Gold and silver beaded evening dress by Peter Davy

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A black evening dress by Peter Davy that is entirely hand embellished with two sizes of gold and silver plastic beads and rhinestones. The base of the dress is composed of a black synthetic fabric that has areas of looped pilling on the surface. The silver and gold beading outlines the looped pilling areas throughout the dress. The bust of the dress is constructed from a pre-made bra that has been refashioned into the dress’s bodice. It features a sweetheart neckline that has a higher concentration of gold and silver beading. Both bust straps are heavily embellished and feature an additional, decorative strap made from cotton twill tape with a beaded trim. The beaded trim consists of clear, yellow, and black glass seed beads and black glass bugle beads. The skirt of the dress is composed of two panels and there is a front slit at the proper left side.

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