Left: This evening ensemble is an Orientalist fantasy inspired by the clothing and jewelry of royal India. Like many designers in the late 1960s, de la Renta turned East for inspiration, adapting the most sumptuous elements for his extravagant evening wear.

Middle: Thea Porter’s designs exude the luxe bohemian quality known as “hippy chic.” She constructed this caftan, one of her signature silhouettes, from multiple imported fabrics embellished with embroidery and sequins. The many years that Porter spent living in the Middle East fundamentally informed her design philosophy.

Right: This dress is replete with foreign references. The coin belt alludes to extravagant wealth as well as the exotic allure of a belly dancer’s costume, and the gold-brocaded paisley fabric reinterprets the most lavish Indian sari border as a stripe. Western fashion often looks to how other cultures connote luxury.

  November 27, 2007 - May 7, 2008

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Left: Oscar de la Renta, tunic and pants, lime green and silver brocade, rhinestones, and metal trim, c.1968, USA, 86.130.61, gift of Oscar de la Renta
Middle: Thea Porter Couture, caftan, multicolored silk, metallic floss, sequins, and velvet ribbon, c.1973, England, 2007.46.24, gift of the Eberstadt family, In Memory of Isabel Eberstadt
Right: Christian Dior, evening dress, pink silk, gold metal chain, faux pearls, and coins, c.1970, France, 80.58.5, gift of Ms. Beatrice Renfield, photograph by Irving Solero