c1953 Travilla "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" Purple Silk Dress designer-yves-saint-laurent The top of the dress

The top of the dress is unlined and the skirt fully lined with a built in stiffened crinoline made of dressmakers horsehair "paper" to hold the shape

In extraordinary condition - it has been stored properly and it shows

flat pile velveteen made in India and printed with an amazing design

The button are covered in very fine silk and do show signs of shattering to the silk but are original and seem stable

c1953 Travilla "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" Purple Silk Dress designer-yves-saint-laurent The top of the dressDuring the 1940s William Travilla solely designed for the movies and many of the most iconic dresses from this time period, worn by some of the biggest stars, were created by him. By 1953 he had started to also design for the public as demand for the dresses women were seeing on the big screen increased. By the 1950s he was close friends with Marilyn Monroe and did the costumes for a series of her movies including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1953.