emanuel ungaro
Documented Spring 1988 Emanuel Ungaro Pale Yellow Silk Taffeta Strapless Dress w Floral Print
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Emanuel Ungaro launched his label in 1965 after stints at both Balenciaga and Courreges. He was a brilliant designer who was known for his extravagant fabrics and flamboyance. He often participated in the design and execution of new fabrics and for him the design process started there. His work always has a sense of exuberance and joy to it and he mixed fabric and prints with a master's eye. When hunting for the date of this dress we found its twin shot on none other than Linda Evangelista for US Vogue. I think that for the shot they just separated the skirt pleating so that it poufed up and around her and then styled it to hold the skirt that way by adding the flower underneath. If it is not the twin of this dress it is a very near version but I really think its is the same dress that has been styled for this specific shot.
The fabric and colour of this dress are fantastic and no matter how great it looks in the photos you will love it even more in person. It is made out of a pale yellow silk that has that gorgeous pale turquoise floral design worked into the silk. The fabric is light in weight and despite the elaborate construction of the dress is not at all heavy once it is on the body. There is light boning the inside dress for structure to give you support so that despite the lightness of the fabric the intended shape is held perfectly in place. The strapless bodice is cut across the neckline and the bodice is meant to hug the body. It is elaborately gathered and fitted around the bust and body with a series of soft gathered folds that angle in towards the side that zippers. These folds that emphasized the curves of the body were a signature of his and really made his pieces flattering once on. The seam where the skirting starts is set on a slight angle and then the skirt itself is a double layer stacked on top of each other of soft gathers set all the way around you. Under both those laters is a more fitted layer that extends down from the bodice. The poured parts of the skirt have what feels like a layer of tulle inside them that help to create the shape that you see. It is gorgeous and appears to have been worn very little if at all. An amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a pale yellow silk and closes with a side set zipper. The interior of the bodice is boned for support. Tagged an Ungaro vintage 6. It appears to have never been worn, or worn very little.
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4502
Reference Photo: Linda Evangelista, in Spring 1988 Emanuel Ungaro, photographed by Peter Lindbergh. US Vogue, December 1987.
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lanvin
Gorgeous 2014 Lanvin by Alber Elbaz Deep Green & Navy Silk Striped Sarong Dress w Tie Halter
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This gorgeous dress is from the Spring 2014 collection. It was not a runway piece but it was not unusual for other pieces to be produced for retail by the brand. From his very first collection for the Fall of 2002, Alber brought a beautiful silhouette to the house that was flattering to women but still was very easy to wear. As good as it looks on my dress form it is even better on an actual body that will give it shape. It is a really beautiful dress and it has the added provenance of being worn by Rihanna that season. Those pictures along show you just how gorgeous the dress is once on the body.
The dress is gorgeous and I love the deep ocean feeling colours of it. The dress is made from a feather light bias cut silk. Think scarf weight silk. The bodice is strapless with an attached tie at the centre that ties up and around the neck to hold it in place. The dress skims over the body from there to the hem. Under the tie the silk is gathered for a bit of shade between the breasts and the ties are wide and long panels in the same silk as the rest of the dress. This gathering detail at the front gives it a bit of visual interest and keeps the dress feeling soft and romantic while still being on the more minimalist side. The silk is gathered in softly under that and then falls to the floor in a sheath of fabric all the way to the hem. Your back is left bare and I love how the back just drapes down in a curve. It is so pretty and sexy at the same tine. The dress just falls easy and free over the body so it is easy to wear. I slit runs up the front so when you walk, move or sit you get a flash of leg. This was his way of adding a little bit of sexiness to the dress but in a very Alber kind of way. It is so fabulous. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Unlined and slips on to wear and ties into place around the neck. No other closures. It has lots of drape and give since it is bias cut so was hard to measure so I have given the range below, It is meant just be suspended front he halter, The smaller you are the more it will drape and curve lower at the back. The colour is slightly lighter in person. The silk has some natural variations in colour and I see some minor marks near the hem. The back seam shows a little bit of stress to it near the top edge. Please see the photo after the label shot.
The seam across the top is 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from strapless bodice to back hem
Slit: 2" from shortest point of front hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4501
Reference Photos: Rihanna, 2014.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
john anthony
Early 2000s John Anthony Couture One Off Single Sleeve Jersey Dress w Full Open Side & Bow Detail
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John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to have this one in the shop.
This dress is amazing though difficult to truly convey on the dress form. It is absolutely one of those dresses that will only truly come to life when on the body. It is made from a light black wool stretch jersey that allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight every curve. The fabric choice also allows a touch of extra coverage so if you chose to go more bare underneath it would not be see through. The dress shows off your curves while still feeling unbelievably comfortable once on. The bodice has a beautiful and sensual feel as it glides over the bodice and then extends down to the one single long sleeve. The sleeve is cut long and depending on your arm length will bunch up slightly at the wrist for a pretty bit of subtle detail. The neck is scooped and high and the dress falls from there to the floor. It skims over the bust, waist and hips in a beautiful sleek column of jet black jersey. It is cut supermodel long in length. At the very top of the shoulder the fabric extends out into ties. You can do a more prominent bow there like I have done for these photos, or tie it towards the back and have the ties hang down the back. Then, in stark contrast to the full coverage the dress has, one full side of the dress has been fully slit open from under the arm to the hem. To keep the dress on you there are a series of attached flat black bows made of the same fabric. These run from under your arm to the base of the hips with the two sides of the dress secured in pace with those bows. This leaves full bare skin between the bows. There is also an extra high slit on that same side that runs almost to the final bow. It is just incredible and so sexy once on the body. I really cannot tell you to trust me enough on this one because it does not come anywhere close on the dress form to what it will look like on the body. It is insanely sexy and fabulous. Made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.
Unlined and slips on to wear with a tie at the top of the neck. The bows down the side are attached and sewn into place. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished. The fabric does have stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.
Sleeve: approx 25" with no true shoulder seam
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 66" from neck to hem
Slit: 31" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4494
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vivienne westwood
Limited Edition 2012 Vivienne Westwood Red Carpet Capsule Collection Silver Sequin Strapless Dress
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This incredible 2012 Vivienne Westwood dress was a celebrity favourite that season and beyond and for good reason. It is stunning on the body. Its twin walked the special Queen Jubilee runway show, Diane Kruger wore a brighter, more silver sequin version of it and Amy Adams, Natasha Poonawala and Lotta Kaijarvi all wore the twin or versions of the one I have here on various red carpets both that year and in years since. This was a dress that was a part of a special capsule collection - the Vivienne Westwood’s Red Carpet Capsule Collection - that was created in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Between its limited edition production and extensive red carpet provenance this is a fantastically collectible dress that is also extremely beautiful.
This is classic Westwood and given the event is was created for that is of no surprise. The dress is strapless with a flat, stiffened and boned front corset panel and bonng along the sides. The fabric is draped over that and peaked at the front on either side. This is Westwood to the core and it is stunning to see. The waist is nipped in under that and then the dress glides over the hips and falls to the floor. The fabric has been draped and swept up over the dress as it falls to create the beautiful draping and folds that you see. I love how one side of the skirt is swept up and stitched into place. A high slit is hidden under the folds of the skirt where it sweeps up and when you ask or sit you get a fantastic length of bare leg as you see in many of the reference photos. The fabric itself is gorgeous. It is entirely covered in thousand of tiny matte silver sequins that are laid out flat side by side so that the fabric has an almost liquid feel to it. There is a pattern in white that is on the silk underneath that adds the way the light catches the dress and it gives the dress more depth and texture. It is fantastic and a very special piece. This would make an amazing wedding dress for a bride or could be an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any fabulous and glamourous event. Excellent condition wth a minor note below.
The corset is lined in a blue print fabric and is boned through the front and back. The front and back panels are stiffened to hold the shape and the sides are a stretch netting. It closes with a back zipper to the waist and then a second zipper is set angled to follow a seam under that at the back. I see a light spot on the inner corset and that goes through to the sequins that lay inside the folds at the front. You see them if you spread out the fabric and look but it cannot be seen at all when on as they are in the folds. Slight grubbiness/faint marks to the edge of the hem and inner lining. Tagged a US12 UK 14 and has both a British Flag label and the Gold label.
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17- 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 49" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4491
Reference Photos: (1) Vivienne Westwood Red Carpet Collection on show at Tokyo's British Embassy. / (2) Diane Kruger in Vivienne Westwood at the “Amour” premiere, Cannes Film Festival 2012. / (3) Amy Adams in Vivienne Westwood at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. / (4) 19 Natasha Poonawala in Vivienne Westwood, 2015. / (5-6) Lotta Kaijärvi in Vivienne Westwood at the amfAR Gala 2019.
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This is an extraordinary example of the Haute Couture work that the Versace Atelier is capable of. A statement on their website reads ‘With exceptional attention to detail, every Atelier Versace garment is handmade by skilled Sarte—dressmakers—for a finish that is superbly intricate and bespoke to the wearer.’ And that quickly sums up the ideal that is the foundation of this dress. After much research, I believe it to be from in or around 1995. The detailing on the bust is extremely similar to the iconic pieces that he did for the Spring 1995 show. It would be the only one of its kind being that it is a piece from the Atelier. Every inch of the dress is completely made by hand and the beading alone would have taken hundreds of hours. It is very beautiful and a work of art. It is the type of thing something that you would rarely see outside of a museum if you were not an existing Haute Couture client.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful dress. The workmanship and detail on this surpasses almost every piece that I have seen in person to date. The dress is suspended from two tiny silk straps that curve up and over the shoulder. The bust is detailed with silk cups that are topstitched and have an inner padding which is how their shape has been created. Inside the bodice there is a full hand made corset that has wired and hand padded cups, light boning and is made from a fine stretch netting. This is attached by hand around the inner upper edge and is what holds the dress perfectly in place on the body. The base of the dress is a silk that has a touch of transparency to it. The waist is nipped in by hidden vertical seaming and then it skims over the hips to the floor widening out as it nears the hem. The back trails out behind you a touch and the hem there is finished in a points that pick up on the beadwork on the body of the dress. The body of the dress is completely hand beaded with hundreds of thousands of the tiniest black seed beads. These re worked onto to dress itself and also onto hand cut pieces of silk that were then hand set and layered on top of each other two and even three deep in some places. The beading density changes on the different layers to create the design that you see. It is incredible. I love that even the fabric under the layers has been beaded. You don't see that at all when it is on but that is the level of detail couture goes to and that no expense was spared in creating this gown. The perfect finishing touch is the high slit on one side that lets a flash of bare skin show when you walk or sit. This is a spectacular example of Italian Haute Couture. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.
The dress has a built in inner corset made by hand from a stretch lingerie netting that has lightly padded hand made cups and is lightly boned. The corset closes with its own zipper. The dress is lined in black silk chiffon. It closes with a hidden set zipper and the inner corset has a hook and eye waist stay. The dress is finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand. The proper Haute Couture label is present. The bias cut of the dress does allow for a bit of a range of measurements and I have listed those below to the comfortable range laying flat where that applies.
Click here to see a video unpacking of this dress & click here to see a full video of this dress on the form.
Bust: 16.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem and 75” to longest point of back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4256
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
john galliano
Incredible Spring 2007 John Galliano Strapless Black Lace Dress w Peak Bodice & Intricate Seaming
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During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and glamourous dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. They marry Old Hollywood with the minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and the results are stunning. This is an amazing example of his work from Spring 2007 and it is gorgeous. I love that we found a reference photo of a shorter silver version on Drew Barrymore and a video where she notes that the dress was custom made for her. A printed version was also worn by her in the cover of Paris Vogue which makes me wonder if this was also one that was made in only limited quantities. And having those photos gives you an idea of the insane cut of the dress. This one in its full length is even more glamorous I think and It is a really beautiful dress.
The dress is strapless and cut to follow and skim over the body. Shaped inner cups sit over on each breast and have underwire built in underneath them for a lift. It skims from there over the waist and hips. The shape is created by amazing seam work that pieces the dress together to create that hourglass shape that you see. I took some shots to show you the amount f seaming that has gone into the dress and you will see it even mote in person. The top edge of the dress is amazing. It has fabric panels that pick up and above the sweetheart neckline. panels that pick up and above the sweetheart neckline. On each side there are three. These are set in pleated angles, so that one sits a little more up, and the other one has a bit more of a 3-D effect as it falls over the top of the bust. These add this gorgeous old Hollywood heel to the dress. Horizontal, pleading on one side and a curved vertical seam that separates the other side gives the bus a slight asymmetrical feel. Those vertical seams wrap all the way around the back to the zipper, which is also set slightly offside and creates a bit of a dip at the back. A bit of the underlying inner silk satin bodice peaks out above that dip at the back to give the feel of seeing the corset underneath.Those vertical seams wrap all the way around the back to the zipper, which is also set slightly offside and creates a bit of a dip at the back. A bit of the underlying inner silk satin bodice peaks out above that dip at the back to give the feel of seeing the corset underneath. It comes in at the waist and then more of that fantastic seaming allows it to curve around the hips, come in slightly around the knee and then the bottom skirt flares back out. That phenomenal seaming on the skirt opens into pleats off to one side at the lower portion of the skirt at the front and then does the same thing at the back so you get a flare and kick of fabric when you move. The dress is completely covered in a black lace, The dress is completely covered in a black lace and the fabric underneath has a subtle silver thread work through it that you just barely see through the lace. It is a fantastic dress and is even better on. Excellent condition
There is an inner cupped and shaped bodice made of black silk satin that is lightly boned and has underwired formed cups. The rest of the dress is lined in a black silk. The inner corset closes with hook and eye and then the dress closes over that with hidden set offset zipper at the back that follows a seam. Tagged a vintage Galliano FR42 GB14 US8
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice to waist
Length: 42" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4485
Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Drew Barrymore at the London Premiere of Music and Lyrics, February 2007. / (5) Drew Barrymore in Galliano for Vogue Paris, December 2006.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
halston
Incredible Late 1970s Halston Couture Hand Beaded Silk Skirt & Sleeveless Top Set in Yellow
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At the point that this set would have been made in Halston's history, he was at the top of his game and anyone who was anybody was wearing the Halston label. His prices were sky high for the times and the work put into the pieces was impeccable. This is a fabulous example of his work and it is even more incredible when you realize that are the bead work has been done by hand. It is an amazing set and even better once on the body.
