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So we’ve just seen the origins of the little black dress, as well as some of its iconic representatives… but all of that goes back quite a while ! So here is my selection of black dress fashionistas; actresses, models, politicians… The LBD as we see it today ( as we’ve covered quite a few this year I’ve gone back a bit ! )
Little Black Dress, never out of style
The little black dress, this must-have and symbol of french elegance, remains every stylish woman’s favourite. Besides portée par Audrey Hepburn ‘s black sheath Givenchy dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (without doubt the most famous LBD to this day… besides Diana’s perhaps), we still find it 50 years on, ( 85 years since the first black dress by Chanel ) in Vogue and countless fashion magazines, no wrinkles attached.
I’ll begin with Sofia Coppola, who clearly presents a serious fashion obsession with the little black dress. The director wore a Louis Vuitton black dress to the Mostra of Venice in 2010 for the presentation of her film Somewhere. We like : the satin placket and Peter Pan colar over the delicate veil that covers her collar bone, combined with the bustier cut and the thin waist underlined by a slim leather belt matching her clutch.
Another LBD victim : Kate Moss. The model even designed several models for her Topshop collections, one of which won the Bath Fashion Museum design of the year award in 2009, London. The dress was a huge success, with bloused sleeves that fitted the seventies trend perfectly, all for a tiny cost. Fashion Tip : if like Kate you have mile-long legs, show them off by wearing on the contrary a very short dress. You’ll be gracefully striding down Oxford Street… on the sole condition that you’ve mastered your heels !
Kate isn’t the only one to have taken up LBD designing. Ex Spice Girls Victoria Beckham launched a collection of structured blac dresses, that nevertheless act as essential basics to accessorize. Very successful within celeb city, as Blake Lively from Gossip Girl will tell you : the tall blond wore a 3/4 sleeve short black dress with a peplum effect signed Victoria Beckham for the annual Angel Ball of New York in 2009. Sexy but not too much, and original. We like : the bolero effect.
November of the same year Heidi Klum wows the crowd as she strides down the red carpet in a fitted black dress atVictoria’s Secret. The Roberto Cavalli dress illustrated how the recent birth of her child had absolutely no effect over the model’s sculpted body. In addition to a dream figure, maternity was a breeze… I don’t call this fair ! We like : the combination of fabrics and layering. Fashion Tip : anything that creates horizontal lines (layering, prints, gathers…) is best worn by tall girls, as lines that go across the body tend to shorten the silhouette. You are petite and like layering ? Opt for diagonal layering, and wear some decently high pumps.
Of course, we couldn’t avoid a black dress for the première of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky by Jan Kounen. Anna Mouglalis, who plays the part of Gabrielle Chanel in the film, came to present the later in a Chanel, black dress of course. Just a reminder : in the days of Chanel black was mostly reserved for mourning. Rumour has it that when Paul Poiret saw Coco in her dress, he said to her : « Whom are you mourning, Madame? » to which she retorted « You, Monsieur. ». Well, she wasn’t the most diplomatic of women…
For the G8 this year i published an article on Carla Sarkozy ‘s black dress. But she isn’t the only First Lady to have chosen the blue chip of fashion. The little black dress is made for every woman, as I relentlessly repeat : see for yourselves, here the ravishing Michelle Obama in a black tulle dress by Azzedine Alaïa. Who said the black dress was only made for milky skins ? No, really, the LBD really is the perfect universal dress.