Evening-Coat Material
Anni Albers
American, born Germany. 1899–1994
1946
A handwoven sample for an evening coat in linen, cotton, and Lurex in which Anni Albers aimed to marry the sober order of modernist weaving with a subtle metallic sparkle for refined dresswear.
From close up it reads as a warm, cream ground of tightly woven, slightly undulating horizontal rows punctuated by thin gold-silver threads that catch the light and create a quiet, ripple-like shimmer.
The work shows Albers translating Bauhaus textile rigor into postwar American design—experimenting with new industrial yarns like Lurex to prove that weaving could be both formally exacting and directly relevant to contemporary fashion, helping to elevate textiles within modern design.
Medium
Linen, cotton, and Lurex
Dimensions
13 x 11 3/4" (33 x 29.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the designer
Accession
434.1951
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
