Houndstooth afternoon dress
Geneviève Fath · Spring/Summer 1957
Geneviève Fath
- Paris couture
- Tailored day dresses
Geneviève Fath became the creative head of the Fath couture house after Jacques Fath’s death in 1954. Previously a model and an important presence in the business, she worked with the established studio team to continue its collections until the couture operation closed in 1957.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Houndstooth afternoon dress
Spring/Summer 1957
Asymmetric buttons and a small white piqué collar distinguish this navy-and-white houndstooth dress, explicitly credited to Geneviève Fath in the photograph caption.
Keystone-France / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Collection selection
Lilac lace evening gown, probably by Geneviève Fath
1957 · Museum collection
The V&A considers this gown likely to be Geneviève Fath’s work. Its softly colored lace covers a structured petticoat and boned bodice.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Fath-pattern wedding gown
1957 · Museum collection
A professional dressmaker made this gown for Vivian Williams’s 1957 wedding from a licensed Fath design sold by Vogue Patterns, during Geneviève’s leadership of the house.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Three-tier black silk cocktail dress
Spring 1955 · First collection under Geneviève Fath
A black silk cocktail dress from her first collection pairs a white neckline insert with three flared skirt tiers.
Bettmann / Getty Images
Selected runway look at right
Full-skirted debut-collection dress
Spring 1955 · First collection under Geneviève Fath
A light-colored dress with a wide, circular skirt appears during the first collection presented under Geneviève’s direction in February 1955.
François Pagès / Paris Match via Getty ImagesCollections & archive pieces
1 collections represented · 1 pieceSpring/Summer 1957
1 piece
About Geneviève Fath
Her contribution should be distinguished from her husband’s earlier designs. A Spring/Summer 1957 photograph explicitly credits Geneviève with a navy-and-white houndstooth afternoon dress, combining asymmetric buttons and a crisp white collar. It provides direct evidence of her own period of design leadership.