Dress, abaya

Silk and sequin couture 'abaya' dress, c.1972. Designed by Thea Porter.

This dress combines the traditional shape of the 'abaya' with a choice of modern fabrics and materials. The main body of the dress is made from a pale blue transparent silk chiffon, decorated with silver sequins around the neckline in the shape of a butterfly and embellished with patches of heavier silk fabric below the knee.

The abaya is a signature style in the work of Thea Porter (1927-2000), a designer whose love for Middle Eastern textiles and dress is clearly visible throughout her work. Porter grew up in Syria and later lived in Beirut. On returning to London in 1960s she encountered a fashionable society fixated with the charm of the east. In 1966 she opened her shop Thea Porter Decorations selling items which she imported from Persia, Syria and India. A year later Porter presented her first fashion collection, adapting kaftans, abayas and middle eastern dress into styles which were hugely popular with her wealthy and famous clientele.

As a designer, Thea Porter wished to create fashions which were far removed from trend-based styles and to offer her clients luxurious, timeless clothing. Her clients included Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Onassis, Bianca Jagger and Julie Christie.