Diksia.com - Editor’s Note: “Look of the Week” is a regular series that dissects the most buzz-worthy outfit of the past seven days, featuring both the good and the bad.
Last Thursday night, the grand reopening of Tiffany & Co.’s flagship store in New York drew in a crowd of glamorous A-listers to the corner of East 57th Street and 5th Avenue.
After undergoing a four-year architectural revamp, the 10-floor limestone building, which was originally built in the early 1940s, hopes to reclaim its place as a Manhattan landmark.
Out on the robin-egg blue carpet, the vision of the night was clear as day, it was all about the little black dress (LBD).
Models Hailey Bieber and Nicola Peltz Beckham, actors Gal Gadot, Bruna Marquezine, and Gold medal-winning skier Eileen Gu were among the army of inky cocktail dresses, paying homage to Blake Edward’s 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and Audrey Hepburn’s elegant on-screen uniform of a slinky black satin gown.
Each rendition of the LBD was unique. Bieber’s otherwise classic black midi pencil dress, fresh off the Versace Fall-Winter 2023 runway, featured a space-age inverted moon neckline and chunky, tube-shaped straps.
Her manicure even matched the color of a Tiffany’s jewelry box. “Hailey Golightly,” wrote one fan on Instagram.
At first glance, Gadot’s strapless black velvet cocktail number appeared like an innocuous 1950s hoop-skirted gown — until you catch her profile.
Gadot’s frock jutted out at the hips to form two corners, resulting in a rigid silhouette that mimics the appearance of a concealed cardboard box.
This opening look from Loewe’s Spring-Summer 2023 show added an unexpected twist to the classic LBD.
Most wearers opted to update the timeless cocktail attire.
Gu and Peltz Beckham, for example, modernized their LBDs with dramatic side splits, additional bow flourishes, and barely-there spaghetti straps.
However, Marquezine chose to stay faithful to the original design and delved into the Yves Saint Laurent archive to find her Fall-Winter 1983 haute couture gown.
It featured a drop waist, asymmetrical tulle skirt, and a strapless velvet bodice.
The most notable LBD was, of course, Audrey Hepburn’s creation, which was made by Hubert de Givenchy and costume designer Edith Head.
But, black, mid-length, and fitted had long been the formula for achieving subtle, understated sex appeal.
Created by Coco Chanel in the 1920s, Vogue dubbed the original LBD (a knee-length dress made from crepe de Chine) “Chanel’s Ford” in prediction of its enormous success.
The concept spread across storied fashion houses such as Dior and Givenchy in the mid-20th century.
Over a century later, the time-honored garment lives on through fresh takes, reimaginings, and designers looking to subvert expectations.
The LBD is its own sartorial landmark, full of rich history, but always open to visitors.
