Circa 1985

France

Elegant day dress in Japanese-print silk taffeta by Gérard Pipart for Nina Ricci "shopping" dating from the 1980s. Straight-cut blouse dress, pleated at the waist, long sleeves with a small puff and two large side patch pockets. Printed on a beige taffeta background with square boxes filled with bamboo leaves in grisaille. It has a large collar with turned-up points and a front fastening with five large pearly buttons. An elegant pleat accentuates the centre of the back. Matching long tie belt. No lining and Nina Ricci label, Shopping Paris, size 38. Clean dress with no flaws. Little or not worn. Very good colour and condition.

Dimensions: French size equivalent 35-36. Shoulders 35 cm, waist 66 cm, chest 83 cm, sleeves 60 cm, hips 90 cm, height 101 cm.

Nina Ricci (1883-1970) founded her Paris fashion house in 1932 at 20 Rue des Capucines in the first arrondissement of Paris. For her, elegance obeyed a single principle: to be oneself before being seen. The perfume line was developed by her son Robert Ricci in 1941. When the Second World War ended in 1945, she took part in the Théâtre de la Mode, a travelling show based on dolls presenting French fashion know-how. Jules-François Crahay succeeded him in 1959 with his famous Crocus collection, then Gérard Pipart became artistic director of Maison Ricci in 1963. He relaxed couture and excelled in "sport".