This suit is instantly recognizable as an Alexander McQueen piece and it is stunning. The FIDM Museum has its twin on their permanent archives and they did a spectacular write up on the suit which I will share here; "Deliverance, Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2004 fashion show was the hit of the season. Based on the 1969 film, "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" Deliverance subverted the typical fashion show narrative by reversing the order of presentation; evening gowns kicked off the extravaganza while faux-homespun daywear and a tarnished evening gown concluded the show. This narrative mirrored the film, which documents a Depression-era dance marathon. In order to earn a cash prize the hopeful participants must dance for days with only brief breaks for food and short naps. Lack of sleep and food, paired with non-stop dancing, drives the dancers to the point of emotional and physical collapse and ends in tragedy... 20 trained dancers paired with 20 models, all of whom rehearsed for two weeks. Deliverance began with models and dancers moving about the dance floor with a sense of eagerness and purpose, dressed in delicate gowns. By the end of the show, the dancer/models struggle to stay upright while dressed in patchwork garments representative of their overall decline. Of course, Deliverance was a fashion show presented by Alexander McQueen, so even the patchwork garments were exquisitely crafted. The woman’s suit constructed of men’s cotton shirting seen below appears near the end of the Deliverance, worn by a model slumped on the shoulders of her dancing partner.... The emotional and physical deterioration in Deliverance is typical of McQueen’s work, which frequently explores themes related to violence and decay. Garments, particularly in his early collections, are often intentionally cut and torn and his fashion shows have been called a “theatrical staging of cruelty.”Though it almost seems counterintuitive, McQueen has expressed a strong interest in creating a feminine persona that is intimidating in its visual power. When examined closely, it is easy to view the FIDM Museum suit as an expression of McQueen’s interest in powerful femininity. The symmetrical patchwork resembles the patterning of an animal or insect and the small flounce at the lower back of the jacket references the stinger of a bee. Despite these obvious danger signals, the subtle and varied patterning of the textiles invites closer inspection, enticing the spectator as a spider lures an insect to its web."

The suit is identical to the one that walked the show. It has the additional provenance of having twins of it worn by Nicole Kidman, Jennider Colnnolly and Sienna Miller. The collection was also re-shown in LA in a special presentation the the Chateau Marmont. Few of these would have been produced and it is amazing to have such an wonderful piece of his work in the shop.

A piece like this truly showcases McQueen’s strong tailoring background& and master cutting abilities. The suit is made from a variety of cotton suiting fabrics and gives a nod to his heritage and strong tailoring roots. The jacket is also cut with sharply tailored lines and then he has added that spectacular button detailed collar and brought in the waist to create a more feminine shape. I love that it still feels very refined despite its avant garde patchwork details and cut. The shoulders are squared off and padded to hold their shape. Each sleeve is cut on a slight curve in the proper manner of tailoring a sleeve and ends in 4 functional buttons at each cuff. The body of the jacket is shaped with a female body in mind and is cut in at the waist for shape. Buttons run down the entire front. Six of them close at the center part of the jacket and then the rest above and below are decorative. It then flares out over the hips into a peplum around you. At the back it is cut to flare out into a sharp flounce as referenced above in the FIDM description. The skirt under that is equally as exceptional. It is cut with a flat front and is fitted around the hips. Curved inset allow it it flare out beautifully around you. You really need to watch the runway clip to see just how stunning it in on and moving. I think my favorite thing about it is how the the various cottons are pieces together and so deliberately sewn and apparent. The workmanship is meticulous and it is an absolutely beautiful and a rare piece of his work. Excellent condition

Both pieces are fully lined with an ivory cotton twill in the jacket and a silk through the skirt. The jacket buttons to closes at the front. The skirt closes with a hidden set side zipper. The jacket is tagged a size 42, the skirt a 40. Padding on the shoulders. Tiny and shallow hidden pockets on the jacket along the front waist seam. Deliberate raw edges on some parts of the set. I see the tiniest marks near the waist and on the front ribbed cotton. My cleaner thinks it is a part of the fabric and an inherent to the way it was woven. I have photoed both for you to see even though it is so minor. It otherwise looks to have never been worn or worn very little. The suit has an overall more creamy tone to it n person then how it photoed

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to longest point of hem

Skirt
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: The hem ranges from 29" from waist to middle front hem to 31" to the sides

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4055

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 2004 Alexander McQueen Runway Show, Look 55.  /  (6) A model walks the runway at the Los Angeles debut of designer Alexander McQueen's Spring / Summer 2004 Collection at Chateau Marmont on January 21, 2004 in West Hollywood, California.  /  (7) Spring 2004 Alexander McQueen Suit in the FIDM Museum Collection.  /  (8-10) Nicole Kidman, in Alexander McQueen, at AFI's 2003 Awards Luncheon, January 2004.  /  (11-12) Jennifer Connelly in Alexander McQueen, November 2003.  /  (13-14) Sienna Miller, in Alexander McQueen, at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, 2004.  /  (15) From the book "Alexander McQueen" Edited by Claire Wilcox.

