Antique-Gown

 
Emile Pingat Two-Piece Large Black Silk Satin Bustle Dress, 1878. Label: E. Pingat, 30. Rue Louis-Le-Grand 30, Paris. Antique Haute Couture gown consisting of a bodice and skirt; bodice trimmed with cream handmade lace with a center front closure of black silk satin covered buttons; bustle skirt elaborately designed with layers of black silk satin and hemmed with magenta silk satin; skirt closes at the center back with hook and eyes. Very good condition with a few flaws: Missing button at bottom of centre front closure. Marks in satin at centre front neck from what appears to be the wearing of a brooch or pin. On the inside of the bodice, the waistband tape has come loose at one of the two points securing the tape to the bodice. The black silk facing on the inside of the right center front is damaged and weak. The waistband of the skirt is fragile and the hook and eyes are loose. The magenta silk satin hem is discolored in areas. The decoration is not included.

A master dressmaker and designer, Emile Pingat (c. 1820-1901) was among the elite Paris couturiers of his age, who dressed the wealthiest and most sophisticated of clients in the fashion capital of the world. His celebrity was evident in the fashion press and his mastery of his craft was demonstrated in every elegant silk gown and trimming that he created.
By 1864, Pingat opened his couture house at 30 Rue Louis-Le-Grand in Paris and he quickly became a competitor Charles Fredrick Worth. His clients knew him for flawless workmanship and monochromatic color palettes enlivened with a single accent color, which gave his works elegance without sacrificing any of the opulence of nineteenth-century fashion. Americans who visited Paris liked to fill their trunks with haute couture and often frequented the Maison Pingat; Pingat reigned for over thirty years as one of the leaders of haute couture during its formative era. Despite his important role in the history of fashion, his name has fallen into obscurity. Unlike Worth, Pingat had no heirs to carry on his business and, and after he sold it to A. Wallès & Cie. in August 1896, his name virtually disappeared from the fashion world.

Bust: ~ 110 cm
Waist: ~ 95 cm
Front Length: ~ 143 cm
Back Length: ~ 190 cm

Price: 3.600 Euro