Halston's beaded and sequin pieces were being made in India during this time period. Halston personally chose the fabrics and materials that were used for each piece of his collection and then sent them to India where they were beaded and sequinned to his specific instructions and assembled. The pieces were especially intricate and the majority of the garments being made this was were heavily beaded like this set. This set is absolutely gorgeous and all of the bead work on it is completely done by hand. Yellow glass tube beads are mixed with little slightly silver toned seed beads and then these are laid out in an intricate geometric pattern that completely covers both pieces. Each bead has been hand applied onto a yellow cotton faille backed by a yellow silk organza and these layers have the slightest bit of transparency to them. I love the boldness of the yellow and how both pieces glitter and sparkle in the light from every angle. The pieces are simple in design to work in harmony with each other. The skirt has an elastic waist and snap opening. It is cut to skim over the hips and then falls in a fairly straight line from there. There are slits running top each side so when you walk you get an unexpected flash of leg. The top is amazing. It is so simple and easy on the body. It is cut with a slight oversized feel and it closes at the front with hidden hook & eye. You can also wear it open and layer it over things or wear it on its own. It has a neat rounded collar that shows the silk organza underneath. It curves down and around the hem and is cut to skim over you. The pattern of the beads emphasizes the cut and the shoulder are set to slop off the top of the shoulder to give the suggestion of the tiniest capped sleeve. I love it and is pure glamour. I also love the versatility of having the two seperate pieces because you can mix and match them all with other pieces from your wardrobe. Even just wearing a set with something layered over or under the top would dramatically change the feel of it. This is a beautiful and classic example of Halston's work. Excellent condition with a tiny note below.
Both pieces are lined in a yellow silk organza. the skirt closes with hook and eye at the waist. Elastic through the waist of the skirt. The top closes down the front with hidden set hook and eye. The bead work is hand done. There is perhaps the occasional area of loose or missing bead or thread here and there. The elastic in the waist could be easily taken down more if you needed the waist smaller. I see an older tiny repair at the top of one slit on the skirt and to the lining at the same spot in both sides and one above the hem on both layers. Very minor and mentioned for accuracy. The yellow is a touch brighter in colour in person
Bust- bottom: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 36" from waist to hem with 3.5" turned under the hem
Slits: 16" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4479
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
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This fabulous dress is the twin of the dress from the Resort 1986 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche collection. I was so pleased that we were able to find multiple shots of it on because it really shows you just how much it comes to life when worn. An interesting thing to note about this dress is that it is a version of the 1973 plunge dress that I have shared on my Instagram in the past and he repeated this look very closely in black with slight adjustments at the waist detail for the Spring collection. I always find it interesting to see how Yves revisited ideas throughout his career. I love having such a well documented piece in the shop and it doesn't hurt that it is drop dead gorgeous.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling and yet that gorgeous blue colour and minimal lines keep it feeling fresh. The dress is made out of a silk jersey that has amazing drape and feels easy-to-wear once on the body. The bodice has a halter style front that plunges to the waist but crosses over itself a bit at the very base so doesn't feel so bare. The sides are also left open and bare to the waist and there are teeny tiny little snaps there is you prefer to have them closed a touch. Despite its bareness at the font and sides it is cleverly cut so that when you have it on it stays perfectly in place. The waist has an extra wide 9" band of the same fabric that has been gathered in soft pleats of jersey that are stacked on top of each other. This banded detailing sits just under the base of the plunge. Under that the skirt flows to the floor in a sweep of silk jersey. There is a more fabric in the skirt then you think at first glance and this gives the skirt beautiful movement when you move. It is stunning and a dress you can wear in many different ways, on its own, with things layered over it, or under. Excellent condition
The dress lined behind the waist area and then the bust and skirt are unlined. It closes with a side zipper. The backing in the waist area gives it a little added structure. Tagged 42. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: each front panel covers from 9" across to 15" with no true side seams
Top seam of waist panel: 16" across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam at the middle seam of the waist
Bottom seam of waist panel: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and open under that
Bodice: 14.5" from top of bodice to top seam of band
Banding: 9"
Skirt: 36.5" from the bottom seam of band to hem
Total Length: 60"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4476
Reference photos: Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche 1986 Resort Collection Advance.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
oscar de la renta
Exceptional Spring 2004 Oscar de la Renta Runway Printed Silk Chiffon Dress w Ruffle Skirt
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This is one of the prettiest Oscar dresses I have ever had in the shop and I love it. The movement it has when it is on and you walk is just incredible. It's twin walked the runway and I have included photos and video of it here for you so you can see how exceptional it is on the body. I think that this dress was one of the best of that season and I am kind of obsessed with it. In the review of the show Vogue's Janet Ozzard said in part; "It’s virtually impossible not to get swept up in Oscar de la Renta’s confident vision of the luxurious life. The designer played to all of his strengths for spring, showing more of the pretty dresses, chic suits, and slim coats that have made him a touchstone of relaxed, modern elegance....Judging from the cuts and colors of this collection, de la Renta has Palm Beach on his mind." and for the evening pieces she noted that; "Turning up the volume for evening, de la Renta progressed from a long, cool pour of pink charmeuse, to a giddy yellow satin strapless dress covered in nosegays of silk flowers, to embroidered and embellished showstoppers guaranteed to make it a memorable night—red carpet or not." This dress is definitely a dress that could walk a carpet and it would also make an amazing alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration or as a guest. It is just the prettiest.
This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is made out of the perfect pale tangerine and white coloured silk chiffon. It is strapless and the upper bodice has a soft rounded shape to it. The silk is draped over the bust to give the feel of a bandeau and gathered in along the center. Inside it is cupped and shaped for support. Under that it is cut to hugs the body and the silk has been draped softly over the inner lining. The gathers are all set to curve and wrap around your body. That stunning colour combined with the soft gathers creates the most gorgeous effect. The dress is meant to hug the body and highlight your curves to past the hips to create an hourglass feel. The skirt is set in at about mid-thigh and it is spectacular. Here you see the genius of Oscar. The skirt has a ton of volume to it that shows best when you move. It is made out of a cascade of raw edged silk ruffles and the many tiers of it become very full as it nears the hem. It is set longer at the back then the front so that you get this pretty curve from the side view and this fantastic sweep of skirts from the back. The entire skirt is covered with individually placed rows of a raw edged chiffon to give the feel of 'feathers' or 'petals' that move with the slightest bit of air and fall softly to the floor. The lightness of the silk causes all those ruffles on the skirt to move with the slightest bit of air. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. The final perfect detail is that vertical strip of the same raw edged chiffon as the skirt that runs straight up the center of the dress. This little extra and pretty detail adds that perfect finishing element of romance and femininity. This is Oscar at his very best and it is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a white silk. The applique work on the skirt is all set on the edge of the tiers in the skirt. It closes with an inner side zipper to close the built in boned inner support and then a second hidden set zipper over that to close the exterior dress. Lightly boned through the inner bodice and built in hidden cups. Inner waist stay hooks to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner corset waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 50" from top of the bust to front hem, 62" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4473
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2004 Oscar de la Renta, Look 45. Model Julia Stegner.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
alexander mcqueen
Fabulous 2008 Alexander McQueen Strapless Black Silk Dress w Vibrant Pink Patent Leather Belt
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The spring 2008 collection was called 'La Dame Bleue' and was a tribute to his mentor and friend Isabella Blow who had committed suicide on May of 2007 after a long bout of illness. His statement of the show was this; 'Isabella flew. The collection is exuberant and excessive. It's about her way of thinking and that way of thinking brought light into fashion. Even when she was down she was up with what she wore. I had the best times with Isabella. I remember going to Mauritius with her and I'd come back from scuba diving and it would be 100 degrees and she'd be standing on the beach head to toxin McQueen with a Philip Treacy Hat on. Or we'd be sitting around the pool and she'd still be head to toe in McQueen with a Philip Treacy hat on. I've though a lot about why she would wear things like that and she wore them because it made her feel like a diva. She was a diva in what she wore. She pulled it off. I never blinked at what she wore. It just seemed normal. So this was a collection about Isabella ad about wearing clothes that transform you." The entire show was a beautiful testament to someone he loved dearly. This dress is a version that combines the look of the one shoulder dresses in the same colour combination and the strapless butterfly dresses that were shown on the runway that season. It would have been one that was produced for the shops as an alternative to the runway piece. This was the fifth last collection of his career and these last collections are considered to be some of his most brilliant.
The dress is made from a black bias cut silk that drapes beautifully over the body. t is strapless with a built-in inner cupped bodice that gives you support and holds the dress in place. The cups are shaped for support and to hold the dress properly in place. The top of the bodice has a slight curve to add some softness and then the silk drapes over that. The dress glides over the inner structure and falls in column to the floor. The silk is gathered in towards the center of the front so it is full through the body. At the back it is cut to be fuller and create more volume. There are two opening at each side of the back and you can slip that bright pink patent belt through those which gives shape at the front and then the back has that gorgeous volume over the belt. You could also do the opposite so that the belt only shows at the back and the front has the fullness. The choice of that feather light silk for this one keeps it light and easy and as you move the silk billows around you. It also creates this incredible movement when you walk. The dress is original supermodel length and still has its original tags attached. It is spectacularly beautiful. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a black bias cut silk and has a built in cupped corset. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. The belt snaps to close and shows some minor wear on its edges as shown. Tagged a McQueen 44. The inner corset has some stretch. You could have the inner corset adjusted if you needed more or less room. Buttons on the inner bodice to add straps if you wanted. Has its original tags attached
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Inner corset waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to hem
Belt: snaps are set at 31", 32" and 33"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4468
Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway (Look 27 & 38). / (3) Thandie Newton at the 2008 Orange British Academy Film Awards.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Spectacular Spring 2014 Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton Strapless Crystal Detailed Peplum Dress
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This stunning McQueen dress by Sarah Burton was a red carpet favourite that season and was seen on Priyanka Chopra, Naomie Harris and Jeon Do Yeon in 2014 and then just recently Livia Firth wore one to the 2023 Green Carpet Fashion awards. All four women looked incredible in the dress and I love that we have these reference photos of each of them so you can see how spectacular this dress is on a variety of women. Sarah Burton has just recently announced her departure from the McQueen label and it is a joy to have such a well documented piece of her work with an amazing red carpet provenance behind it. The dress is stunning and was never worn. It comes with all its original tags and original hanger
The dress is made out of a black silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line. The bodice is strapless and it is shaped to curve over the body to create an hour-glass shape. There are added peplum panels that curve over and out from each hop to add to the hourglass feel. These extend out from the seam at the waist and wrap around each side. They are wired inside to hold their shape and then have been covered with that elaborate design made of gold toned metal leafs, beads and pale pink glass crystals. This little added touch give the dress a bit of an Old Hollywood feel and it is just stunning to see in person. It curves around the bust and vertical seams run down to the waist to shape and conform the bust to you. Inside it has a full built in corseted piece that is boned and shaped to create shape. The waist is nipped in and then the dress curves over he hips underneath those elaborate hip peplums. The seaming all has that very signature McQueen feel. The dress flares out as it reaches the hem for one final beautiful curve. There is extra fabric set into the back and sides of the skirt and these flare out to create a stunning shape. The back skirt is cut a touch longer then the front skirt for a slight trained effect. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting angle, curve or flare to show all of your curves off beautifully. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black silk with a built in shaped, cupped and boned inner bodice. The dress closes with a hidden set back zipper and then the peplum closes with its own zipper over that. Built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. Has its original tags attached. Tagged a modern McQueen 40.
Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of the bodice to waist
Skirt" 51" from the waist to front hem and 54" to the back hem.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4470
Reference Photos: (1) 2014 Alexander McQueen / (2) Priyanka Chopra at the 2014 Filmfare Awards. / (3) Naomie Harris at the London premiere of her movie 'Long Walk to Freedom', November 2013. / (4) Jeon Do Yeon at the 2014 Asia Film Awards. / (5) GCFA founder and Eco-Age creative director Livia Firth at the 2023 Green Carpet Fashion Awards
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
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This one of the most spectacular Halston dresses I have had in the shop. It's twin walked the Resort 1980 runway and I am very pleased to have those reference photos for you so that you can see how amazing this piece is one the body. I have also included a photo of Halston with models from the Spring 1981 show because he repeated this dress with slight modifications to create an entire series of pieces with a similar feel to them which I found fascinating. At this point Halston was still in full control of his brand. He had not yet signed the international licensing agreements that would be the beginning of his downfall in 1983. He was at the top of his game and anyone who was anybody was wearing the Halston label. His prices were sky high and the work put into the pieces was impeccable. This is a fabulous example of his work and it really is one of the most special pieces I have had from his label. It is instantly recognizable as being from him. It is a spectacular dress.
