#1613 $1,950
Galanos silk chiffon evening dress with stole, c.1980
I love the casual elegance of this spectacular evening gown, an ever stylish dress, as flawless in style as its materials are sumptuous. Yet you will enjoy the effortless elegance of an easy-to-wear masterpiece. The backless bra halter, fashioned from draped silk crepe, falls in soft panels at the sides of the skirt. The halter is boned and lined for support.
The rest of the skirt is composed of five layers of silk chiffon; the under layers are red in front and black in back. The four under layers, straight-cut with deep side slits, are attached and close in back with a metal zipper. The full outer layer—with larger-than-life printed poppies—floats over the underskirt. Each layer is finished with hand-rolled edges. The matching stole features a large gold poppy on a red ground.
When James Galanos retired in 1998, he left a void in the world of glamorous evening wear. His clients were the most glamorous and famous women of the time: Bette Davis, Rosalind Russell, Elizabeth Taylor, and Diana Ross. They loved the signature Galanos combination: sex appeal in an elegant couture package with the highest quality construction and materials. Galanos was also known for his Presidential Inaugural dresses and the classic evening wear created for First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Galanos' work is included in the collections of several major museums and leading fashion design schools. Fashion Institute of Technology in New York presented a career retrospective of his work in 1998. It should be no surprise that his luxurious designs were very expensive. In the 1980s, several Galanos evening dresses sold for $17,000 new.
Galanos was one of the few couturiers whose name was known to the general public. This caused him to change his design focus: "I was really interested in making collections for the public, ready-to-wear. But I wanted to do it in the couture method, where you use the finest fabric, the finest workmanship. The clothes are 95% made by hand, and the rest is a little machine sewing. That's my reputation." His appraisal of his ready-to-wear line is accurate.
Ten years ago, if you wanted a beautiful vintage gown, you would have had to live in New York or Hollywood to compete with a Renée Zellwegger, who might want to wear this magnificent gown to the Oscars. The emergence of the internet means that a woman with good taste and the money to indulge it can purchase great couture garments like this one.
The condition is excellent. Buy it and wear it!
The dress measures: approximately 34"-36" bust, 27" waist, 36" hip, and 38" skirt length. The stole measures 44" by 65".
