A similar silhouette to this dress walked the runway for Fall 2019 but this dress was a production piece that was done in limited quantities for the shops. I still included the runway shot here because it gives you an idea of the fit of the dress once on the body. Fall 2019 was a wild success. The Vogue review for this collection touched on his inspiration for the show saying;  (he is) a man on an intuitive mission to place fashion on a positive plane. “I feel that people are looking for emotion and dreams—but not distant dreams,” he said today before his ready-to-wear show was about to take to the runway. “I want to create a community for Valentino. I mean something different from ‘lifestyle,’ which is about owning objects. It’s about people who share values.” Every piece he does is special and this dress is no exception.

I love this dress. It is one of my favorite pieces and it feels thoroughly Valentino. When you add in that spectacular floral print that covers almost the entire front of the skirt and it's just a joy. The dress is made from a fine and very light weight cotton that has been finished to have a sheen so that it looks at first glance to be a silk. It has a touch of transparency to it and I think he choose a cotton over a silk as it hold the pleat work far better then a silk would. This dress comes with its original hang tags and it notes on them that the cotton was spun in such a way that it may have variations in it. There is also a tag that outlines how to maintain the plisse effect that dress by wringing it to compress the pleats after cleaning. I love that Valentino goes to these lengths and uses such natural fabrics. It is part of what makes the exceptional quality of his pieces. The lightness of the cotton combined with that pleating is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk, the fabric of the skirt and those fantastic caped sleeves catch the air and billow out around you. The entire dress has been finished to look like it was hand painted. The body of the dress it done to suggest stone or sand and is in soft variations of a pink taupe in several tines. Then onto the front skirt is the giant abstract painting that has been done to suggest a flower or perhaps a field of them. It is actually screened onto the fabric yet it somehow feels as if it is hand painted into it. The neckline is set high and there is the tiniest little ruffle set there. It skims over the bust and the a second small ruffle curves around the easy set waist seam. The skirt falls from under there to the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. There is a very deep ruffle that is attached to the upper skirt and here to the seam of this tier is also finished with a ruffle. The skirt is cut beautifully and gradually widens out as it nears the hem. There are yards of fabric in the skirt and the pleats expand to give it a floating effect as it moves with you. The sleeves are wonderful. Each is a full circle around and fall over your shoulders. I took a shot from the side so you can see how wide they are. I love them. The precision in cut to have this all fall and move so beautifully should not be underestimated. It has never been worn and has all its original tags. Excellent condition

Lined through the bodice and skirt with a similar but un-printed cotton. The dress closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. Tagged a Valentino 40. All original tags. Has its original price of 4400 euros which was about $5300USD in 2019.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 46" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4078

Reference Photo: Fall 2019 Valentino Runway, Look 60. Model: Yoon Young Bae.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.