The twin of this spectacular dress walk the runway for Fall 1998 and Mr. Valentino obviously thought it was one of the best pieces in the show as he also used it for the ad campaign that year. It is spectacularly beautiful and like many Valentino pieces, as you get closer to it you really start to see all of the incredible details it has. He was a man who lived in the fine details on even the simplest looking pieces and this dress is a beautiful example of what he could create. It is phenomenal and I love it.

The dress is suspended by two little lace covered straps that curve up and over your shoulders. The top of the bodice is cut straight across and that continues around to the back. The bodice is covered in a layer of fine black French lace that is layered over an inner ivory silk. and then that has a layer of fine ivory netting over that. This softens the black of the lace underneath and acts as a diffusion of the black colour underneath for a more romantic feel. The bodice is simple in feel and ends at a seam set just a touch above the natural waist. A dense one inch high band of the tiniest black seed beads are set just above the seam and then the beads continue up onto that top net layer. They are scattered over the bodice and getting more spaced apart as they go upwards over you. Under that band of bead work is a dense silk eyelash fringe that sits up and off of the dress from this incredible tactile effect. More of those tiny black seed beads have been scattered throughout the fringe. I have taken several close-ups so that you can see just how incredible this workmanship is. The skirt falls under that to the floor and it is made up of three more tiers of this same lace, silk fringe, silk net and bead work. Each tier overlaps the one below it. Each has that same net overlay as the bodice but he let it sit more as a separate layer rather than an attached one like it is on the bodice. So that softening effect is greater on the skirt and it also adds a little more volume than you see through the bodice. It is very subtle but this is where he just excels in the detailing. The edge of each layer is finished in the same manner of bead work, and that ivory silk fringe. When you move all of the layers softly move around you. It is very beautiful and an exceptional piece of Valentino history. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a white silk through the bodice and a silk crêpe through the skirt. I see a couple small layers where the lace has broken on the straps, but it's minor. Some very minor grubbiness to the edge of the inner hem. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8.

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 65" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4924

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1998 Valentino Runway Collection.  /  (4) Fall 1998 Valentino Ad Campaign.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.