#callot soeurs
evening dresses belonging to V. V. Karakhan (Vera Viktorovna Karakhan)
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Evening DressbyCallot Soeurs
France, 1915-16
In this gorgeous evening gown you can clearly see the makings of what will soon become the iconic flapper-style dress of the 1920s!
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Evening DressbyCallot Soeurs
France, 1914
First established in the 1890s by the four Callot sisters as a lingerie and lace business, Callot Soeurs evolved into a premier dressmaking house in the early years of the 20th century. This gown from 1914 exemplifies the fashion aesthetic of the time, in which multiple layers and textures of fabric were intended to give the appearance of an unstructured and spontaneous design. The use of the selvedge edge at the front of the dress, for example, was an intentional technique used by couturiers of the period to express the idea that fabric was wrapped and draped with minimal tailoring. More careful examination, however, reveals the gown’s unusual construction. The train itself forms a pleated overpanel at the back of the bodice, accomplished through a complex series of drapes and folds. Only a designer of Madame Gerber’s caliber could maintain the overall feel of simplicity while executing the complicated design of this dress.
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• Evening dress.
Designer: Callot Soeurs (French, active 1895–1937)
Date: ca. 1911
Culture: French
Medium: Silk, cotton, metallic thread, metal beads.
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Evening Dress
Callot Soeurs
1910-14
In the Directoire revival, the waistline was raised in the manner of a century earlier, but with corsetting that had the vestiges of the monobosom. Perhaps even more importantly, the silhouette reflects Europe’s examination of Eastern dress, the softness, raised waist, and lower bust stance suggesting “ukiyo-e” prints and other Japanese style.
Attuned to the Orientalism of the decade, Callot Soeurs reined the silhouette into a cylindrical wrap, effortless in lingerie-weight fabric. Yet, for its innovations, the work of Callot Soeurs does not stint the couture’s roster of technical skills. Here, sequins vary: some are punched into a filigree pinwheel, others are hammered flat; in some instances metal is overlaid onto faceted crystal. But even this ornamentation is not entirely for the pleasure of diversity, but for the calculated and magical effects of such varied surfaces seen in evening and candle lights.
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