HE MOST SUMPTUOUS evening gowns designers had to offer for the spring '05 season were on display at a recent charity ball luncheon recently held at Saks Fifth Avenue in tiny Greenwich, Conn. The 25 members of the Bruce Museum's Kaleidescope Ball committee oohed and aahed over the exquisite gowns the Saks couture team culled from their top stores around the country.
   Greenwich couture manager, Theresa Walsh, shared interesting tidbits about some of the gowns as a model tried-on and displayed the ladies' favourites. ‘Did you know,’ she asked the gathering, ‘that Nicole Kidman wore this black velvet gown in the now famous “paparazzi” Chanel No. 5 TV spot?’ Everyone loved the dangerously low-cut back on the “Nicole gown” but colour, and bright colour at that, won the day.
   The gowns that generated the most excitement were the Bill Blass "kaleidescope" gown, which sold that very afternoon to one of the committee chairs, and a Vera Wang stunner in emerald green chiffon that Ms Walsh accessorized with matching Manolo Blahnik strappy stilettos. Other favourites were Robert Danes' turquoise bias gown and Oscar de la Renta's flounced "snow white" and coral affair. The winner though, was a coral silk jersey column dress by Yigal Azoural that Grace Kelly herself would have loved. •

Vivian Galtier Kelly is features editor-at-large for Lucire.

INSET: The Chanel No. 5 gown as worn by Nicole Kidman. TOP RIGHT: Nicole Kidman in her Chanel No. 5 advertisement. CENTRE RIGHT: Vera Wang. BELOW RIGHT: Oscar de la Renta.