Soirée brillante
Haute Couture Fall-Winter 1955, Y line
Soirée brillante was a long evening dress from the Fall-Winter 1955 collection, part of the Y line, which followed the A line from the previous season.
Press sketch for the Soirée brillante dress.
Soirée brillante was made of champagne silk satin, veiled in gray-blue silk tulle, which was quite different from the original model in pink satin and blue tulle. The entire outfit was embroidered by the House of Rébé, whose embroidery design depicted the motif of a cage.
The preciosity of this dress is characteristic of evening dresses and ball gowns designed by Christian Dior, for whom “a ball gown makes you a radiant woman, full of charm, refinement and femininity.” These ‘dresses of light,’ true works of art, embody the dreams and excesses of the post-war world.
This model inspired Maria Grazia Chiuri in her first Spring-Summer 2017 Haute Couture collection for the Allée fleurie de Mémoire dress.
The embroidery on the dress is a result of true savoir-faire
Maria Grazia Chiuri modernized the design with the addition of thin embroidered straps and box pleats, allowing the embroidery to dance.
The ostrich feather headdress designed by the milliner Stephen Jones added a touch of extravagance to this look.
The entire show was a tribute to the world of Christian Dior, who liked gardens and flowers but was also prone to superstition. Gris-gris and tarot cards were therefore also part of the show’s decor.
At the end of this show, a grand masked ball was organized at the heart of this magnificent garden, in keeping with the sumptuous parties Christian Dior loved so much, for he saw in them “true works of art.”
© Laziz Hamani ; Collection Dior Héritage, Paris ; © Sophie Carre ; © Adrien Dirand
