Circa 1975-1980

France

Modernist day dress in printed silk taffeta by Jules-François Crahay for Lanvin dating from the late 1970s. Straight dress with short sleeves, crew neck, zip fastening at the back and matching belt with buckle. Beautiful silk taffeta printed (100%) with large black polka dots on a lavender blue background, highlighted by wide stripes with ethnic and geometric motifs in shades of orange, black and rust. The skirt is pleated with large hollow pleats that flare out elegantly in the step. No lining. Label indicating Lanvin Paris Made in France. No major flaws, very supple silk with two tiny (but very faint) rings under the arms. Good general condition of colour and conservation.

Dimensions: Equivalent to size 36 France. Height 110 cm, shoulders 37 cm, chest 86-89 cm, waist 70-73 cm, sleeves 29 cm, hips 88-92 cm.

Jules-François Crahay was born in Liège to an industrialist father and a mother, Françoise, who ran a fashion house. He studied in Paris in the 1930s, then returned to Belgium to work with his mother. Taken prisoner during the war, he opened his own fashion house in Paris in 1951 with Germaine de Vilmorin, but it was not a success. Hired by Robert Ricci, he joined the House of Nina Ricci, where he stayed for ten years; initially assisting Nina Ricci, he gradually took over the creation of all the models. His first success at Nina Ricci came in 1959, when he presented the women's collection ‘Tomboy’. He went on to work for Lanvin for around twenty years. His 1964 collection was also highly acclaimed. He was succeeded by Maryll Lanvin. From 1985 to 1988, a Jules-François Crahay collection was presented in Japan under a contract with the Itokin company, which already managed the licence for the French brand Courrèges in that country. During his career, he won the Dé d'or three times for the creativity of his collections. He retired to the south of France. He died in January 1988 of a heart attack.