1980s Unlabeled Nina Ricci by Girard Pipard Haute Couture Red Silk & Net Leaf or Petal Dress

The Nina Ricci brand was founded in 1932, at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris and quickly became one of the top couture ateliers in the world. In 1964, Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant, as head of the brand. Over the following three decades, Pipart's couture vision 'celebrated a flamboyant woman and his ready-to-wear found a loyal following among the most stylish women of the day.' This dress fits perfectly into that aesthetic and I think it is amazing. It is not 100% perfect but it is still a stunning example of the couture work that the atelier as doing and I think its small flaws are forgivable.

The dress is a wonderful example of Pipart's vision for the house. It is made from a fine red silk net that has been covered with hand placed individual leafs or petals. These completely cover the underlying structure and are only attached at their tops so that they have a slight movement when you move. Each petal is embroidered so that they have a touch of structure and lie perfectly in place. The petals are made from a red silk organza so are very light. Under the top net dress there is a full inner silk dress. That inner dress has a simple bodice that is suspended from the shoulders by tiny straps. There is a slight built in peplum around the hips that adds some shape and volume to the upper part of the skirt. Under that is a full inner skirt that is finished with more of the leafs at the hem. The bodice is beautiful. It is scooped across the high neck and then the outer layer floats over the red silk inner dress. The sleeves are cut to be full and wide and they have a slight cap at the shoulders. The waist has a band of red silk and I added a red velvet ribbon there which will be included with the dress. The skirt falls over the inner peplum around the hip and then falls in a widening curve to the floor. It is stunning in person and on the body. Great condition with notes to review below.

Fully lined in red silk as described above and closes with a back hand set zipper. Elastic in the sleeves. Finished to Haute Couture standards. I took some photos of the inner hand done seams for you (the ones before the metal fastener and string shot). There is no label present but it has its couture fastener that this atelier used during this time period attached to an inner seam. There are some small repairs to some of the petals and some have small vertical breaks in them where they were stored folded. Please see the photos after the tag shot. Some slight bubbling to the silk over the band around the waist. There may be other small breaks that I missed. Strong and stable enough to wear and if this bothers you, you could probably steal from the inner hem to replace the damaged petals. If it was labeled and with no issues this would easily be triple the price or more. I included the exterior measurements ad well as the interior as it would be easy to adjust or add to the inner dress if needed

Sleeves: 15"
Shoulders: 14"
Inner bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Outer bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Outer waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist, including a 3" band
Skirt: 38" from bottom seam of band at waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3917

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