Evening ensemble 1887

This is an evening ensemble created by Charles Frederick Worth, who worked in Paris during the late 19th century. Worth is considered the father of haute couture. He was one of the first designers to brand himself as an artist. His designs shaped the fashion and the perception of women at the time. His work provided an opulent and constructed vision of femininity, which was reinforced by the strict social expectations of the era. Dresses like this one were meant for women of high social standing. The tight corsetry literally shaped the body, while the extravagant ornamentation was a display of wealth and status. This ensemble embodies the contradictions of the Gilded Age, an era of both progress and inequality, where fashion served as a visual marker of social division and gendered expectations. The dress is not merely an object of beauty, but a complex artifact that speaks volumes about the historical moment of its creation, reflecting the intricate dance between identity, power, and representation.