Dress, embroidered with blue flowers and appliqué daisies, Jacques Heim Jeunes Filles, 1966

Organza cocktail dress embroidered with flowers and appliqué white daisies with centre-back opening of covered embroidered daisies and short sleeves.

Given by Jill Ritblat

This dress was commissioned for Jill Ritblat's engagement party. The vendeuse at Jacques Heim at this time was Madame Martineau, who went on to work at Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche in 1967, becoming a close friend of Jill Ritblat's for 30 years. Jill Ritblat said:

"I don't remember shopping for the dress at Heim, but i do remember the material which was of the moment; that lace thing which was quite romantic, but also very kind of modern, with a sharp element. I do vaguely remember that it was a salon.

The engagement party was at my parent's home in Hampstead. It was a big party. I was marrying a Frenchman (Elie Zilkha), so that created quite the excitement. I wore the dress with a beautiful pair of little flat pumps from René Mancini, which sadly were stolen. I remember seeing a photograph later on which showed Paloma Picasso wearing the same dress.

I must have worn this dress again. Couture sums up a kind of vision of extraordinary glamour and luxury with extraordinary people in an elevated world. Sometimes the places you wear these things to, they're not the grand events or balls of ones dreams, but turn out to be just a nice cocktail party in Paris or London.

Mme Martineau always looked after me after I went to St Laurent when Rive Gauche opened. She was so chic. Her style was the crisp perfection of getting it right in the spirit of the moment, and she encapsulated what was best. There were different ways of wearing St Laurent; there was safe and predictable and then there was the slightly subversive way that was a bit rebellious. Mme Martineau had the way of putting things together, the artistry of 'getting it right'."

(Added by DMC, 21/07/2017)

made for Jacques Heim's Jeune Filles label

Reason For Production: Retail

T.548-2000