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Vibrant stage-worn agnès b. black-and-red silk-blend velvet suit ensemble worn by bassist Gail Ann Dorsey when she performed with David Bowie on the 10th anniversary show of BBC Two's Later… with Jools Holland on September 20, 2002, the opening episode of the program's 20th series. The two-piece suit is comprised of a tailored three-button jacket and matching trousers, both made in France by agnès b. of Paris. The striking jacket features an all-over abstract circular motif in vivid red flocked velvet against a black velvet ground, accented by peaked lapels, flap pockets, and a black satin lining. The coordinating trousers are fashioned in complementary black velvet with bold vertical red velvet striping for a dramatic stage-ready silhouette. Both retain their original “agnès b. Paris” labels, with the jacket marked size 1 and the pants dated September 17, 2001. In overall fine condition, with expected light wear from stage use.
Bowie’s appearance on September 20, 2002, marked his final performance on Later… with Jools Holland, the influential BBC music series on which he had appeared several times beginning in 1995. Backed by longtime collaborators, including bassist and vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey, Bowie performed a five-song set featuring ‘Rebel Rebel,’ ‘Look Back in Anger,’ ‘5:15 The Angels Have Gone,’ ‘Heathen (The Rays),’ and ‘Ashes to Ashes,” although only three of the songs and the interview were selected to air when the concert was broadcast on October 18, 2002.
Dorsey can be seen wearing this ensemble throughout the five-song set, during which she played bass, sang backing vocals, and, during the finale performance of ‘Heathen (The Rays),’ played tambourine. As the song concluded, Dorsey and Bowie are shown embracing just offstage.
The appearance marked Bowie’s final performance on Later… with Jools Holland and came during his celebrated reunion with producer Tony Visconti for Heathen, now regarded as one of the defining works of his later career. Heathen was quickly followed by 2003’s Reality, but while touring in support of that album in 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack and subsequently all but retired from live performance.
French designer agnès b. (Agnès Andrée Marguerite Troublé, born 1941) launched her influential namesake label in Paris in 1976, becoming known for understated, accessible designs inspired by vintage and flea-market fashion. Her enduring ‘snap cardigan,’ introduced in 1979, became an international signature piece and remains one of the most recognizable garments associated with the brand.
From the personal collection of Gail Ann Dorsey.
