Rare 1959 James Galanos Red Felt Dress designer-john-galliano Made of a what is

Made of a what is almost a fleeced T-shirt material  with a bit of a stretch it is the most deliciously comfortable thing to wear

It buttons at the small of the back in a row of tightly spaced buttons and above that the nude netting opens to an almost inverted long diamond shape that is caught up at the base of the neck by a hook and eye

That same wide ribbon has been sewn on an angle so you get the illusion that it encircles the top portion of the skirt and fools the eye into an extra bit of movement

A stylized black art deco pattern in black seed beads add extra detailing to this dramatic trim

It has a dramatic neckline with its built in bra cups that are set within a series of rounded cut outs

Rare 1959 James Galanos Red Felt Dress designer-john-galliano Made of a what isThis is an outstanding early example of James Galanos work! The near identical dress resides in the permanent collection at The Metropolitan Museum in NYC in a black version. I think the beautiful red version is so much better! Galanos was a designer for whom the fabric was always the start point and this particular fabric is wonderful! It is a deep blood red and cut to skim over the body. The Met's description of the black version feels proper to