Finding Quality At Any Price - Part 3 of 4

Wheee! This week I’m going to talk about gowns. Most of us only wear them occasionally, but they feature in our dreams. When we’re invited to attend a formal event, shopping for the gown is an event in itself.

Today, I’m going to take you from a formal state event to a high school prom and I’m going to do it with gowns.

As usual, we’ll start with the high end. You’ve all heard of the big names - Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Saint Laurent - that whole generation, all of whom have taken a half-step down market since the demise or retirement of their founders.

But there are newer names, names you might not have heard of unless you’re really paying attention. One of them is a favorite of mine—Saiid Kobeisy.

I look forward to finding gowns from this label for my weekly Pinterest lineup and for the Fantasy page of this website.

Kobeisy gowns are made of the finest fabrics, usually silk, in every conceivable weight and weave. From breezy tulle and chiffon through charmeuse and mikado to jacquards and velvet, his fabrics are exceptional.

His designs lean toward opulence. He uses lush color and extravagant detailing. Most of his gowns are hand embellished. Where other designers would use sequins, Kobeisy uses glass bugle beads and crystals. Many of his gowns are fully hand embroidered in intricate floral designs or are fully beaded.

His highest end gowns are aimed at the red carpet or state occasions. They’re lavish with ball-gown skirts, capes and trains. They’re intended to attract attention and cameras. These fabulous gowns go for $15,000 to $35,000.

He also designs in more restrained silhouettes. They’re just as beautiful, in the same quality but with less volume, fewer details and fewer demands for attention. These lovely gowns run in the $7,500 - $10,000 range.

This season he has contracted with the English super retailer, Farfetch, to bring an exclusive collection of gowns that sell for $2,500-$4,000.

Next up is the mid-range. Here I’m going with a label I love - Rasario.

Rasario is the name of the label founded by Rasida Lakoba, a Russian designer with an eye toward sophistication. Most of her designs are executed in black, white and jewel toned, high quality, polyester satin. She occasionally uses silk in her higher-end numbers.

Her silhouettes are sleek and slender with complex ruching, draping and paneling. She achieves sexiness without baring extravagant amounts of skin, Her gowns are designed to flatter the female form. They’re the stuff your grown-up dreams are made of.

Rosario’s gowns are not all floor length. She also brings her talented eye to cocktail dresses, which are street length versions of her gowns - slender and elegant.

The workmanship in a Rasario gown is first rate, far beyond what you’d expect at her price point.

Cocktail Dresses run from $750, to $1,800 and Gowns from $1,500 to $3,500.

Finally, we come to the lower end of the price range for gowns and a force of nature called Mac Duggal.

Mac Duggal amazes me. My Pinterest “magazine” Gabrielle’s Amazing Fantasy Closet, features high end fashion. It’s a fantasy closet. Price is no object. I’ll show a $30,000 gown and put $30 million dollar pink diamond around your neck and never look back.

Last year, when I started my website, Gabrielle’s Amazing Fashion Closet, I decided to do a section devoted to more realistically priced fashions.

Every week I do five outfits headlined by a gown, a maxi-dress, a midi-dress, a mini-dress and some sort of pants. I always try to keep these fashions below $500, or $750 for a gown. Enter Mac Duggal.

Because I was used to shopping high end retailers, I had never encountered Mac Duggal. Was I in for an awakening! When I entered my price parameters at $500. - $750. everything I saw that I loved was from Mac Duggal.

Even now, months later, when I go to find the gown for Gabrielle’s Amazing Fashion Closet, I find 3 or 4 Mac Duggal gowns that I like for every one from some other label.

I can’t use them every week, because I’m supposed to be presenting a range of options to my followers, but I must confess that I often use a gown from another label that I like less than a Mac Duggal gown I found in the same week.

Mac Duggal is obviously a big operation, offering dozens and dozens of new gowns throughout the season. I’m sure that they have many talented young designers on staff. I’d be willing to bet that some of them will go on to have fabulous careers and labels of their own one day.

If you can name a style or silhouette, Mac Duggal has it - in several iterations. But they specialize in bouffant dream gowns, perfect for proms, weddings and other events for younger customers.

They offer a range of fabrics from tulle to taffeta and satin, often embellished with sequins or machine embroidery. As you might guess, at their price point, they work exclusively in polyester but their construction is surprisingly good.

Their price range runs from $450 to $900.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our stroll through the gowns and cocktail dresses. Next week, I’ll be looking at accessories, primarily shoes and bags.

- Gabrielle