• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Spring 1985 YSL runway.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
  
• This is a dress that is immediately recognizable as being YSL and was very well documented. Besides being seen on the runway one was famously shot by Helmet Newton for Vogue and it appeared in another editorial that season as well.
• The dress combines a black crepe skirt with a pink textured fabric, bought us and then a brilliant blue textured fabric piece that wraps around the hips and trails down one side
• I love that we have referenced photos of this one because it truly transforms once on the body.
• The pink of the top has heavy texture running through it. It is gathered into a wide strap across the top of the shoulder, and then extends down on an angle under the arm on the other side. It's all gathered into the top of the shoulder, and this creates the fantastic drape that you see running across on both the front of the bodice and the back.
• The seam where it meets, the black skirt is set on an angle that runs almost perfectly opposite to the angle of the neck line. It runs down to about the top of the hip on one side and then angles down to about mid hip on the other.
• Under that is a lightweight black skirt that continues to curve over the hips and then expands out for the lower skirt. There's quite a bit of fabric at the lower skirt so it has beautiful movement when you move and the back is cut a touch longer for a perfect little sweet behind you.
• Around the waist is a brilliant, deep, turquoise panel of fabric. This wraps around you and then comes back to hook into place at the hip where the ties start. I love how you can expand the fabric quite full over your hip on the one side.
• The ties continue down the side of the skirt and they are quite wide. They add to the movement the dress has when you move and add an unexpected bit of glamour.
• I love the almost startling combination of the three colours. It is a fantastic example of his work during this era.
• The dress is online and closes with a side, set, zipper, and hook an eye above that. The sash wrapped around the hips and hooks into place. The top and waist have a more bias cut feel, and I've put the range of measurements for those below.
• Take a vintage YSL 38
  
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem and the back extends another 3" with approximately 1.5" turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5810

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 a stunning and rare dress designed by Coty Award winning, Haitian born designer, Fabrice Simon. He was one of the preeminent black designers during this time period and pieces by him are very hard to find.
• It is the very near twin of the piece worn by Cornelia Guest in the photo that we have added here.
• His clothes were worn by some of the most famous names of the time and his work was seen on women like Kathleen Turner, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, who wore one of his dresses to the 1988 Grammy's. The top supermodels of the time like Iman, Beverly Johnson, Christie Brinkley and Jerry Hall were also all fans of his work. 
• The dress is meant to be worn off the shoulder and the entire top of the neckline features an elaborate finish made out of a two layers of a black silk. Each layer is attached down its middle and then sat side-by-side. The edges are all angled and pointed. This creates a gorgeous volume around your shoulders that balances out the volume of the lower skirts.
• The body of the dress is a black silk that is covered in black tube beads. The beads run over the dress in an interesting little panel with big square cut, rhinestones and little beads interspersed throughout for a little added glitz.
• The waist comes in and then the dress curves back out over the hips. It is fitted to past the hips with a border of the black beading that runs around where the skirt is attached. A ruffle with the same detail and finish as the shoulder sits below that.
• The lower skirt is incredibly full. It is made out of a soft pink silk that flares out all around you and moves incredibly as you move. There is a built-in underskirt that is made out of multiple layers of a white net with a very inner layer of an ivory silk.
• An incredible piece that is a rare example of his work.
• The top of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the skirt is finished as described above. It closes with a back zipper. There is light boning through the bust and elastic at the top of the shoulders. There are some very small areas where the bead work is missing and some grubbiness on the skirt. Please see the photos after the label shot.
• There is no size tag present as it would have been custom made. Please go by the measurements list of below
• Excellent overall condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 65" from top of the natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5810

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 dress is from the Fall 1984 Givenchy Haute Couture collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Hubert de Givenchy
  
• The dress would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• This is the actual sample dress that walked the runway that day.
• I love that the reference photos from the runway lets you see how perfectly this will fit once on the body. Having a piece of true Couture is always extra special and the fact that this is the runway sample makes it that much more so. It is a true piece of fashion history.
• The skirt of the combines a beautiful black silk velvet and black silk cut out beaded overlay while the bodice is made from a very high quality soft blue coloured silk.
• The dress is strapless and inside is an attached inner corset. The inner corset is boned and structured to hold the dress perfectly in place around you.
• The silk is set over the inner corset so that it softly drapes around you. A panel wraps around the upper bodice meeting at the front where it appears to tie. Underneath that is where it closes and this tie detail cleverly hides a hidden handset zipper.
• It snaps into place over the zipper and there are more snaps set along part of the waistline. It is extremely elaborate in the way it closes and this is the kind of closure and attention to detail that you see in true Couture pieces.
• It nips in at the waist and then curves back out over the hips and falls to the floor widening out as it nears the hem.
• The skirt has a black silk velvet base with an entire second layer attached over that. This gives you this incredible depth and texture to the layers.
• The top black silk portion is a hand cut out floral design that has all of the edges finished with a black stitched edging.
• The flowers are set to overlap each other over the entire skirt. The open cut outs between the flowers leave open areas that you see the underlying velvet through. At the centre of each flower is a faceted black jet bead that adds a bit of a sparkle to the dress. 
• This is an incredible piece of history from this time period under the direction of the original Hubert de Givenchy.
• The inner velvet acts as the lining and then the bodice is lined in a matching blue silk. Inside the bodice is a handmade built-in boned inner corset. Two zippers close the dress. There is one hidden at the front of the bodice as described above and a second one sits on the side of the skirt. Two inner waist stays hook to close. The bodice snaps into place over the zipper and partially around the waist of the skirt. The very final row of flowers at the hem have no beads. The hem has a simple surged finish. This is not unusual to see in runway sample pieces. The dress has its original handwritten sample Couture tag present.
• There is no size tag since it is a true couture piece. Please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 57" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5809

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.