__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Fortuny Black and Ivory Silk Coat
Italian, 1930s
The ivory background printed with motifs inspired by Coptic and Islamic art, very wide sleeves, Venetian glass bead trim at front and along slits in skirt and sleeves, long ivory rouleau tie closure at neck with self tassels, black silk lining, silk faille label: Mariano Fortuny/Venice.
See Guillermo de Osma, Mariano Fortuny: His Life and Work, p.213, no.11, p.183
doylenewyork
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Fortuny used a thin silk satin more finely pleated than anything ever seen in costume. His famous hand-pleating method has never been successfully duplicated. Because the seams are so tightly pleated, they are difficult to detect.
The garment is incredibly soft and liquid, molding to the curves of the body, like the draped dress of the ancient Greeks. Fortuny's contemporaries described him as "an alchemist": he achieved magical effects by secret techniques unfathomable to outsiders.
The feather-weight tea gown is weighted on the shoulders and sides with strings of clear, striated Venetian glass beads, necessary to weigh down the lightweight silk. The antique pink color is subtly shaded. (I have never before seen this lovely hue—dark Carnation pink). To keep the pleats in place, the dress should be stored twisted like a skein of yarn.
vintagetextile
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world