Images(3)

Dress

Object number96.68.35

Designer Oscar de La Renta

Date1969

MediumAluminum; metal; cotton

Credit LineGift of Alcoa, Inc.

DescriptionSleeveless knee-length dress. Painted/enameled aluminum mesh form bands of iridescent blue, white, and pink.Dimensions35.5 x 22 in. (90.2 x 55.9 cm)
Historical NotesOne of the haute couture fashions of Alcoa Wrap's Wild and Wonderful Fashion Match Game. Fashions were inspired by the world's style capitals, and the top prize in the Fashion Match Game included a three-week tour for two to Paris, London, Acapulco, Istanbul, Madrid, and Rome. Second prize was two fashions and five days each in Paris and Rome for two. Third prize was awarded to 1,000 winners who walked away with original aluminum belts designed by Oscar de La Renta. This dress was not featured in the advertisement for the game. It might have been an alterate design. Label TextTo promote their aluminum foil, Alcoa enlisted Oscar de la Renta to design six outfits made from aluminum fibers to be awarded to the woman who could match the gowns to the six “fashion capitals” that inspired them—Paris, London, Acapulco, Istanbul, Madrid, and Rome. All you had to do was purchase a box of Alcoa Wrap and send it in with your guesses. Three second place winners would each receive two outfits. By 1969, Alcoa had been using fashion to promote aluminum foil for more than ten years. The company started encouraging new uses for aluminum after World War II. In 1956, Alcoa made a splash when it commissioned an aluminum-fabric ballgown by French designer Jean Desses. The “Alcoa ball gown” traveled around America for two years and was seen by nearly 100 million people. Multiple promotions followed between 1958 and 1969, including two more ball gowns, a disposable frock, and a rain coat. Not all the Oscar de la Renta dresses in the History Center collection match perfectly with the published examples from the “Fashion Match” game. This dress may have been an alternate design for one of the other pieces or something that was not selected for the final set of costumes.

Related institution Aluminum Company of America (1907 - 1998)

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