• The pair behind the La Mendola label met in Rome in 1960 and started their business making dresses and selling them one by one, piece by piece. In 1967 they opened a shop. They soon had a Hollywood following and mega stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth become regular clients who were buying and even wait-listing for pieces as they were produced. They made all of the pieces in their ateliers and designed their own prints. Clients would be sent swatches of the season's available prints and then they would place their orders. They were highly sought after by the jet set crowd. Their pieces travelled extremely well and the colours they used were beautiful. Their atelier closed in 1974.
• In the past I had one of their dresses come into the shop and the original owner of that dress had kept the fabric swatch options for the 1972 season along with her correspondence with the atelier. They named all of their prints. I kept a digital copy of it which I have added here and it is very similar to the green turquoise print in those swatches.
• The fabric that they used for their pieces were very high end chiffons and jerseys and this dress is made from one of those silk jerseys combined with a hand beaded silk chiffon.
• These fabrics were prized for their ability to take colour and print and the jumpsuit is as bright and vibrant as when it was first made. 
• This was almost certainly a custom piece and is most likely a one-of-a-kind.
• The green and blues used in the print are gorgeous and it is even better in person then how it photoed.
• At first glance you appear to be wearing a dress but it does actually have a jumpsuit underneath that top overlay.
• Everything falls from one shoulder which leaves the other shoulder bare. There is a long sleeve on one side and the sleeve is made out of a silk chiffon. The entire sleeve is been hand covered in beads.
• The overlay is attached around the neck and has an opening for the sleeve to come out of and then it falls over the inner jumpsuit all the way to the floor. It is split on both sides so that when you walk you really see the legs of the jumpsuit underneath.
• The overlay is made out of two layers of silk chiffon printed in the same fabric as the rest of the piece and then the outer layer is completely hand beaded. The beading is dense and covers the entire overlay. It would be astonishing to know how many hours this took.
• The jumpsuit underneath has a simple cut that skims over you and goes past the waist and over the hips. The pant legs widen out as they near their hem and each is a full 28" around the bottom hem.
• The inner jumpsuit is made out of a silk jersey that has some stretch, so it is very comfortable and easy to wear
• Unlined and both the inner jumpsuit and the outer overlay close with their own zippers. There is also a zipper at the cuff of the sleeve.
• Hand finished throughout. Tagged a vintage La Mendela 8. The measurements given are the comfortable stretch when laid out flat. The photo of the swatches is from that previous dress. The actual swatch card is not included. 
• There is the occasional bead missing here and there but overall excellent condition.

Sleeve: 24" and is 11" around the upper arm
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to hem
Inseam: 32"
Torso: 29" from top of shoulder to inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5105

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