#2221 $1,950 Sold
Jean Dessès wool coat, 1950s
The elegant draped chiffon evening dresses of Jean Dessès, a favorite of royalty and and the Jet Set in the 1940s-1950s, have been rediscovered by current Hollywood celebrities.
Naturally the first Dessès designs to be revisited were red carpet material. (Who can forget Renée Zellweger in a lemon yellow strapless 1950s Dessès gown at the 2001 Academy Awards!) Less obvious, but also important, were his sculpted day wear designs.
In this fabulous coat the designer treats heavy wool as a drapable fabric. The bias cut and ingeniously placed diagonal seams at the waist create a fluid, figure-molding statement. This is soft sculpture at its best.
The coat is impeccably tailored with the lines of the stripe forming perfect chevrons. It is fashioned from black and gray striped wool twill and is lined with black satin. There is a shawl collar; and there are large diagonal pockets set on the front sides.
The masters of draping in the last century were Madame Grès in the 1940s and Jean Dessès in the 1950s. It was perhaps his Greek ancestry and deep knowledge of Classical sculpture that accounted for his wizardry in draping.
Dessès could take almost any fabric and twist it, plait it, gather it up in bunches or folds and voilà: a modern Greek goddess dress! He is the greatest master of draping since Pheidias (The Parthenon). Jean Dessès is justly considered one of the great couturiers of the 20th century.
The condition is almost excellent. The top button, which is a replacement, is slightly different. This is not obvious and doesn't spoil the appearance of the design.
It measures: 38" bust, 28" waist, full in hip area, 16" from sleeve cap to sleeve cap, 24" sleeve length, and 46 1/2" from the shoulder to the hem.
