• This dress is from the Spring 2006 Christian Dior collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
• Galliano began his own label in 1984 and he was instantly a bit of a 'boy wonder' in fashion. He was British Fashion Council Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1991 he made his Paris catwalk debut. In 1995 he was asked to head Givenchy and then went to Dior in October of 1996. 
• His work, especially the bias cut pieces that he did, have a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and they are beautifully cut.
• They marry Old Hollywood with the minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and the results are stunning.
• This is an amazing example of his work from the Spring 2006 season and it is gorgeous. We believe that some of the detailing is based on / loosely inspired by the opening look of the Couture 2006 collection. We have included a photo of that dress for you and you can see similar bead work through the skirt of that dress that has similarity to the pattern of the beads on this dress.
• The dress is made out of a deep blue silk crepe chiffon that has a slight bit of texture to it and a slight grey undertone. 
• It is completely cut on the bias. The dress falls from the shoulders and then drapes down and over the body to the floor. It is very beautiful. The signature bias cut that he often did allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted.
• The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures.
• The fabric has been pieced together with both curved and angled seams through the bodice and lower skirt to create the fantastic lines of the dress that you see.
• Wide straps extend out from the bust to curve over your shoulders. The front is set in a V and the fabric is gathered across the front of the shoulders.
• I love the angled cut of the front bodice where he has pieced the two side of it together. These are set into a high curving seam that highlights the waist but still stays easy in cut.
• That seam curves around the back curving upwards there as well.
• The back is scooped into a low curved open expanse. The straps become smaller and run down the back to join into each side of the lowest part of that curve.
• An attached panel of silk drapes beautifully down the back in reference to the best of Old Hollywood.
• The dress glides over the body from there and flares out as it reaches the hem. The widening and length of the back hem is created with angled silk chiffon panels inset into the back skirt. It is an incredible feat of patterning.
• This creates a longer bit of a train at the back for a bit of a sweeping feel behind you.
• There is an incredible amount of fabric through the lower skirt which gives you so much movement when you walk.
• The entire dress to just past the knee is beaded with silver beads mixed with the tiniest silver sequins. These are laid out vertically over the dress in beautiful curving lines that cover the dress. They catch the light from every angle and take the dress to another level.
• His signature row of tightly spaced buttons run up one side.
• The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how a bias cut dress moves. They only truly come to life when worn.
• It has a matching silk inner slip dress that loop through a stitch so that they are attached at the top of the inner shoulders. You could easily remove this to get more room if needed. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes and we have provided the comfortable range of measurements for both it and the outer dress below. It closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. It looks to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a FR42, GB14, IT46, US10. 
• Excellent condition

Dress
Bust: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Waist: 15-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 59" from the top of the shoulder to the front hem and approx 74" to the back

Inner slip
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner lining at hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD5662

Reference Photo: Fall 2006 Dior Couture, Look 1.

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 gorgeous dress is a true couture piece from the Fall 1970 Haute Couture collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• The book Dior:Catwalk noted that the Vogue proclaimed that "Any woman anywhere on earth would want to own these total feminine clothes"
• In the few photos that survive of pieces from this collection, it is interesting to note that he showed most of these shift dresses under capes, which would be a lovely combination even now.
• This dress would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier. 
• The dress is made out of a jet black silk velvet that is extremely soft to the touch and has beautiful drape.
• I love the nod to classic minimalism that the dress displays.
• Straps in a matching black velvet curve up and over your shoulders and then the front and back have just the most gentle bit of a scoop across. Just enough to take away the harshness a straight line would have.
• It skims over the bust and is cut more generously over the waist so that it falls in a perfect shift or column feel around you. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt or corded rope tie.
• It flares slightly out over the hips and then the skirt falls from there widening out as it near the hem.
• The dress closes down one side with glossy black buttons and I love the deliberate contrast in texture that it has against the black velvet. That pop of shine of the high gloss of the buttons is the perfect subtle detail against the inky texture of the velvet.
• The buttons close the dress down one side to just past the hip and then the rest of that seam is completely open all the way to the hem. When you walk, move, or sit, you get a flash of bare leg all the way up that one side. It is almost startling to have that flash of bare skin against the column of black and I love this play between elegance and sexiness.
• It is a dress that appears to be so simple in shape but every seam and line of the dress was purposefully and masterfully executed and planned.
• This is an extraordinary example of his work during this time period and it is an absolutely stunning dress.
• The dress is fully lined in a matching hand set black silk and closes at the side with the row of buttons. All of the work is done by hand to Couture standards and it has its appropriately dated couture tag present. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is Couture so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem and the slit is 29" from the hem up to the last button.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5655

