The drape starts from one shoulder and ends in a slit
Everything reads along a single diagonal. Soft pleats flow from the shoulder, cross the bodice, are caught at the waist at centre front, then continue as a single pleat that runs down the skirt and opens into a slit from the knee down. The rest of the dress is deliberately plain: wide round neckline, sleeveless, plain back. It's a long black dress that needs only one line to exist.
Wearing Experience
- A bloused bodice without gaping: the drape is sewn into the waist seam, it cannot open at the neckline when you bend forward
- An invisible elasticated waist: the elastic is caught in the waist seam and covered by the bloused section: you feel it, you don't see it
- A slit that follows your stride: it opens from the knee to the hem, in line with the pleat: when standing still it closes by itself
- A crepe that doesn't cling: the viscose is matte, cool and slightly textured; it glides over tights without crackling
Craftsmanship & Material
Composition: 100% viscose, in crepe weave. Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre, obtained from wood pulp: it absorbs moisture like cotton and drapes like silk, which explains the visible weight of this skirt. The crepe comes from highly twisted yarns which, once woven and washed, shrink and create this matte, slightly textured surface. A viscose satin would catch light on every pleat; the crepe absorbs it, and the black remains deep from shoulder to hem.
The asymmetrical drape is structured rather than simply gathered: the pleats are formed at the shoulder, positioned on the bias, then held in place by the centre front waist seam. This anchor point is everything: the fabric is tensioned between two fixation points, so the pleat keeps its direction when you move, instead of collapsing like a free drape. The slit follows exactly the same axis, so when standing still it disappears into the pleat. Our comparison viscose or polyester shows why this drape cannot be achieved with a synthetic fibre.
Styling Tips
- Fine-heeled sandals and a gold cuff at the wrist, hair worn up to let the wide neckline take centre stage.
- Block-heeled boots and a long straight coat from mid-season onwards: the slit remains visible under the open coat.
- A short fitted blazer on top, ending at the waist and leaving the drape visible in the opening.
It joins the other pieces in our long dresses collection.
In the same viscose crepe, the black A-line midi skirt with shoulder drape pleat takes up the idea of a single pleat caught at the waist.
Caring for Your Piece
Hand wash at 30°C, inside out, without wringing. No bleach, no tumble drying. Viscose loses some of its strength when wet: do not hang it heavy with water, press it in a towel then dry it flat or on a wide hanger once almost dry, otherwise the skirt will stretch under its own weight. Iron on low heat inside out, following the direction of the drape pleats without flattening them.
