A sweetheart corset bodice over a full tulle skirt, the floral relief kept tonal and quiet — a gown that flares without ever shouting.
Free express delivery worldwide · import duties included
The Volusia is a maxi sweetheart corset-bodice fit-and-flare gown from the Iulia collection — a dress conceived in Rome for weddings, the opera and occasions that ask for more. The sweetheart corset-bodice fit-and-flare is cut from weightless chiffon that moves with you, fully lined so it reads opaque in daylight and flash alike.
Like every Hugo Caesar Tassi piece, the Volusia is finished by hand: a concealed closure, real linings, and seams sewn to last. It is offered in 1 colors from the imperial palette — Basalt — and built to be worn for years, not a single season.
| Silhouette | Sweetheart neckline, slim straps, boned corset bodice, self-tie ribbon at the natural waist, full fit-and-flare tulle skirt |
| Fabric | Fine tulle net with a tonal self-coloured floral relief |
| Length | Long, sweeping to the floor |
| Occasion | Occasion and evening — weddings, galas, after-dark events |
| Care | Spot clean or specialist dry clean, steam the tulle on low, store hung |
Cut close and boned through the corset bodice for a sculpted line, then sweeping out into a full tulle skirt that falls to the floor.
Model is 179 cm and wears size S. Available S–XXL.
The fitted bodice runs true; size up if you prefer ease across the bust. A slim self-tie ribbon settles the natural waist.
Complimentary express shipping worldwide; dispatched within 1–6 business days, import duties included. Most orders arrive in 3–6 business days.
30-day returns on unworn items with tags attached. Each piece arrives in a porphyry box with the HCT seal.
For occasion, pair the Volusia in Basalt with fine-gold jewelry and a barely-there heel. Add the Faustina silk scarf at the neck or wrist to complete the look.
Keep reading & explore the edit
Volusia™Basalt · Select size
Hugo Caesar Tassi reworked a flower-strewn gown into something far more restrained for the Iulia edit.
The bones are romantic — a sweetheart neckline, a boned corset bodice, a self-tie ribbon at the waist and a full tulle skirt that flares to the floor. What we changed is the volume of the decoration: instead of a riot of bright blooms, the florals are worked back into the cloth as a tonal black-on-black relief that you read only up close.
Finished in deep Basalt black, it reads as evening elegance rather than spectacle — the shape does the romance, the colour keeps it composed.
A sculpted bodice over yards of soft tulle — held above, weightless below.
The corset bodice is seamed and lightly boned to hold a clean line through the body, while the skirt is built from layered tulle that moves with air and light. The contrast — structure above, float below — is what gives the gown its quiet drama.
It asks for almost nothing alongside it: fine gold jewellery, soft light, and room to move.
What she said after wearing it
The boning in this sweetheart bodice does all the work for you. It cinches without digging in, stays put through dinner and dancing, and the tulle below floats every time I move. A proper grown-up gown.
Basalt reads as the deepest smoke-charcoal in daylight, not flat black, and the tonal flowers only catch when the light shifts. Restrained and lovely.
Everything about this is right, the corset bodice, the hush of tonal floral, the way the tulle drifts when I move. My only personal wish is a dedicated petite length, as I'm on the shorter side and had mine taken up a touch. Purely a me thing, the gown itself is faultless and I adore it.
I live right at the outer edge of where any courier seems willing to go, and parcels to me always crawl the final leg of the journey. This one took noticeably longer than the estimate to reach my corner of the country, which dampened the excitement a little. None of that is the gown's doing, though, it's genuinely beautiful, the corset bodice fits like it was measured to me and the tulle is dreamy. Just be patient if you're somewhere remote.
Thank you for your patience, and we're sorry the final stretch to your region took longer than it should have. Reaching every corner reliably is on us to improve, and we're reviewing our courier options for far-flung addresses so the wait matches the welcome. It means a great deal that the Volusia still won you over, sweetheart bodice and all. If we can ever help track a delivery ahead of time, write to us at contact@hctbeauty.com and we'll watch it for you.
Wore it to a winter engagement party and the skirt moved like mist whenever I walked. Light as anything, never heavy or stiff despite all that volume.
