Black satin dress with hand-shaped decoration designed by Peter Davy

Object Details

Designed by

Peter Davy, Saint Vincentian, 1944 - 1990

Subject of

Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007

Description

A black spandex satin dress with a hand-shaped cut-out decoration designed by Peter Davy. The dress has a sweetheart neckline in the front and a plunging V-neck at the back, and one shoulder strap on the proper right side. The bodice is fitted and the skirt is straight with a thigh-high slit at the proper left front side. The stomach and waist of the dress has a large oval cut-out reaching from the proper left front around the proper right side and ending at the proper left back made from light brown net fabric. A black satin hand is sewn at the proper right side seam of the cut-out with the fingers outstretched and reaching toward the proper left side. The hand is bordered with a line of black sequins and beads, with all-over black sequins and beading on the hand and bright red sequins and beads on each fingernail to mimic red nail polish. Three (3) small red sequin and beaded leaves are sewn at the bottom proper left side of the cut-out. The cut-out is trimmed in a band of black sequins, as are the neckline and the proper right strap. An undulating line of the small red sequin and beaded leaves begins at the top of the shoulder strap and extends down the back side of the strap, ending at the center back. Four (4) strands of fringe made from small round black beads each ending in a large flat round black sequin are sewn at the shoulder seam of the strap. Lengths of this same style of beaded and sequin fringe are sewn along the sides of the slit in the skirt, thirty (30) in total. The dress closes at the proper left side with a black metal and plastic zipper.

The dress is lined in black synthetic fabric only at the bodice above the cut-out section. Boning is sewn between the facing and the lining at each center front side. Black hanger loops are sewn at each interior side seam. A white fabric label with black printed text is sewn at the interior proper left back side that reads, "An Original / by / Peter Davy" with three (3) black diamonds down the proper left side of the label.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane

1985-1990

Object number

2007.3.102

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Type

dresses

Medium

spandex satin, net, sequins, and beads, with metal and plastic zipper

Dimensions

H x W x D (flat): 58 5/8 × 18 3/4 × 15/16 in. (148.9 × 47.6 × 2.4 cm)

H x W x D (on form): 58 × 18 × 12 1/2 in. (147.3 × 33 × 31.8 cm)

Place made

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Black Fashion Museum Collection

Classification

Clothing - Fashion and Historical

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

Clothing and dress

Design

Fashion

Fashion design

Record ID

nmaahc_2007.3.102

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5091993bf-488e-43f5-a454-b5f8a87514e4