My love affair with Christian Dior was kickstarted the very day Lynn and I went shopping and strolled by a gorgeous store window showcasing the latest pumps and stilettoes. That very day, I walked out of the store with a pair of gold python pumps that I intended to use as my wedding shoes, only to realize that I had inadvertently forgotten or grossly misjudged the color of the bridal gown - the pair of Dior shoes vehemently clashed with the dress which left me rather nonplussed.
(NB: The fact that my own gown was not striking or vivid enough for me to even recall was not lost on me, as you shall see later)
The following week, I was back at the store to return the shoes. When I walked in I noticed two things – first, the holiday collection had just arrived so the mannequins were sporting glamorous evening gowns with the most beautiful silhouettes and luxuriant fabrics; second, I noticed a lone man, very tall, handsome and dressed in an elegant suit standing behind the counter; he appeared to be the only staff present and promptly helped me process the return. It turns out that David was the boutique director so I told him my reason for returning the shoe, and being a newlywed himself, he had just gone through the harrowing experience of fussing about the same things. He took out a catalog to see if there were other shoes that might seamlessly match the wedding gown but my eyes were just drawn to the evening collection. I have long been an admirer of John Galliano’s work, so often proudly paraded on the red carpets of the Oscars and Emmys, and there I was at the store with David, browsing through the catalog till I saw this indescribably beautiful dark red evening gown that made my heart flutter – I could already picture it for the wedding reception. Galliano even designed a set of shoes in the exact same crimson shade, made in satin and rich velvet with jewels encrusted around the top band. Sizes at Dior tend to run depressingly small, so for a usual size zero like me, I was a size four at Dior! Evening wear is generally not mass-produced so the only size four dress left was on hold for a client in New York, but David assured me, in his own words, “I have never not gotten anything that I wanted for a client. Don’t worry. It will be here early next week for you.”
True enough, the gown arrived and when I tried it on, there was just one word to describe it: stunning. I immediately knew it was the perfect evening dress for our wedding reception next year; the matching set of shoes was really the icing on the cake. I’m not going to be a spoiler and publicize the dress, so the only way you’ll see it is if you come to the wedding. But just as a little teaser, here are the shoes:
As I picked up the tab for the gown and shoes, I happened to eye another pair of black pumps – a staple in every girl’s closet - since the current ones on my feet were starting to peel off and tear from the sheer pressure of everyday wear. It was black, velvet and had an exquisite little mirrored plate with “Christian Dior” engraved on it. I had to force myself to turn away from it though, for I had just walked out from the store with a lavish evening dress and an opulent pair of shoes. Maybe next time, I surmised – but I knew it was the perfect accompaniment for all the Little Black Dresses one could possibly own.
A few days later, that very pair of black shoes came back to haunt me. I was on a little mission to assemble an outfit for a particular event coming up on our social calendar. A couple of months ago, I received an invitation to attend the Leakey Foundation’s 40th Anniversary events at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, which included a gala night that would honor Dr. Jane Goodall for her extraordinary work in primatology, dedication to environmental activism and her unrivalled legacy. So my mission was to put together an outfit for this event, and on the invitation the dress code was strangely described as: formal/elegant/festive. That struck me as highly confounding. Festive? Does a Santa Clause suit count?
It was pretty easy for Steve – he finally had an occasion to wear the James-Bondesque (so there’s the festive spirit!) cream colored dinner jacket he had bought from Ralph Lauren earlier this summer. For me, I had to find a long gown that was conservative (it was a science event and I didn’t want any cleavage peaking out) but still fashionable. Black had and will always be the color of choice for me, and as I started looking for black floor-length gowns, I realized I needed a pair of formal black pumps to go with it. Enter Christian Dior once again. Only this time, unbeknown to me, Steve had put in an order with David for the very shoe I had been coveting. Just as I was contemplating out loud whether or not to purchase it, Steve affectionately told me there was no need to, and that it was already mine. I was blushing with euphoria, although there was a palpable sense of uneasiness since this was the most he had ever paid down for a single pair of shoes. And this considering that he actually decorates his feet with Pradas!
So the hunt continued for the ideal gala ensemble. I finally settled on a black number (what else would you expect?) from Saks that had a one-shoulder neckline for two reasons – it was very trendy and had subtle sex appeal without showing off to much skin. This year, dozens of one-shoulder gowns were seen on runways and red carpets, and nowhere epitomized this trend more than the Golden Globes this year.
I have to emphasize that I am not a reader of beauty magazines so I am rarely in the know of what’s gracing the covers of Vogue or any trend that is au courrant. After all, I picked an off-shoulder dress on the basis of pragmatism so it was hardly my inner fashionista that guided the decision. The gown is a black floor-length dress with intricate black beading down one side and a slit that runs up to the mid-thigh on the other. The silhouette is straight and sleek with no A-line flare or body-hugging curves. I certainly didn’t want an eye-catching, va-va-voom dress that screamed, “Hey look! The Diva is coming,” and as you can see, this conveyed sophistication with understated seductiveness. I mean, screw “Less is more,” here I defy that mantra and say, “More is More!”
It’s not a great picture because you can’t see the slit and the beading but it’s the best I could do. So it’s pretty obvious that the velvet Dior stilettoes Steve bought for me was the perfect shoe to go with this dress – the length was tailored such that the hem draped right alongside the heel and the little mirrored plates protruded strategically from underneath the fabric.
The one thing I didn’t have to worry about was a necklace – the foremost cardinal sin or fashion faux pas to committ when wearing a one-shoulder dress is to simultaneously adorn jewelry around the neck. So the only thing left to look for then was a clutch bag, which turned out to be the easy part. I figured it was a good investment to add a versatile little black bag to my closet, one that can look stylishly at home no matter the venue - swanky night clubs, cocktail parties and black-tie events all the same. It didn’t take me very long to find the one – the black satin rose Prada clutch, which I picked up at Saks.
Front: Black satin roses embellish the front alongside some ruching detail
Back: Prada’s famous triangular insignia in black and gold
So there you have it, my recent Dior spree and the successful quest for an event-appropriate wardrobe that has the potential to accrue more sartorial mileage beyond the impending gala night.
I suppose in the end, despite the magnificence of Dior’s collections, the Devil can’t help but wear a little Prada.