This dress is entirely covered with hundreds of thousands of glass beads and yet it drapes and sits on the body in a very balanced way. This was part of his genius and his ability to create these masterpieces that sit perfectly on the body. The cut of this dress is spectacular. The base fabric is a fine red silk chiffon and then the skirt is lined with a layer of a red silk chiffon. The top part only has lining at the very front so everywhere else has a touch of transparency through the silk and beads. It is very sexy. The dress slips on and closes at the waist with a hook and eye closure and then it has hidden snaps under that at the front. It is seamed under that a bit down the center and then it has a high front center slit that shows your legs when you walk. The dress has its original fully beaded, matching belt that you can wrap and tie around you to add more shape at the waist. The dress falls to the floor from there and the skirt widens out slightly as it nears the floor. The top is spectacular. It is cut to skim over you to eh waist and the front plunges to the waist band. Is has a hidden hook and eye if you want to make it a little bit more modest but with the way that it's held closed and the beaded belt sash that goes around the waist, it is actually safe to wear it in its full plunge and how it was worn on the runway. The sleeves begin just above the waist same and then narrowed down at the cuffs. That makes them very full and they just sit beautifully on the body. The beads are the same red as the dress and they catch the light with your slightest movement and from every angle. It is just spectacular. Excellent condition
The skirt and front panels if the bodice are lined in a red silk chiffon. It closes as described above. Original beaded sash tie belt.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: no true side seams
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and you can cinch in further with the belt
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem with just over 2" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4467
Reference Photos: (1-2) Resort 1980 Halston Collection. Model Carla Araque. / (3) Halston with models, December 1981. From the book "Halston: An American Original".
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
bob mackie
Prettiest Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway Silk Chiffon w Metallic Leaf Print Underlay Strapless Dress
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It is so hard to find dates for Bob Mackie pieces because he often did create similar pieces over the years. So we were thrilled to be able to exactly date this stunning dress to the Fall 1989 show where its twin walked the runway. On the runway he styled it with a metal belt and I love that with a simple switch of what you choose to wear around the waist you can give the dress a different feel. Bob Mackie became a household name when he started dressing Cher. He started off his career freelancing for costumers Edith Head and Jean Louis and it was while there that he sketched the design for Marilyn Monroe's famous 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress. He met fellow costume designer Ray Aghayan who eventually became his life partner. Together they designed costumes for Hollywood and created a made to order line of RTW. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years and the launch of his own label. His work helped to define an entire era of high glamour on the small screen and beyond.
The dress is made out of a stunning ombre deep dusky pink and taupe silk chiffon. Then under the top layer of the silk is a second layer of silk chiffon that has these incredible gold and silver thread leafs worked through the silk. These shimmer through under the top layer and create a beautiful depth and unexpected glimmer when you move and as they catch the light. It is a combination that is stunning to see together. The bodice is strapless and it has an inner shaped corset that is boned and shaped for support and to stay perfectly in place. The top of the bodice is peaked at the sides and then it is slightly rounded as it dips down and into the center. Onto the bodice the silk chiffon has been gathered and softly draped so that it follows the curve of the bust and then slightly overlaps at the front. It does the same at the back where it meets at the center set zipper. The waist cinches in and the dress comes with its original matching silk sash that you can tie and style around the waist or the neck. The skirt flows out from under there and it is made up of yards and yards of feather light silk chiffon. There are two layers of the bias cut silk stacked on top of each other and then an inner silk layer that sits next to the body. The top two layers of chiffon are feather light and the movement they create as they float over each other as you move is just incredible. It is incredible to see in person and the colour has a touch softer feel to it then how it photoed. That little bit of added glamour and drama from the gold and silver under that top layer of chiffon elevates the dress that much more. It is truly one of the best dresses of his that I have seen. Excellent condition
The bodice of the dress is fully lined in a copper silk. The skirt has an inner copper layer of silk under the top tow layers of bias cut silk chiffon as described above. The bodice is shaped and boned inside and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. A tiny touch of wear at the top off each peak. It closes with a back zipper. Hand finishes.
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for at least a C cup at the front
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of the tallest point of the bodice to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4459
Reference Photos: Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior by John Galliano Purple Silk Satin Open Back Sample Showroom Dress
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A few months ago I had the twin of this dress in the shop and am so pleased to have found another one. This one is a slightly different size and in its original length. It is also extra special because it has its original showroom tag indicating it to be the showroom sample piece that all production pieces would have been based on.
It is the twin of the dress shot for the Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2011 collection. This collection was shot as a Lookbook which gives you an amazing glimpse into his styling process. At the time Dior said this of John's collection: ”Dior’s Fall ready-to-wear collection takes its inspiration from the legendary love affair between Mrs. Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. English romanticism is channeled into Balmoral fringed tweeds and candy-coloured tartans with Prince of Wales checks. Ultimate luxury and expertise create evening glamour in elegant draped gowns and head to toe sequins to ensure that every head is turned.” Vogue commented that: "John Galliano galloped the Duchess of Windsor through This Is Your Life, with richly hued musings on what Wallis Simpson in her prime might've worn at specific times of day and across the decades." I love having the photo reference from that Lookbook so that you can see just how gorgeous the dress is on the body. This was John's second last collection for the house.
This is a very striking dress and I love the rich purple colour of it. The choice of that fine silk satin gives the colour even more depth. This fabric choice is also a nod to the glamorous deco gowns of the later twenties and thirties which was a key start point for this collection. The bodice skims over you with a V at the front. The waist is seamed and it is set in a slight curve for shape. The skirt falls from there in a column at the front and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The back is where you see all the extra detailing on this dress. First he scooped out the back into a low curving V and then gathered the fabric in along a curve at the base. He then added a crossed over strap to hold the dress in place. These attach on either side to create an open keyhole with the silk gathered in towards it as it runs down your back. On the skirt, a panel of fabric comes out from the base of that keyhole and cascades down to the hem. There is quite a bit of fabric there and it is creates a lovely volume at the back. The sleeves give the dress a nod to the thirties in design. They are loops of fabric that are twisted and then gathered along the tops of the shoulder. Your arm slips through and then it drapes down over the top of your arm. They are so pretty. It is a really lovely dress and a collector's piece. The dress is in its original uncut supermodel length. Excellent condition
Unlined and closes with a hidden set side zipper. No size tag. Showroom sample tag. Perhaps a teeny bit of scuffing to the fabric here and there around the hem area but I am being super picky.
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to seam at dropped waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to front hem, 46" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4460
Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior Lookbook.
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Vogue's coverage of the Fall 1996 started with a refernced back to his Fall show the year before; "Tom Ford's super sexy Fall 1995 show for Gucci was, as Vogue's Sarah Mower has put it, “one of those hitting-in-the-solar-plexus moments” for the fashion set. Two seasons later, his fall 1996 show had the same effect for a much broader audience, now receptive to Ford’s new/old take on glamour, and tiring of the waif. “People were maybe a little bit too afraid to celebrate hedonism on the runway,” Ford later said. Not so the be-stubbled Texan.Vogue dubbed the show, which closed with showstopping white jersey gowns that nodded to Halston and Elsa Peretti, the “fashion equivalent of a one-night stand at Studio 54.” This coat is the twin of Look 29 and it closed a series of white looks in the show that had a variety of coats topping them. This coat has since become one of the most iconic looks from this collection, after those aforementioned white gowns, and it is gorgeous.
The coat is in exceptional condition and appears to have been worn very little if at all. The style is very much like a menswear piece in its cut and that bit of a twist on gender and power is exactly what often made Tom's work for Gucci so powerful and seductive. The collar is wide and full with a notched front and this gives it that perfect touch of drama. The sleeves are cut straight with a bit of fullness to them. The coat is made from a faux fur that has a wonderful feel and is done in an ivory. The fabric is soft to the touch and moves well once on. The fabric choice let him keep the lines and shape of the coat exactly as he intended them. It has a very men's coat feel to it but softened and with that fantastic fit that Tom excelled at. I also love the way he played on the direction of the 'pelts'. Placing them vertically for the body of the coat for length and then horizontally on the sleeves and collar for visual interest. The front does up with a double row of Gucci etched buttons. It is easy fitting through the body. The bottom portion of the coat flares out in a soft and easy shape. Pockets are hidden low on each hip. Once this coat is on it has this amazing slouchy cool feel that is just unbeatable. I love it and it is also a remarkable piece of fashion history. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
The coat is fully lined in a Gucci embossed silk lining with braided cording around the inner edge of the coat. It closes with buttons as shown. The buttons have a Gucci logo etched into them. There is a vent at the back to make it easy to walk. Tagged a vintage Gucci 42
Sleeves: 24.5"
Shoulders: approx 16.5"
Inner bust: to 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 49.5" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4452
Reference Photos/Video: Fall 1996 Gucci Runway, Look 29. Model Georgina Grenville.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
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Halston created several versions of these gorgeous Cashmere capes or ponchos between 1970 and 1972. Some had hoods, some were full length, some had closures and then others like this one were a more practical to the knee length and you were able to change the styling depending on how chose to wear it. This is a gorgeous in well-documented piece of fashion history.
The chic soft ivory taupe of this Haslton piece is absolutely exquisite. Its perfect neutral colour will suit most skin tones and it is an easy piece to add to just about any look. It is made from a high end cashmere wool mix. The design is genius in its simplicity and shows what a master cutter Halston was. Off the body it is a simple huge rectangle of fabric with a split down the center at the front and a scoop for the neckline. The split half becomes the front panels and the solid half drapes down the back. Once on the body it seems to magically transform and become a proper evening cape. There are no closures so the cut is open and generous and this will allow it to fit all sizes. It is hard to define it as a true shawl, a poncho or a cape but it is definitely fabulous. You can wear it several ways which I also love. The fabric choice gives it just enough weight to have it sit perfectly once you drape it onto yourself. It is absolutely wonderful in every aspect. I also love that it will work just as well for day or for the evening. Excellent condition with a note below.
Unlined with hand rolled edges. The label was lost on this one at the cleaners a long time ago but I personally saw it before it went there. There are a couple small repairs in the knit hence the price. Please see the last two pictures before the reference photos for the two that show the most. Priced at half what it would be
56" across and 48" long
Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA
Item# DD4453
Reference Photos: (1) On Right: Halston ensemble of off white wool, 1970-71 from FIT Museum. / (2) Model in Halston for US Vogue, 1971. Photo by Richard Avedon. / (3) Anjelica Huston in Halston Resort 1972.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
balmain
Minimalist 1970s Pierre Balmain Numbered Haute Couture Rich Red Silk Dress w Knife Pleat Detailing
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Pierre Balmain began his career at Molyneux where he worked part-time until 1936. After a brief stint serving in the military he landed at the house of Lucian Lelong. He eventually made the leap to independence and his first show was held on October 12th, 1945 at his salon at rue Francois 1er. This is a dress that perfectly shows that Haute Couture does not always have to be an elaborate over the top creation. Sometimes the beauty of couture lies in the restraint of the cut and a simplicity that belies the hours and hours of handwork put into each piece. This dress is a numbered and a true piece of Haute Couture piece. It is a gorgeous.
The dress is made from deep burgundy red silk. The top is cut into a V at the front with slight gathers where it inserts into the shoulders. The way that it is made gives it the appearance that it is a separate top that sits over a skirt but it is a true dress and one piece. Each sleeves is cut to balloon out slightly above the fitted cuffs. They are cut on a curve in the traditional dressmakers technique and I love how each cuff has a little pleated detail to pick up the pleat work of the skirt. Three silk covered buttons sit on each cuff and each one of those is placed to sit perfectly in the center of a pleat. I love how this small touch shows you how no detail is too small in the world of Haute Couture. The bodice skims over you and falls slightly over the skirt at the waist. The skirt falls from under that and it is attached to its own inner silk bodice. The skirt is fantastic. Each individual pleat is perfectly matched to its neighbor with meticulous precision. When you stand still the dress falls more in a column and then when you move you get incredible movement and fullness because of the pleats. Depending I hate this will be full length or fall to the ankle. It is a brilliantly cut dress. Every stitch has been done by hand and it is a lesson in precision. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a matching red silk and closes with an inner handset back painted metal zipper and then closes with a second zipper on the outer bodice layer over that. The cuffs snap into place under three silk covered decorative buttons. The Haute Couture label is present with couture tape under the tag numbered 157888. Hand finished to couture standards throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: no true defined seams
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55.5" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD2913
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
hanae mori
Amazing 1970s Hanae Mori Couture Silk Chiffon Scene Print Jumpsuit w Matching Cape Overlay
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Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature and elements of her homeland. I have two jumpsuits today that both have that very caftan feeling so desired with her work and these are so very hard to find. When I find pieces like this one that is such a stunningly beautify example of her work I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work.
This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. The entire piece has one of her custom designed prints screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. It has all been printed with a really outstanding scenic design and the colours are fantastic. It is two separate pieces. There is the inner jumpsuit and then you wear the more caped feeling overlay over that. The inner jumpsuit has a V neck at both the back and front and is sleeveless. The top is made out of a pale blue silk chiffon backed in a silk and once this is under the print of the outer later it virtually disappears underneath. The waist is generous in cut and the the chiffon pants are set into the seam. The pants are cut to be very wide and full so you get this incredible movement when you move. To make them opaque enough to wear each pant leg has three layers of silk chiffon. The two inner layers are the same pale blue chiffon as the bodice and then the printed layer is stacked over those. The printed layer has that same scenic print as the cape and you can tell it was all pre-planned to sit perfectly when the entire look is put together. The cape that goes over this is spectacular. It slips over the head to wear and the neckline is set in a slight scoop. It does up down the back with a series of her signature teeny tiny silk covered snaps. The colours start out mainly in that pretty turquoise and then it changes to the scenery all the way around. I took lots of close ups of various parts of the print for you to see. When on that top layer is put on it suddenly takes on a more caftan feel. It fully covers the inner jumpsuit and falls at the front and back to about the knees. It is cut on a curve to be a little shorter on the sides for your arms to be free and is wide and full. As with the best of Hanae's dresses the effect of having the same print on the top layer and the inner layer gives the design added dimension and depth as they float over each other. The movement and drama this creates is extraordinary. This is a piece that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition
The cape is unlined and the inner jumpsuit is lined as described above. The inner jumpsuit zips to close at the back and the cape closes with a series of tiny snaps down the back. All of the edges have been hand rolled and stitched including the edges of the inner lining of the pants. Tagged a vintage 10. It appears to have been worn very little if at all
Inner jumpsuit
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Pants: 44" from waist to hem
Inseam: 30" from the inner seam to hem
Gusset: 32" from back of neck to inner seam
Cape overlay
Neck: 15" around
Width: 60" from side to side at the widest point
Length: 41" to longest point when on
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4449
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Look 47 Resort 2018 Christan Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri Silk Chiffon Plunging Runway Dress
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The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' This dress to me also harkened back to the earlier Galliano era and in particular the Resort 2008 collection where a yellow dress that is very similar to this one was shown.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little romantic feeling ruffle. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then they fall into a deep V at the back. The panels sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The skirt is made of multiple has layers of silk. The top layer is that silk chiffon that has that touch of texture to it. Then there are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all these layers have once it is on moving is fantastic. I love having the reference photos and footage so you can see how fabulous it is on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR40, UK12, IT40, US8. There are two tiny repairs near the zipper that get lost in the fabric once on. It otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. Please see the photos after the label shot
Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7" across
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4329
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor. / (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
yves saint laurent
Amazing Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Red Lace Strapless Dress w Grosgrain Detailing
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This dress is the twin of the dress that walked the Spring 1992 runway and it is fantastic. The show had a string lingerie theme running through it and this dress was one of the most literal interpretations of that theme. This one is also brand new with tags so it's like having address from a time capsule which is incredible. I love that I have tons of runway photos and the video so that you can see just how fantastic this dress is on the body.
