Sorbet, Poiret’s lampshade dress
A tunic standing out like a lampshade over a narrow skirt, in bright colours with an oriental air.
Poiret showed the model in 1912 after his famous ‘Thousand and Second Night’ party. It shows the influence of the Ballets Russes and Orientalism on fashion. Examples are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum.
Materials: Silk, velvet, glass beads, horsehair in the tunic hem
Manufacture: The tunic hem was stiffened with horsehair so that it stood out; the decoration embroidered in beads.
The stiffened, projecting hem of the tunic – like a lampshade.
The strong colours and the narrow skirt that made walking difficult.