Woman in a sleeveless burgundy satin dress with a black sash panel and leather skirt panel leaning on a sculptor's table

in situ: Burgundy draped satin dress with black leather panels

in motion: Burgundy draped satin dress with black leather panels

Satin and slip · Spring · Summer · Autumn

Burgundy draped satin dress with black leather panels

A sleeveless burgundy satin dress folded into a high draped neck, with a black satin sash, a waist cut-out and a leather-panelled skirt.

The dress is burgundy satin, sleeveless, with a high neck folded over itself into a soft, sculpted drape. A wide black satin panel crosses the bodice from the shoulder to the hip like a sash, and a narrow cut-out opens at one side of the waist. Below a black band, the skirt is cut in angled pieces with a black leather panel set down the front and a high slit at the leg, finishing below the knee.

It is a dinner dress that holds up in hard daylight, which is a rarer quality than it sounds. Wear it from spring into autumn with a black pointed heel or a strappy sandal, the hair long and straight, the black watch and beaded bracelet. The leather panel keeps the satin from looking too polished; leave it to do that job on its own.

The studio smelled of plaster and turpentine. I approved of both.