Who Designed the Delphos Gown? Mariano Fortuny History

Paul Poiret was the first Parisian couturier to design 'Directoire' style dresses to be worn without corsets in 1908. Fortuny took off from Poiret, developing a new concept of dress, a style from which he never deviated during the entire forty years of his working life. He was inspired by the simplicity of classical Greek costume as we know it from antique sculpture and vase painting, and created a dress that was both flattering and comfortable to wear. The Delphos dress was described in its patent of 1909 as 'a type of garment derived from the classical robe, but its design is so shaped and arranged that it can be worn and adjusted with ease and comfort'. Its form is similar to the costumes found on archaic korai sculptures from the sixth century; Fortuny kept numerous illustrations of these in his photographic archive. The Delphos derived its name from the well known bronze of the Delphic charioteer (475-470 B.C.), whose long, short-sleeved robe hung in loose folds.
The construction was simple; four pieces of pre-pleated silk handsewn together into a cylindrical shape, threaded through the neckline and sleeves with a drawstring and weighted with Venetian glass beads. The pleated silk undulated horizontally and was dyed by hand to create shimmering colours. Two variations of this garment are shown. The light pink dress is an example of the original simple form with short batwing sleeves while the light green is a sleeveless version with an attached overtunic. The navy blue gauze overtunic was designed to be worn over the simple gown. The simplicity of colour and style in Fortuny's garments permitted them to be worn in a variety of combinations: the Delphos could be worn alone or with an overgarment without loss of aesthetic appeal. It was originally worn as a teagown with few undergarments, often with a velvet jacket or tunic, and by the 1920s Fortuny dresses became more popular as fashion styles relaxed. Many women chose then to wear one when sitting for a photographer or painter. It was not until the 1930s that women in America started wearing them to the theatres and restaurants as well as at home.
Fortuny possessed a rare understanding of textiles and was interested in techniques of their manufacture and use. From his studio in Venice, at the Palazzo Orfei, he not only designed clothing but invented the processes of manufacture associated with the textiles for them. Each garment was made by hand as were the materials used in it. Fortuny worked mainly with silk and velvet which he received in a raw state. He produced the dyes and the blocks, stencils and machines needed for the patterning and colouring of his fabrics and developed new methods for pleating and printing. The methods he used were all time consuming and labour intensive and as each item was totally handmade each garment was unique. This craftsmanship extends to the exquisite label found inside the gold velvet jacket. A circular piece of pale green rep silk is handsewn onto the lining at the back of the neck…

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