Carolyn Enting, editor, and award-winning feature writer describes this as a "dress I can't part with". This Trelise Cooper black satin cocktail dress from 2005 is a quintessential LBD, and was worn to a NZFW opening, as well as Australian Fashion Week, where she recalls garnering a lot of attention from designers at the event. 

The following is Carolyn's personal recollection:

"I bought this Trelise Cooper LBD from Unity Collection, Wellington. The first time I wore this dress was to the official opening party for New Zealand Fashion Week, Auckland in 2005. I recall it making a huge impression. Several high-profile designers exclaimed admiringly over it at the party including Tanya Carlson, Denise L’Estrange Corbet, Elisabeth Findlay and Helen Cherry. All were astounded it was a Trelise Cooper dress as she is best known for her big tulle underskirts and fru fru designs. Trelise was delighted I was wearing it and at the reaction it caused. I wore it again to a cocktail party hosted by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise at the State Theatre, Sydney on Anzac Day, May 2006. The event was celebrating a decade of involvement with Mercedes Australian Fashion Week. I’m pictured wearing the dress in The Dominion Post’s RSVP social pages with WORLD’s Benny Castles and Denise L’Estrange-Corbet. The other photograph is me with the Sabatini crew including Margie Milich, her husband Allan McPherson, daughter Danielle Milich and far right, Alex Dedich. On both occasions I was there in my capacity as the fashion editor of The Dominion Post."

This was a favourite for many other social gatherings, with its classic styling reminiscent of classic cocktail dresses of the 1960s, featuring a voluminous ruffle as a shelf bust detail, contrasting with an otherwise fitted and slim silhouette. This was often paired with a Laurie Foon black satin jacket (pictured).

The NZFM photographed this dress and jacket at our Popup photography session in October 2024 which was part of our Hui Auaha o Aotearoa Open Day.