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 spectacular dress is a very rare piece from the Spring 1999 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano
• For this show the Dior Catwalk book noted that "Galliano took a trip on the Trans-Siberian railway and drew inspiration from Russian avant-garde as well as the Chinese red army."
• A shorter version of this dress was shown in the show as well as a long version without the lace insets at the front. We have included reference photos of both so you can see how this will fit on the body.
• This is one of his signature bias cut dresses and it is absolutely stunning.
• The dress falls from two straps that curve up and over the shoulders. The front falls in a soft curving drape and then the back is scooped low to leave your upper back bare. The draped front is a clever way to add shape while still keeping the entire dress soft and with little formal structure.
• Behind the draped silk of the bust is a second halter cut bodice made out of black lace. As the front drapes down this lace peeks out from behind it.
• Set just underneath the bust is an angled panel of lace that is just over an inch and a half wide. This angles up towards the centre of the bust and then runs around the back.
• Another panel of lace highlights the seam that the lower skirt is set into and then the entire hem is finished with the same lace. I love how the placement of lace is done to highlight your shape.
• None of the lace used has any backing so that once this is on the body you get a glimpse of skin through all of the lace parts of the dress.  
• The rest of the dress is made out of beautiful slightly textured hammered black silk. The silk is a heavier weighted silk and it is completely cut on the bias. When you put it on it simply drapes over you and highlights every curve without ever being too tight anywhere.
• It skims over the bust, waist and hips and then comes in slightly where the bottom lace is. The lower skirt flares out substantially under that and there are yards of fabric in that part of the dress alone. This gives you incredible movement when you walk and finishes the dress beautifully.
• This flowing hourglass shape was a Galliano signature and this one is absolutely spectacular.
• The inner lining under the lower skirt is finished with yet another panel of black lace and this peaks out from underneath the skirt to perfectly tie all of the elements of the dress together.
• The dress is an exceptional example from his very early days at Dior. A true piece of fashion history.
  
• The lace serves as the lining behind the draped front and then the rest of the dress is lined in a black silk except for behind the lace parts which are left unlined. It closes with hidden set side zipper. It is completely cut on the bias so there is a lot of movement and range to the fabric. It is an easy fit and the bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes I have put the range when laying flat in the measurements below. On a smaller frame it will drape more. I see a small scuff on the fabric here and there. Very minor and just mentioned for accuracy.
• Tagged a vintage Dior FR40, GB12, US8
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 13" from top of shoulder to lace under the bust
Total length: approx 65" from top of shoulder to hem. The length may come up a touch once on because of the bias cut.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5654

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 1999 Christian Dior.

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 twin of this dress in red walked the Spring 2008 Christian Dior runway for Look 53.
• It was made under the Creative Direction of John Galliano. 
  
• This collection marked Dior's 60th anniversary and it was also John's 10th year with the label. He celebrated those milestones with a show that was a nod to both the archives and Old Hollywood glamour. Pieces were wait-listed worldwide and both colour versions of this dress were produced in very limited quantities.
• The red has been seen on the red carpet and we have included both runway and carpet photos here. It is a spectacular piece for the collector.
• To help visualize what this dress looks like on the body in black, we changed the runway dress to black, which gives you a great idea of what the final result will be on.
• The dress is made out of a luxurious black silk that is completely cut on the bias. John often chose this weight of silk because of the control it gave him to be able to drape and apply the level of seam work that he loved to do.
  
• The bodice is strapless with an inner boned and cupped corset that holds the dress in place around you.
• Silk panels have been draped, gathered and hand stitched into place to create the dramatic sweeping detailing you see at the front.
• At the back he gathered all of the fabric down and into the centre line to meet in a little peak at the centre of the waist.
• From there his signature bias cut allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted. As in many of his pieces the seaming has the feel  of the work you see from the twenties and thirties.
• The fabric has been pieced together with low dropped angled panels to create the widening of the lower skirt. It flares out at the bottom and at the back it is cut longer so that you get a sweeping feel behind you as you walk.
• A row of his signature tightly spaced buttons & loops in the same silk run up one side.
• This is an incredible example of his work and is highly collectible.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. The inner boned and cupped corset hooks to close with two rows of lingerie hooks to choose from. The bias cut gives it some give in the measurements and I have given the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat below. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Inner bust: 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 56" from the top of the bodice to the front hem and the back hem extends to a total length of 78"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5630

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 2008 Christian Dior, Look 53. Model Morgane Dubled.  /  (6) Aishwarya at the IIFA 2008.  /  (7) Lucy Hale at the People's Choice Awards, 2024.  /  (8) Emma Naomi at the Bridgerton Season 4 Paris Premiere, January 2026.  /  (9-10) We took some liberty to show you what this would look like in black on the runway!

