John Galliano began his own label in 1984 and he was instantly a bit of a 'boy wonder; in fashion. He was British Fashion Council Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1991 he made his Paris catwalk debut. In 1995 he was asked to head Givenchy and then went to Dior in October of 1996. Unlike many designers he kept his own label going as well throughout the years at both those houses. His work, especially the bias cut pieces that he did, have a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and they are beautifully cut. They marry Old Hollywood with the minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and the results are stunning. This is an amazing example of his work from the Fall 2005 season and it is gorgeous. This dress was a piece made for production for retail but it has all the things we love about his work presented in a chic and minimalist package.
The dress is gorgeous. It definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. The seam work and simplicity of this dress is stunning to see and it is even better on an actual body. It is made from a beautiful black silk chiffon that has that same weightless feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from similar fabrics. Like those dresses of the thirties this is also cut on the bias but with a more shaped silhouette. It is cut to flow over the body and skim its way over the bust, waist and hips as it falls to the floor. The neckline is set wide across the shoulders and has a soft and feminine drape at the front that shows some skin there. On the one side of that draped front it a caught up with a little pleat detail just off to the side. It skims over the bust and is brought in just a touch at the waist through the seaming. The skirt flows over and hugs the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. The seams are set vertically through the skirt and at the helm each one flares out so that you get a ton of movement around the lower skirt. This flaring out at the bottom give you fabulous movement when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. The sleeves are set on a slight curve to follow the shape of your arm and each is cut a little extra long so that when it's on it's going to gather up along your arm just a touch. I love the top set, angled seaming that sits on each hip and the way that the vertical panels of the skirt start from a curving seam sent just below those angled seams. This is where those little subtle details that Galliano put into his dresses make them heads above other pieces. That little bit of added seaming causes it to sit in a certain way on your hips and then that in turn affects how the entire dress sits on your body. You could also add a belt for added shape. The dress is spectacular. It is easy to wear and it's classic design means you can style it numerous ways. It is also in its original uncut supermodel length. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a second layer of the black silk chiffon through the body and the sleeves are unlined. It has no closures, the bias cut allows it to simply slip over the head. Tagged a Galliano FR40, GB12, US6. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. It is in its original supermodel length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes
Sleeves: 28" and 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approx 14.5-15"
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4358
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