
Gift of Mrs. Mary Ballou Ballentine
V.84.124.01

In a 2008 Richmond magazine profile, interior design expert Sara Ruffin Costello cited Richmonder Mary Ballou Ballentine as an early style inspiration. She described Ballentine as a “hostess extraordinaire,” whose warmth and style “put guests at ease.” Ballentine’s 1976 wedding dress by Halston epitomizes this same effortless elegance and demonstrates why the designer’s diaphanous dresses are often called ‘Goddess Gowns.’

Center:
Dress ca. 1970
Silk jersey
Stephen Burrows (b. 1943)
Gift of Mrs. Richard S. Reynolds III
V.94.36.04

Stephen Burrows was one of the first African-American fashion designers to achieve international fame. In 1970, Burrows opened a boutique in New York’s prestigious Henri Bendel department store. Like the sheer, soft dresses of the early-19th century, his gowns celebrated and liberated the body. With her keen eye for revolutionary fashion, Richmonder Pamela Reynolds spotted this quintessential Burrows design at Bendel’s at the beginning of his career.

Right:
Dress 1978
Silk chiffon
Halston (1932 – 1990)
Gift of Mrs. Martha Susan Campbell Flynn Sanders
V.2000.83.08

In 1979, choreographer Martha Graham (1894–1991) worked with fashion designer Halston to create costumes for the PBS telecast of her ballet based on the Greek legend, Clytemnestra. “He never deviates from the human body,” Graham said. “His garments are cut so adroitly that there is no strain.” Richmond resident Martha Susan Sanders (1920–1914) wore this floating chiffon Halston evening dress in 1978 to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary with Andrew Trigg Sanders (1910–1991).