Celosia Dress: Laser Cut Chiffon Frill Midi for Resort

The Celosia Dress is made from printed chiffon that has been laser cut into thousands of small frilled pieces, layered over each other so the whole surface moves. The print is abstract, read at a distance as grey and white with flashes of colour through it. The neckline is a V at the front and a V again at the back. A tie belt draws the waist, and the skirt falls to midi length. Lined in rayon.

It was made for warm weather and daylight. A beach wedding, a garden party, a holiday, a destination celebration, the sort of day that starts at lunch and ends somewhere else. For another piece cut for the same kind of day, see the Lavandula Dress, and the rest sit in Resort Wear.

The model is 175 cm and wears the smaller of the two sizes. The dress measures 122 cm from the shoulder to the hem in S/M, which on her falls just below the knee. Full measurements are in the size guide.

What is the fabric, and how is the texture made?

Printed chiffon, cut by laser into small overlapping pieces and layered across the whole dress. Nothing is applied on top and nothing is stitched on. The texture is the fabric itself, opened up. It is why the surface catches light from every angle instead of lying flat.

Is the Celosia Dress see through?

No. Chiffon on its own is sheer, so the dress is lined in rayon underneath. The cut layers sit over that lining, which is what gives them something solid to fall against.

Can I wear it without the belt?

Yes, and the two ways look like two different dresses. Belted, the waist is defined and the skirt stands away from it. Without it, the whole thing falls straight and loose from the shoulder, which is the easier way to wear it in heat.

It comes in two sizes. Which one is mine?

S/M and L/XL. The dress is cut generously and the belt does the shaping, so most women take the smaller size and set the waist where they want it. If you are at the upper end of the range or you prefer to wear it loose and unbelted, take the larger. Send us your bust, waist and hip measurements and we will tell you which one before your order ships.

How does it move?

Constantly. Every cut piece moves on its own, so the dress lifts and settles as you walk and keeps moving for a second after you stop. It is the whole reason the piece exists and it is the one thing a photograph cannot show you.

Where does it suit?

Daylight and warm weather above all. It is a resort piece rather than a formal one, so it sits better at a beach wedding, a garden lunch or a holiday dinner than at a black tie evening. Wear it with a flat sandal through the day and a block heel after.