chloe
Incredibly Rare Fall 1979 Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld Couture Runway Ivory Chiffon & Lace Dress w pearl Details
- The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1979 Chloe collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld.
- This is an incredibly rare and very well documented dress from one of the most creative and forward thinking collections that Karl did for the label.
- In the book 'Chloe Catwalk', Vogue was quoted as saying "The clothes that Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chloe are the natural results of the world he creates, and if they sometimes seem to be from other times, it is because those other times have as much reality for him as rain and taxes have for the rest of us. You can love Karl Lagerfeld's clothes, you can hate them. See them once, and you can't forget them." The Japan Times called it "A trend setting collection". The Glasgow Herald said "Karl... takes the Edwardian Gibson Grill as his inspiration; hour glass shapes - curved bosom, tiny waists, swelling hips".
- US vogue also commented that "Women collect Lagerfeld by the piece, not by the wardrobe"
- It is incredibly well documented and an extremely rare piece of Chloe, from an outstanding collection, and exemplary example of the history of the brand under Karl.
- The dress is made from a feather light silk chiffon in a deep ivory. In person, the ivory is a touch deeper than how it photoed here. Onto this are hand applied rows of lace and strings of faux pearls.
- The sleeves are long and they have added fabric built inside the shoulder area to help hold some volume ad the slight cap around the upper arm. They are full all the way down to the wrist where they explode outward with a cuff made out of four layers of the angle edged lace. Circling each wrist, and circling where the sleeve is set into the bodice, are a string of larger size pearls. Smaller size strings of pearls follow the lace that runs down and wraps around the full length of each sleeve.
- The neckline is high and like the cuffs, it is made out of multiple layers of the lace that are stacked on top of each other to create that dramatic ruff around the neck. It wraps over itself at the front and sweeps out to meet one shoulder.
- The bodice is cut to skim over the bust to the dropped waist. Multiple panels that mix the lace and strings of pearls are set diagonally over the bodice and around the back, highlighting the sweep of the collar above.
- The waist is dropped and seamed with a slightly more generous cut. It was not shown with a belt on the runway, but if you wanted to add shape, you certainly could belt it at the natural waist for a more defined silhouette.
- The skirt curves over the hips and it is a gathered all the way around the waist in a series of tiny pleats. These allow the skirt to open up underneath beautifully to help create that hourglass feel that was so prominent in this collection. Four more rows of the lace are set in the same angle all the way down the skirt but without the pearls. It is the perfect added detail and ties the whimsical feel of the entire dress together. A final layer of lace circles the bottom hem.
- At the back, the dress buttons to close with a series of large pearl buttons. These buttons are the largest pearls that we see on the dress and I love that he has used three sizes of pearls for this piece. These are the perfect finishing touch.
- The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk. It closes with the buttons at the back. Hand finishes throughout with most of the inner seams finished completely by hand to couture standards. The lining through the upper body is starting to split in places. I see a couple of minor marks on the outer dress and some of the lace around the upper shoulders and neck line have darkened slightly. There are added panels around part of the inner lining where part of the inner lining was reinforced. Please see the photos after the label shot. These are all mentioned for accuracy but most of the flaws are inside the dress. Given the rarity and importance of this dress it is still considered to be in excellent overall condition.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements below
- Excellent condition with the note above.
Sleeves: 24" to the ends of the lace at the cuffs and are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at dropped waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 18" from neck to dropped waist
Total length: 58" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5335
Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 1979 Chloe Preview. / (5) Fall 1979 Chloe Runway. / (6) From the book "Chloe: CATWALK".
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Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.
