A Grand Look Inside the Costume Institute's Charles James Exhibit

James designed this romantic, custom iteration of the black-and-white abstract clover leaf gown for Josephine Abercrombie, the only child of a millionaire Texas industrialist. The incredibly intricate and time-consuming techniques used to cut out and float the lace over the skirt demonstrate the importance the client placed on having a bespoke showstopper.

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art