The dress is strapless with a cupped and shaped bodice and short cut with a kicky little skirt. It is made from a red lace to really play on that lingerie feel and the lines of it have been highlighted with a black grosgrain ribbon. This little extra touch really adds to the impact the dress has. A pretty little edging of silk chiffon is set in a small ruffle that follows the curving edge of the bust. This continues all the way around to the back. The cups have light boning for shape and then go all the way down and around the back. the dress skims over the waist and hips with long black grosgrain ribbons sewn onto the lace to create curves and length. Another ribbon circles around the seam that separates the lower skirt from the body of the dress. I love the fear of the lower skirt. It is set to be gathered into that low set seam so that it has a little extra volume and flare. The bottom edges are set an a little scallop that follows the design in the lace. The dress is simultaneously beautiful, romantic and full out sexy. It is gorgeous and with its original hang tag in place a little like getting a time capsule piece. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a red silk chiffon and the interior bodice and upper part of the dress is lightly boned for shape and support. It closes with a hidden set zipper under the black middle ribbon. Tagged a vintage YSL 40. New with original hang tag and never worn
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 29" from the top of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4447
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Documented Fall 1970 Valentino Printed Black Ribbon Silk Chiffon Dress w Huge Tassel Detail
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This is a fabulous fall 1970 dress from the Valentino boutique label. Valentino launched his ready to wear label in 1962, two years after opening his first salon in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. The New York boutique launched in the fall of 1970 and it caused a sensation. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and he often brought in the designs that he created for his main couture label into the boutique work. In these early days especially the were remarkably close in quality and the line between the two labels was often blurred. On this dress you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. This one is extra fabulous because it is so well documented.
Marisa Berenson wore the twin of this dress for a Vogue editorial that season and Naomi Simms wore one to that opening of that first New York Valentino boutique. Which gives it a significant place in Valentino's history.
The dress is gorgeous and it is made of a black silk chiffon that has a ribbon weave fused directly into the silk. In between the ribbon weave the silk is semi-transparent and the play between the two is stunning in person. The dress has a black silk chiffon lining and that gives the more transparent parts a backdrop so that the silk feels like it has depth. Then onto that is that gorgeous print made up of a pink and purple and gold coloured threads that run over the entire dress. I love how the pattern is heavier at the bottom and then slowly makes its way up to scattered across the top of the dress. The collar is small and neat and the sleeves are cut to pouf out above the buttoned cuffs. The sleeves are unlined so you get a bit of transparency. The dress is cut in a simple sheath that skims over your bust, waist and hips and then it flares out slightly to the hem. There is no seam to break the line at the waist, instead he has placed two square pockets on each hip. The pockets are amazing. Each zips to close from corner to corner and the zipper pull is a long knotted and fringed tassel. A third tassel acts as the pull on the zipper that closes the front of the dress. In both the reference photos a sash was wrapped around the waist for added shape and you could easily add a belt to cinch it in. I think it looks equally as well worn straight and sleek. It is nice to have both options because the dress looks dramatically different each way. It is gorgeous and very well made. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a black silk and zippers to close up the front. Each cuff buttons to close with two silk covered buttons and each pocket zips to close. There is an extra button in the lining of the dress. Hand finishes throughout. Tagged a size 8
Sleeves: 14"
Shoulders: 23.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4205
Reference Photos: (1) Marisa wearing Valentino, photo by Elisabetta Catalano in Rome, Vogue September 1970. / (2-3) Naomi Sims attends the grand opening of Valentino Boutique on October 12, 1970 in New York City.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
erdem
Spring 2020 Erdem Runway Look 41 Coral Red Embroidered Cut-Out Runway Dress w Buttoned Train
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This was Look 41 and the second last look of the Spring 2020 collection. Vogie said of the collection in their review: 'Erdem Moralioglu’s long, stately procession of women tread on platform sandals along the gravel of a wide, tree-lined path in a London square. Seeing them silhouetted against the green led to yet another thought: how perfectly they fit into the scenery, like guests at a particularly well-dressed summer wedding.' his inspiration for the show was 'Tina Modotti, whom he characterized as “a romantic and revolutionary, a woman of principle. Each outfit was like a postcard from a part of her life." The pictures of Modotti’s life inspired Erdem’s voluminous proportions, the exaggerated shape of yoke blouses, rose embroideries, and the fringed shawls he tailored to sit on the shoulders without slipping. “It was the waistless-ness, tiers, the combination of Victorian dress and traditional dress that interested me,” he said." This dress exemplifies that Victorian feel that he was after and was one of the best dresses of the collection I think.
The first thing that strikes you about the dress is the amazing color. It is an almost neon red coral that instantly draws the eye. On the runway it was shown over bare skin but this version includes a matching slip that you can choose to wear under it so you don't get that expanse of skin all the way down through the cut outs. The cut outs are incredible and cover the entire front of the dress. They are embroidered around their edges and have open spaces for your skin to show through between the embroidered flowers and designs. I love how he has carried these from the scooped neckline all the way to the hem and then down each sleeve. The body of the dress is cut to be more fitted across the very top and then widens out considerably as it near is the hem. This dress in particular is where you see that nod to the Victorian era in the way that it has been cut. The lines of it are stunning. The front panel has a more sleek feel and then the sides create volume on each side through vertical panels and then there is a massive amount of volume behind you. The top of the shoulders at the back have the same embroidered cut out continued onto it and then the remainder of the back and side panels are all a solid silk until the bottom of the skirt of the back where the embroidered cut out is again seen. The back sweeps out behind you in a train and I love that he has added a button and loop so you can bring that up so that the length of the back matches the front. This makes the dress that much more wearable because you can now wear it to a more non-formal event where a full train may be too much. It also gives the dress an even more interesting shape when you wear it with the train buttoned up. It is absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful piece of current fashion history. The dress comes with its original tags and has never been worn. Excellent condition
The slip axe as the lining and the dress it's self is unwind. It closes with a hidden setbacks zipper and each cuff buttons to close with for buttons and loops. The train buttons at the back as described above. The originals tags are attached and it has its original price of $6439. The slip is separate and slips over the head to wear. I have provided the slip measurements but you could always wear a slightly larger slip or no slip if you needed a bit of extra room. Tagged a modern UK8, US4, IT40, FR336
Dress
Sleeves: 26"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 58" from top of bodice to front hem and back when train is up, 70" at the back when train is down
Bias cut silk slip:
Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of straps to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4442
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2020 Erdem Runway, Look 41. Model Wang Han.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
oscar de la renta
Prettiest Spring 2012 Oscar de la Renta Runway Look 53 Coral Orange Chiffon One Shoulder Dress
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The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 2012 show. On the runway it was styled with a very heavy and extremely dramatic beaded necklace that covered most of the front of the dress but once you take that off and see the dress on its own you realize just how light and pretty the dress is. Oscar showed the collection in his new showroom on 42nd street. The space had yet to be fully renovated and this gave the atmosphere a raw edginess and the styling reflected that. Vogue called the evening dresses 'entrance making' and the show felt fresh and new from his work of the past few seasons proceeding this one. This dress is wonderful and it was never worn. It has original hang tag still attached.
The dress is made from multiple layers of a lightweight slightly iridescent chiffon in the most stunning bright coral pink colour. The bodice is gathered in an elaborate ruching of silk that meets off to the one side. The neckline is cut into a rounded curve that is very flattering. On one side a panel of the chiffon extends out from the bodice and becomes a strap that curves up and over one shoulder for a pretty and feminine detail. The bodice is fitted and cinches in at the waist with a full interior boned and cupped corset to help hold the shape. The skirt cascades to the floor and is cut slightly longer at the back so that you get sweeping feel as you walk away. The skirt is made up of two layers of the almost weightless chiffon on top and this lets the skirt float over and around the body to give it the feel of airiness and lightness. The lightness of the silk gives it a gorgeous movement when you move and walk. The fabric wraps around you and falls open on that one side where the bod is gathered to the side. Another two layers of a slightly darker silk is set under the two top chiffon layers. The silk layers also are wrapped over each other so when you walk or sit you see a bit of leg where all the layers meet. The use of all those layers gives it the lightness it needs to pick up the air as you move so that it will float and billow around you as you move. It is fabulous. It was never worn and has its original tags. Excellent condition
The dress is fully lined in silk and the bodice has a built in cupped and boned corset that closes with its own zipper. The dress closes with a back set zipper over that. Original hang tag still attached. Tagged a modern ODLR 8
Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 61" from top of the bodice to shortest part of the front hem, 69" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4443
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2012 Oscar de la Renta Runway, Look 53. Model Karmen Pedaru.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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This from the Spring 2017 collection which was an important and interesting show for two reason. First it was the first solo show for PierPaolo Piccioli and second he brought in Zandra Rhodes to make prints for the fabrics shown in the collection. The twin of this dress walked the runway as Look 12 in the show. The show was a huge success and the Vogue review for this collection stated in part; 'They (the models) were wearing a collection he’d based on looking at a lot of medieval art, but particularly at Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights—not that the clothes read as historicist at all. “I like to know my history, and then forget it,” Piccioli said.... He’d also become fascinated by the work of Zandra Rhodes, the great British fashion designer of the ’70s and ’80s, known for her hand-drawn prints and floaty, haute hippy dresses, so he got on a plane to London to see her. “He was wonderful,” exclaimed the pink-haired designer, who was sitting in the front row today. “He and an assistant came to my studio for two days, I showed them everything in my archive, and he asked me what I could do to make prints from the Bosch painting. It’s just incredible to see what they did with them." In short, he aced it, not only meeting expectations but surpassing them too.'
I love this dress. It feels thoroughly Valentino but it also nods at the work and cut of Zandra. Then you add in that spectacular Rhodes print that covers its surface and it's just a joy. The dress is made from a fine light weight silk that is cut on the bias. Think scarf weight. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk, the fabric of the skirt and that fabulous handkerchief hem catch the air and billows out around you. The colour is a beautiful dusty pink and the print layers pink tones and black on top of the silk. The neckline is a shallow scoop and he has inserted a soft velvet panel in a deep rich burgundy pink at the front for a bit of contrast and to add some unexpected texture. The sleeves are long and simple. Just under the panel there is a seam and a band that sits above the waist seam for a little structure. The skirt falls from there, skimming over the hips Depending on your height, the skirt falls to just above the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. This is a signature length for him and it allows your shoes to peek out from under the skirt. The skirt is cut beautifully and the points on the hem allow it to fall at different lengths around you. That and the bias cut of it is what gives it the floating effect it has when you move. There are many yards of that feather light silk in the skirt and it is just wonderful. The precision in cut to have this all fall and move so beautifully should not be underestimated. This was never worn and still has its original hang tag. Excellent condition
Lined through part of the front bust and the skirt has an inner pink lining. closes with a back zipper. Tagged a Valentino 42 and still has its original tag with its original price of 5500 euros from 2017. It is a bit softer pink in person and better then how it photoed.
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under front panel: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam under band: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to seam under front panel
Skirt: 46" from seam under front panel to longest point of the hem. Includes the 4" band at waist
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4439
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2017 Valentino Runway, Look 12. Model Lorena Marasch.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
valentino
Gorgeous Spring 1974 Valentino Ad Campaign Shell Print Pink Silk Chiffon Top & Silk Twill Skirt Set
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For the lead up to the spring 1974 collection the Daily Express said "It's Valentine's Day.... Tonight the Roman fashion designer, whom Jackie Onassis calls from New York to say -make me a dress for dinner a week on Thursday anything you like- will put on a gala show of 200 of his creations in London." 1974 was also the year he opened his first British RTW shop in London so this was a pivotal year for Valentino. Women's Wear daily reported that Mr. Valentino told them that the theme of the show was 'feminine, relaxed, simple and sexy.' and that is exactly what it was.' I was also happy to find that the twin of this set was used for the ad campaign that year and a dress in the same print and similar overall cut was shot for Italian Vogue. I love having these reference photos for you because it shows you just how elegant and gorgeous this set is on the body.
