Purple dress and white belt worn by Dionne Warwick

Object Details

Designed by

Michael Travis, American, 1928 - 2014

Worn by

Dionne Warwick, American, born 1940

Description

A light purple dress (a) with ivory embroidery and coordinating ivory belt (b) with beaded decoration worn by Dionne Warwick.

(a): Lilac purple dress with long sleeves and a full skirt. The dress is made of a lilac organza layered over ivory organza and decorated with an ivory machine-embroidered abstract floral design. Embroidered leaves, attached all over the dress on the bodice, sleeves and skirt, hang loose as three-dimensional elements. The bodice of the dress is fitted with an ivory notched spread collar. The bodice is fully lined with ivory synthetic fabric. The dress closes at the center front with a metal zipper that begins below the waist and ends at the center bust. There is a single metal hook-and-eye fastener above the zipper. The full-length sleeves are fitted to the elbow, with the forearms having large pleats, ending in fitted ivory cuffs that fasten with two (2) ivory fabric-covered buttons on each cuff. The skirt of the dress is very full with a floor-length hemline, and has two under-layers of petticoats. The innermost petticoat is an ivory synthetic fiber lined in an ivory synthetic satin, with two tiers of ivory organza ruffles sewn along at the exterior bottom. The outer petticoat is made of two layers of ivory organza. The initials of the designer, "MT", are handwritten in black ink at the interior proper right back of the bodice.

(b): Wide ivory belt with rhinestones and beaded tassel. The belt is faced with an ivory organza and edged in ivory satin. A large flower made of white and clear rhinestones is sewn at the center front, which is slightly wider than the rest of the belt. Six (6) long strands of varying lengths with white, clear, and silver beads hang from the center of the flower. Each beaded strand ends in a beaded tassel with nine (9) strands. The belt is lined with ivory leather. It fastens at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eye closures.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dwandalyn R. Reece in memory of Pauline Watkins Reece

ca. 1965

Object number

2015.45.1ab

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Type

dresses

belts (costume accessories)

Medium

Dress: synthetic fiber with metal zipper;

Belt: synthetic fiber and leather with plastic, glass, and metal rhinestones and beads, and metal hook-and-eyes

Dimensions

H x W x D ((a) flat): 57 1/2 × 18 × 5 in. (146.1 × 45.7 × 12.7 cm)

H x W x D ((b) flat): 26 × 28 × 1/4 in. (66 × 71.1 × 0.6 cm)

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Clothing-Costume

Exhibition

Musical Crossroads

On View

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

Actors

Clothing and dress

Costume

Popular music

Singers (Musicians)

Record ID

nmaahc_2015.45.1ab

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd581353a8b-7231-4c3b-bb09-6057d3a7ac87