The Spring 1966 Dior collection was inspired by a recent trip to Mexico by the then Creative Director Marc Bohan. In the book 'Dior: Catwalk' the notes for this collection include a quote from the New York Times that said; "Fuchsia is the preferred colour and appears throughout the collection, accompanied by acid green, intense yellow, bright pink and deep purple" Besides the many caftan silhouettes in this collection - a young Barbra Streisand was photoed for Vogue in one of the evening pyjamas from this same collection that was taken immediately after the show - Bohan also did a series of chic little shift dresses and this is one of them. It is exceptional and an excellent investment piece as well. Dior prices continue to skyrocket and finding Haute Couture examples like and in this condition this are getting harder and harder to find. 

This is an amazing little dress that still feels perfectly on point for our modern girl which shows you just how well great design holds up even after 50+ years. It is cut in a sleek little shift that skims over the body to the hem with just the slightest bit of a flare as it nears the bottom. This gives it that perfect neat and chic silhouette that has an almost sculptural feel to it that was so prevalent in this era. The dress is beautifully constructed and it is cut to fit and flatter the body. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are capped and simple. The shape through the body of the dress is a boxy silhouette with just the tiniest suggestion of shape through the waist. The inner construction is marvelous and that simple exterior has been lovingly created by carefully piecing together the various panels the dress is made out of so that it always lies perfectly on the body. I love the collar. It curves around the neckline and is set back from the front of the neck. You get into the dress by unbuttoning the panel at the front. Here sit six large very thick hand dyed to match buttons. Each is the same shade of pink raspberry fuchsia as the boucle the dress is made out of. Each button hole is precisely made by hand and perfectly finished. It is genius and meticulously tailored. The fabric deserves its own mention as it is a very high end nubby boucle. It has an almost coarse feel to it and the added texture it gives is wonderful. And of course it is in that same beautiful bright pink fuchsia that was so very relevant to this collection. In person the colour is far better and has more a pink cherry red undertone than how it photoed. Little vertical slash pockets on the front of the skirt are the perfect finish. If you are looking for a simple and chic statement dress this is it. It is simple, chis and elegant, yet extremely glamorous because of that stunning colour and nubby fabric choice. Excellent condition with a note to review below

Fully lined in a fine pink silk the same shade as the exterior. The dress buttons to close at the front. Hand dyed buttons. The colour is slightly different in person and more a true fuchsia pink then how it photoed. On the interior there is some fabric loss to the lining under each arm. On the exterior the fabric has felted a bit right near the inner seam. This would not show with normal movement. Please see the last three photos after the label shot. It otherwise is in gorgeous condition. It only opens above the waist so you need to be able to fit the waist over your shoulders to get it on. It is meant to sit slightly oversized and full through the body

Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 37" from neck to hem with 3.5" turned under the hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3853

Reference photos: Christian Dior 1966 / credit unknown.

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