Coat

This wide, square coat is made of white wool embroidered with gold thread. The sleeves are square and made of corded silk, which also lines the garment. Embroidered motifs, inspired by African art, show bands of quartered circles. During the 1920s, fashion was strongly influenced by the Art Deco style. Art Deco drew its inspiration from many sources, including African art, the motifs of which, often stylised, were used for exclusive garments designed by the avant-garde. This coat was designed and made for Maison Myrbor (House of Myrbor), a Parisian shop launched by Marie Cuttoli, the French wife of a French ambassador. Cuttoli had opened an atelier of embroidery in Algiers before the First W

Coat · Paris · 1925. Embroidered wool with gold thread, corded silk, lined with silk, hand-sewn. By Marie Cuttoli. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.