Miniature copy of First Lady Hayes's evening gown by Ann Lowe
date: label: Date
content: 1957-1967
name: label: Created by
content: Ann Lowe, American, 1898 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Caption
content: This miniature dress is part of the Evyan Collection of First Lady Inaugural Gowns. Starting in 1957, for the launch of their Great Lady perfume, the Evyan perfume house commissioned several designers, including Ann Lowe, to replicate 29 inaugural gowns of the American First Ladies in miniature form. Lowe created six sets of inaugural gowns based on the originals, which are on exhibit in the First Ladies’ Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
label: Description
content: A miniature ivory dress inspired by First Lady Hayes made by Ann Lowe. The dress is made of ivory silk satin with heavy embellishments of lace, beading, sequins, and fringe. The bodice is fitted to the natural waist with a round neckline and full-length tapered sleeves. The front bodice and neckline are embellished with ivory and metallic floral lace that is further hand decorated with faux pearl beads and metallic sequins. Panels of the lace trim outline a stomacher-type center front bodice, reaching a point at the center front waist. A single panel of lace is also sewn on the outer side of each sleeve, with the cuffs trimmed in lace. A pre-tied ivory satin bow without tails is tacked at the outer side of each cuff. The skirt is gathered and tacked down at each front side thigh to reveal a heavily embellished petticoat. Both the skirt and the petticoat have a train at the back. The passementerie decorating the petticoat is arranged in tiers and includes the same floral ivory and metallic lace used on the bodice. The bodice is also decorated with beads, sequins, and rosettes made from ivory satin, and gold colored fringe. The bottom hem of the petticoat has rounded deep cut outs resembling petals all the way around, with a pleated ivory ruffle sewn underneath the cut outs. The top front edges of the skirt are tacked down at the waist, then folded outward and sewn down at each front side with the sequined and beaded floral lace covering the seams. Each piece of the lace is backed in the satin and with short strands of faux pearl fringe hanging from the tips. Flowers from a larger piece of metallic floral lace have been cut and then sewn in a scattered pattern onto the skirt around the sides and back. The back of the skirt has deep pleats at the center back waist to accommodate a bustle. The hemline of the back train is slightly shorter than the hemline of the petticoat train, revealing the petal shaped cut outs and pleated ruffle hem details. The dress closes at the center back with a zipper and one metal hook-and-eye. The interior bodice is made from ivory faille and includes shoulder straps. Some of this lining shows through underneath the lace covering the stomacher section of the bodice on the facing side. There is an underskirt made from the ivory faille seamed to the bodice lining. The petticoat is fully lined in the ivory faille. The skirt is lined in the ivory silk satin. There are no labels.
label: Cataloging Notes
content: This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
place: label: Place made
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
label: Place collected
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black Enterprise
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
label: Topic
content: Politics
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Black Fashion Museum Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.3.31
objectType: label: Type
content: dresses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silk satin, faille, lace, sequins, beads, fringe, and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (flat): 52 1/4 × 8 3/4 in. (132.7 × 22.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist: 8 in. (20.3 cm)