This is entirely my own miscalculation, I left the order far too late for the gala and it landed a day after I'd already gone in something borrowed. So I haven't worn it out yet. That said, trying it on at home was a real consolation, the sweetheart neckline is gorgeous on and the skirt has this soft, floating volume. It'll get its night, just not the one I planned.
We're genuinely sorry the Volusia didn't make it to you in time for your gala, that sting is real and we wish the timing had gone your way. We'd love to help you plan around your next occasion with room to spare, and if you ever need a firm arrival date, reach us at contact@hctbeauty.com and we'll do everything we can. We're so glad the fit and that floating skirt charmed you at home, here's to its proper debut.
Such a flattering shape across the chest and shoulders. It frames without exposing, and the corset seaming nips the waist in a way that genuinely improved my posture for the night.
The tulle picks up every bit of ambient light, so the pictures came out soft and luminous. The tonal floral relief gives texture up close without ever looking busy on camera.
Fully my fault, I rushed through and chose the slower shipping option without reading it, then spent the week wondering why nothing moved. It crawled in well behind what I'd hoped for. Frustrating, but on me, not them. The gown when it finally appeared is honestly stunning, the corset bodice is impeccably made and the tonal florals are so quietly pretty. I just wish I'd picked the faster method.
Thank you for being so generous about how this unfolded, the shipping choices can be easy to skim past at speed, and that's something we can make clearer at checkout. We're sorry the wait dragged on longer than you'd hoped. If you'd ever like a hand confirming the quickest route before you order, our team at contact@hctbeauty.com is happy to walk you through it. We're delighted the corset bodice and tonal florals lived up to the wait.
Honestly expected a structured gown like this to be a trial by the third hour. It wasn't. Sat for a long dinner, danced after, never once tugged or fidgeted.
At 325 it's a real investment for me, but the construction sits with pieces I've handled at double the price. The bodice alone settles the question.
She's the soloist and wanted something special without being costume-y. The tonal florals and that full skirt were perfect. She spun round the kitchen for a solid ten minutes.
It flares without ever shouting, just as the description promises. Fitted and serious up top, then this generous sweep of tulle that makes you feel like you're gliding across the room.
Slipped on smoothly with no scratch against the legs, which I half-expected from tulle. The inner construction is clean, the seams sit flat, and nothing pulls at the zip.
Twenty-five years and I wanted to feel like myself, only more so. The sweetheart shape and that hush of floral relief did exactly that. My husband went quiet, which is rare.
Full skirt, zero scratch. It holds its shape standing still and then comes alive the moment you walk. Whoever cut this understood movement.
I keep returning to this atelier and they keep earning it. This one might be the loveliest yet. The restraint in the floral work is what sells it for me.
I was nervous a floral gown would tip twee, but keeping the relief tonal was the right call. From a distance it reads as pure texture. Up close there's a whole quiet garden in it.
The corset construction gives genuine support, so I skipped fussing with straps or tugging at a neckline all night. Freeing, honestly, for a piece this dressy.
Sat somewhere lovely between bridesmaid and guest, dressy enough to honour the day, never competing with the bride. The Basalt was ideal for an autumn evening do.
Opening it was an event in itself. The gown was cradled carefully, no creasing to speak of, and the tulle sprang straight back into shape with one gentle shake.
Sent it to my sister for her fortieth and she rang me in tears, the good kind. She said the waist felt made for her. The corset shaping flatters a real figure.
On me it grazes the floor with a low heel, so the proportions read elegant rather than fussy. The bodice-to-skirt ratio is judged really well.
Zipped it up, added pearl studs, done. A gown this considered does the heavy lifting so you don't have to overthink the rest. I felt poised the whole night.
Answered by the Hugo Caesar Tassi atelier
It's fully lined and completely opaque — no slip required. Only the lightest details are very slightly sheer, by design.
True to size through the waist and skirt. The bodice is tailored, so size up if you're fuller in the bust. See the size guide for exact measurements.
Very much so — it was designed for weddings, the opera and occasions that ask for more. Basalt and the deeper tones read beautifully after dark; the lighter colors suit daytime.
Pieces that share the Basalt palette and the house line
