Description

This beautiful and dramatic silk chiffon caftan dress is instantly recognizable as by Hanae Mori and is of museum quality. It is a bold and bright clash of a tropical colors that work perfectly with each other. I absolutely love this bright color palette and find the boldness a little magical. This is everything you look for in a Hanae Mori piece and is an exceptional example of her work. It is getting harder and harder to find these as her work is highly collected by many now, and she is actively hinted for and sourced for museum archives world wide. Here the color of the silk chiffon is a brilliant turquoise with vibrant pops of pink mixed with a soft pastel coral and pops of white. The print is one she would have designed herself and she cleverly gives it more depth by layering the silk chiffon exterior layers over a printed interior silk twill base. It is cut in a long simple sheath underneath the two floating exterior silk layers. In person those exterior layers of silk waft and float around you when you move in a really beautiful way. I love how the silk chiffon sleeves widen as they near the cuffs and the finish on the sleeve ends has been done so they create a soft ruffled effect. The neckline is high and rolled. The silk chiffon layers cascade over the inner dress in layers that end in points at the front and the back, picking up on the shape of the sleeves. It is just amazing and very beautiful. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand-set pale blue tissue silk. The exterior of the very inner dress is a fine silk twill and with two layers of printed silk chiffon laying over the base. The sleeves are left unlined. The back closes with a hand set, painted metal zipper and hook & eye at the back of the neck. Her signature teeny fabric covered snaps close each of the the silk chiffon layers over the back zipper. There is a teeny, tiny pull in the silk chiffon near the side but you only see this when it is laid out flat and this is only mentioned for accuracy

Sleeves: approx 24
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 18.5 flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16 flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20 flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56 from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD1297

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, for her weekly style column on our blog Curated. (Photos by Erin Leydon) Click here to see the full column >