Perhaps the most famous of all little black dresses was the one worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Created by French couture designer (and good friend of Hepburn’s) Hubert de Givenchy, the petite robe noire (little black dress, or LBD) attained such iconic status from the film that today it’s almost its own fashion category. Of course, Coco Chanel also deserves credit for the timeless and classy look when she brought forth LBDs in the 1920’s.
A propos, a new fashion exhibition just opened in Paris last week at the Mona Bismarck American Center for Art and Culture celebrating this special piece of female attire. Entitled “Little Black Dress,” the show traces the historical and current significance of the ‘singular sartorial phenomenon.’ Approximately 50 black dresses from designer collections and closets of best dressed awardees are showcased until September 22, 2014. Interestingly, the exhibition was organized by the Savannah College of Art & Design and Vogue contributing editor André Leon Talley and was first shown in Savannah last fall.
Exhibition poster courtesy of the Mona Bismarck Center/SCAD
Evidemment (clearly), the little black dress is not new news to luxury vintage specialist Didier Ludot who first opened his landmark boutique in Paris in 1975. Located in the elegant Palais Royal on the Right Bank, Ludot’s ‘fashion gallery’ features vintage couture clothing and accessories of stunning quality and condition. And long ago, he realized the fashion potential of the LBD, selling vintage versions to fashionistas wanting that inimitable Holly Golightly look.
When the classic LBD went mainstream and demand for the dresses increased, Ludot began creating new versions of the LBD based on vintage designs. Today, he has two boutiques in Paris – the vintage couture shop as well as his “La Petite Robe Noire” which sells the new black dresses. I treated myself to one of these new petites robes noires a few years ago and it remains one of my favorite clothing items of all time.
Never one to be left out of the current fashion conversation, Ludot has put on a temporary fashion exhibition this month to coincide with Paris fashion week. In his Palais Royal space, he pays tribute to French couture designer Anne-Valérie Hash with “Envers Endroit,” or “Inside Out Right Side Out.” On view until July 20, the exhibition highlights the cut, color and design of Anne-Valérie Hash’s fashion pieces as well as the couture techniques used to produce them. As a complement to the exhibition, Ludot has opened an Anne-Valérie Hash pop-up boutique (en français, ‘une boutique éphémère’) at La Petite Robe Noire for the duration of the show.
All that to say, if you are a fan of great French couture, you’ll want to make a beeline for Paris between now and September to see “Little Black Dress.” And I would also recommend stopping by Ludot’s “La Petite Robe Noire” shop in the Palais Royal. These days, it would be hard to find a fashionable Parisienne who didn’t mention ‘black dress’ and ‘Ludot’ in the same breath!
Exposition “Little Black Dress”
Mona Bismarck American Center for Arts and Culture
34 Avenue de New York, 75116 Paris
Didier Ludot
24 Galerie Montpensier
Jardin du Palais Royal, 75001 Paris
Didier Ludot’s “La Petite Robe Noire”
125 Galerie Valois
Jardin du Palais Royal, 75001 Paris
French Take-Out ~ La France à emporter
For a taste of little black dresses without going to Paris, you might want to check out the book The Little Black Dress: Vintage Treasure published by Assouline in 2001. In it, Didier Ludot chronicles in words and photos the remarkable fashion journey of the LBD. Stateside, the book is available at Assouline boutiques in New York and California as well as online.
There is also a catalogue for the current "Little Black Dress" exhibition. It is available online at amazon.com.
And in 2009, French perfume maker Guerlain created a fragrance called – you guessed it – "La Petite Robe Noire," “The Little Black Dress.” In the U.S., it is available online at Sephora and occasionally at some department stores.