Mariana | Sleeveless Maxi Dress with Side Slits & Pockets

There's a maxi dress that works for a beach dinner and one that works for a city evening — the Mariana works for both. The color-block construction splits the dress vertically: a solid front panel in a saturated shade, white panels at the sides that become visible as the fabric moves and the slits open. Sleeveless, floor-length, pockets. The kind of dress that looks like a considered choice even when it was the only thing you packed.

"What I love about the Mariana is how the white side panels work. Standing still, it reads as a solid maxi. Walking, the slits open and the white comes through — and suddenly there's movement and contrast in a dress that has no embellishment whatsoever. That's good design. It's doing more than it looks like it's doing." — Sarah Mitchell, Founder of Valora New York

✔ Vertical Color-Block Construction — a solid-color front panel with contrasting white side inserts that create a two-tone effect as the dress moves. The design detail that makes a sleeveless maxi look architectural rather than plain.

✔ Deep Side Slits — high slits on both sides that open the white panels with movement, adding visual interest and practical ease for walking. The cut that makes this dress work as well in motion as it does standing still.

✔ Halter-Style Round Neckline — a clean, high round neck with racerback-style straps that frame the shoulders and keep the top in place without a strap or tie. The neckline that works with a long pendant and nothing else.

✔ A-Line Floor-Length Silhouette — a relaxed, flowing skirt that falls from a fitted upper body to the ankle in a gentle A-line. The shape that flatters without structure and moves freely in warm weather.

✔ Side Pockets — deep, functional pockets set within the side seams that sit flush and don't disrupt the color-block line.

✔ Five Colorways — navy/white, burgundy/white, grey/white, black/white, yellow/white. Every version uses the same white contrast panel — the saturated front color is what changes the entire mood of the dress.

Solid front. White sides. The maxi that moves better than it stands still