The Worthiness of The House of Worth

This beautiful dress from the House of Worth is truly worthy of the modern genius of Mr. Tim Burton.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Evening dress, 1898-1900, French, Silk

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Detail of the bodice and the pattern on the cape. Looking at this lovely frock, I can't help but think that with it's swirling tendril motif  it looks very much like fanciful ironwork.

Source: Marina Solovyova, SPB-78

The black-and-white color scheme and the spiral pattern would make this dress an inspired choice for a Tim Burton film. In fact, I feel like I've already seen something very similar in one of his works. 

Miranda Richardson in Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Lady Van Tassel's web dress

Lady Van Tassel from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is a very fashionable dame. This "knotwork" dress must have been inspired by the House of Worth evening gown.

Van Tassel's yellow dress

Van Tassel's yellow dress back

Though this little yellow and black ensemble also has a very similar pattern to the worthy example of House of Worth couture. The bodice of the dress is quite different since the story takes place in the 1700s, but the back with the little train is remarkably similar.

Sleepy Hollow is the quintessential Halloween film; and if one had to choose a director who has given himself over to this autumnal holiday, it would have to be Mr. Burton. This puts me in mind to dedicated a few posts this October to this remarkable servant of all that is macabre and spooky.