Flowers dress

The dress is built to the figure: dense fabric holds the line of the body, follows the waist and falls away in a narrow skirt. The sheen lies across the cloth in bands and follows movement - when you turn or step out of a car, the light works its way through the draping at the side all over again. The asymmetric top leaves one shoulder bare, and the neckline with its shaped centre angle holds its form on its own, without extra support.

The peonies are the heart of it, and every one is made by hand. Each bud is rolled from petals, the layers laid in a spiral, the edges left free, so the flowers never look flat and catch the light differently from every side. They rise from the shoulder in a cascade and run down the bodice to the waist, giving volume at the top - against which the narrow skirt reads slimmer still. The coarse texture of the flowers beside the smooth cloth gives a contrast that works both up close and from across the room.

The dress suits a formal evening, a reception, the second day of a wedding or a registry ceremony among a few close people. It is made to your measurements: the fit is built on your figure at the fittings, the skirt length and the height of the neckline are chosen for your height and shoes, and the number and placement of the peonies can be changed. The colour need not be black - the same cut lives well in deep shades and in pale ones.