Evening dress

This evening dress, made in 1994 by the London couturier Catherine Walker, shows her use of glamour and restrained luxury. Rich, black silk velvet is cut and sewn into a perfect full-length backless sheath suspended from a pearl and diamanté yoke. Both the clinging gown and the Art Deco style jewelled collar were inspired by 1930s evening fashion, but the design is brought wholly up-to-date for 1994 with a dramatic diamanté pendant down the bared back. This combination of regal elegance and unexpected sparkle clearly shows why Diana, Princess of Wales, favoured dresses by Catherine Walker for nearly fifteen years. The V&A collection also includes the famous pearl-encrusted 'Elvis' dress that

Evening dress · United Kingdom · 1994. Silk velvet with diamanté and beading. By Walker, Catherine. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.