Fitted dress with rainbow sequins and beading designed by Peter Davy

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Fitted dress with rainbow sequins and beading designed by Peter Davy

1980s

A fitted floor-length dress with rainbow colored sequins and beading designed by Peter Davy. The dress has a high rounded front neckline and a plunging V-neck back neckline, with short cap sleeves and shaping at the natural waist and hips. The straight skirt has a rounded hem that tapers up at the proper left side where there is a thigh-high slit in the skirt. The dress is made from a light brown synthetic knit fabric, which can be seen between layers of heavy embellishment in beads and sequins. Rows of sequins are sewn to the light brown fabric in a diagonal beginning at the proper right shoulder and sleeve in green, blue, silver, orange, green, pink, silver, and blue stripes of varying widths. Some sections have additional embellishments. Two (2) green sequin and bead flower paillettes are attached at the proper right shoulder section. The orange section extends down to the hips, but the topmost diagonal portion runs over the proper left shoulder and sleeve. Four (4) orange sequin and bead flower paillettes are attached at the proper left shoulder section. Long strands of pink seed beads ending in a pink sequin are attached in the pink section on the skirt, left loose to dangle as fringe. The bottom section of the skirt has rows of blue sequins oriented vertically unlike the other horizontal or diagonal sections. A row of blue sequin and bead flower paillettes is attached around the hem and slit opening of the bottom blue section. Heavy clusters of beaded fringe extend approximately four (4) inches from each cap sleeve, with the beads being green on the proper right and orange on the proper left, corresponding with the sequin stripes on each shoulder. The dress closes at the center back with a light brown metal and plastic zipper.

The dress is fully lined in the light brown synthetic knit base fabric. The hem and side slit of the skirt are trimmed in light brown machine-made synthetic lace. There are no labels in the dress.

Fashion

Fashion design

Clothing and dress

African American

Davy, Peter

African Americans

Black Fashion Museum

Smithsonian Institution

image

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID%3Anmaahc_2007.3.90&repo=DPLA