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 Galliano was moved from Givenchy to Christian Dior in October of 1996 and stayed there until he was dismissed in February of 2011. This dress is from the Resort 2009 collection and it is the twin of the piece that walked the runway. The runway pieces that season where based lightly on Poiret and the Paris of the past and for production there was a group of more refined and elegant pieces like this wonderful dress. You so often see how John translated his over the top runway collections into elegant, wearable and yet still glamorous pieces like this dress but this one is the twin of the actual runway dress and it is infinitely wearable. The look was worn by Chanel Iman on the runway and it is gorgeous. The Vogue report on the collection noted that: "Galliano has been mining the good old U.S. of A. for raw material from which to spin his dreams....grandes dames like Barbara Hutton, Millicent Rogers, and Nan Kempner—women who weren't afraid to make a bold sartorial statement, one that preferably involved a whopping piece of jewelry. From a shimmering backdrop that conjured a Tony Duquette garden, there emerged a full wardrobe for their modern-day counterparts in Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, and Dallas.... What this season is really about is not so much breaking the mold as delivering a vision of the good life—and Galliano can do that in spades."

This is a very easy and wearable piece by John and I love that its soft and romantic lines could easily play double duty and make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional, a court ceremony dress or as a dress for an event surrounding the ceremony. The dress flounces over the body and is easy to wear and still flattering. It is made of three tiers of a light weight silk gazaar that opens up and widens out as it travels over you. The neckline is cut wide across the shoulders and an ruffle in the same fabric adds a pretty face framing touch. At the back this ruffle continues down, curving over the shoulders and highlight the deep V at the back. Each of the tiers under that have that same ruffle treatment and I love that they are all set on a bit of a downward curve. This is a clever way to add length and shape so the dress does not sit on you like a sack. It is insanely pretty without being juvenile and the dreamy ivory has the perfect amount of romance and softness to it. The silk is light as a feather and yet has enough structure to hold the shape so it does not collapse around you once you move. It looks remarkably simple yet is genius in its execution. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in fine white silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. The ruffle that runs over where the zipper is set snaps to close with hidden set clear snaps. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Tagged a FR 36, GB 8, I 40, USA 4. The easy cut should work on a range of sizes.

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4056

Reference Photos: Resort 2009 Dior Runway, Look 9. Model: Chanel Iman.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

There is very little information of the cruise collections from the early 2000s but I do know that this came from the estate of a woman who shopped a lot at Chanel. Her things were stunning and she took immaculate care of them. This is one of several suits from her estate that I have had including this other Chanel suit that is available at the moment  (find that one here). She was not a size 0 and it is nice to find some Chanel pieces that are a slightly larger size when so many that I see are usually very very tiny. That all said, we were able to find a reference photo of a similar top which was worn with pants on the runway that season and a shot of Emmy Rossum who wore the twin of the jacket in 2012 for an event. Which gives you a great idea of how amazing it is on.

The suit is constructed from an absolutely stunning ivory silk version of the Chanel signature boucle fabric. It is absolutely beautiful. It is then edged with the palest possible pink silk chiffon. I love the mix of the boucle and silk chiffon. On the jacket the chiffon is inset down the front edges, along each pocket and at the ends of the sleeves. The edging is composed of three layers of the silk chiffon and left with raw edges.The effect of these layered over top each other is very soft and romantic. The silk continues all the way around the hem. I especially love how it peeks out from the cuffs of each sleeve and drops down on an angle. Pockets and curving seams detail the sides of the jacket. The skirt is cut with a slight flare is it nears the hem and has more of the silk chiffon technique applied and inset under the hem. The entire suit is then lined in the highest quality camellia flower embossed white silk. This came with the matching pale pink lace top that is from that same collection. It would have been bought separately but I decided to keep it all together because it just felt right. The lace mixes a pale deep cream and pink thread that forms the signature Camilla flower of the label. It has no closures just a touch of elastic at the base of the back and the lace will stretch. A padded double C logo and cross are added at the front.  This is classic Chanel and it is exceptional. It would make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional or as a dress for an event surrounding the ceremony. Excellent condition.

Both the skirt and the jacket are fully lined in a fine, white silk embossed with the Chanel camellia flower print. The top is unlined. The skirt closes with a hidden set zipper. The jacket and top have no closures. Chanel logo sewn onto both pieces of the suit. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The color and texture are even better in person. The jacket is tagged a Chanel 44, the skirt a 42 and the top has no size tag present. Some of the glitter looks to be missing around the edges of the appliques on the top. It is a little creamier in colour then how it photoed

The Chanel boucle is created with their proprietary method of weaving that they themselves describe as "by weaving the warp and weft, using a variety of different kinds of threads which creates a unique and somewhat irregular appearance. The warp – vertically strung – is the background of the fabric, the base that will support the assembly of materials. There can be up to 12 different threads used for a single warp. The weft – woven horizontally – gives the fabric its unique character and can have an unlimited number of threads. Tight, perforated, textured, thick, with a relief, plaited, random, twill… the potential number of effects is endless". This technique gives you that classic Chanel look.

Jacket
Sleeve: 25"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16"
Bust: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21" from waist to hem

Top
It has stretch. It fit on my dress form that has a 39" chest and a 31" waist and I think it can go up to that bit not much more. The measurements below are unstretched and laying flat
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4057

Reference Photos: (1) Cruise 2004 Chanel Runway Presentation.  /  (2) Emmy Rossum, in Chanel, at the 9th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit in California, 2012.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.