evening dress

Elizabeth & David Emanuel 1953 (EE born)

Summary

Evening dress in ivory silk organza with heavily embroidered bodice and skirt in a bold geometric style; bodice with distinctive tabs and embroidered with gilt metal thread, seed pearls, mirrored gems and diamante, as is the net skirt; worn over a large net petticoat. Designed in 1986 for the Red Cross Society charity collection, and influenced by the designs of Leon Bakst for the Ballets Russes. The 10 dresses in the collection retailed for around £5000 and Diana, Princess of Wales bought this same model for herself. This dress subsequently sold in 1997, just before her death, for over $25,000, and it sold in Dec 2013 at Kerry Taylor auctions for £85,000 hammer price. Unworn - unsold shop stock from the Emanuels - sold at auction by Elizabeth Emanuel on 13 November 2008.