Charles James, Ballgown, 1954-1955. Black silk chiffon, silk satin, netting, and boning. Gift of Robert Wells In Memory of Lisa Kirk. Object Number: 91.241.136. ©2010 Fashion Institute of Technology

A true sculptor of fashion, Charles James would transform women by using boning, corsetry, and layers of fabric to create luxurious gowns with sophisticated silhouettes. French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky asserts that couture "took a stand against standardization, against uniformity of appearance, against mass mimicry; it upheld and glorified the expression of personal differences."