Return to Dior

Oh, how I have missed the romance of Dior Haute Couture.

I was not sure what to expect from Maria Grazia Chiuri, but I was certainly ready to see Raf Simons move on from Dior Haute Couture.  And I can't say I was all that excited after her first ready to wear collection.  Then again, mass produced fashion is not all that exciting to me these days . . .  

But I am thrilled to see such whimsical and truly lovely pieces on the runway, albeit a non-traditional one.  I wonder how many attendees went home with bits of moss in their shoes?

Although I may have to wait until the stormy weather moves on, it is definitely time to pull out all of the fabric flowers I used to wear in my hair ten years ago.

Many of these pieces conjures images of Pre-Raphaelite ingenues which reminds me of late 1990s romanticism.  I definitely would have wanted my prom dress to look just like one of these gowns, and my hair to be a mass of curls topped with a bouquet of silk flowers!

There is definitely a flavor of Grazia Chiuri's past work for Valentino, and I am looking forward to seeing where she will take Mr. Dior's house of flowers in the future.

And for those who prefer a bit more structure in their wardrobe, there are certainly some fabulous options (which probably requires that you have an extra $20,000 to spend on a new jacket - but for those of us with a sewing machine, where there is a will, there is a way).

I now have an urge to make a hooded garment in velvet.  Yep, the 90s are definitely back . . .

And then there are the perfectly tailored pieces giving new life to the iconic Bar Suit.  Personally, I am not sure how the original could ever be improved upon, but I do like to see what each new designer does with the idea.  A tea length version over a sheer skirt is pretty fabulous.

If this first collection is anything to go by, I am so very pleased with Dior's new artistic director.  Mr. Galliano is still very much missed, but I am completely enchanted with this collection, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!  

On another note, this gown needs to get in my closet immediately - and I will be needing a moss covered woodland forest to frolic about in!

[Click on image for source]

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations

Look out for those stairs!

Monday was the annual Costume Institute Gala.  This year’s exhibit pairs the brilliant work of Schiaparelli and Prada.

Wallis Simpson in the iconic Lobster Dress

This is an evening that is unapologetically devoted to fashion.

Rachel Zoe

And this year the red carpet was streaming live!

Ralph Lauren

I was appalled to hear some pretty young thing (I did not recognize her, and I hope she is shunned from the fashion world for the rest of her years) admit that she had no idea who Schiapparelli was.  Exsqueeze me?!  You couldn’t be bothered to google one of two names in the title of the event you were attending?  For shame! 

Prada

She should have been stripped of that couture gown, tarred and feathered, and banned from the building.

Rodarte

I certainly do not claim to know every designer, but if you are attending an event that is centered around the work and influence of Schiaparelli, I suggest you come prepared.  Perhaps you may even learn something exciting and interesting about fashion history, sweetheart.

Monique Lhuillier

Some of the gowns looked like a southern belle’s prom dress, and, in my opinion, did not belong at this event (Julianne Hough, I am looking at you).

Anna Wintour in Prada (look at that lobster!)

And I do wish there were more vintage gowns on the carpet, but perhaps that is not the point.  Oh, well.  I did spot Prada’s homage to Schiaparelli’s lobster on Ms. Wintour.  

But looking at all of the online slideshows, I am a bit underwhelmed this year.  My favorite dresses are on my least favorite celebrities/actresses.  I guess I will  just have to wait until next year . . .

Who were your favorites?

Turquoise Silk Perfection

After my article was posted in a local paper, a few locals contacted me with congratulations, mending requests, and memories of formal dresses past.  One of these lovely people actually owned a Ceil Chapman original, and generously offered to let me see it, in person.  Yes, please!

Well, yesterday was the day.  And here she is.  Yummy silk?  Check.  Stunning draping?  Check.  The perfect 1950s cocktail dress?  Check.  It must be a Ceil Chapman.  And here is the proof.

The pictures are not the best, but they will remind me of my brush with greatness.  And I thought some of you might appreciate a look inside a vintage gown.  No museum exhibit has ever let me handle and examine one of their pieces and here was a once in a lifetime opportunity (well, to be honest, I hope there will be more opportunities and dresses to ogle).

The current owner was not the first, and since she never made any changes to the garment, it is hard to be sure what is original, and what may have been altered.  She only had a few opportunities to wear the dress, but her daughter wore it on her sweet sixteen, so it has a lovely history and will hopefully be passed on to the next generation.  She even allowed her daughter’s friends to try the dress on for a few glamorous minutes.  I only hope they appreciated the gesture.  Do you think they remember the day they wore a Ceil Chapman original?  I sure hope so!

