Fall 1982 Mary McFadden Purple Pleated Dress w Elaborate Beaded Gold Cord Shoulder Sold Archive The tulle on the bodice

The tulle on the bodice has a floral design worked into it that subtly peeks out and then the tulle under the body and skirt of the dress has a tinier floral pattern

And a shorter version of this dress was also shown on the runway and one was worn by Audrey Hepburn as well

It a fabulous set and having four pieces makes it so versatile

There is an inverted fold set to each side at the front and back and this gives the skirt just a touch more volume

Fall 1982 Mary McFadden Purple Pleated Dress w Elaborate Beaded Gold Cord Shoulder Sold Archive The tulle on the bodiceMary 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. 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