Dress with a Tie Belt c. 1951 - 1952

This is a black dress with a tie belt, made by Kruysveldt-de Mare, though we don't know exactly when. All that taffeta, gathered and puffed, reminds me of paint squeezed straight from the tube onto the canvas, thick and luscious. The sheen and the shadows do all the work, creating the shape of the garment. It's the kind of object where the material itself seems to have a life of its own. It feels as though the maker let the fabric do its thing, almost like surrendering to a force bigger than yourself. Think of it like the material is your subconscious. The way the folds cascade around the skirt and the way the light catches that tie at the waist, well, it all reminds me of a Franz Kline painting, all about confident gestures and the push and pull of space. Art, like fashion, is an ongoing conversation, a constant remix of ideas.