Peau de soie Fishtail Dress by Vanessa Empire

The evolution of this dress happened

 very quickly.  

The original design included a shirred section on the sides of the princess seams.  I then was going to make it strapless, and add the fishtail in the back.  After creating my rough version I realized that I did not want all of the bulky fabric on my thighs!   This is the why I always start with making a muslin.  It provides you with the opportunity to try a fit or sillhouette on your own body.
I have never been afraid of trying something a little bolder or different than what is found in "ready-to-wear".  If I don't like the style on my body, I can go back to the drawing table.

         



 This dress is made of espresso brown  
Peau de soie (po-da-swa) with  
 Turquoise and Paris Pink Silk Taffeta from 
Studio BERNINA.  I love working with Peau de soie.  It has a nice hand and is much more manageable than charmeuse.            Taffeta was more difficult to work with in this particular dress. 

Peau de soie

is also called the “skin of silk”.

 

After completion of the muslin, I simplified the design. 

"The more cultivated a people becomes, the more decoration disappears" - Le Corbusier

 I added the two-toned fishtail and the
Yves Saint Laurent  inspired Big Pink Bow. …
I added boning to the top so that it will stand with structure and a slit in the back of the dress.

I used the following BERNINA Presser feet:

 Ruffler Foot, Invisible Zipper Foot (#35), Jeans Foot (#8)

This dress was so fun to wear!