Vanda

Vanda is built from soft draping that runs diagonally across the body and converges at the hip. The top sits close, following the line of the body and holding it when you stand still; below, the fabric is let go and falls into a skirt of fine flying panels. The layers lie in a wave, parting and closing again as you step, so the hem is never still, and at sunset the light passes through them and lights up the edges.

The embroidery is done by hand: pearls of different sizes are laid in threads along the folds, following the direction of the draping, and give the bodice a soft shine where the fabric is gathered most densely. The straps are strung with pearls and continue over the back as free strands lying along the shoulder. The back is open in a deep neckline to the waistline, where the draping converges in rays. Behind, the skirt runs into a long train - it trails after you and, in a wide shot, gathers the whole volume of the dress.

The dress asks for an evening outdoors, by the sea or at a country ceremony, where there is space for a train. The bodice is fitted to your figure, the lengths of skirt and train worked out for your height and shoes, and the shade chosen from cool ivory to the warm powder you see here.