Christian Dior Boutique
(John Galliano)
Evening gown
Black lambskin leather, black silk
2000, France
Museum purchase, 2001.45.1

Black leather is symbolic of power and potent sexuality—and John Galliano’s use of leather in this evening gown is sexy as well as subversive. When combined with the corset-lacing of the bodice, the design sheaths the body tightly, taking a modern approach to Christian Dior’s heavily structured gowns of the 1950s.