Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. The dress is from his main label and these were very well made.
This great little Arnold Scassi dress is just fantastic. The fabric used for this dress is equally fantastic. It is a black net with embroidered dots that cover the entire surface. Onto the skirt are little cut out organza flowers that are applied in rows. The bottom of the skirt changes from netting to a silk organza that has larger versions of the embroidered and organza flowers to create the lower hem. One side of the skirt is scooped up with a little cluster of the flowers to hold it in place. More of the cut outs are scattered over the bottom part of the hem. Underneath the skirt are two doubled over layers of silk tulle that give the dress the volume that you see. The bodice is strapless and the netting has been gathered vertically all the way around to create soft gathers. A wide band sits just under that to give a beautiful cinched in feel. Excellent condition with a small note below.
Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and the skirt is lined with layers of black tulle. Lightly boned through the bodice. It closes with a back zipper. I see some separation around the hem near the bottom here and there between the embroidered edges and organza on the flowers. Please see the photo after the label shot for an example. Hand finishes
Bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of band under the bust: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the bottom of the band: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 6.5" from top of bodice to seam under the bust and the band is 3.5" wide
Total length: 51" from top of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4996
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