This Roberto Cavalli dress is from 2007 and is gorgeous. It has an interesting backstory to it. The dress comes to me from the closet of a former stylist and she was part of the team that worked on the Bulgari ads that season that featured Kate Moss. She told me that they made and brought to set 6 dress options for the campaign shoot and that this is one of them. It was not one that was ultimately chosen, though it certainly could have been. It is incredible. It was never worn outside of being tried on that day and still has its original hang tag. She believes it was a one-off. We did find a similar dress from the Spring 2006 that this one is obviously based off of. This one has a bit more structure to it and would be more secure on the body but I have included that reference photo here so that you can see it on the body. Victoria Beckham wore that version that year as well. It is an exceptional and extremely beautiful dress. I personally love this black version more. 

The dress is made from a black silk chiffon with an inner body suit built into the dress to keep it in place once it is on the body. The dress is very sexy and shows off a lot of skin but in the best possible way. The silk chiffon that was chosen as the fabric is very lightweight. Once it is on it feels almost weightless. It is cut on the bias so once you slip it on the seaming and bias cut drape the dress over you and it feels like you are wearing nothing. The bodice is made up of two curving triangles that are set so that they plunge right to the waist. The interior of the front halter is all backed and structured so that they stay in place and give you shape. A panel of black lingerie netting extends out from each side and curves and narrow sot the back for extra support and shaping. The silk is gathered over the halter in soft gathers and then this ends at the center of a crossed knot of fabric at the waist.  These then wrap around you and secure at the back and the bottom parts of the gathered fabric are attached and a part of the dress that works its way over the top of your hips. Everything about this dress is done deliberately to give you curves. It is suspended by small clear plastic straps that curve of the shoulders and cross at the back This gives the illusion from a distance that the dress is somehow magically suspended over the body. These curve up and over each shoulder and then cross over themselves at the back. The rest of the back is left completely bare and open and at the front it plunges insanely low to right above that front knot detail. Inside the bottom extends out to a body suit made from black lingerie netting and snaps into place. The skirt flows out from under that and is spectacular in its own right. It is cut so that the hem curves around with the front cut into a high slit. The second you move or sit you get a glimpse of leg almost to the upper thigh as a result. There are yards and yards of silk chiffon in the skirt and it extends out at the back to form a train behind you. It is only one single layer so the entire skirt has a touch of transparency to it. This gives the skirt incredible fullness and movement. When you are standing still you still get the feeling of fullness but when you move this construction technique allows the skirt to billow out around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The dress is in its original supermodel uncut length. It appears to have never been worn and still has its original hang tag attached. Excellent condition

The halter is fully lined in a black chiffon and black silk. It has built in cups and boning. The dress closes with a hidden side set zipper. The waist detail and inner body suit both hook to close. Tagged a modern Cavalli 40. The fabric has stretch so should fit a range of sizes. There is one tiny repair in the skirt. Please see the photo after the label shot 

Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 67" from shoulders to shortest point at the front hem, 92" to the longest point of the back hem
Front slit: 31" from the shortest point at the front hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4004

Reference Photos: (1) Kate Moss, in Roberto Cavalli, for the Bvlgari Spring 2007 Ad Campaign.  /  (2-7) Desi Lydic, in this Roberto Cavalli dress, for the 74th Emmy Awards, September 2022.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The Vogue review of the Spring 2003 show was done at the height of Ford's vision for Gucci and he could do no wrong in their eyes. The review said 'The Gucci girl’s got legs—long, tan, flawless ones striding along on silver peep-toe sling-back pumps. Follow them all the way up, and around two weeks later, they eventually meet the hem of the minutest piece of clothing that was ever called a skirt or dress. For spring, in a word, Tom Ford says short. Using lustrous fabrics in subtle makeup colors from blush to tawny brown, pearly gray and silver, Ford draped and wrapped his gorgeous girls in clothes that navigated that dangerous Gucci line between innovation and vulgarity. The tousled hair, the jackets and tops poised to fall off shoulders—the whole presentation stirred sensations that fashion hasn’t felt since the last days of the great supermodels. Still, don’t think tacky. Ford’s obsession now is integrating fine workmanship into abbreviated silhouettes." The feather dresses were mentioned specifically; "He brought couture finesse to racer-back feathered dresses with the merest flip of a skirt....it was a confident statement in the power of glamour. And fashion needs that.' To this day this is one of the most recognizable and desirable of his shows to find and collect pieces from. This is the twin of Look 27 from the runway and it is an exceptional piece of Gucci History. It was also featured in Vogue that season on Natalia Vodianova

When researching this look I came across a few references that declared this dress one of the top ten Gucci Tom Ford pieces. While you often see the other version of this dress in a brown and white feather, this pale yellow version that is the twin of the runway dress shown is a true rarity. One of the things that makes this dress exceptional is that it is true to the runway. It is also entirely original and according to the former stylist that it cane from was never worn. The dress is meant to be worn very short and daring. Once on you just see miles of legs topped by this extraordinary piece. The top plunges low at the front and the back curves in to create a sexy racer-back. It skims over the waist and hips and then flares out at the skirt. The skirt is actually two tiers of feather detailed ruffles and this extra little flounce gives it movement when you move. The body of the dress is made from two layers of virtually weightless silk with a silk grosgrain ribbon edging and detailing the lines of the design. It has an almost twenties feel to it and it is fantastic. The feathers are a mix of a dyed soft pale yellow mixed with some soft light taupe natural feathers for depth and interest. I took a photo of the back of the silk of the skirt and you can see that each feather was hand applied and fused into place onto the silk. Hence the couture reference in the Vogue review above. It snaps to close under the ribbon at the side so there is no break anywhere with a zipper. It just looks like it somehow magically formed around you. It is an incredible piece of the Tom Ford history with the brand and is one of the most recognizable pieces from his tenure with the label. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a pale taupe nude silk chiffon and has hidden set snaps at the  side to close. Tagged a YSL 42. Some of the ends of the feathers have separated a bit on the natural spots it curves but this is just part of aging for a piece like this. I don't consider this a flaw but its mentioned for accuracy.

Bust: approx 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with open sides. each halter is 6" wide at its widest point
Underbust - waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hips: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from neck to hem but can be pulled up as short as you want

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4001

Reference Photos/Video: (1-8) Spring 2003 Gucci Runway Collection, Look 27. Model: Louise Pedersen.  /  (9) Natalia Vodianova, wearing Gucci, Vogue, February 2003. Photo by Steven Klein.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.