Pistachio Green Evening Gown with Train

By the end of the 1920s, dresses had gradually become longer, and a slimmer, more form-fitting silhouette prevailed. The biascut, masterfully executed by Madeleine Vionnet since the early 1920s, was the ideal medium for the realisation of this new streamlined form. Gowns of unmatched elegance emerged, evening wear in particular, such as this heavy campanulate evening dress. The off-the-shoulder wrap top, with V-shaped front and back necklines, is held by only narrow straps. The wide four-panel skirt begins at the waist beneath a wide sash ribbon. It has a laterally trimmed, rectangular hemline and forms a long train at the back. A petticoat of the same cut is securely mounted. It closes on the left with hook and eye closure and a snap. Perhaps the dress was combined with an evening jacket, as suggested by the very similar design. Edward Molyneux (1891-1974) founded his couture house in 1919. Princess Marina of Greece (1906–1968), whom he outfitted in 1934 on the occasion of her wedding with Prince George, 1st Duke of Kent, is counted among its most well known customers. The dress of the Kunstgewerbemuseum collection comes from the estate of the princess.