We present here a slightly overdone periwinkle chiffon and silk satin Italian design created for a client to wear to festivals and dinner parties.
The original of this stunning and complex Italian dinner dress came from a Pepin Press design book of fashions from 1895 to 1920. The original concept was in a forest green, but at the request of the client we recreated this gown in a periwinkle silk chiffon over a matte finish silk satin in a soft gray blue.
The bodice is bag lined and slightly boned, the bag lining hiding the seam allowances and the boning pockets between the fabric layers. The chiffon is a-symetrically draped across the front and shirred evenly across the back. Side seams in the overlayer are hand closed. Lovely embroidered netting creates both the bertha, and the overlayer on the train. To hide the unfinished edges on the back of the bertha, additional edge pieces were hand applied to the raw edges to wonderful results. The bodice is also decorated with white silk roses.
The skirt is in two layers, one of silk chiffon and the other of matte finish silk satin. They are assembled as one piece to the waistband. The skirt front and the unfinished edges of the embroidered netting are decorated with machine tape lace.
By the choice of the client, Ms. Doris Rosenkampf, we made the normally very large leg of mutton sleeves simple and much smaller. The cuffs are decorated with pleated white satin ribbon and machine tape lace.
The dress is normally worn with elbow length white gloves and pearls at the neck. A jeweled hair clip with attached small white silk roses would enhance the look of this grand dinner ensemble.
Contact Designer John Richardson or Chris Piehler today for a complimentary consultation:678-596-4019 / letsicedance@aol.com
CONTACT FORM
