Evening ensemble
Medium
Silk, jet
Classification
Evening ensemble
Culture
French
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Edith Gardiner, 1926
Accession Number
2009.300.6268a–c
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 1890s Parisian high society with this stunning *Evening ensemble* from the House of Worth, crafted in 1893 by designers Jean-Philippe Worth and Charles Frederick Worth. Founded by Charles Frederick in 1858, the House of Worth pioneered haute couture, creating bespoke garments for royalty and elites like Empress Eugénie. This piece exemplifies the Belle Époque's lavish aesthetic, where fashion was both art and social statement, blending innovation with timeless elegance. Made of shimmering silk adorned with jet—polished black glass beads—the ensemble highlights m...