"A masterpiece of haute-couture", was how -ex- Centraal Museum-costumcurator and director- Carla de Jonge described this dress in her book Een Eeuw Nederlandsche Mode (A Century of Dutch Fashion). This ‘masterpiece’ was bought by her cousin Annette Lucie Koch-van Rappard (1857-1928 ) from Maison Emile Pasquier in Paris; the fashion capital of the nineteenth century. The written details on the inner waistband of the dress reveal that the fashion house was at that time established in a building with an entrance on Rue de 4 Septembre 30 and also on Boulevard des Capucines 7. In 1895 it is not only the wide skirts and puffed sleeves, but most importantly the corset, which create a fashionable silhouette. The average waist measurement was ideally 58-63 centimetres. All of this and more is to be seen in this most gracious dress; the fabric was the height of fashion at the time. This black satin with a light flower pattern was a real nouveaute in 1896. The pink satin lining, the boned bodice and the beaded decoration add the finishing touches."A masterpiece of haute-couture", was how Carla de Jonge described this dress in her book Een Eeuw Nederlandsche Mode (A Century of Dutch Fashion). This ‘masterpiece’ was bought by her cousin Annette Lucie Koch-van Rappard (1857-1928 ) from Maison Emile Pasquier in Paris; the fashion capital of the nineteenth century. The written details on the inner waistband of the dress reveal that the fashion house was at that time established in a building with an entrance on Rue de 4 Septembre 30 and also on Boulevard des Capucines 7. In 1895 it is not only the wide skirts and puffed sleeves, but most importantly the corset, which create a fashionable silhouette. The average waist measurement was ideally 58-63 centimetres. All of this and more is to be seen in this most gracious dress; the fabric was the height of fashion at the time. This black satin with a light flower pattern was a real nouveaute in 1896. The pink satin lining, the boned bodice and the beaded decoration add the finishing touches. Recently this dress has been restored by Saskia Rijsdijk. The process may be seen in Wendy van Wilgenburg's film. The lining in particular had become too fragile to allow this exceptional dress to be exhibited on a mannequin. This has been made possible by reinforcing essential sections of the dress.