Majestic French 1890's two-piece evening dress, fashioned of rich ruby panné velvet. The colour of the velvet in the gown is exceptionally vivid and rich! The ensemble features a nearly full circle skirt, with a lavishly decorated bodice! Our gown's bodice is an array of beauty- through the desireable shape, charming short puff sleeves, and lavish decorations of coral beads, silver spangles and white metal beads- in a "French-like" / fleur-de-lis manner; all decorated to a cream stomacher-type insert to the front, and back.

 

France during the time of this gown's creation, lead the world in the finest fashion- as it had done so for many decades prior to then. Our gown is labeled to the waistline with a French label that is quite indistinct, but the first name of the designer is Antonio (possibly Antonia), and the address line reads Rue de la-, also with the word ROBES woven on the petersham along beside the maker's name.

 

 The gown's fine construction and quality- especially use of surface decorations, is a reflection of the maker's fine skills. Illustrated below is a photograph of the bodice's interior- notice the quality of the structure, and there are also suede shams to the underarms to prevent discolouration on the bodice itself. I love the "old-world" / 18th-century styling of the gown' through the semi-off shoulder neckline, rich ornamentation, and distinct shaping, and colour! Pleate note- the bodice was slightly too small for our display mannequin and didn't quite fit at the back completely!

 

 

Measurements: Bust 33", Waist, 23".

The condition is Excellent- extremely minor bead loss.