Little black dress Little black dress A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel and Jean Patou intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral colour. Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the "LBD". The "little black dress" is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should
Catherine Walker (fashion designer) Catherine Walker (fashion designer) Catherine Walker (27 June 1945 – 23 September 2010) was a French-born fashion designer based in London. Born Catherine Marguerite Marie-Therese Baheux in Calais, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, she was noted for having supplied over 1,000 outfits for Diana, Princess of Wales, who was buried in a black dress designed by Walker. Walker studied Aesthetics and Philosophy at the universities of Lille and Aix-en-Provence and achieved a master's degree. While studying for a PhD she moved to London and lived in Earl's Court. She became a permanent resident after marrying solicitor John Walker in 1970.