1920s drop-waisted grey pinstripe cotton dress by Cryséde. V-neck with five mother-of-pearl square buttons, cross-striped printed panel with 6 pleats inserted towards the bottom of each side of skirt. Woven label ‘Silk Designers Cryséde Ltd, St Ives, Cornwall’ stitched to the shoulder seam. The drop-waist was a symbol of liberation, as a result of the freedom women experienced during the First World War. It was made popular by Coco Chanel.

Length 1130mm, width 430mm.

Cryséde began making dresses in Newlyn in 1919, shortly after Kay and Alec Walker had moved to Cornwall. The first garments were designed by Kay, patterned in checks, stripes and spots. Alec’s background was in silk manufacture, bringing machinery from Yorkshire and his expertise from his own Vigil Silk company in London. His iconic designs were later cultivated through Kay’s introduction to the artists of Newlyn School of Art, and trips to Paris a few years later. Many of the simpler designs, like the polka dot, remained popular throughout the company’s history.