Dress fabric

This dress fabric is made of lightweight wool and silk. It is printed with a bold pattern of overlapping planes of red, beige and cream, outlined in black. It was made for use by Coco Chanel in 1929. The selvage has the words ‘Tricot Chanel’ and its design registration number, 272019, stamped upon it. In the early 1920s Chanel opened her own textile factory in Asnières-sur-Seine to cater for the demand for her signature silk-enriched wool and cotton jersey fabrics. This enabled her to control her own production and guarantee that Chanel fabrics were exclusive to her alone. Until around 1929, the factory was called 'Tricot Chanel'. After Chanel expanded into producing exclusive printed silks

Dress fabric · Asnières-sur-Seine · ca. 1928. Printed wool and silk. By Tricots Chanel. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.