This Roberto Cavalli dress is from the Spring 2006 collection and is gorgeous. Its twin walked the runway that season and I am happy to have the runway shots of it and video so you can see how spectacular this dress moves when on the body. This was Look 36 and I think it was one of the most beautiful dresses of that collection. And it was certainly one of the most daring. You don't realize at first glance but the front plunges down and the back has a second unexpected opening that is quite low and exposes a flash of bare skin. It is exceptional and very sensual.

The dress is made out of a bias cut silk chiffon that has a gorgeous print work through it surface to create flowers. This is done in a combination of pale turquoise and a soft greens on an ivory backdrop. The front plunges quite low but the severity of the plunge is completely softened by the mass of ruffles that cascades around the neckline. The plunge is caught up by a large flower in the paler blue and then it is open a little bit more under that. When it is on the body, the lower opening is barely apparent because of the way the dress sits on the body, but it is there. The little capped sleeves are lovely and very full. They fall over the upper arm and are soft and wide cut. The dress skims over the body and is brought in just a touch around the waist by a combination of that flower and how it is seamed. At the back there is another long opening that begins at the back of the neck and runs to the very low back. You can see on the runway how this curves a bit once it is on the body. At the base of that opening there are attached ties that extend out to create a pretty little bow. You could also leave them untied and let them just cascade behind you. The skirt falls down from there to the floor and it is cut a little longer at the back so that you get a sweeping bit of a train that extends past the hem. I love how the layers in the skirt create this pretty ruffled feel. It also gives the skirt tremendous movement around you. When you move the entire dress seems to float perfectly around you. All of the silk is bias cut which allows the dress to fall like an absolute dream over the body. It is spectacular. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips on to wear with a hidden snap behind the flower at the front. The dress lost its label during the cleaning process but the fabric is signed throughout. The bias cut will allow for a lot of give in the measurements and I have put the comfortable range below.

Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 68" from neck to front hem and 73" to the back hem. The length will come up a bit once on because of the bias cut.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4988

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2006 Roberto Cavalli, Look 36 Model Emina Cunmulaj.

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.

The Valentino Roma label launched in 2000 to take the place of the Miss V line. It was sold at a price point that was a bit more accessible then their main line and was meant to be available in more shops then the main line would be. The pieces were still very well made. This one caught my eye simply because of how gorgeous and sexy it is. It is a stunning dress with a beautiful amount of detailing on it. 

I love this dress with its amazing use of that gorgeous pale turquoise silk chiffon. These super light silk chiffons are always an incredibly difficult fabric to work with and Mr Valentino and his team were masters at it. The silk is so light that if not for the belt that dress would be almost weightless. The front panels of the dress are vertically pleated from the top of the neck line to the waist to give it a bit of a bib/ tuxedo front feel. It curves down at the sides and goes around to the low back. This leaves the entire back bare and open. At the front the fabric is split from the neckline all the way to the waist so you get this flash of skin. The fabric drapes over the waist line on my dress form a bit and I think that depending on how long you are through the body it might not do that once on because my dress form is a bit short through the body. The shape though the waist is created by a seam that sits across the front of the pleating. I love that it comes with a matching belt. The buckle of the belt is a bronze toned metal and it depicts snakes twining around each other in an open circle. Under the waist seam at the front, a little bit of a peplum extends over the front of the skirt. This little panel has that same pleated technique as the panels above it. I love how he only used this at the front and the back stays sleek and simple. Under that the dress cascades to the floor in many yards of feather light silk chiffon. This is where the dress gets truly magical. At the front it falls in a fairly sleek column that widen out as near the hem. Then at the back there is an inset panel of gathered fabric in the same colour that creates a sweeping train behind you. This panel extends out past the floor and it is fantastic. This is a stunning dress. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a matching silk chiffon and closes with hidden set back zipper. There is one small darkened area on the back and the belt shows some darkening along the edges. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a vintage Valentino 40/4

Bust: each panel of the halter covers up to 9" flat across from side to side 
Waist: to 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam and can be cinched in with the belt
Hips: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to seam at the front waist
Total length: 65" from waist to hem 75"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML that's enough

Item# DD4989

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.

This is the runway piece from 2005 and the bead work on it was entirely done by hand by one of the same European ateliers who did beading for many of the Couture houses for this time period. It's modern Providence includes being worn by supermodel Daria Strokous to the 30th amfAR Gala, which also lets you see how gorgeous this is once on the body. In 1972 John won the Coty Award and then he won it again in 1976. Striking evening wear like this became his signature. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $20,000 and more during this time period. This comes directly from his archives and is a dress that you will never see again since it is the only one that exists.

This dress is absolutely stunning. The fabric is completely covered in thousand of tiny deep silver seed beads and iridescent aqua coloured sequins. This gives the dress some weight - we weighed it and it is just over 6 pounds - but it is so beautifully made that it balances and glides over the body perfectly once on. The front plunges right to the waist with two long triangles curving up towards the neck and hooking at the back. A ruffle from the same fabric follows the plunging neckline all the way to the waist to soften the feel of that plunge. The back is left completely open for a bare expanse of skin to show when you turn around. I love the the way the sides curved down to the back. The waist is brought in and then it curls back out over the hips. From there the skirt falls to the floor widening out as it near the hem. This give it beautiful movement when you walk and move. The colour is this magical deep aqua and silver mix and the way the beads and sequins are set give it a stunning pattern over you. No matter what angle you see the dress from it catches the light fantastically. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes with a low set side zipper at the back and hooks to close behind the neck. Hand finished throughout with hand, applied beads and sequins. Silk chiffon panel finished hem and edges. Made to Couture standards.

Bust: no true side seams
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15-16" from neck to waist
Total length: approx 63" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4399

Reference Photos: Daria Strokous at the 30th amfAR Gala, Cannes, May 2024.

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.