Designed by
von Furstenberg, Diane, Belgian, born 1946
Worn by
Houston, Whitney, American, 1963 - 2012
Date
1993
Medium
synthetic fiber, glass beads, metal, and cotton tape
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 67 × 17 × 10 in. (170.2 × 43.2 × 25.4 cm)
Description
A red dress designed by Diane von Furstenberg and worn by the singer Whitney Houston for her performance of the song “I Have Nothing” at the 1993 Billboard Awards. The dress is a very slim fitting full-length dress made from a red synthetic fabric, with full-length sleeves and a turtleneck collar. The bodice and sleeves of the dress are completely unadorned. Starting below the waist, the skirt is formed by tiers of fabric stitched on a bias. The tiers are of the same fabric as the bodice, and are trimmed all along each hem with beaded tassels of strung red bugle beads, reinforced with red twill tape on the interior. Five (5) tiers on the proper left descend in a criss-cross with the five (5) tiers on the proper right, with each subsequent tier stitched underneath the tier above. The proper right tiers wrap all the way around to the back of the dress, giving the appearance of five (5) tiers on the verso. The dress fastens with an inset red metal zipper that runs from the top of the turtleneck to just above the first tier. The dress is not lined.
Place used
Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing-Costume
Clothing-Fashion
Type
dresses
Topic
Actors
Clothing and dress
Costume
Costume design
Design
Fashion
Popular music
Singers (Musicians)
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Estate of Whitney Houston
Object number
2014.161.3
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd508baebf0-c2df-4a05-bb75-f59afd9e2d46

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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