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Black, navy, and teal suit worn by Luther Vandross

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Designed by

    Gianni Versace, founded 1978

    Worn by

    Luther Vandross, American, 1951 - 2005

    Description

    This suit jacket (.1) and pants (.2) by Gianni Versace were worn by Luther Vandross. The jacket is made from black wool with a woven design in navy and muted teal similar to camouflage. The single-breasted jacket closes at the center front with two (2) black round plastic buttons sewn to a placket, making them invisible from the exterior. The jacket has a standard notched collar and one center back vent. The sleeves are cut straight with a faux slit in the cuffs and a line of six (6) tightly spaced black round plastic buttons on each cuff. There is one (1) welted breast pocket on the proper left side and two (2) pockets with flap closures, one at each front sided waist. The interior of the jacket and all of the pockets are lined in black rayon with a repeating woven design in black of a hairy human head. There are two (2) interior breast pockets, one at each side, and two (2) additional interior pockets on the proper left side, one small one below the breast pocket and another near the waist. A Gianni Versace label is sewn above the proper right interior pocket, with one (1) spare button sewn below the pocket opening. Two (2) additional labels are sewn at the interior center back neck containing style, fiber content, care, and manufacture information. Shoulder pads are sewn between the facing and the lining.
    The pants (.2) are made from the same wool fabric as the jacket. The straight-legged pants close at the center front waist with a metal zipper, one (1) flat metal hook-and-eye, and one (1) round black plastic button over a self-fabric tab. There are two (2) front pockets, one at each side with diagonal cut openings. There are two (2) back pockets, one at each side below the waist, with welt openings and one (1) round black plastic button at the center of each one to close it. Seven (7) self-fabric belt loops are sewn around the waistband. The pants are not lined. A Gianni Versace label is sewn at the interior proper left back waistband with a size tag sewn below it.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Date

    1990s

    Object number

    2015.118.4.1-.2

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    jackets
    trousers

    Medium

    .1: wool, rayon, and plastic buttons;
    .2: wool, plastic and metal fasteners

    Dimensions

    H x W x D (.1 flat): 33 7/8 × 28 × 1 5/8 in. (86 × 71.1 × 4.1 cm)
    H x W x D (.2 flat): 42 × 20 1/4 × 1 in. (106.7 × 51.4 × 2.5 cm)

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Costume

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Clothing and dress
    Costume
    Costume design
    Design
    Popular music
    Rhythm and blues (Music)
    Soul (Music)

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f4375638-9046-4e16-8ef4-4a15ed3bb112

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2015.118.4.1-.2

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