Carla Bruni took nostalgia to a whole new level at Le Grand Dîner Du Louvre in Paris on Tuesday, wearing a piece of fashion history—literally. The former supermodel and singer stepped out in a John Galliano bias-cut Carnation dress from the Fall 1995 Dolores collection, paired with dazzling Chopard jewels.
Now, we all adore a John Galliano moment, but what makes this extra special is that Carla didn’t just pull a rare vintage piece from a well-curated archive—she originally wore this exact dress on the runway 30 years ago. Talk about a full-circle moment.
Sharing her thoughts on Instagram, Carla reflected on the passage of time with a poetic caption: “30 years separate these two photos, 30 years which passed in a second, as if nothing had happened. 30 years of happiness and difficulties, successes and failures, births and deaths, smiles and tears, but last night I wore the same dress as that day in 1995 walking the runway for @jgalliano.”
There’s something deeply moving about this—not just a dress, but a time capsule of a life well lived. The same fabric that glided down the runway in the ’90s now carries decades of memories, then worn by the same woman who made it iconic in the first place.
For those who love fashion history, Cherie Balch of Shrimpton Couture provided some fascinating insight into just how rare and technically masterful this dress is. She pointed out that this was Galliano’s final collection as an independent designer before he took the reins at Givenchy and later, Dior.
But the real magic? This dress has no seams. Yes, you read that right. The entire structure relies on the placement of the floral pattern, with the seam work hidden within the carnations. Cherie broke it down in a way that makes you truly appreciate the mind-boggling level of craftsmanship involved:
“It is completely cut on the bias and that, combined with its construction, makes it appear like magic as it drapes over the body.”
She went on to explain that the seams follow the black parts of the pattern, requiring an extraordinary level of skill to ensure that everything aligns seamlessly while working with bias-cut fabric—one of the trickiest techniques in fashion.
Essentially, this is couture sorcery. The kind of construction that very few designers could pull off then, let alone now.
Moments like this remind us why vintage fashion is so thrilling—it’s not just about wearing an old dress; it’s about the stories, the history, and in this case, the reunion of a woman with a piece of her past. And when that past is a Galliano masterpiece? It’s even more magical.
Every day is a school day, and I’m always willing to learn—especially when it involves something as extraordinary as this.
We’ve already been blessed with archive and reproduced looks looks this year—and we’re only two and a bit months in.
Stylist: Clement Lomellini.
Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images / Vogue.com
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