KCIDigital Archives

The KCI Digital Archives on the KCI website presents image and text information for the objects in the collection, arranged in chronological order.

Dress Brassiere

© The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Takashi Hatakeyama

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Dress
Brassiere

Spring/Summer 1998

Designer
Tom Ford
Brand
Gucci
Label
GUCCI
Material
White rayon and polyester knit; strap and brassiere of black leather.
Inventory Number(s)
AC9539 98-4-1, AC9540 98-4-2

The white knit material of this dress seems to cling to the body lines. The black leather brassiere underneath is expected to be visible through the dress.
The fashion of using underwear as outerwear became clearly in the 1980s, when orientation towards body-conscious fashion was in rage again. As part of this trend, in the late 1990s, even luxury and edgy brands such as Gucci and Prada successively introduced camisoles and slips that were more refined, enabling them to be used as tops and dresses. The conventional understanding that underwear should be invisible was gradually changing.
Tom Ford, who was appointed as Creative Director of Gucci in 1994, raised Gucci from a bag brand to a general fashion brand with sexy and minimal designs on the basis of body-conscious fashion. Leveraging the company's high quality and history, Ford successfully revitalized Gucci before leaving in 2004.

1990s