Early 20th Century Evening Dresses and Gowns

The House of Adair was a Parisian atelier that created beaded silk gowns for the export market during the 1920s. They were retailed in the best department stores of the day, especially in the US and UK. The designs were inspired by haute couture fashions and popular themes including orientalism and the geometric forms of the Art Deco movement. The workers has all been trained in haute couture methods and rare surviving pieces are often acquired by museums and fashion institutions including Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This dress has a sleeveless, blouson top style v-neck and is fashioned with a lightly gathered drop-waist. This fluid, tubular tailoring was typical of the must-have dresses of this era and the silk crepe is adorned with brightly beaded flowers, among them sunflowers, thistles and gerberas. The original label sits inside the waistband and reads “Adair 4. Cité Paradis Paris...

1920s Adair - France Bohemian Brown Silk Beaded Bohemian Tunic Dress: A rare example of this fine house's signature style beadwork (turquoise, yellow and black seed beading in horizo...