This is an incredible dress with its matching stole lands somewhere in that time period between the end of Christian's reign, Yves Saint Laurent's time there, and Marc Bohan's appointment as the was head of the Dior atelier. The closest I have found was a 1958 piece by Yves and I have added that reference photo here for nothing else but to give you an idea of what it will look like on the body. Regardless of under whose directorship it falls, it is a beautiful and early example of the work being produced by Christian Dior in this time period. This is the Christian Dior - New York label and is considered to be demi-couture from this time period of Dior's history. These where made for the American market based on the runway designs and with many of the same high standard finishes that Haute Couture pieces incorporated. This would be an incredible dress for any collector and it might even make an amazing dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. It is seriously beautiful

This is a dress that makes you draw in your breath the first time that you see it. The dress is made out of a very high end ivory silk that feels like it has some weight to it. It's not so heavy that is unwearable it just is that fantastic earlier silk that has a richness to it that is hard to replicate in modern fabrics. The dress is strapless and the bodice is simple and perfect. It is boned and shaped but that is all hidden inside. This hidden interior shaping allows it to perfectly mold to your shape. The waist is seamed and nips in. The dress falls to the floor from there and here is where it really gets incredible. The upper portion of the skirt is the same silk as the bodice so you get this sleek feel from the waist to just about the knee. Below that the silk has been sewn into horizontal ribbing. Each individual section of ribbing has interior padding inside of it so that they stand out for an incredible 3-D feel. This gives it this incredible texture. Besides being a beautiful design detail it also weights the fabric so that it holds the shape once the dress is on you. These are techniques that you often see in older couture pieces that you just don't see as often anymore in modern design. Inside, the dress is lined in silk and silk organza and it is almost completely finished by hand. There's also a wide inner waist stay that hooks to close and acts as an inner support so that the dress stays perfectly in place once on. The dress comes with its original matching stole. The stole is finished with the flat silk on one side and the same puffed ribbing technique on the other. These were worn to cover the shoulders and act as a evening wrap against cooler nights. It is wonderful to have this original extra piece still with this dress. The stole is also an exact match to the bottom of the skirt so in theory you could also add all or part of it the bottom if you needed more length. The colour is a touch richer feeling in person than how it photoed. Incredible in person. There are endless couture level details put into this one and the workmanship throughout is perfectly and meticulously done. It is an amazing example of the fine workmanship and attention to detail of this time period and it is a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

The dress is fully interlined in an ivory silk organza and then lined again with an ivory silk. Hand set hidden and exposed boning in the bodice. A wide waist stay hooks to close. Hand finished to demi-couture standard throughout. It closes with a hand set, back zipper. I see a tiny repair on the inner lining of the bodice above the center boning.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with a A-B cup
Inner waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from to waist
Skirt: 41" from top of bodice to hem
Stole: 14.5" wide x 60"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4160

Reference Photo: A model poses for the presentation of the first Yves Saint-Laurent's Dior collection, 04 February 1958, Avenue Montaigne in Paris.

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

A full shoulder version of this dress in black was shown as Look 78 for the 2015 Resort presentation. This was a piece that was produced in limited quantities for retail and I love this chic ivory version. In 2015 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. In the Vogue review for this collection they said: "Monastic, artistocratic, modest, and even prim have been terms applied to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's Valentino almost since they took over in 2009." In this particular collection the pair definitely ventured off into colour and print. Most of the looks in the show followed that more exuberant feel but the black two shoulder caped dress was one that maintained their more simple approach. For retail production it was also made in this ivory version that had one one single shoulder. I'll absolutely love this dress. In addition to runway photo I have included a photo of Louise Camuto  in a red version that she wore to the Valentino Gala that year so you can see how it looks on the body.

The dress does not have a single unnecessary seam. It really shows how sometimes absolute minimalism is best. Even with its simplicity it would still be a dress that is red carpet worthy or would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any other event too. The dress is made from an ivory silk crepe that has a beautiful drape. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. It is constructed so that it drapes and skims over the body perfectly. The skirt falls to the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. When you stand still it looks more like a sleek column but when you move you realize how much fabric is in there as it billows out behind you. The bodice drapes softly over you at the front. One arm is left bare for a bit of an expanse of skin to show. I love how the neckline curves up on an angle to the other shoulder. The shoulder that is covered is down by having the back panel of fabric wrap around from the back to the front of the arm. It them falls to the floor to create this elegant and still dramatic caped feeling over your arm. It is very beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an soft ivory coloured silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Tagged a Valentino 46. A minor grubbiness to the hem and the occasional small pull in the fabric. I don't think it has ever been worn. These are more from being hung with the skirt dragging on the floor. Very minor and just mentioning for accuracy. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD4162

Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2015 Valentino Collection, Look 78. Model: Maartje Verhoef.  /  (2) Louise Camuto at the Valentino Gala, December 2015.

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

This is the all white ready-to-wear a version of that famous 1992 Valentino dress in black and white. Linda Evangelista wore the original on the runway and just recently Zendaya wore its twin to a premiere. It is one of the most instantly recognizable Valentino dresses and I love this more unusual all white version. This is the kind of dress that you can dress up or down and it might even make an amazing dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Absolutely gorgeous and you can't go wrong in a piece this well-known. It is gorgeous

Like its famous graphic black and white counterpart this dress is made of multiple long vertical panels pieced together. Each panel has a tiny seamed piping along its edge and slightly overlaps its neighbor. Where the panels meet there is the slight three dimensional feel. The bodice is strapless and I love how the top of each panel has been rounded off to create a pretty and feminine scalloped effect along the neckline. Inside the bodice there is a full built-in shaped corset that helps to give you support and to keep the dress in place. This inner piece closes with its own zipper and holds the dress on the body. From there it starts to widen out and skims over the waist and the hips. It then flares as it reaches the hem. When you're standing still the panels create this gorgeous soft ruffled feel. But when you move you get a kick of fabric around you that is fantastic. The dress highlights the body but in that very refined and classic Valentino kind of way. I love that there are so many reference photos out there of the other version of this dress. It really gives you an idea of what it's going to look like on the body but just in an all white. This is one of the most recognizable Valentino dresses that there is and it is an incredible find. Excellent condition

Unlined with a full inner built-in corset. The dress closes with a side zipper and the inner bodice closes with its own side zipper. Ribbon edge finishes at the hem. The fabric has a slight stretch to it. The dress is perhaps a tiny touch more ivory in person than how it photoed. There is the tiniest bit of darkening to the edges here and there that I am just mentioning for accuracy. The exterior layer of the dress has more room through the waist than the inner foundation piece. So if you needed more room in the waist you could add to the inner piece and probably get at least another inch if not more

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4161

Reference Photos: (1-3) Spring 1992 Valentino Runway Collection. Model: Linda Evangelista.  /  (4-5) Zendaya in Vintage Valentino at the Euphoria Premiere, 2022.

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