Geoffrey Beene, American, 1927-2004

Dress, 1968

Silk chiffon, sequins, ostrich feathers

Gift of Saks Fifth Avenue     1968.c.543

The sense of movement, which was a design credo for Beene throughout his career is evident in this evening dress designed for The Supremes. The famous full-length sequined football jersey dress is from the same collection. Beene was among the first to introduce these casual references into evening wear. Although his collections had been acclaimed ever since he started his business in 1963, his career skyrocketed after this collection. He also gained international acclaim that same year for the wedding dress he designed for Lynda Bird Johnson, the president’s daughter.

While he acknowledged the contemporary op art movement, Beene recognized that experimentation  in the late 1960s sometimes led to faddish extremes. “Freedom meant so much then that too many liberties were taken,” reflected Beene in a 1993 interview. In styles such as this, Beene’s creations are bold and evoke freedom that women wanted, yet retain their elegance and sophistication. 

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