Category: 1930-1939
Overview
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1938 – Elsa Schiaparelli, The Tears Dress
Streamlined in shape like other 1930s gowns, the Tears dress features surrealist elements that make it emblematic of the design collaboration between Elsa Schiaparelli and artist Salvador Dalí.
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1938 – Elsa Schiaparelli, Skeleton Dress
The strongly Surrealist Skeleton Dress was designed by Elsa Schiaparelli in collaboration with Salvador Dalí for her 1938 collection Le Cirque.
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1937—Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky
Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky shows a front-facing Frida Kahlo holding a letter with a bouquet of flowers in her arms. Brilliant white curtains flank each side against a green background to reveal an elegantly dressed Frida, who adopts elements of Mexican Zapotec dress.
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1938 – Gabrielle Chanel, Red velvet suit
This 1938 red silk velvet suit by Gabrielle Chanel is one of her more vibrant creations and part of a flamboyant trend in her work in the late 1930s.
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1937 – Elsa Schiaparelli, Lobster Dinner Dress
Elsa Schiaparelli created this unusual lobster dress with the help of Surrealist artist Salvador Dali in 1937, demonstrating the interconnected nature of the fashion and art worlds in the early 20th century.
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1938
The year 1938 was a period of transition from the catastrophic Great Depression to World War II. Women’s fashion was exuberant: vibrant colors, Surrealist accessories, ornate hats with minimal embellishments were key trends. However, the overall silhouette was simple, clean, and sophisticated. Hemlines began to fall down below the knees. Restrained, structured shoulders evolved into the iconic puff sleeve. Public figures such as the Duchess of Windsor inspired women in their everyday dress.
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1936 – Madeleine Vionnet, Carnival Dress
Vionnet’s exquisite technique and ingenious construction–like that seen in her 1936 carnival dress–popularized her designs internationally throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
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Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving
“Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” on view at the Brooklyn Museum, displays a collection of her personal belongings, including clothes, cosmetics, accessories, medical devices, and paintings, allowing the audience to imagine themselves in the shoes of Kahlo.
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1939 – Cukor, The Women / 1956 – Miller, The Opposite Sex
Trusting Park Avenue socialite Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) loses her husband to scheming shopgirl Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), and can only win him back if she becomes as cunning as her so-called friends.
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