Dalia: Red-Carpet Looks at Great Prices
Originally launched 10 years ago, Los Angeles–based gown line Dalia recently relaunched with new designs and fabrications. “I believe a beautiful gown is to the body what poetry is to paper,” said Dalia MacPhee, the line’s owner and designer. “Second, I really believe there is a need for great style, fit and attractive pricing in the dress market, and I feel I have a true talent for bringing those three things to the table. Third, I figured if it didn’t work out, I’d have a closet full of great dresses.”
MacPhee grew up in the fashion industry, with parents who owned a chain of retail stores and a clothing manufacturer in Canada. She said that from the age of 6 months, her parents took her on every single business trip, from New York to Europe. “Needless to say, I got an invaluable education [in] many aspects of the fashion world.”
With a clear focus on providing great style at moderate price points, Dalia makes frocks from satin, silk, chiffon, silk taffeta and lace with delicate touches of embellishment. Normal production typically takes two months, and while some styles are made in limited quantities, most are regular production. Wholesale prices start at $79 and go up to $199.
Buyers will find strapless, halter, one-shoulder and spaghetti-strap silhouettes, each with an undeniably glamorous vibe. Produced both domestically and overseas, the dresses utilize fabrics that are imported from all over world, including Italy, Germany, France, Japan and Israel. MacPhee does carry over some styles in new colors, which she considers to be the “back by popular demand” dresses, but each season she offers at least 40 new styles. “Fashion is ever-changing, so we have to keep it fresh,” she said.
For Fall 2008, MacPhee selected a palette of basic black, gray, violet, red, royal, olive and rich prints. She says her new collection is “a feast for the eyes in terms of rich colors and silhouettes, hand-painted silks and two-tone chiffons that look more like wearable art in an amazing array of short cocktail dresses and long, flowing goddess dresses.”
With a studio in the heart of the celebrity shopping scene near Robertson Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, MacPhee enjoys being able to see what’s going on in the Los Angeles fashion market. She also draws inspiration from upcoming trends, art and vintage designs. For her latest collection, she focused on creating “stunning dresses that any woman could wear” by offering an ample assortment of styles sized from 2 to 18.
“It’s one thing to wear a gown that makes other people see you as beautiful, but when you wear a gown that makes you see yourself as beautiful, something quite amazing happens,” she said.
Next up, MacPhee will launch a day-dress division for the brand in June, and the designer said, at some point, she’d also love to come out with a perfume. “I think it would really complement the gowns,” she said. “And if it doesn’t work out, I guess I’ll be smelling good for a long time.”
For more information, visit www.daliaonline.com. —Dena Smolek
