The Shrimpton Couture Archives

This is a very rare and unusual dress from the Valentino boutique label. Michelle Harper wore it’s twin in 2011 which gives you an idea of what it looks like on and you can see it in the foreground of the attached photo that shows an exhibit of his work at the Met Museum. Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 just two years after opening his first couture salon in Rome. In 1970 he expanded and opened a boutique in New York. The desire to attend the opening was so popular that it shut down the city. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with people trying to get in on opening night. His ready-to-wear was done to give everyone access to the Valentino experience. He often based the boutique designs from his main couture label and in the early days pieces were remarkably close in quality and the line between the two labels was often blurred. This is a beautiful example of that.

I love the unusual lines that this dress has. Despite avant garde lines it is easy to wear and very flattering. It is made of a beautiful weight silk in the perfect shade of purple mixed with those rainbow coloured bands at the top of the bust and around the inner hem. The silk has just enough weight to hold the shape that you see, but still feels light on the body. The dress is strapless and the neckline is set in a peak at the front with the four coloured stripes set on angles that slant down and then curve around the back. The silk is seamed to fit around you and really emphasize the shape through the bust and waist. It curves over the very top of the hips from there and then the skirt falls out outwards in the most dramatic poof under that. The skirt is a masterpiece. It is gathered softly into the waist and then it expands outward in that fantastic shape that you see. At the bottom it's brought in and under and there are four more matching bands of coloured silk in those rainbow colours. The design is genius. When this is on and you move you are going to get the most incredible movement. There is tulle in between the outer layer and the inner silk lining in the skirt that helps to keep the skirt it's structure to hold the shape so it does not collapse around you once you are standing still. It is genius in its execution and quite beautiful. And it has pockets. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a light purple silk. Light boning through the bodice and the inner silk portion of the bod closes with a row of hook and eye. The dress zips to close over that. The skirt has a black silk chiffon lining, and this closes with its own hook and eye inside at the waist. The rest of the skirt is lined in a black silk organza and there is tulle in between the exterior layer and the organza. I see a tiny bit of change of texture where the silk has been pressed over the inner tulle here and there. It's very minor and just mentioned for accuracy. Tagged a vintage Valentino 10 

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open 
Bodice: 9.5" from side of bodice to side of waist seam
Total length: 46" from top of the peak at the front to the shortest part of the front hem, 55" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 1982 Valentino.  /  (2-3) Valentino Display at MoMA, 1982.  /  (4) Michelle Harper at the Museum at FIT Artistry of Fashion Award Gala for Valentino, 2011.

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