Prettiest 1970s Loris Azzaro Red Silk Gazaar One Shoulder Dress w Ruffled Detailing & Side Bow

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate beading, sequins, daring cut-outs and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during this period. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.

I love the soft and romantic lines that this dress has. The dress flounces over the body and is easy to wear and still flattering. It is made of a light red silk gazaar that has just enough weight to hold the shape that you see, but still feel light on the body. The neckline is set on an angle with a wide ruffle in the same fabric that covers the bust and is set so that it twists and turns up and over your shoulder and then down the back. This dramatic framing around the shoulders is quite beautiful. It skims over the body under that to a seam at the waist and then the skirt flounces out under that. The skirt picks up on that asymmetrical feel with ruffles that cascade down from the hip opposite to the bare shoulder. A half bow tops all of that and then the ruffles run all the way down the side of the leg and around to the bottom of the hem at the other side. What you don't realize until the dress is on is that where the ruffles meet down the side; all that hold it in place is three ties that run across the legs and extend out from the back and front side of the skirt. So when this is on and you move, you are going to see bare leg from the upper thigh down, but you just see a tiny flash of it as the ruffles hide most of your leg but your skin does peak through. It is an insanely sexy detail that is in total contrast with the sweetness of the ruffles. Even trying to show you on the dress form doesn't get the same impact that this is going to have on the body over skin. It is pretty without being juvenile and the red gives it the perfect amount of drama to offset the ruffles. The silk is light in weight and yet has enough structure to hold the shape so it does not collapse around you once you move. It looks remarkably simple yet is genius in its execution. Great condition with a note below

Fully lined in a hand set red silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper to the waist and then there is a hook to wrap the skirt around and the skirt ties below that as described above. Inside the bust there is one of his signature strapless bras tacked into place. This could be removed and change to a size appropriate to you if needed. There is some wear and tear on the underside of the strap that sits under the ruffle of the one shoulder. I see a tiny bit of grubbiness in the fabric here and there on the edges and near the waist edge. Please see the photo after the label shot. 

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam and then can be opened more with the ties
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to  waist
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to longest point of the hem

 Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4574

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