Luisa, Marchesa Casati Stampa di Soncino, “Light” costume, Charles Frederick Worth, 1890

" “I want to be a living work of art.”
—Marchesa Luisa Casati
In a dazzling confection of diamond net and silver fringe, Italy’s wealthiest heiress, Marchesa Luisa Casati, personified “light” at a fancy-dress ball in 1890. Her ensemble, a collaboration with couturier Charles Frederick Worth, was completed with a giant corona of golden feathers, a towering diamond tiara, and a swarm of embroidered stars. It’s hardly surprising that the marchesa has since become one of fashion’s favorite muses — inspiring Dior’s 1998 spring couture collection, Chanel’s 2010 resort collection, and Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s label."

source: http://nymag.com/thecut...