VERA WANG - GHILLIAN (FALL 2011 COLLECTION)

Strapless sweetheart full a-line gown with asymmetrically draped drop–waist bodice and chrysanthemum organza blossom skirt.

Ghilian is an extravagant ball gown that represents Vera Wang signature studies in contrasts. The frothiness of the skirt, which is made up of chrysanthemum blossoms in varying shapes and sizes, is set off by a very sculpted, asymmetrical drop-waist bodice. But there’s an unexpected balancing act at play between these two seemingly disparate elements. The asymmetry in the bodice actually echoes an asymmetry in the skirt, where smaller, tightly wound rosettes at the top eventually explode into larger blooms at the base. It’s the hundreds of yards of fabric used in the rosettes that create all that beautiful volume, instead of crinoline, which is a more traditional method. What Vera Wang wanted was a princess affect that was light, never cumbersome. All of these elements are really what give Ghilian, the ultimate princess gown, such a modern sensibility.

Available for inspection