Louis Vuitton x Marc Jacobs Fall 2004 Dress

This strapless corset dress from Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2004 collection captures the romantic, narrative-driven spirit of Marc Jacobs’ most celebrated work for the house. Worn by Karen Elson on the runway and featured on Diane Kruger in the campaign imagery, this higly romantic dress combines a sculpted wool corset bodice with a frothy, layered silk-tulle skirt. As Vogue wrote, “From the moment 16-year-old Lily Cole… set her dainty high-heeled golden bootie onto the snow-covered runway, it was clear this was about to be one of Marc Jacobs’ delicious Louis Vuitton blockbusters.” Jacobs described his inspirations as “Scotland, Tissot, a little Foujita,” drawing from the romantic nostalgia of the Highlands near Balmoral, the frothy femininity of James Tissot’s 19th-century paintings, and the delicate charm of Tsuguharu Foujita’s 1920s Japonisme. The result is a piece that feels both painterly and modern - a confection of couture-level craftsmanship and storybook fantasy.

The corset top is tailored from a thick creamy pink wool with a soft, woven handle. It has a strapless silhouette. Two belts encircle the body below the bust and at the waist, affixed to the body of the dress and crafted from the same creamy pink wool, they meet in the middle with a knotted bow. Above this, the bust is ruched at the centre. It is lined with a boned and wired, white mesh brassiere with hook-and-eye closures at the back. Below the corset top, the dress is crafted from a tonal silk-mix crepe which gives way to a drop-waist and decadent silk-tulle skirt. At the rear, the dress fastens with a silver-toned zip with a logo zip-pull woven with cream velvet ribbon. The tulle skirt is trimmed with twisted tonal silk at the top and crowned with a 1950s-style flat bow at the back. This fairytale gown would make the most incredible archive wedding dress.

• Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs Fall 2004 • Cream wool • Silk-tulle • Bow detailing • Internal brassiere • Logo-debossed zip-pull • Made in France

Fabric: 90% Wool, 10% Polyamide
Skirt fabric: 74% Viscose, 26% Silk
Tulle: 100% Silk
Brassiere: 80% Polyamide, 20% Elastane
Size on Label: French 38, UK 10, US 6
Stretch: No
Care: Dry clean only
Condition: Excellent

Length: 90 cm (35.5 inch)
Bust: 76 cm (30 inch)
Waist: 66 cm (26 inch)
Hips: 89 cm (35 inch)