There are Valentino prints and then there are the really iconic Valentino prints. This is one of those iconic house prints and it is instantly recognizable as being his. It is so iconic that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. touched upon it for their 2015 collection for the label. And have such a well documented set from this time period is just heaven for the vintage collector.. The set is heavenly. Both are a soft pink but in slightly different shades so that they have some contrast against each other. The are both covered in a perfect little shell print and the size varies. The ones on the skirt are a touch smaller and more defined and clear and then the ones on the top are bigger and softer. The silk of the top is feather light in weight and just floats beautifully over the body once on. The neckline is high and has a small neat collar. There are long ties attached to neck that are quite long. This allows you to style it in a bow at the front or to wrap it around the neck and wear it at the back with the tails trailing, or you can really wrap them to create a taller higher collar. It is lined in a single layer of pink silk chiffon but still has a sense of transparency to it. Each sleeve is cut full and billows out above its elastic cuff. The waist has elastic as well so that when on it blouses up a bit through the body. You could remove this for a sleeker look and have it lie straight as it is just tacked in. The skirt falls to the floor under that and widens out beautifully as it nears the hem. The skirt is made from a silk twill and is gorgeous. I love that it is two pieces so you can mix and match with other things you already own. It makes the set extremely versatile. It a just gorgeous and even better in person. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
The top has a single layer of silk chiffon through the body and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a handset zipper at the back and has elastic on each cuff. The skirt closes with a zipper. There is a touch of fading across the top of the shoulders on the top and a couple tiny areas where the silk is thinning on the sleeve. It's stable and strong still. I see some very small marks on the skirt. All minor. Please see the photos after the label shot. Pockets on the skirt
Note the top is slim cut through the upper bodice and shoulders
Top
Sleeves: 25"
Inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom edge: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 43" waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4441
Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1974 Valentino Ad photographed by Gianpaolo Barbieri. / (2) Model in Valentino for Vogue Italia, July 1974.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Spring 2012 Valentino Net & Floral Strapless Runway Dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri & Pierpaolo Piccioli
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The twin of this dress was Look 50 on the Spring 2012 runway and it was part of the closing group of evening pieces in the show. In 2012 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. Vogue raved about this collection ins their review saying in part; 'Too ladylike, too precious, too little-girlish, too vulgar. Any of those outcomes could've befallen a show as laden with lace and flowers and embroideries as was Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri's latest for Valentino. But they didn't, not for a second. The designers turned out their best collection yet—one dress more seductively, calmly lovely than the next, many of them walking out on flat sandals or lace espadrilles that helped give the outing its fresh feel. "Fashion is a dream, and in this moment we need dreams," Piccioli said beforehand. The only thing that could poke a hole in the duo's fantasy is the fact that us girls don't have enough real-life occasions to wear these frocks.' This velvet flower applique dress was mentioned specifically and Vogue stated that it had "a slight folkloric feeling, but it wasn't overpowering.... "Beautiful" is the word we heard over and over as we left the show." The closer you look closer at this dress it is hard not to say the same as it is simply beautiful.
The dress is made from a black silk net layered over an inner layer of black tulle. The tulle on the bodice has a floral design worked into it that subtly peeks out and then the tulle under the body and skirt of the dress has a tinier floral pattern. This subtle change really adds to the depth and texture of the dress. Under those layers is a nude silk inner lining. Besides the visual effect this creates, this technique of multiple layering also gives the dress some of its structure so that it holds the shape around you once on. The bodice is strapless and cut on a soft curve across the neckline. There is a built in boned corset on the inside for shape and to hold the dress in place on you. It curves in just slightly to skim over the waist and then curves back out for the hips. The skirt is set in with a series of soft gathers and then from there it falls to the floor. It is divided in horizontal sections from the bust to hem and as it goes down and past the body each section of the skirt gets progressively wider so that it is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. Each section is highlighted and divided by a pretty band of black velvet. Over all that are soft and romantic washed velvet flowers and embroidery done purposefully to make them feel antiqued and aged. Their edges are raw and parts sit up and off the dress. Maria said in an interview that this was done so that you wanted to touch the garments as well. That it was important to Pierpaulo and herself that the viewer want to use all their senses. It is beautiful. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a nude silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Inside the bodice is a cupped and lightly boned corset that closes with its own zipper. Inner stay under the bust that hooks to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a Modern Valentino 6
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-small C cup built into the front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 8" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 49" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4432
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2012 Valentino Runway, Look 50. Model Zuzanna Bijoch. / (4) Spring 2012 Valentino Campaign photographed by Deborah Turbeville.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
yves saint laurent
Spring 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Grosgrain, Dotted Net & Silk Strapless Dress w Bows
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This dress is a version of the dress I just recently sold in the shop with just a slight change in the design. Yves sent a series of these dresses down the runway that year including a shorter version to this one where the smaller bands on the dress were done in multi-colors and an all black long one that was used in the 1987 ad campaign. I have included these reference photos for you so that you can see just how great this dress is on the body. In person and even on the dress form it just does not present as well as it will once on a girl who properly fits it and brings it to life. The 1987 collection is one of my all time favorites and I am very pleased to have this wonderful example from it in the shop for you so soon after the last one.
The dress is made from a black silk faille base with a layer of dotted black netting applied over the bodice in horizontal bands. This choice in fabric gives the dress its structure and shape so that it holds the shape around you once on. The bodice is strapless and cut on a soft curve across the neckline. It is lightly boned on the inside for a built in shape that molds your form to it. It curves in just slightly to skim over the waist and then curves back out for the hips. From there it falls past the hips and the lower skirts flare outwards to the hem. The lower skirt is quite full and makes an incredible statement. The bands between the lace of the bodice are made from wide black silk grosgrain ribbon and they are beautiful and rich feeling. I love the contrast between the texture of the grosgrain and the dotted silk netting. At the back, each ribbon warps around and ends in a large flat bow for five of them in total running down the center of your back. Bows were a prominent part of the theme for this show and this dress displays that wonderfully. That combination of the grosgrain ribbon, the dotted lace, the bows, and that stunning full lower skirt is just gorgeous to see and it is even better on the body. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a crisp black cotton and closes with a side set zipper. The inner bodice is lightly boned and shaped. Inner waist stay that hooks to close with a flat hook & eye. Tagged a 42. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-small C cup built into the front
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4431
Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Ad Campaign (2-4) Spring 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Runway / (5) Spring 1987 editorial photo source unknown
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
james galanos
Exquisite 1960s James Galanos Metallic Green & Gold Silk Dress w Heavily Beaded Bodice
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I have only ever seen one other version of this dress that was done without sleeves and that was many, many years ago. I love this dress so much and it is just ridiculously good. It is one of the most special Galanos I have ever had or seen. James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this dress is an exquisite and very special example of his work.
The label on this dress is the one that dates from 1963-1977 and this is my personal favorite time period of his work. The fabric is a beautiful light weight silk chiffon that is striped with a mix of different shades of green and pinks. Mixed between the stripes are bands of a pale gold metallic thread that is woven directly into the silk. The colours are spectacular and that added metallic thread makes the dress glimmer softly from every angle. The cut of the dress is incredible. The bodice comes down at a V at the front and it is meant to skim over you to the waist. The waist is seamed and you could add a belt if you wanted more shape. The back of the dress is set in a scoop so that you have a bit of skin showing there as well. The bodice is incredible. The stripes in the silk been set on an angle in towards the center of the dress to follow the shape of the neckline. It has been densely and elaborately beaded and embellished in rows to follow the stripes underneath. On some of the stripes there is a combination of handset faux pearls, colored prong set glass rhinestones and crystal rhinestones. Then on other stripes there are those amazing dangling beads that are strung on beaded strands that each end in a gold toned metal open bead mixed with pearls. Because the bead work is all set on strands that dangle off of the dress, the dress has incredible movement when you move. The very edge of the neckline has been hand beaded with tiny gold spiral beads intercepted with green embroidery. It is just incredible to see and it is all done to the level of work that you are only going to find in vintage anymore. The work is all done by hand and the workmanship is fantastic. The bodice has an inner nude lining so that this top layer of embellished chiffon can sit easily over you. It's incredible. The sleeves are equally as fabulous in each is made out of a single layer of the silk and are cut to be very full so that they balloon out over their elastic cuffs. The skirt falls from under there and is gathered in tiny delicate pleats all the way around the waist. This allows the skirt to flare and open out. There is an incredible amount of fabric in it. It's lined with a nude silk that's covered with a green silk chiffon. The workmanship in this dress is incredible and it's just an extremely special piece. It really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a silk as described above. It closes with a back painted metal zipper. Elastic at each cuff. There is a teeny bit of separation to the metallic thread on the top of one shoulder. It gets covered with the beads and is stable. The skirt looks like it was let down at some point and there's a very slight bit of a mark where it was previously hemmed. The bottom edge is still hemmed properly so I left it as it could easily be shortened again if you wished but this gives you the full length. Please see the photos after the label shot. Otherwise in remarkable condition and one of the best of his dress as I've ever seen
Sleeves: 24"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 54" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4436
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
christian dior
Numbered 1970s Christian Dior by Marc Bohan Demi-Couture Metallic Multi Color Silk Set
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This is an exceptionally pretty two piece set from the Marc Bohan for Christian Dior years. It is a gorgeous example of his work during this time period. The cut is very simple for both pieces but together they really create an impact. The top is made from a very fine and high end silk chiffon that has a gold lame thread woven through it. This makes it almost completely opaque yet it is still feather light and drapes beautifully. The skirt is made from a a heavier silk that also has gold thread woven through it. This mix of fabrics gives a beautiful contrast between the two pieces. Both pieces are covered in a bright pop art feeling floral print that uses a mix of happy primary colors. No matter how much you like it on the dress form you have to trust me when I tell you that it is even better in real life and on an actual body. The base color is a jet black and then the combination of colors and the gold thread just make it exceptional. The two pieces are slightly different in the density of the print's coverage and there is more gold used on the top then the skirt. These slight differences also add to the contrast between the two pieces. The neckline of the top is finished with a soft ruffled flounce and then the cut through the bodice is loose and easy under that so that it skims over the body. There is a notch at the base of each side seam so that it tuck in perfectly or can be worn over the skirt and belted. The sleeves are cut straight and full and have the same ruffled treatment for the cuffs. The cut of the skirt is kept to very simple lines with a banded waist for shape and then it falls in a simple column of silk to the floor, gradually widening out as it nears the hem. There are pockets along each hip. The label on the set is numbered and when you see that in a Dior Boutique label it most often meant that the piece was a special order or was a custom made order for a client in the atelier but fitted at the boutique store rather then in Paris. You can see the hand work throughout and it is beautifully made. Excellent condition.
The skirt is fully lined in a black silk and the top is lined in a black silk chiffon. The top closes with a hand set back painted metal zipper. The waist of the top and each sleeve has an elastic finish for comfort. The skirt closes with a combination of a flat hook at the waist band and a fine painted metal zipper. Hand finishes throughout. The tag is numbered 1361/001 on both tags.
Top
Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-bottom: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21" from neck to hem
Skirt:
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from top of bodice to waist with 2" turned under
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4437
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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This wonderful little black dress is from the time period that Sophie Gimbel was designing the Saks in-house ready-to-wear line. Her pieces were very expensive and she was known as being one of the best designers in America. Most were as close to demi-couture as one could get at this time and like this one, had extraordinary little details and were extremely well made. Sophie worked at Saks from 1931 through to 1969 and the label on this one dates it to her work of the 1950s.
Is a wonderful 1950s dress. It's made out of a black silk that has this really interesting raised detail on it that makes it look heavily pleated or ribbed and gives the dress texture. It is cut to fit and highlight the body. It has a little cap sleeves and the neck scoops at the front. The bodice is shaped with seaming and it nips in at the waist. The waist is seamed and you could add a belt for more definition if you wanted. It curves out and over the hips and then goes straight down to the hem. I love how she has taken a vertical panel of the same fabric and run it all the way down the front and then down the side of each hip and again down the back of a skirt. This helps to give extra detailing and to really defined the shape and curves of the skirt. It is beautifully made with lots of hand finishes and a fine silk interior lining. This is the epitome of that perfectly made little black dress that can go from day to cocktails. Excellent condition with a small note below.
Fully lined in a black silk and the lining is set by hand. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and I love the care that's been put into lining up the texture of the fabric along the zipper and seams. Hand finishes throughout. A tiny bit of stress to the top seam at one shoulder and it appears to have had a small repair done on the seam at some point
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 24" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4435
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
valentino
Prettiest Spring 2002 Valentino Runway Strapless Red Dot Silk Chiffon Dress w Ruffled Tiers
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This is a gorgeous Valentino dress whose twin walked the Spring 2002 runway for Look 79. For this show Valentino only showed a few red pieces which is unusual for the Mr. Valentino era as he did love to work the red into shows. This was one of a group of seven presented near the end of the show with only the finale dress also being done in red. I think it was the best of that group and it is a wonderful example of Valentino's work for his main line during this time period. I love having the runway photos and video of the dress for reference so that you can see just how amazing it is on an actual body and how beautifully it moves.
