Valentino at Dessès - 1954

The evening gown I showed you yesterday was designed at the Jean Dessès atelier in Paris in 1954, but was never actually made by Dessès.

At age 18, Valentino Garavani was hired as an apprentice by Jean Dessès. There, he dressed windows, greeted clients, and did many sketches of ideas for garments. Most of those early sketches were lost.

Original sketch by Valentino
at Atelier Dessès, 1954

In 1989, as part of the execution of a special international exhibit, "Valentino, Thirty Years of Magic", Maison Valentino made 10 garments from early sketches that the designer had done while working for Dessès. The garments were produced especially for the exhibit and were never offered for sale by either Dessès or Valentino.

So, is the gown a Dessès or a Valentino? Good question.