1960s Italian Alta Moda Ruched Dress with Rose Appliques

This romantic chiffon gown is Italian couture, known as 'Alta Moda', and was made in the very late 1950s to early 1960s. The piece is unlabelled, but we believe it references the famous Valentino "Fiesta" dress from 1959. The draping of the fabric is exquisite. Plumes of deep coral manmade chiffon is ruched and wrapped around the body, gathering at the front into frothy rose-shaped appliqués that fall the length of the dress. The thick, padded outer layer is lined with matte coral silk. Tailored to a strapless style, it has a bustier top which is boned inside. The high-volume skirt is designed to cocoon the body and add drama. The lining is a work of art; a layer of stiff white tulle is followed by nine layers of lightweight pink net and an internal layer of coral satin for a comfortable wear. The dress fastens with a tonal zip and hook-and-eye clasp at the front, which is hidden under the appliqué roses.

The dress is in very good and in some cases excellent vintage condition and presents beautifully - we have photographed just as she is without additional under-garments. The only thing to note on the outside of the dress is a small amount of colour change due to age to the upper layers of the bodice on the front and back. There have been some well-executed repairs done to some of the layers of the chiffon. Some of the internal layers of pink net are torn in one or two places, but this is not noticeable when worn as they form the under layers. There are no labels remaining in the dress so please check the below measurements closely. The fabric has no stretch to it. We believe it would best fit a size UK 6-8, US 2-4.

MEASUREMENTS

BUST - 30 in. (76 cm)

WAIST - 26 in. (66 cm)

HIP - 36.5 in. (93 cm)

LENGTH - 34 in. (86 cm)