Extraordinary Winter 1954 Cristobal Balenciaga Haute Couture Strapless Black Silk Dress w Lace Bodice designer-john-galliano / (5) Sylvie Vartan in

/  (5) Sylvie Vartan in Yves Saint Laurent by Helmut Newton for ELLE

Note that there are some fine vertical slits in the skirt

The top is of course her signature pleated fabric and is cut low in the front and will long and lean sleeves

The stripes are set into the silk in three different densities

but it is a dress that was worn on the red carpet

Extraordinary Winter 1954 Cristobal Balenciaga Haute Couture Strapless Black Silk Dress w Lace Bodice designer-john-galliano / (5) Sylvie Vartan inThis dress is extraordinary. It is from the Winter 1954 Haute Couture collection and is impeccable. A more elaborate black version of the dress is held in The Metropolitan Museum's permanent archives and we found photos of a white version from one of the Balenciaga books. Balenciaga designed 193 looks for the Winter 1954 show and there was a full series of evening pieces that featured the silk lace netting embroidered with the dots that you see on the