This is an incredible dress. I love its bareness at the top and the bandeau feeling bust that leaves that little keyhole of bare skin at the center. It has a very sexy feel to it in a very easy way yet, as with all his work, it still manages to feel elegant and refined. It is a dress that really comes alive on the body. It is very light and easy to wear because of the crepe silk chiffon it is made out of. It is cut to perfectly fit and skim over the body. The silk is completely covered in a dot pattern and I love how he has mixed two different size dots. This brilliantly plays on the different parts of the dress. The main body of the dress uses a tiny white dot so that the red seems to be more prominent and then the bust and ruffle around the skirt have a larger white dot that really give impact. The bodice is cut across the front and ties at the center with the little opening under the tie. The larger dot fabric continues all the way around the back so you get the sense of it being its own little bandeau top. It skims over you from there and there is no seam at the waist to break the eye. The vertical seaming and slight bias cut to the silk simply curves it in and creates shape. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and gradually widens out as it nears the hem. It is wider then it feels standing still and I love the way that the skirt cut a little longer at the back to give the feel of a slight train there. Starting at around the hips is a ruffle that is set on a curve. As this wraps around you it dips down low at the back to create the bottom skirt there. The ruffle is made out of a single layer of the silk chiffon. This allows it to really pick up the air as you walk or move and creates a pretty movement around you. It is made out of the same larger white dot silk and this perfectly picks up on the fabric used for bodice. The use of this crepe silk chiffon throughout keeps the dress wonderfully light. It is a beautiful example of Mr Valentino's work. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a red silk crepe and closes with a hidden set side zipper on the exterior and a second zipper on the boned inner corset. The front ties into place and can be adjusted for bust size. Tagged a vintage Valentino 6 but runs small through the bodice
Bust: 15-16" across and the front ties so can be adjusted for cup size
Seam under the bust: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to front hem, 58" to back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4428
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2002 Valentino Collection, Look 79.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
lanvin
Numbered Spring 1984 Lanvin by Jules-Francois Crahay Runway Red Lined Dress w Open Bow Back
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This is a stunning dress and shows the softer, more romantic side of Lanvin from this time period. This would have been designed by Jules-Francois Crahay, who headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. In the book Lanvin by Rizzoli, that has a lovely forward from Alber Elbaz, it is noted that the Spring 1984 was Crahay's last RTW collection for the label before his retirement. Crahay's time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourite periods for the house and I think it is so special to have a documented piece from his last RTW collection. Having the runway photos makes it that much more special since you can really see how great this one is on the body.
The dress is made from a beautiful hand loomed red linen. The linen gives it a stunning texture and the depths of colour that is achieved by using linen is fantastic. It has been lined in a black silk and from the back this gives it that wonderful contrast that you see. From the front the dress is this beautifully simple and romantic feeling dress. The sleeve are softly gathered into the shoulders and they are cut wide and straight to just above the elbow. The bodice is squared off at the front and it is cut to skim over you to the waist. The cut through the waist area is loose and easy and depending on how tight you tie the back it can sit more loose and easy or with a bit more shape. The skirt is set into the waist in a series of tiny soft gathers. This picks up beautifully on the shoulders and adds a little volume around the hips and through the skirt. I love the pockets hidden along each hip. They really add to the easy feeling that the dress has. The skirt has tons of fabric in it. When you stand straight you don't really realize how much fabric has been used but when you move or sit it really flows around you beautifully. The back is almost shocking with the surprise of it when you turn around. He has scooped the waist down to expose the very lower back and then it is open above that and held in place by three ties. The linen extends out on each side of that scooped back in wide ties and then each tie is a combination of the red linen on the top and the black silk underneath. When you ties these into bows you get this fantastic combination of red, black and your bare skin peeking out between it all. It is a fantastically surprising dress that is sexy and easy at the same time. I love it. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black silk satin through the top and black silk through the skirt. It close with a the hidden zipper on the inner lining at the low back. The back ties into place above that. There is a slightly darkened spot on the front skirt that is very minor. The dress is numbered under one folded edge of the tag. I did not take a photo of it because it's really hard to get to but if you twist the edge up you can see it.
Sleeves: 12.5" and 14" around at the widest point
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to front hem, 47" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4429
Reference Photos/Video: (1) Spring 1984 Lanvin Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Pre-Fall 2013 Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton Coral Red Silk Strapless Dress w Tulle Detailing
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This stunning dress is the twin of the one that Jessica Chastain wore on the red carpet for the 2013 SAG awards. She looked incredible in it and I love that we have reference photos of her so you can see how spectacular this dress is on the body. The dress is from Sarah's Pre-Fall 2013 collection. In the presentation Sarah showed it belted which you could easily emulate but I do love how Jessica wore it on the red carpet without. Sarah Burton has just recently announced her departure from the McQueen label and it is a joy to have such a well documented piece of her work with an amazing red carpet provenance behind it. The dress is stunning.
The dress is made out of a deep coral red silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line. The bodice is strapless and it is shaped to curve over the body to create an hour-glass shape. There are added panels of a silk tulle added to the bodice that have been dyed to the exact same colour. These sit underneath silk panels that are crossed and shaped over the bust to give the dress a bit of an Old Hollywood 1950s feel. It curves around the bust and then vertical seams angle down to the seam around the waist at the front. The waist is nipped in and then more seams angle back out and around the hips to create a very classic and signature McQueen type of seaming. The hips are rounded and slightly exaggerated for shape. At the back of the bodice there is another inset panel whose seams continue down the full length of the dress. I love the gold toned exposed zipper at the back that almost feels like a piece of jewelry. The dress skims over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem for one final beautiful curve. There is extra fabric set into the back and sides of the skirt and these flare out to create a stunning shape. The back skirt is cut a touch longer then the front skirt for a slight trained effect. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting angle, curve or flare to show all of your curves off beautifully. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition with a teeny note below
Fully lined in a matching coral silk and closes with a back set zipper. Built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. I see a tiny pinhead faded spot near the back zipper and if I am being picky a touch of grubbiness along the edge of the hem here and there. Tagged a McQueen 46
Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of the bodice to waist
Skirt" 45" from the waist to front hem and 47.5" to the back hem.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4430
Reference Photos/Video: (1) Pre-Fall 2013 Alexander McQueen. Model Esther Heesch. / (2) Jessica Chastain in McQueen at the 2013 SAG Awards.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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The twin of this dress was Look 60 of the Spring 2017 collection and it was a part of the closing series of evening looks for the show. This was the first solo show for Pierpaolo Piccioli which makes it a significant collection in the history of the label. I also think it is a dress where you can really start to see his signature look for the house in terms of volume and use of shape. The show was a huge success. On the runway the dress was shown without any lining so that you could clearly see the body and bare legs underneath the tulle. For retail when it was produced, it was sold with a nude lining added. If you preferred the look of the runway it would be easy to have your seamstress remove the nude lining and set it aside to keep in case you wish to add it in again in the future. Whether you choose to wear it as it was produced for the shops, or go for the full on runway look, it is an absolutely stunningly beautiful dress and shows the near couture quality that even ready-to-wear has with the modern Valentina label.
I love this dress. It is basically an elaborate tulle piece that sits over an inner nude silk lining. This gives the illusion that you are completely bare underneath while still keeping the dress easily wearable. The sleeves are incredibly full and voluminous. Each is set wide into the top of the arm and poufs out above their button cuffs. I love the little embroidered detailing that sits on the outside of each cuff. The bodice is meant to skim over you and the neck is high. The front is covered with embroidered medallions that contrast off the nude lining underneath. The waist is detailed with ruching and seaming. It is gathered in and up towards the bodice to detail the waist area. The waist is cut wide and generous and the entire dress falls and widens out as it nears the floor. The skirt has yards and yards of tulle set in two separate layers over the inner nude lining. Another layer of tulle is attached to the actual lining so you get this wonderful texture and depth from all the layers stacked on top of each other. The volume of this dress is fantastic. It also makes it an easy dress to wear because it just slips over you and almost has a touch of a caftan feel once it is on the body. The back has a row of tightly spaced buttons down the back and then more of the embroidery work around them. That ruching from the front of the waist comes around and increases in width for added detail at the back. It is incredibly beautiful and the pictures do not convey how light and airy and wonderful it is in person. It feels like wearing a magical cloud of Valentino tulle. Pierpaulo is incredibly gifted and this dress really shows the extent of his talent. It was one of my favourite dresses at the show. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a nude silk and closes at the back with silk covered buttons and a hidden side zipper under that. Each cuff buttons to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern Valentino 46
Sleeves: 27"
Slightly inset shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4425
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2017 Valentino Collection, Look 60. Model Lexi Boling. / (4) Net-a-porter photos.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
christian dior
Spring 2008 Christian Dior by John Galliano Deep Blue Silk Chiffon One Shoulder Dress w Beading
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This collection marked Dior's 60th birthday celebration. Sting was in the audience and his song 'Englishman in New York' set the theme. The show also marked John Galiano's tenth year with the label and he celebrated that by creating pieces based on some of his signature looks through the past decade. The result was a collection that was surprisingly wearable for a Galliano runway collection. It was filled with beautiful, pretty things that women instantly wanted in their closets. The near twin of this dress was worn by Caroline Trentini for Look 50 of the show. I have seeing this dress shown in other colours then what was presented on the runway and rarely in the perfect condition that this dress is in. I am very pleased to have such an exceptional example of his work and it's always extra special when you have a such a close piece to the runway piece in the shop. You just need to see the runway reference photos and video to see how amazing this one is.
The dress is made out of the deepest possible blue silk chiffon that has a slight bit of texture to it. It is completely cut on the bias which of course is one of his signatures that we all love. The dress falls from one shoulder and then drapes down and over the body to the floor. It is very beautiful. The signature bias cut that he often did allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures. The fabric has been pieced together with low dropped angled panels all through that skirt especially to create the widening of the lower skirt that you see. The dress is suspended from that one single shoulder panel that curve over your shoulder and drapes across the bus to the other side. There's a large half bow and two wide panels that fall over each side of the shoulder. All of this has an intricate beading in black jet beads and sequins and these catch the light beautifully. The bodice under that extraordinary detailing is simple and soft with a slightly dropped waist seam. It glides over the body and then flares out as it reaches the hem. The widening of the hem is created by the way angled silk chiffon panels are inset all the way around. It is an incredible feat of patterning. The skirt falls longer at the back for a bit of a sweeping trained feel. There is an incredible amount of fabric through the skirt which gives you so much movement when you walk. It's stunning. His signature row of tightly spaced buttons run up one side. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how a bias cut dress moves. They only truly come to life when worn. It is an incredible example of his work and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in the same deep blue silk chiffon and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. Tagged a FR38, GB8, IT40, US4. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4422
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2008 Christian Dior Runway, Look 50. Model Caroline Trentini.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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Todd Oldham showed his first collection in 1981 and officially launched his label in 1989. In 1991 he won the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. By 1995 when the twin of this dress was shown on the runway and worn by Brandi Quinones. At thois point in his fashion career he was the darling of the media, models, and everyone who anyone wore his clothing. His shows were extravagant and full of the reigning supermodels and his clothes beautiful. Nothign was being produced in great quantities and the more extravagant dresses are extremely hard to find. This is a rare piece and the twin of the runway one. It is exceptional
This is the most unusual dresses I have ever had in the shop when it comes to the fabric that it is made out of. The entire dress is made out of to ribbons. which is unusual in itself and speaks to his creativity. One ribbon is a more metallic gold lame that has a true gold feel to it, and then the other ribbon used is a more muted almost matte, deeper gold. These been basketball been to create the top layer of the dress. This back-and-forth between the two and a check pattern has this incredible way of catching the light and making the entire dress feel like liquid gold. The straps or made out of the more muted ribbon and then he has three stripes hanging from the base of the front. I have left them hanging down for these photos but you can see on the runway that they were tied behind the models backs. The draft itself is meant to skim over the body and has an hourglass shape built into it through the vertical seaming on it. It's the front and back and then flies over the body from the bus to the hips. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and there is a defined flareout at the bottom skirts that hold and gives the shape that you see. There's a slight bit more fabric worked into the back panel so you get this gorgeous little bit of volume at the back as well. It is exceptional dress on and it is an even more exceptional piece of fashion history. Excellent condition
The dress is fully lined in a gold silk satin and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. I see the tiniest little bit of wear to the back past of the straps near the base. It looks like they were pinned in place on someone at some point and you can see a touch of the pin marks. perhaps a touch of scuffing to a ribbon here and there but I am being pretty picky. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. It is amazing. There is no give in the fabric
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4427
Reference Photos/Video: Fall 1995 Todd Oldham Runway. Model: Brandi Quinones.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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This dress is instantly recognizable as having been designed by Bob Mackie. He was best known for dressing Cher and for his signature glamorous looks. The best of his work are the pieces like this that are dripping with bead work. Modern girls are obsessed with his vintage pieces. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In many ways his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. His work always has that touch of the best of the bygone glamor of Hollywood.
This is an amazing dress that is extremely flattering even though you are covered completely. The base of the dress is made of a soft peach silk and then onto that is the vertical bands of detailing that completely cover the dress. That design that you see is made up of a combination of muted gold and clear glass tube beads that have been set in vertical rows over the entire dress. There is a more intricate pattern over that on one shoulder, around the collar and down the sleeves that is made up of tinier tube beads, muted gold sequins and rhinestones. And then scattered within all of that are little highlights done in a silver sequin with a tiny clear bead at their centers. This ultra glamorous combination gives the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour as every inch of it catches the light and sparkles. The dress has a decent weight to it when it is off of the body because of that extensive bead-work, and yet once on the body it drapes in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The necklace is high and the collar is extremely detailed. I love the detailing on the outside of each sleeve. The waist is brought in just a touch to create shape and that curved down and angled seam there that is detailed with more rhinestones and beads helps to really lengthen the feel of the dress around you. The skirt call store from there and slightly widens out as it nearest the ham. It's a long slim shape combined with all those vertical rows of bead work make you look tall and lean once you are in the dress. Excellent condition.
Lined through the body matching peach chiffon and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a back zipper and each sleeve has a zipper at its end. Padding in each shoulder. A touch more pastel feeling in person. Tagged a vintage Bob Mackie 6
Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from neck to longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4426
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
chanel
Easy to Wear Cruise 2018 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Look 13 Knit Sheath Dress w Tie Shoulders
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Vogue declared that for this collection 'Chanel did ancient Greece'. The audience was taken to a reproduction of a Greek ruin in Paris. Press notes for the show referenced Coco Chanel’s own 1st-century Venus statue that remains in her apartment on Rue Cambon and took reference from her contribution as costume designer to Jean Cocteau’s 1922 Antigone. It was a rare look back by Karl and key looks of the show included many versions of knits, like this one, that were finished in a pottery relief. Karl stated in the notes that 'The criteria of beauty in Ancient then Classical Greece still holds true. There have never been more beautiful representations of women. Or more beautiful columns. The entire Renaissance, in fact, was based on antiquity.' The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 13 and I love that we have the reference photos and video for you so that you can see how fantastic this dress is on. This collection is of added note because of Karl's passing the following year making this one of his last few collections.
