Mariano Fortuny and his wife Henriette first created finely pleated “Delphos” gowns in 1907. It was an unabashedly modernist look because the dress could be worn without a corset. The design was so forward thinking that Fortuny was able to produce and sell versions of the gown until his death in 1949.
This dress belonged to Zoë Dusanne, Seattle's first professional modern art dealer and influential in growing the city's contemporary arts scene. She exhibited cutting-edge European artists in the art gallery she opened in 1950. Dusanne was also a strong advocate for local contemporary artists such as Mark Tobey and Paul Horiuchi. The dress was a gift from New York–based artist Charmion von Wiegand. Purple was Dusanne’s signature color.