Exquisite 1970s Mary McFadden Back & Front Plunging Mint Green Pleated Dress

Mary McFadden patented her Fortuny inspired pleating technique just a couple of years after launching her label in 1973. By the eighties she had many licensing agreements and her dresses were being made on a larger scale. Earlier pieces like this one had much of the work in them finished by hand and were done in house. She called her pleated fabric 'marii' after her own name. She went around the world to source the fabric she wanted and her pieces need up being made out of a synthetic charmeuse that she sourced from Australia. The fabric was then sent to Japan to be hand-dyed and the pleating technique was done by a machine press in the United States. Mary was known to say frequently that there was no greater beauty than pleated cloth on the human body and she said then when she developed her 'marii' fabric her aim was to have it 'fall like liquid gold on the body, like Chinese silk.' The label on this dress pre-dates the mass production of her garments and I have included a photo of the inner seam where you can see that it was hand finished. 

This dress is made from a beautiful mint green silk feeling synthetic that has been pleated in McFadden's signature pleating technique. The construction of this dress hearkens back to ancient Greece. The pleating gives it the comfort of a bias cut and it is very sexy while still feeling refined with that gorgeous spring colour offsetting all the skin that it shows. It has an extremely deep plunge at both the front and back. It is literally cut to the waist and the panels of fabric that cover the breast and back are set with a gap between them so the plunge takes centre stage on both sides. The skirt falls to the floor from the waist seam and ends in an overlapping hem to give it an extra bit of detailing and movement. It is very long which is a rare thing to find in her dresses . As she progressed in her career she preferred to design pieces that ended at the ankle so you could see the shoe underneath so the full length pieces are a bit rarer. The dress comes with its original extra extra long braided belt that was another of Mary's signatures. This one is spectacular with a thick braided finish and long dangling ends. You can wrap and tie in a ton of different ways. I have wrapped and photoed a few ways and you can see the versatility that the belt adds. It is beautiful and a rare example of her earlier work. Excellent condition

Unlined through the bodice and closes with a series of hook and hand set snaps up the side of the dress. The skirt is lined in a silk organza and all the inner edges are hand finished. The waist has no stretch. The belt is original to the dress and in excellent condition and is just over 11 1/2 feet long. 

Bust: approx to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 47" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3618

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.