Nothing says “chic Parisian party” like the LBD- the Little Black Dress, and no one knows that better than Crystallized Swarovski Elements, who has teamed with 22 of today’s leading fashion pioneers in a new traveling exhibit which premiered here in Paris this past week. The designers were asked to reinvent the little black dress using Swarovski crystals, and the results are nothing less than spectacular. From the all-over-beaded mini-dress by Alexis Mabille to Valentino’s silk shift with it’s Crystal Yarn webbed collar, the “Ways to Say Black” exhibit not only pays a sparkling tribute to the perennial staple of every party girl’s wardrobe, it also will pay tribute to a good cause. The collection of dresses will be sold at auction in New York this September, and all proceeds from both the sale and the hard-bound coffee table book of the show will go to the American Cancer Society and La Ligue contre le Cancer. I had an opportunity to view the exhibit at the Hotel Pozzo di Borgo (Karl Lagerfeld’s former digs) in the 7th arrondissement earlier this week. Here are a few of my favorite souvenirs:
hotel pozzo di borgo, paris
crystallized "way to say black" paris, france
gianfranco ferre, swarovski little black dress
missoni & fendi, LBD paris
alexis mabille, little black dress, paris
valentino, crystallized swarovski elements, paris
alberta ferretti, little black dress, paris
swarovski crystallized LBD, paris
I hope this show stops by SF on it’s way to NY! I’d love to see it in person.