Incredible Spring 1978 Hanae Mori Brilliant Pink & Coral Sunset & Floral Caftan Dress & Cape Overlay

The Shrimpton Couture Archives

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1978 Hanae Mori collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Hanae Mori
• This set is just absolutely gorgeous and pieces like this from her are getting increasingly hard to find, so it is a true treasure. 
• Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional.
• Hanae Mori excelled at creating beautiful prints and they always have a hauntingly organic feel to them as she was constantly inspired by nature.
• This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. The inner dress is made from the highest possible quality of silk, and then the cape is made from a feather light silk chiffon. It even comes with its original matching tie belt in a matching silk chiffon.
• All three piece have one of her custom designed prints screened onto the fabrics and the colours used on this one are just outstanding
  
• The inner dress is sleeveless and is suspended from tiny straps that curve over the shoulders and cross over themselves at the back. It is very easy to wear as it is meant to just skim down and over the entire body in a long column of fabric.
• The cut is on the more generous size through the waist and hips, and then it flares out as near the hem with a slit up the back for added movement.
• The ties go through little loops along the sides of the back. If you wanted to wear it completely open at the back, you could take them out of the little loops and just tie the tie at the back of the neck. The base of the scoop has a touch of elastic in it to hold it closer to the body so that it doesn't gape.
• Once it is on you get a glimpse of that bareback through the transparency of the outer cape piece.
• The caped piece that goes over this is spectacular. It is made out of a feather light silk chiffon that is done in the same brilliant pink and coral print. It slips over the head to wear and the neckline is set in a wide slit across the top. It is shaped to be two long, rectangles attached across the top on either side of the neck opening and when this is on this, it lets the sides drape down longer around you. 
• The top of each shoulder has a gathered portion with chiffon ties running through the loops. This then extends out to where you slip your arms through. You can also choose to wear it with your arms completely inside the cape for a more covered feel.
• There is no true front or back so you can choose to wear it on whatever side you wish.
• When on that top layer gives the dress a more caftan feel and you really get the sense of the sunset and floral print because of the sheer expanse of fabric that it has.
• The set comes with a matching silk chiffon belt that you can use to add shape to either piece or wear over both. It's quite long and fairly wide, so it could also be tied around the neck or head.
• As with the best of Hanae's dresses, the effect of having the same print on the top layer and the inner layer gives the design added dimension and depth as they float over each other.
• The movement and drama this creates is extraordinary. This is a piece that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it.
• The cape is unlined and the dress is lined in a red silk chiffon with an added red jersey piece on the inside front bodice. The dress slipped over the head to wear and then ties at the back. There are little snapped straps on the inside of each shoulder of the over to hold the dress straps in place. The edges of the cape have been hand rolled and there is hand stitching throughout. The piece is unlabeled and verified by the runway photo.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Dress
Bust: covers to 15" flat across from side to side with no true side seams
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to hem

Cape overlay
Width: approx 59" from side to side at the widest point
Length: 54" and falls to approx 57" to longest point when on
The tie belt is 8" wide x 76" long

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Reference Photo: Spring 1978 Hanae Mori Runway.

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