The Shrimpton Couture Archives

George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of silk done on a bias cut. He focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns 'seemed to float on air'. He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. The majority of his gowns are almost entirely made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s one of his evening dresses started at a cost of around $8500 USD and they went up in cost from there. To put that in modern terms, that would be about thirty thousand dollars now. It was an incredible amount of money at the time and yet women couldn't get enough of them.

The dress is made out of a feather light black silk that has tiny little red lines that highlight the cut in line of the dress. It is as light as a feather and feels like heaven once on the body. The neckline is cut straight across and the dress is suspended from tiny straps that curve up and over the shoulders. The bodice is more fitted and the waist nips in. From there the skirt falls in this extravagant swoosh of bias cut silk to the floor. It skims over the hips and then widen out substantially by the hem. This  lets it swirl around the body as you move but at the same time it feels insanely comfortable on because the fabric weighs ounces. The striping is set on angles over the dress and helps to add shape. I love the unexpected red lining through the skirt that picks up on that red stripe. When you sit or move you get these little flashes of it that is fantastic. This is the perfect simple yet striking black dress you will want to wear over and over for every occasion from day to evening. It is truly a remarkable piece and so beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a red silk and it closes with a side set zipper. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. There is a slight elastic around the top of the dress and I think you could wear this as a strapless piece and just tuck the little straps in if you wished.

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from the top of the shoulder to the waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem, with the inner lining extending slightly past the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Reference Photo: Fall 1978 Stavropoulos Runway.

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