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Elsa Schiaparelli | c. 1939

Music was the theme for Schiaparelli’s fall 1939 collection, which manifested itself in music boxes on belts and hats, buttons shaped like drums, and shimmering embroidered instruments and music notes. This particular evening dress, worn by Millicent Rogers, was accessorized with a belt with a working music box as the buckle. The Brooklyn Museum also has a black version of the belt from Rogers’ collection (see 2009.300.1226), that could be worn interchangeably with the white one seen here. The musical notes and symbols are embroidered in vibrant metallic thread on a gossamer organza and possibly form the tune of a fanciful song that one can imagine hearing as the dress twirls and comes to life. Another prominent element of this collection was ethereal fabrics, as this dress embodies. Schiaparelli also made matching gloves which serendipitously entered the collection in 1995 from an unrelated source (see 2009.300.1388a, b). In Dilys Blum’s definitive book on Schiaparelli’s career, “Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli,” Schiaparelli’s daughter Gogo is pictured wearing this design.