No longer confined to angelic and bridal, the little white dress might even be more versatile than most women’s traditional black go-to garment. Designers sent iterations of the LWD down the runway that varied from dangerously sexy (Givenchy) to perfectly minimal (Christian Dior and Lanvin).
One of the strongest statements this season came from Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton. His Victorian-inspired, long-sleeved minidress with woven black collar nods to the past, but embraces ultra-modern materials and techniques. Victoriana was also an infl uence for Erdem Moralioglu, whose broderie anglaise apron dress epitomized subversive propriety.
Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli created an exquisite cut-out dress, which is not for the faint of heart, and over at Christian Dior, Raf Simons showed a modern, minimal version paired with textured knit shoes. Folklore and boho-chic hit new heights in Clare Waight Keller’s elegant collection at Chloé, with a tailored lace shirt dress with classic written all over it. At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz elevated a basic white tee by transforming it into a beautiful long dress, accessorized with a python belt. And Riccardo Tisci brought sexy to Givenchy this season. Among this strong, take-no-prisoners show was model Cara Delevigne, stomping down the runway in a white, lace-ruffled dress and over-the-knee, black leather boots, pairing naughty and nice.