(Two) Frocks of the Week

When I saw that both Hilary Swank and Carey Mulligan wore Vionnet on the red-carpet this week, my ears pricked up because I thought the house of Vionnet - run by the revered couturier Madeleine Vionnet, who is credited with inventing the bias cut - closed down decades ago. Little did I know that the House was bought and reignited back in the late eighties, only to go through many different owners and designers since, with nothing seeming to stick.

This year it was bought by Matteo Marzotto, who used to own Valentino (and who features heavily in the doco The Last Emperor). He has appointed Rodolfo Paglialunga, formerly of Prada, as head designer, and these two luscious dresses - significant nods to their namesake - are from his first collection.

And now how about the real thing ...