Gianfranco Ferré

Trained as an architect and known for his structured fashion designs, Gianfranco Ferré produced this lavish dress toward the end of his tenure as creative director at Dior. Viewed alongside late-19th-century garments and compared to drapery illustrations, the dress quickly reveals its sources of inspiration. The ornate ogival (or pointed-oval) pattern recalls sumptuous fabrics like those in the mantle and mantelet seen here, the exaggerated pouf skirt points to bustle silhouettes, and the line of silk fringe at the hem—punctuated by a large decorative tassel hanging from an upholstery ball.