At the age of 31, Stephane Rolland took over as Artistic Director for the Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture atelier, making him the youngest of the 20 official couturiers at the time. That was in 1997 and he remained as the head of the Couture division until the last showing in 2005 when the house officials shuttered is couture business altogether. This dress is from the Fall 2001 Haute Couture presentation and it is the actual runway sample that was worn on the runway. It was Look 7 In the presentation that day. I have included several runway reference photos for you so that you can see just how spectacular the dress is once on an actual body. 

Any Haute Couture piece to come into the shop is a reason to celebrate but to have the actual runway sample is even that much more amazing. The dress is a work of art and is entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards with the added touch of all those last minute adjustments done to perfectly fit the model to walk the runway that day. This is an amazing opportunity to see what few see; a dress straight from the atelier, overseen and fitted by the couturier himself for its debut on the runway. The entire dress is made from multiple panels of a red silk gazaar that are hand set to overlap themselves as they cascade down the length of the dress. The panels gradually become larger is they run downwards over the dress to the train at the back. They cover the entire dress from the strapless bodice to the very end of the train. By layering the panels the dress has a sense of depth and texture then even the photos can truly convey. Each panel is secured to the base fabric just along its edges so that there is a movement and lightness created when it is on and you move about. The inner part of the dress is cut to above the knee so that you get a long flash of leg at the front. The rest of the dress flows back and around you from there. At the back the train is very long and dramatic. The bodice is strapless and here the panels are set so that they form a peak upwards on one side. The interior is corseted and structured so that it firmly holds the dress onto the body and gives you shape. This is an incredible piece of modern Haute Couture and would have been priced well into six figures when it was originally made. Excellent condition with one small note to review below.

Fully lined in a fine red silk and closes with two zippers. One is on the interior corset and the second is on the outer layer of the dress. The interior corset is boned and shaped. The skirt is lined in a red silk taffeta. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The hand written runway sample tag is present. There is some deepening of the colour/ marks on some of the squares of silk that make up the train and some minor grubbiness from being worn for the runway and then stored. Nothing that detracts once the dress is on. It is close to a true zero and will zip properly in the back on the right sized person. 

Bust: 15-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner dress length: 26" from top of bodice to hem NOT including panels that go over the edge of the dress a bit above and blow the actual inner structure
Length including train to the very longest point:  Approx 92" from top of bodice to final tip of the train

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3054

Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 2001 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture Runway Show.  /  (5-8) Alexandra Daddario photographed by Storm Santos.

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