evening dress

Edward Molyneux 1891 - 1974

Summary

Evening dress of scarlet rayon taffeta with short sleeves and boned bodice; very full skirt gathered into waist; heavy black guipure lace as decorative trim over shoulders and over front bodice with similar panels on back hips to accentuate the fullness of the skirt; fully lined with black rayon; right side zip; inner seam printed label: Molyneux Modele, 48 Grosvenor St, London'. Edward Molyneux (1891-1974) was one of the first English couturiers, opening his house in Paris in 1919. He had immediate success with his elegant and simple styling, and in 1932 opened a branch in London. His style offered a complete contrast to the richly embellished, extrovert and somewhat provocative fashions of his contemporaries, Lucile, Schiaparelli and, to a lesser extent, Mainbocher. Pierre Balmain, who worked for him, and Christian Dior both cited Molyneux as a major influence.