Dress of the Year 2009 by Antonio Berardi. Courtesy Fashion Museum, Bath
A stunning dress by Antonio Berardi has been chosen by Lucy Yeomans editor of Harper's Bazaar as Dress of the Year 2009.
Berardi's beautiful, lace-panelled black and white tromp l'oeil corset dress was worn by Gwyneth Paltrow for the premier of her film, Two Lovers, in Paris in 2008. It also featured in the designer's Spring and Summer collection last year.
"When I tried this dress on, I was amazed by the construction and the uniqueness of it," enthused Paltrow. "It was at once elegant and sexy and very, very much its own dress.
"It is one of the absolute favourite dresses I have worn and I feel so lucky that we had that evening together in Paris."
UK-based Berardi has a whole host of celebrity fans including Beyonce, Victoria Beckham. His debut catwalk featured pop princess Kylie Minogue modelling a scanty red lingerie inspired dress.
"The selection of this beautiful dress as Dress of the Year 2009 shows just how highly regarded Bath and North East Somerset Council's Fashion Museum is by the British fashion industry," said local councillor Terry Gazzard.
"We are most grateful to Lucy Yeomans and to Antonio Berardi for their generous support of the Museum, and hope that everyone in the region, both visitors and those of us who live here, will enjoy seeing this stunning dress at the Fashion Museum."
You can browse the Dress of the Year archive dating back to 1963 on the Fashion Museum website.
