Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics 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 the late seventies, early eighties period. An all sequin version of the dress was worn by the French-italian singer Dalida that same year. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.

This is a killer dress. It is really one that will come to life once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is made out of a black ribbon finish with silk organza ribbons set on to the base in a curving design done to suggest flowers worked through it. Each flower design is finished with a series of curved and looped rows of glossy black sequins. This covers you from where it sits in a curving sweetheart neckline above the breast down to the top of the hips.  Where it meats the skirt it is cut on an angle, which softens the line and adds shape. This part of the dress is entirely opaque and shaped to give you curves. He then used a silk chiffon over the top of the chest and down the back where it dips into a low scoop. An open keyhole runs down the back for a hint of skin. Each sleeve is cut to be wide and full and the chiffon lets you have a glimpse of your arm through it. The cuffs sit under all that volume and they are done in the same ribbon lace and sequin fabric as the bodice. The rest of the dress is made from a bias cut silk chiffon that sits and drapes beautifully around you as you move. It falls from under the bodice and is pretty amazing in its own right. There is an under skirt that acts as the lining and then panels of silk fall to the hem that are only attached around and under the body of the dress. This gives them complete freedom to move so when you walk the panels will float and move around you with the slightest bit of air. It is really gorgeous. The inner skirt underneath keeps it from exposing everything but at the same time does give a suggestion of leg. If there was ever a dress that needed a body inside of it to bring it to life, this is it. It is stupendous once on. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body and the rest is as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and then a black jet button at the back of the neck. Each sleeve has three jet buttons and loop closures. It appears to have been worn very little if at all

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4040

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

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks with colour, 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 eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a killer example of his work during this period and I also have a similar version on the shop in a red if the black one is not bold enough for you. I have dated this to 1987 after we found a reference photo of a model wearing an Azzaro dress with a very similar shoulder treatments. I love it 

This dress is a statement piece that will turn every head when you walk into a room.  It is so bold and dramatic. The bodice is hand draped into soft rounded gathers. It is constructed to follow the curves of the body from the top of the neckline to below the hips. For the body of the dress he has used a black stretch jersey that has a touch of a sheen finish to it. Inside is his signature black strapless underwire bralet that is sewn into the dress for support. The bodice is shaped into a low sweetheart curve and the gathers run horizontally down the body. Vertical hand done seams were then added all the way around to give the gathers a slight scooped feel. This ensures that they don't add bulk tp you but are simply there to emphasize your curves underneath. The low set skirt is made out of a metallic black textured silk that is set over layers of built in under skirting. The fabric of the lower skirt is placed to give the effect that it is wrapped and fanned around you. On each outer side the panels of the skirt lift up and away from the dress. These suggest flames in their shape and the colour. The same fabric and flame-like effect is then used to create a fan of fabric on one side of the bodice and this flares out dramatically up and over the front portion of the shoulder. It is very dramatic and OTT. In person the fabric has a richer and more textured feeling then how it photoed. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk with a built in bra though the bodice that hooks to close separately. It closes at the back with a painted metal and nylon zipper. The interior bodice is boned. Layers of tulle and silk underskirts under the low set skirt. The flame/fan detailing on the bodice has wire inside to hold it up. It would be easy to add additional wire or stiffening inside if you wanted it to really hold even taller then it does now. Hand finished throughout

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the inner waist stay hooks slightly smaller then that
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3680

Reference Photo: Model in Loris Azzaro, L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.

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