The dress is so easy and simple to wear. You just step into it and you tie the shoulders and go. Depending on how tight you tie them you can adjust where the bodice sits on you which is amazing. The ties are also super long so they become this design feature in themselves as they trail down your sides. The knit fabric is a light in weight with a slight stretch to it. It is part a synthetic and part paper. Which is an incredible achievement because you would never guess that it is part paper in a million years feeling it. Karl was known for his relentless innovation of fabrics and this is one of his achievements in that area. The dress has a slight texture to it and the texture highlights the print that runs over the entire dress. As stated in the show notes, the prints were all inspired from ancient pottery and the raised pattern just makes those prints stand out more. The fabric has a bit of stretch to it so it feels extremely easy on the body. Inside there is an rubber strip that runs all the way around the inside top edge of the dress to help hold it in place. It skims over your bust, waist and hips and then falls in a sleek sheath to past the knees or mid-calf depending on your height. That simple silhouette has this easy and chic feel to it while the shoulders and print give it impact. There is a small slit up one side and this lets a little extra leg show when you walk or sit. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Unlined and slips on with a hidden set zipper at the side. Tagged a Chanel 36. The fabric will stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range laying flat
Bust: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 47" from top of the shoulders to hem but you can tie and adjust the shoulders up and down as you need
Slit: 12" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4417
Reference Photos/Video: Cruise 2018 Chanel Runway, Look 13. Model Camile Hurel.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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In the Chanel Catwalk book they note that this collection was "presented on a large scale set with no less than four cat walks - two electric blue and two bright pink - stretching to almost the length of a football field.... The collection focused on floral prints and bright colours of luminous blue, yellow, red, and green shades that would be echoed in Lagerfeld's next Couture collection. The star of the show with Chanel's trademark quilting famously used on the iconic 2.55 handbag. Here it was reinvented in a larger-scale and squarer versions, almost like a chocolate bar, and transported onto sleeveless tops, shorts, jackets, mini dresses and most strikingly, voluminous gloves with matching handbags." The twin of this chic black jersey dress was one of the star looks of the show. On the catwalk it was paired with a yellow underskirt and those big squared off quilted gloves and handbag. It is extremely easy to wear and as you can see in the runway photos it is a dress that by adding great or unusual accessories you can easily give it instant impact. I love it
The dress is so easy and simple to wear. You just slip it over your head, button the back of the neck and go. The black jersey fabric is a light in weight with a slight stretch to it. This gives it an incredible drape and ease as it glides over the body. The fabric also has a bit of stretch to it which just adds to that extremely easy feel once on the body. The neck is scooped at the front and the button at the back of the neck tops an open keyhole. It skims over your bust, waist and hips and then widens out quite a bit to the hem. There are panels inf the jersey running down each side and this adds to its movement as you move. You can see in the video the incredible movement the dress has. The front has a high slit and you can see on the runway photos how he added that pop of colour by layering the dress over an inner skirt piece. If you wear it as is without anything under it you would get more a flash of leg. There is another slit at the back and the back hem falls in points that are cut longer then the front skirt. I love how the sides are cut extra low and square. It is incredible sexy to see this unexpected bit of skin. That simple silhouette has this easy and chic feel to it while the incredible movement the dress has gives it impact. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Unlined and slip on to wear with a Chanel logo button over hook & eye at the back of the neck. Tagged a Chanel 40. The fabric does have stretch so I've given the comfortable range of movement below while laying flat.
Waist: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of shoulder to shortest point of front center hem, 64" to the longest point of the back hem
Front slit: 29" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4418
Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 2000 Chanel Runway. / (6-7) From the book "Chanel: Catwalk".
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
christian dior
Glamourous 2014 Christian Dior by Raf Simons Densely Covered Black Sequin Dress w Pink Lining
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This is a stunning Dior dress from the Raf Simons era and I believe that it is the production / retail version of Look 22 that he created for the Spring 2014 Haute Couture show. I have included a photo of the couture dress from the runway here so you can see. The fabric of the two pieces are very different but the same shape is there. You can see the similarities in the cut and that high squared off cut out at the front of the skirt. I love this one with its startling flash of that pale pink silk inside the skirt. It is extremely beautiful and perfectly representative of Raf's time at the label and what his vision for Dior looked like.
This dress is just magical. It is made out of a black silk that is completely and densely covered with thousands and thousands of the tiniest black sequins. They are densely applied and spaced to butt up against each other to cover every square inch of the dress. Because they are so tiny it almost makes the dress looks like it is covered in rock crystals or something of that effect. No matter what angle you see the dress from it will catch and glint in the light. The shoulders are softly rounded and they come slightly off the top of your shoulders. The opening for your arms curves back just a touch inwards towards the dress and I love how this is all shaped. It is all very subtle but it gives you this really pretty shape at the top. From under that the dress falls in one long column. The simplicity of the cut is offset by the thousands of sequins that cover it. The skirt widens out a touch as it nears the hem. At the front you have that incredible cut out. When you lay the dress out flat you realize that this cut out is created by splitting it up one side at the front to just above the knee and then he slit it across horizontally to a point a few inches from the other side. Where most would have removed that panel Raf allowed it to simply hang down. This created this stunning ruffled effect down the one side that has incredible movement. To highlight this unusual design even more he lined the whole thing in a pale pink silk crepe. This unexpected contrast between the black sequins and pale pink is just fantastic. This was an extremely hard dress to show properly on a dress form but once on the body it is 10X better because of the movement that lower skirt creates and the way it will fall over an actual body. It is this long elegant sheath with that unexpected twist. Very very Raf. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a pale pink silk crepe. It slips over the head to wear with a button closure at the back of the neck. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Pockets along each hip. Original uncut length. A touch gf grubbiness along the inner hem. Minor. Meant to be oversized on a smaller frame and will sit more like a sheath on a larger. Tagged a Dior FR36, GB8, IT40, US4
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seamWaist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 65" from top of bodice to waist
Front cut out: 31" from the hem up
Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4419
Reference Photo: Spring 2014 Christian Dior Couture Collection, Look 22. Model Georgia Taylor.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
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The Cruise 2000 show was held as a full scale show Paris and it is significant because it is the first Chanel cruise show that was presented as a full and independent show. Prior to this show, the cruise collection was always shown in a more intimate setting at the Rue Cambon salons or the place du marche St Honore. Women's Wear Daily said it was 'fresh breezy and charming' and pieces shown were relaxed and easy. Karl re-invented the classic Chanel dress to be worn in a easier jet-set kind of way. This dress with its added sequins is a stunning example of that.
This dress is easy to wear and yet still feels elegant and chic at the same time. The fabric is a mix of silk and a synthetic and it is purposely made to have a heavy texture that runs through the fabric. Adding the synthetic in with the silk is what helps to keep the texture in a more permanent way and really gives it the body that you see. The fabric is extremely light and easy so despite its more evening feel with the sequins it is as light as a day dress would be. Wide straps curve up and over each shoulder and then extend over the dress the full length to the hem. The bodice is cut straight across at the front and then it skims over bust and is easy through the waist. Long attached ties extended from those vertical panels so you can cinch in the shape of the waist. It widens out from there over the hips and is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. The back is cut slightly longer then the front and that combined with the fullness of the skirt gives it incredible movement around you when you move. At the back he has left the space between the back straps completely bare for a bit of skin to show. The perfect finishing detail are those tiny square sequins that cover the entire length of each of the vertical panels. These cover the panels from the back at the waist, over the shoulders and all the way down to the front. They catch the light from every angle and add yet another stunning dimension to the dress. It is so gorgeous and easy to wear. Excellent condition.
Lined in the same fabric through the bust and then the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes at the back with a hidden set zipper along an offset seam. Tagged a Chanel 40. Perhaps the occasional sequin missing but no bare areas. It appears to I've been worn very little if at all
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and you cinch it in with the attached ties
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from top of the shoulder too the front hem, 63" to the beck hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4420
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
yves saint laurent
Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Ad Campaign Purple Dress w Green & Red Enamel Heart Buttons
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Not only is this dress the twin of this dress was used for the 1992 ad campaign shot by Helmut Newton that featured the beautiful Karen Mulder, we also found the runway shots of it on a young 19 year old Tyra Banks. This one also has its original hang tag in place and on the back it has its original price of $1990, the equivalent of $4335 USD in today's dollars. Pricey then, pricey now, but a bargain as a pristine and collectable vintage piece that has never been worn. This was one of the iconic pieces of that season and I am very pleased to have found this example.
The dress is made from a crisp cotton silk mix that has just enough weight to it so that it sits perfectly once on the body, skimming over your curves in a chic and simple line. The dress perfectly represents this time period and you can see the transition from the stronger, more angular shaped of the eighties slowly moving into simpler shapes for the 1990s while still retaining the emphasis on the shoulders that the eighties had. That touch of excess from the 1980s is still there, but the shape is softening. The neckline is scooped and just deep enough to feel sexy but without being too deep not to be able to easily wear. It has a row of buttons under that that run to past the waist and this is held closed with those incredible poured glass enamel buttons. There are six in total, three red and three green and I love the heart shape they are done in. It skims over the bust waist and hips. The skirt widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. That ruffled shoulder and neckline detail is the star of the show. It follows the cut of the neckline and puffs out above the shoulders for a bit of high drama. I love that we have so many reference photos so that you can see just how amazing this dress is on the body. It still has its original hang tag and was never worn. Excellent condition
Unlined and closes down the front with the buttons as seen. Original hang tag. Tagged a vintage YSL 40
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seamWaist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4409
Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Runway. Model: Tyra Banks. / (5) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Ad Campaign.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
tiziani
Incredible 1960s Tiziani Couture by Karl Lagerfeld Yellow Silk Chiffon Dress w Elaborate Beading
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This dress is from the archive of the couture house Tiziani. The Tiziani atelier was founded in 1963 by Evans Richards an American who moved to Rome to pursue his fashion dreams. Elizabeth Taylor quickly became a regular client along with Doris Duke, Gina Lollobrigida and Principessa Borghese to name a few. The label is also famous because of the fact that as a young designer Karl Lagerfeld accepted a job there. Lagerfeld worked at Tiziani from 1963 to 1969. This is from that era and is a stunning examples of Karl's early design years. My client originally bought it at an auction several years ago directly from the current owner of the archive. This is an incredible dress and an incredible piece of fashion history.
The dress is made from a very pretty pale yellow silk chiffon that is as light as air and gives the dress its incredible movement. The silk is used for the sleeves and skirt and then the bodice has been heavily and densely beaded. It is incredible to see in person and this is the level of workmanship that you were only find in a vintage piece anymore. The pattern is created in several layers. The silk base has a honeycomb design created by hand with a real metal wire sewn onto the silk. Prong set glass rhinestones are scattered over that. The bead work is set in round intricate medallions that cover the entire bodice at the front and the back. Each medallion is made from beads sequence and large shaped pailettes. In the center of each is an intricate 3-D flower and these are done in different colours of silver and pink. The bead work is extremely fine. The very top edge of the bodice is finished in a row of dangling beads that match the beads in the center of the medallions. These have just a touch of movement when you move. The bead work wraps over the shoulders and continues across the full back. Along the sides he has left part of the pale yellow silk which I found very interesting. It almost makes it feel like a breast plate or armoured vest over the silk chiffon and this is an idea that he continue to use throughout his career. The sleeves are very full and cascade out from a softly pleated shoulder. This gives them extreme fullness and they pouf out fantastically above the cuffed wrists. They are not lined so you get this fabulous touch of transparency through them. The skirt has many many yards of chiffon in its construction so that it feels like it is floating around you when you move. I have included some photos of myself sitting in the dress and you can see how many yards of silk are around me. It is tremendously wonderful to move in. The very bottom of the skirt is finished with a thin strip of stiffening fabric that has been hand rolled inside a tiny hem. This creates a ruffled ribbon effect and the hem curves and swirls beautifully. The work on this dress is meticulous and by hand. It is an amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition with a minor note to review below
Fully lined in a hand set yellow silk through bodice and the skirt has an inner skirt that is made of silk and then covered in silk chiffon. It closes with a hand set back zipper. Each cuff buttons to close. Hand work throughout and hand finished inner seams. Unlabeled. There is just the start of some fraying to the inner edge of the top at the shoulders and a tiny bit of darkening under the arms inside the bodice. Please see the final two detail photos. There is couple of really faint darkened areas in the silk here and there but you really have to look for them. Perhaps a touch of grubbiness here and there to the very edges of the hem.
Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: approx 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD3499
Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
chanel
Stunning 2005 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld White Sequin Detailed & Silk Tulle Dress w Ribbon Detail
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This is from the Spring 2005 season. It does not have its date tag but at some point I saw a similar dress in a deeper ivory that did have its date tag. Like the other 2005 season dress in pink that I have in the shop right now the dress is exceptional and it would make a fabulous wedding dress for a bride, or be worn as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any glamorous event. No matter how good it looks in these photos it looks a million times better in real life. The photos do not fully capture the feather light fabric of the dress and how it moves. In the review of the show that season Vogue noted that Karl's runway was decked out with a red carpet. The show launched with a parade of super models walking the red carpet 'while men ran alongside them popping flashbulbs. The message was clear, in an era when celebrity dressing has become so over exposed, it's only exciting when an actress has exceptional talent in style'. This was in acknowledgement to the fact that Nicole Kidman was there with Baz Luhrmann and they had just starred in Chanel's new advertising campaign for Chanel No. 5. It was a spectacular collection
This is such a stunning dress. The first thing that you will notice when you slip this dress on is how light it is and how incredible it moves. It is a dream to wear. That panel of tulle that falls from the shoulder gives it the most amazing movement and the slightest bit of air will pick it up and make it float around you. The front is set low and has a slight V. Because my dress form has no bust it sits a little lower then it will on an actual body but once on an actual person it will pull up a bit more. Silver toned ribbon straps curve over each shoulder and attached to the back of one of those straps is a loop of silver ribbons that cascade down that side. On the other side is that fantastic panel of tulle that sits at the base of the ribbon where it attaches to the bodice at the front. That panel is extremely long and full and you can wear it over your shoulder for a slight caped feel or behind. It extends longer than the hem of the dress for a pretty trailing effect. The bodice is completely covered in two patterns of sequins. Over the bust area they are more scattered and densely applied and attached with a fine silver metal thread. Rhinestones and clear iridescent beads are scattered among them. From the seam underneath the bust to the dropped waist are vertical rows of sequins. These are set on a silk netting and have a silver thread in behind them. He then had tiny beads scattered here and there amongst the pattern. Around the dropped waist is a wide silver satin ribbon and there is a little ivory Chanel logo sitting at the side of the waist. The waist is open and easy and the dress has a bit of a flapper feel to it in shape. Under that the skirt flows out from a series of closes panels set all the way around the hips. These open up just past that so that the lower part of the skirt is full. Just above the bottom of the skirt there is a horizontal detailing done in the same bead work that is on the body of the bodice. These are set in rows spaced a bit farther apart than they are on the bodice and this add the perfect bit of detailing there. As you walk you get this sweeping feel created by the panel draping down from the shoulder that floats and trails behind you. The netting keeps it as light as a feather but also has enough structure to hold the shape and volume you see. I love the row of domed pearl buttons that close the back. It is absolutely beautiful. None of the photos here give it full justice. Excellent condition
Fully lined in an ivory silk and it buttons to close at the back with a zipper set and hidden under the waist. The waist ribbon snaps and buttons into place at the back. A tiny bit of the colour has come off one button at the back and otherwise it appears to have been worn very little if at all. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes
Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 20" from top of bodice to seam at top of hips
Skirt: 37" from seam at top of hips to hem
Length: 57" from the top of shoulder to hem, 66" to the longest point of the attached tulle panel
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4413
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
john anthony
Dreamy 1993 John Anthony Couture Ivory Silk Chiffon Dress w Extensive Beading & Train
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John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have the last of the five dresses he sent from his archives. This is a runway piece from 1993. The bead work on it was done by hand by Madame Gandini who did beading for many of the Couture houses of the day including Norell, Givenchy, Chanel and many others. John is one of my favorite American designers. He won two Coty Awards for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one would be an amazing wedding dress for a bride or could be worn as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could be worn to any glamorous event. It is a work of art and incredibly beautiful.
This dress is absolutely stunning. The fabric is an fine ivory coloured silk chiffon that is cut on the bias. It is lined in a nude silk chiffon and then the upper bodice is finished with a fine silk netting. The dress is detailed with thousands of teeny tiny silver sequins and iridescent clear beads. The silk is feather light and the placement of the beads help it to hold the intended flow that John wanted it to have. The dress is suspended from the silk netting that starts at the neckline and then goes up and over the shoulders and down the back. The netting has just a touch of a green tint to it to give it a little bit of contrast against the skin. I love how the beading is intensified over the front bust area. The iridescent quality of the beads mixed with those tiny silver sequins catch the light and sparkle from every angle. The dress flows over the waist and hips from there. The bias cut lets it drape perfectly over you and shows off the body without being excessively tight. The front is set into a low V. It sits a little lower on my dress form then it will on an actual body so keep that in mind as you look at it. Two triangles curve in towards each other to meet at the center and then it wraps down and around the waist to the back. The back has the illusion of being left completely open under that single layer of netting. The skirt falls to the floor and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The back is cut longer then the front so you get a bit of a trained effect behind you as you walk. From the bust to the lower skirt you have a scattering of the beads and sequins over the silk. Around the hem these are set in a dense panel which not only adds detail and ties in the extensive detailing on the bust but it also gives the lower skirt a touch of weight to hold the shape and volume as you walk and stand. The colour is perhaps a touch brighter in person. It has this lovely feeling of being an heirloom piece and it is fantastically beautiful to see in person. It is a very special piece. Excellent overall condition with a note below.
Fully lined in a nude silk chiffon and slips over the head to wear. It hooks to close along the top of one shoulder. There are two areas where the netting has torn. One on the back shoulder and a tiny one near the shoulder seam. I also see a repair at the top of the shoulder. These could be repaired or it would be very easy to remove the netting completely and add tiny silk straps. Some of the bead work has loosened here and here and there are some small areas where they have fallen off. I have priced the dress taking these small flaws in mind. Please see the photos after the label shot. This is the original runway sample. Handwork throughout. Completely bias cut.
Bust: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 68" from top of shoulder to front hem, 75" to the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML
John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $20,000 and more during this time period. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.
Item# DD4414
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
john anthony
Extraordinary 2006 John Anthony Couture Black Hand Beaded Runway Dress w Bib Front & No Back
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John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have two more of the dresses he sent for us with one last one to come after this. This is a runway piece from 2006. The bead work on it was done by hand by one of the same European ateliers who did beading for many of the Couture houses for this time period. John is one of my favorite American designers and right out of the gate he won the Coty Award for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. His work veers towards minimalism with sharp tailoring. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one is absolutely extraordinary and so very sensual. It is incredible to see it in person with all of that extensive bead work on it.
John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $20,000 and more during this time period. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.
This dress takes your breathe away when you first see it. The fabric is completely covered in thousand of tiny black seed beads on a black netted base. Like the others this gives the dress a bit of weight but in this case its balanced by the almost weightless netting - we weighed it and even with the light netting it was still about 3 pounds. It is so beautifully made that it balances and glides over the body perfectly. The front is cut in an almost squared off feel with a high neck that is cut across the width of the front. It glides right into the length of the skirt with no break at the waist at the front. Straps extend out from the top of the bodice and glide done either side of the back. The sides and back are left completely bare and open and it is incredibly sexy. When you turn all you see is bare skin. The waist is seamed at the back for a bit of definition. The skirt to the floor and gently widens out as it reaches the hem. On one side there is an incredibly high slit that shows a mile of leg when you walk or sit. And then there is the fabric itself. The beads fully cover every square inch of the dress but the coverage is done in two different degrees of density. This creates these fantastic vertical rows that run over the entire dress. The rows very with one being completely and densely covered and then the next is a row where the beads have a more scattered feel. These than go back-and-forth between the two to cover the whole dress. The more dense areas also create a border across the top of the dress and are what covers the straps. Because the backing is the netting Rose that have only scattered feeling are slightly transparent. This is absolutely incredible and is a almost shocking feel when you are in the light. You of course have control of how see through the dress is depending on what you decide to wear underneath it but that play with the transparencies in the stripes is incredible to see. It is a very special and rare piece. Excellent condition.
There are two attached layers of the netting underneath the top beaded layer. It closes with a low set side zipper at the back and a snap and hook at the waist band. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: no true side seams but the front bib bodice covers 12" from side seam to sideWaist: 12-12.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 65" from top of shoulder to hem
Slit: 34" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML
Item# DD4405
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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This Spring 2014 dress is one of the most photographed and best know of all of the Chanel pieces that Karl ever created. It has a spectacular provenance there are probably even more examples of it being photoed and worn that season that we have yet to find. It's twin was Look 84 on the runway and it was instantly snapped up to be photoed on Keira Knightley for the Harper's Bazaar cover. It, and variations in this print, also appeared on Bogue China, Czechia, Netherlands and Korea editions, InStyle magazine and many, many other publications. The range of models and celebrities who wore this dress is as vast ranging from Sarah Jessica Parker, to Rita Ora and Karolina Kurkova to name just a few.
Vogue's review of the piece stated that 'The Grand Palais was transformed into a gigantic white-walled hangar of paintings and sculptures—quintessential Basel or Frieze—all seventy-five of them made by Lagerfeld during his Summer of Prodigious Creativity. He didn't actually create them himself—that feat would be too Olympian even for Karl—but he drew the pieces or made maquettes so his studio could realize the finished product. The coming together of concept and design was clearly responsible for the way Lagerfeld's theme infected his collection to a greater degree than usual.... Deconstruction, trompe l'oeil, collage, bricolage—this Chanel collection was a fest of art processes. You never get the sense that Lagerfeld is pushing himself; he makes everything look much too easy for that. Nevertheless, in the ninety-ish looks he showed today, there were more stories than he would usually be bothered to tell.' They mention the serties of dress that used thisprive specifically saying; 'a paint chart from the 1900s yielded a whole group of primally Pantone-ed pieces.' There were 14 pieces presented, the final 14 actually, that had variations of this print on them this dress that was the one that was photoed the most and pulled by all the editors and sold out worldwide. It was without a doubt the dress of the collection.
This dress has never been worn and it is in perfect condition. It even has its original stamped hang tag, price tags and its resealable bag with extra fabric. The dress combines a stunning light scarf weight silk that has that beautiful Pantone palette in all the colours of the rainbow in a print that travels horizontally over its surface. The dress is suspended from the shoulders by tiny silk straps. The bust has been covered in a painted white lace. This stiffens the lace underneath and gives it an unusual texture that is quite beautiful. This is then backed by a nude silk netting. The rainbow silk under that skims over you to a dropped waist seam that sits just over the hips. This seam is set loose and easy so that the dress skims over you rather than cling. Under that the skirt falls and widens out as it nears the hem. Another wide band of lace is set around the entire lower part of the hem. This not only picks up the lace detailing on the bodice but is also a clever way to add a bit of weight to the dress so that it falls perfectly once on the body. The skirt is cut to be shorter at the front and longer at the back with it it all done on a beautiful curve. You can see in the runway video how beautifully this allows the dress to move when you walk. On the runway Karl belted it above that dropped seam for added shape. For many of the editorial shots it was worn without a belt and I love that it gives you the option to wear it either way because it really changes the look at the dress from fitted to more loose and easy. It is stunningly beautiful dress and of course it has all of the amazing details you would expect from a Chanel piece. Excellent condition.
The dress is fully lined through the bodice in a nude silk behind the bust area and an ivory silk to the waist. The skirt is unlined. The lower lace part has a backing of two layers of silk tulle. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and snaps above that. All original tags and extra fabric. Tagged a 34 and has a generous cut
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Dropped seam: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 21" from top of straps to dropped seam
Full Length: 39" from top of straps to shortest point of the front hem, 49" longest point of the back ham
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4402
Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Spring 2014 Chanel Runway, Look 84. Model Binx Walton. / (7) Keira Knightley for Harpers Bazaar, February 2014. / (8) Fei Fei Sun for Neiman Marcus, February 2014. / (9) Vlada Roslyakova by Ellen Von Unwerth for Numero Tokyo, April 2014. / (10) Photo by Mario Testino for Vogue China, March 2014. / (11) Robin Holzken for Telva Magazine, April 2014. / (12) Vogue Czechia, July 2014. / (13) Vogue Girl Korea, April 2014. / (14) Myself Germany, April 2014. / (15) Phoebe Tonkin in Chanel at the Humane Society Gala, March 2014. / (16) Sarah Jessica Parker for InStyle UK, May 2014. / (17) Karolina Kurkova for Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia February 2014. / (18) Rita Ora in Chanel at BET Studios, May 2014. / (19) Vogue Netherlands March 2014.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
givenchy
Spring 2021 Givenchy by Matthew Williams Runway Black Backless Knit Dress w Open Cut Outs
I Have a Question
Matthew Williams was appointed Creative Director at Givenchy in June 2020 and this was his debut collection for the house. Vogue noted that; 'Williams is a 34-year-old American urban-wear designer joining a luxury house in a new age of creative director stardom. Givenchy relies on his personal image to make this union a bankable one. And his debut proposal reflected that in so many ways. His Givenchy debut read entirely like a morph between those codes (texture and hardware) and the black-clad elegance of the house he now inhabits. Suspended between the formal and the super casual, the devil was in the fabric treatments. ...There’s a twisted expensiveness about Williams’s clothes that feels clinical and dirty all at once... “I’m not a person who designs in themes. It’s very much product-focused. A lot of it is what I would wear personally,” he explained. He also noted that his vision for the Givenchy woman was “very elegant and powerful and chic”. And that actually perfectly sums up this dress. It was an instant hit and was seen on the runway photo, Kim Kardashian and Rooney Mara. Which I think is where the power lies in this piece... that is can work so well on these very different women.
The dress still has its original tags attached and was never worn. And I even have seen it on sale still. It was sold for 1820 GBP in the UK and in the US it was priced was just over $3000. It is made from a bandage like knit that has stretched to it but also enough weight to firmly hold your curves in place. And to give you curves where you need them. It is meant to fit onto the body like a second skin. The sleeves are long and the skirt falls to the floor in a long sleeve column. From the front it looks like a classic black fitted knitted dress. It is when you turn around that you get the full shock of the bare skin this dress reveals. The back is scooped open and low. You can see on the model how it sits to the low back in on someone who's shorter like Kim is it dips very low. Each elbow also has a oval cut out to reveal a touch of skin there and then there is a little slit opening near the end of the sleeve that you can slip your thumb through if you wish. If you look closely on the presentation photo you can see that the model did just that. The dress has its original price tag and hand tags still attached and has never been worn. Excellent condition
Online and slips over the head to where. There's a hidden set zipper across the top of one shoulder. Tagged a size small. Original hang tag and price tag attached. It has never been worn. The fabric does have some stretch and I've shown the comfortable range here and it probably could stretch a little more if needed
Sleeves: 27" and 10-14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 13.5-15.5"
Bust: 16.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-5-14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4396
Reference Photos: (1) Spring 2021 Givenchy Collection, Look 45. / (2-3) Kim Kardashian in Givenchy, as posted on her Instagram, October 2020. / (4) Rooney Mara for Givenchy L'Interdit Rogue. / (6) From Net-a-porter.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.