The dress was obviously altered at the center back to fit an exceptionally teeny tiny waist.  And the dress was extremely small to begin with!

The bodice is underlined with a purple acetate. 

And the skirt is underlined with a stiff interfacing.  Surprisingly enough, this is the one part of the dress that has not aged well.  The interfacing looks discolored and feels a bit brittle. 

To help make the upper hip area stand away from the body, some stiff gathered fabric (I think it is some kind of treated cotton) is attached.  It looks like a little hidden peplum.  I will have to remember this trick! 

The skirt has quite a bit of body, and I imagine that it would need very little in the way of a crinoline or petticoat to help the gown hold its shape.

The gown has a metal zipper with a centered application.

Boning covers the bodice darts.  They are attached to the acetate underlining.  If you push aside the pinked strip of fabric that covers them, you can see that the bones themselves are covered in the interfacing used on the skirt pieces.  I was surprised to see that the bodice is not more structured.

The beautiful cross drape on the front of the bust continues around to the back and hooks to thread eyes at the center back.

I was very interested to see that the waist stay is made of self-fabric.  I have never seen anything like it!

And look, the hem is finished with rayon seam binding!  The back edges along the zipper are as well.  I would assume that the binding originally was sewn down the length of the back edges, but when the waist was taken in, the sewer continued the alterations down to the hem.

Isn’t she beautiful?  And in remarkable shape for someone who must be over 50 years old!

Valentino Archives

Valentino, Fall 2006 Couture Collection
Image from style.com

I am sure that many couture enthusiasts are already aware of this, but I thought I would share the news: the Valentino Virtual Museum is open for your viewing pleasure.

I had a quick peek, and it is stunning.  Certainly not as nice as seeing the creations in person, or owning your own couture piece (I can dream, can't I?), but there are no museum security guards hovering as you lean in to figure out what kind of construction was used or how the garment fastens!  

One thing that is missing for me is the option of looking inside the dresses – I want to see each amazing stitch!

If we are lucky, more designers will follow suit.  

Couture Inspiration

I recently found out that I will be attending this year’s Marin Symphony Gala at the beginning of next month.  Of course, this means that I need to get going on my gown!  Sure, I have numerous things in the closet which would certainly be appropriate.  However, having made two special dresses for this event the past two years, and not wishing to be outdone by myself, I think something new is in order.

I purchased this reproduction of a Ceil Chapman design from The Vintage Fashion Library and later found the perfect fabric - a silk dupioni, cross dyed emerald and black.  I have perfected an image of my ultimate version of this dress ever since I laid eyes on the pattern.  I cannot be sure that the final product will be everything I hoped for, but I am going to do my very best!

Due to space limitations, I have been going through old fashion magazines and pulling the few pages I really want out before recycling the rest. 

I make little collages out of the tear sheets and note the month, year, and magazine the images came from. 

And then, because I am obsessed with style.com, I head over to the website to see the entire collection.  It is inspiration central!  

Although it may not be politically correct these days to venerate Mr. Galliano’s artistic genius, I have to say that Dior couture is currently my favorite, perhaps because of the reoccurring use of the New Look silhouette.

Dior Couture, Fall 2009
from style.com

Dior Couture, Spring 2010
from style.com

Dior Couture, Fall 2007
from style.com

With less than a month to go, I have traced the pattern onto muslin (the pattern came on bond paper, which just does not like to lay flat, especially with the massively sized pieces involved).  I have decided that instead of trying to find a foundation garment that works at the last minute, I am going to make my own attached corselette to help with the added weight of the beading I plan on adding to the bodice.  And, of course, I will have to make some sort of headdress (probably a simple 1950s cocktail hat with millinery veiling).  I also hope to have enough time to bead or embellish the underskirt a bit.  Perhaps something like this . . .

Dior Couture, Fall 2009
from style.com

Just to make sure the darn pattern fits correctly, I am going to mock-up the bodice portion in muslin before cutting into my silk.  Turns out, I only have scraps of muslin left in my stash. How on earth did that happen?  I remember when I first got on the JoAnn Fabrics mailing list and they sent a 50% off coupon, I decided to purchase a 50 yard bolt of 45” wide muslin.  I figured that sucker would last forever.  Well, I was wrong.

I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I think I can do it.  Deadlines have a way of motivating me.  And masses of inspiring images of couture are just a click away!