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Balenciaga NicolasGhesquiere SilkFlowerPrint StructuredShortSleeve BiasCut Dress

$1,800
£1,374.29
€1,587.98
CA$2,526.86
A$2,816.45
CHF 1,477.69
MX$34,393.42
NOK 18,710.81
SEK 17,684.56
DKK 11,851.80

About the Item

While at Paris-based Balenciaga in late 2007, Nicolas Ghesquiere designed this 100%-silk bias-cut paneled dress that explodes with a grey and pale-yellow flower print and features unique technically-intricate construction on par with French couture. With complex cutting on the bias for a figure-flattering loose fit, the wrinkle-resistant twill fabric is pieced together like a puzzle from multiple triangular, rectangular and curvilinear panels of large and small sizes, whose angled seams in front disappear to form the two invisibly curvaceous open pockets below the hips that contribute to the sense of airiness and subtle drape. More so, concealed pleated organza shoulder "wings" softly structure the rounded short sleeves, whose gathered seams at the top extend to the back of the neck and to the unusual open double neckline. The tunic-like slit chest has a softly folded collar that is topstitched to drape into a v-neck. The collar is also surprising where it is continuous in the back despite the long invisible zipper directly below it, which requires the wearer to step into the unzipped back and pull the collar over their head. Notably, Ghesquiere introduced groundbreaking styles for many of the sleeves and necklines of the 2007-2008 collections, which were among his best at Balenciaga. While we did not find this dress in the Paris fashion shows, we included a couple of our photos of the Fall/Winter 2007 collection coverage by firstVIEW in which billowy silk midi dresses have a similar paneled construction, shoulder wings, hip pockets and/or draped neckline. So our dress was among the first flower-print short-sleeve silk designs that foreshadowed Ghesquiere's more structured and sleeker silhouettes for Spring/Summer 2008, which featured additional more colorful floral patterns reproduced from the Balenciaga archives. Thoughtfully crafted like a Parisian haute-couture dress and with the "Balenciaga.Paris" brand label, its additional interior tags note that it was made for Balenciaga in 2007 in Italy. Nevertheless, the European-size 40 is a French size rather than a smaller Italian one, which will fit US-sizes 4-8 depending on the slimness of the wearer.
  • Designer:
  • Brand:
  • Dimensions:
    Length: 35 in (88.9 cm)Marked Size: FR40 (EU)
  • Style:
    Fall 2007-Spring 2008 (Of the Period)
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU3244222124002

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