Ivory lace dress with tiered skirt by Peter Davy
date: label: Date
content: 1980s
name: label: Designed by
content: Peter Davy, Saint Vincentian, 1944 - 1990
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: An ivory lace dress with a tiered skirt by Peter Davy. The front bodice features an asymmetrical application of lace over a sheer panel of synthetic organza. The lace applique curves upward and has beaded fringed along the top proper right edge made from glass and plastic beads. Iridescent plastic sequins and glass seed beads are also sewn along the top edges of the lace applique and neckline. Various flowers on the lace bust are also embellished with iridescent sequins and glass seed beads. Short strings of beaded fringe with round flat sequins at the end are placed at the center of several flowers throughout the bust. The bodice features a drop waist and has set in ivory lace sleeves with decorative cuffs. Both the sleeves and the cuffs are embellished with iridescent sequins and glass seed beads. Each sleeve is made from one panel of fabric, sewn to itself at the inner arm. There is a large shoulder ruffle, made from synthetic horsehair, and covered in synthetic ivory plain weave at the proper right. The ruffle is applied around the outer arm’s eye at the proper right and extends about 7” from the top of the shoulder. Iridescent sequins and glass seed beads embellish the edge of ruffle. A tiered skirt made of alternating tiers of ivory lace and synthetic organza are sewn to the drop waist of the bodice. Each tier is gathered along the seams and edged with synthetic horsehair for added structure. The machine lace tiers have strands of beaded trim with a single, flat iridescent sequin placed equidistantly along the edge (about 6” apart from each other.) Each tier is connected by a hidden 5.5" panel of ivory synthetic satin and behind the bottom tier of lace is a panel of synthetic crepe backed satin.
label: Description
content: The back bodice has a deeper V-neck with a scalloped edge and the neckline is embellished with iridescent sequins and glass seed beads. The back if the bodice is made from two panels separated by a 13” metal zipper pull and plastic teeth. There are two shaping darts (one right and one left) measuring about 12.75” at the lower back of the bust. The interior bodice features one panel of ivory synthetic plain weave for the front and two panels for the back. All the major dress seams are machine stitched together, except the for the arm’s eye seams, which are handstitched. There are interior tulle ruffles placed at the top of each shoulder for added structure. There is no label.
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
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
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: 2007.3.118
objectType: label: Type
content: dresses
label: Type
content: evening 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: synthetic organza, synthetic satin, synthetic horsehair, machine lace, plastic sequin, glass bead, and metal
label: Dimensions
content: Length (shoulder to hem): 59 in. (149.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (shoulder to shoulder): 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist: 13 in. (33 cm)