Prettiest 1920s Hickson Inc. Black Moss Crepe Dress w Tie Neck & Hand Sequinned Sleeves

This dress has a Hickson Inc. label inside and that shop was a high-end fashion retailer that carried numerous designers of the day during the first few decades of the 20th century. It was said to be ‘the most elegant and expensive specialty shop on Fifth Avenue.’ at that time. The work of Howard Greer and Madeline Vionnet were sold there. When researching the label I found an interesting little story that Hickson's was accused several times of buying French Parisian labels like Boué Soeurs, removing the labels and selling them under the Hickson label. The Boué sisters actually sued them and won. That story does illustrate that each dress with this label may have a little bit of a mystery to it and may be potential piece of even more importance then you first assume. The Met Museum holds several of pieces by this in their permanent collection which only adds to the collectibility of it. 

The first thing you think of when you see this dress in person is Ossie Clark. It literally looks like it could be a very early version of one of his designs but with the added detailing on the sleeves. The fabric is an earlier, original version of the moss crepe that he adopted for so much of his work but otherwise it is almost mind boggling to look at this dress and not see Ossie. Especially in person as the dress has much more fabric in it then the photos convey. It is gorgeous in person. This is an amazing dress from this time period and it is easy to see why Clark used these dresses as his start point to develop what would become his signature look. It is now so rare and hard to find these in such amazing condition too. It is also surprisingly long for a piece from this time period. The dress has been finished beautifully and it obviously is a high end piece. It was a hard dress to photo since these dresses were really meant to come to life once on an actual body and my dress form is not doing it anywhere near the justice it deserves. The dress is cut straight across at the front with two straps that extend out from the centre of the neckline and connect at the back of the neck. A little flat bow sit under them at the front with trailing ties that run down the bodice of the dress. This is a very unusual neckline and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite like this one before. The bodice is cut to skim over the bust and the waist is seamed but still has a bit of a generous feel over the waist. You could add a belt if you wanted it to have even a more cinched in feel and add shape. The skirt falls to the floor under that and I love the cut of it. When you stand still it falls in a smooth column but when you move you see just how much volume is there and how the lower skirts flare out. The sleeves are gorgeous and each starts from the edge of that square bodice and is full across the upper shoulder and then narrows down to the cuff. On each sleeve there is a dense detailing of the most amazing pattern of flowers and vines that cover the entire sleeve. The design is made up of hundreds of the teeniest tiniest hand set sequins that are stacked closely together so that they have a slight overlap to each other. They lets them sits up and off of the silk underneath slightly for the most beautiful 3D feel. The design follows the lines of the sleeves all the way from the top of the shoulder to a few inches above the cuff. They catch the light and add a fabulous glitter to the dress. It is truly incredible and if you are a fan of these pieces from the twenties and very very early thirties you know just how exceptional and rare it is. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and closes with a hand set back painted metal zipper. Each cuff zips to close. Light padding in each shoulder. Perhaps the slightest bit of press marks in certain light around some of the seams which is natural to this type of fabric and a dress of this age. For a garment almost 100 years old it is truly amazing. 

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total Length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4560

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