This dress walked the finale on the runway as part of Matthew Williamson’s Fall 2008 collection and was the very last Look of the presentation. The designer said, “I had a vision of a girl in the depths of the countryside, rustic and earthy.” This maxi-length gown is tailored from a flamboyant silk adorned with the geometric floral prints that the designer did so well. A flowing champagne silk with a hint of stretch, the print is of vibrant fuchsia roses and pistachio green leaves. Described by Vogue as “the faded wallpaper you’d find in a cozy cottage”, the designer has updated it from the 21st century by pixelating it. This digital print adds a contemporary feel and was popular during the late-noughties. The cloth is finished with tiny circles of metallic thread in gold and silver that form jagged stripes across the fabric, and many of the hems are left raw. The dress has a one-shoulder empire cut and is decadently gathered across the shoulder, with plumes of fabric gathered at the chest. The bust is adorned with five roses crafted from the same fabric with prettily frayed edges. The dress falls to the floor with cascading plumes of silk. Inside, the dress is lined with nude satin. An internal corset with a padded chest fastens with three rows of hook-and-eye clasps along the side. The dress fastens under the arm with a hidden tonal zip and hook-and-eye clasp.

This dress is in excellent vintage condition. It has been professionally made bigger by adding in extra paneling which is tapered either side of the zip on the empire line only. The work is very skilled and the fabric matching and I think it may have been done by the atelier themselves. The composition label reads 84% Silk, 16% Polyester with a lining of 100% Polyamide. It is labelled a UK 10 or US 6 but as it has been altered at the bust please check our measurements below carefully. The fabric has no stretch. In our view the bust was originally small and these alterations makes it truer to size. They are completely reversable by a skilled tailor/seamstress if desired.

MEASUREMENTS

BUST - 32 in. (81 cm)

WAIST - 30 in. (76 cm)

HIP - 40 in. (102 cm)

LENGTH - 61 in. (155 cm)