The opera singer Nadina Bulichoff wore this costume in the title role of the Ethiopian princess in Verdi's opera Aida, in which Toscanini made his conducting debut. While obviously very much a stage costume in its dramatic ornamentation, it retains the fashionable line of its day. The satin woven with scarabs, used on the bodice and skirt, comes from director Franco Zeffirelli's attic.