Don't get me wrong–The Lagerfeld Must Still Be Stopped, but there's one point of redemption on this dress. Can you guess what it is?
Yes! The midriff band! (Okay, and possibly the round collar). Take away the godawful puffed sleeves and what can only be described as a shoulder peplum; remove (with a plastic fast-food knife if there's nothing else to hand) the apron detail and the ruffles on the skirt, and concentrate seeing a dress with that ruched midriff band and deep front slash. You could even leave it in that fabric, it's not at all bad, although I don't know if I would pair it with those sandals (and I even have a pair much like those!).
In my fantasy/theory, some design assistant at Fendi put together the dress I describe above, with simple cap sleeves, maybe, and the Lagerfeld swooped in, clanking (as he does, with all that extraneous metal, god forbid you're ever behind him in an airport security line) and says "Not enough random fug! My god, have I taught you all NOTHING!" and then he proceeds to add crap until the good dress underneath is completely obscured.
Of course, this is all pure speculation mixed with not enough sleep (and truly terrible dreams) on my part. Perhaps there was even more fug on this dress (although where you could put it, I have no idea) and the Lagerfeld, he used his weird sharp rings to pare it away. But I doubt it.
A Dress A Day 
I agree the midriff band rocks totally. But you know what this ensemble needs? Some red accents. I could lend this whisper thin girl my cherry Martinez Valero 40s-style platform shoes. As long as she returned them by midnight. Hah!
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That dress is being featured in W! And I agree with the red accents.
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Oh boy call me a lover of fug then but I love every inch of that dress! Well I would love it more if the pattern was not what it is, and if it had some fun button or two or three in the right places…but I can’t say that I could pull off all that frill myself.I do hate the black dress he did with the white neckbrace attatched. Maybe there is hope for me yet…
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The shoulder peplum, is, I believe, called a “bertha” in less ugly dresses. In this one, though, it looks more like Bertha Venation. I don’t mind a tablier effect, when done well. This isn’t necessarily it, though, either. From what I can see of it, though, I do like the fabric.
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Bertha collar! That’s right. Although most of those start from the neck opening, right? I will have to (gasp) look it up …
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“Bertha Venation.” Thank you, la belladonna, that just about made my day.I do love Bertha collars on sleek 1930s dresses — it is, alas, yet another style totally unsuitable for my body type. :(~Madelene
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sign her up for the “tie one on”apron challenge…. then tie her up and send her away…
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