Hand-Embroidered Black Butterfly Silk Velvet Evening Dress

As seen inBritish Vogue · Tatler · Grazia

Made to order. Each Velvet Atelier piece is hand-embroidered in Vietnam and produced in very small numbers. Your order will be with you within 3 weeks, including UK delivery time — order confirmation sent by email within 24 hours.

A few butterflies, caught mid-flight and held in thread — the Butterfly dress turns a quiet black velvet column into something that looks ready to lift.

Cut from black silk velvet, the Butterfly has the clean lines of a classic evening dress: a rounded neckline, a sleeveless cut and a body that follows the figure to a full maxi length.

What sets it apart is the embroidery. A flight of butterflies rises diagonally across the front, each one worked entirely by hand — wings shaded from palest blush to deep rose, warm copper and soft cream, with fine antennae and delicate markings picked out stitch by stitch. They climb in scale as they ascend, the largest at the waist, the smallest drifting toward the shoulder.

Against the matte depth of the velvet, the pale wings seem almost lit. It is a dress with a sense of movement built quietly into it.

Styling. Gold earrings or a fine pearl drop; a sleek heel; hair away from the face to keep the neckline clean. Add a velvet or silk wrap for cooler evenings.

Craftsmanship. Each Velvet Atelier dress is hand-embroidered in Vietnam by heritage artisan makers. Every butterfly is shaded and stitched individually, so the flight is never quite the same twice. Produced in a very limited run.

Occasion. Evening events, dinners, gallery openings, summer and autumn weddings, and celebrations that call for something graceful and a little unexpected.

• Fabric: Black silk velvet with a deep, light-catching pile.
• Embroidery: Hand-embroidered flight of butterflies in blush, rose, copper and cream, rising across the front; each butterfly individually shaded.
• Silhouette: Sleeveless dress with a rounded neckline, fitted through the body to a full maxi length.
• Fit: Follows the figure. Available in UK sizes 8, 10, 12 and 14.
• Occasion: Eveningwear, weddings, dinners and celebrations.
• Handmade: Hand-embroidered in Vietnam in a very limited run; each piece subtly unique.
• Care: Specialist dry clean only. Store on a padded hanger away from sunlight; steam gently to refresh the pile.