Some dresses survive. This one was recorded. Jeanne Lanvin Haute Couture. Iconic.
In October 1943, Jean Giraudoux's Sodome et Gomorrhe opened at the Théâtre Hébertot — his only new work staged under the occupation — dressed by Christian Bérard, the great illustrator of wartime Paris. Lanvin answered with a gown that took the play's name. A year later, Bérard sketched it himself for the American press, and it ran in The New York Times — "From Paris," October 15, 1944 — described in the caption you can still read today: white crepe, horizontal pleats forming a close-fitting corselet, draped neckline, long sleeves.
That corselet is the whole argument. Ivory silk crepe ruched horizontally into a second skin, dropping to a deep V, releasing into a gathered skirt and a puddle train. Bishop sleeves gather to pin-tucked cuffs closed with covered buttons — every one original, one of them found tucked into the interior shoulder padding, exactly where eighty years of gravity left it. Inside: hand-set batting, a grosgrain waist stay carrying the skirt off the shoulders, the molded cellulose Éclair zipper that only occupied Paris produced, when the metal had all gone to the war.
No house griffe — removed, as wartime couture so often was. It doesn't need one. The Times named it. Bérard drew it. The dress tells the rest.
Excellent for its age. Structurally sound. Wearable. Singular.
Wear your story.
FR size 38
Condition: Excellent for its age. All original covered buttons present. Light, even, age-appropriate toning consistent with 1940s crepe. No major spots, holes, or damage. Structurally sound and wearable but with expected signs of life.
Provenance: Jeanne Lanvin, occupied Paris, c. 1943–44. Model "Sodom and Gomorrah." Documented in The New York Times, October 15, 1944, illustrated by Christian Bérard. Previously catalogued by Bonhams.