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 twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1984 collection
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• It is also the exact dress that was worn by Krysta Rodriguez in 2023
• This is a beautiful example of the work being produced by Christian Dior in this time period.
• In the book Dior; Catwalk, the notes on the fall collection state that the collection was placed 'under the sign of opposites' and that he had looked to the work of Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock for inspiration. Pieces were adorned in drip embroidery and motifs and then he did a series of long sheath dresses that were 'accessorized with 'Pollock jewels" in jet and multi colour stones'.
• We found several photos of the twin of this dress on the runway which shows you how fabulous it is on the body.
• The dress is a true Haute Couture piece and has the appropriate numbered label intact. It would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The dress is made out of a soft textured silk velvet in a jet black. Using a velvet that has this added texture to it is an incredible choice as the dress catches the light in different ways as you move and it really makes it come to life.
• The cut is simple and sleek with a low front neckline that dips from an angle created over each shoulder. It slightly curves down to the centre and then the fabric is softly gathered from there to the waist.
• This leaves it with a slightly bloused over feel over the the nipped in waist.
• The sleeves are cut long and they slim down as they reach the wrists. There is a slight volume built in at the outer part of each shoulder. On the inside I see hand made silk cases that at one time had light padding in them but the padding has been removed at some point to give it a softer shape. You could easily have some padding put back in if you wanted a stronger shoulder.
• Inside the bodice is a more fitted and boned inner silk corseted piece that holds you in place while the silk velvet simply drapes softly over that outside.
• The skirt is cut to feel sleek and simple as it falls to the floor narrowing in slightly as it reaches the hem. A vent runs up the back so that you can walk.
• It is a beautiful and dramatic piece despite its simple lines. 
• Fully lined in a black silk and it has a built in bodice made of black silk. The inner bodice is boned and closes with its own zipper. The exterior dress closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each sleeve has a zipper at the cuff. Tagged with the Couture #19469. Silk hand made pads that have no padding inside each shoulder as described above. I see some small flaws to the silk on either side of the zipper on the inner corset. Please see the photo after the label shot. 
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please see the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24.5" and they are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from shoulder to waist
Total length: 58.5" from waist to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5624

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture Runway.  /  (4) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture, credit unknown.  /  (5-7) Krysta Rodriguez, in this dress, for the opening of Bad Cinderella on Broadway, March 2023.

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 top is from the Spring 1974 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of the original Mr. Valentino
• Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 just two years after opening his first salon in Rome. He often brought in the designs that he created for his main couture label into the boutique work. In these early days pieces were remarkably close in quality and the line between the two labels was often blurred. 
  
• I love that this has the classic seashell print from that year. We included reference photos of similar pieces from the collection. It is a very special and rare piece of original Valentino.
• The top is made out of a beautiful green silk that has the fantastic seashell print made up of several varieties of seashells.
• The seashell pattern has been set onto the silk on an angle and it covers the entire top.
• The shoulders and the way the sleeves are cut on this one are wonderful. The shoulder is deliberately dropped and then the sleeves are cut to be extremely full and generous. They almost have the feel of a pirate sleeve. They are full all the way down and then are brought back in at the buttoned cuffs.
• The cut is boxy and generous through the body for an easy fit. The top came with its original little matching silk string belt that you can use to tie around the waist for added shape. You could always use it around the neck.
• The collar is fantastic. It is pointed in that wonderful feel of the 1970s.
• Not only did this one come with its original little belt but it also came with a triangular shaped matching scarf that you can wrap and tie around the neck or around the head as a head scarf like how I styled it here for you to see.
• This is a fantastic piece of Valentino history, and I love that it has one of his most iconic prints from this era.
• The top is unlined and closes at the front with a series of buttons. Each cuff buttons to close. I see one small mark. Please see the photo after the label shot. The top is meant to feel more loose and generous if you choose to wear it without a belt and un-tucked. It should fit a variety of sizes and just feel more oversized on a smaller frame.
• Tagged a vintage Valentino 8
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 25" and they are up to 21" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: approximately 21"
Bust- hem: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 26" from neck to hem
Head, scarf: 49 from end to end x 21" at the widest point wide

Modern Sizing Equivalent:XS-MED

Item# DD5659

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1974 Valentino Ad Campaign photographed by Gianpaolo Barbieri.  /  (2) Spring 1974 Valentino phootgraphed by Andre Carrara.

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 gorgeous dress is a true couture piece from the Fall 1970 Haute Couture collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• The book Dior:Catwalk noted that the Vogue proclaimed that "Any woman anywhere on earth would want to own these total feminine clothes"
• In the few photos that survive of pieces from this collection, it is interesting to note that he showed most of these shift dresses under capes, which would be a lovely combination even now.
• This dress would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier. 
• The dress is made out of a jet black silk velvet that is extremely soft to the touch and has beautiful drape.
• I love the nod to classic minimalism that the dress displays.
• Straps in a matching black velvet curve up and over your shoulders and then the front and back have just the most gentle bit of a scoop across. Just enough to take away the harshness a straight line would have.
• It skims over the bust and is cut more generously over the waist so that it falls in a perfect shift or column feel around you. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt or corded rope tie.
• It flares slightly out over the hips and then the skirt falls from there widening out as it near the hem.
• The dress closes down one side with glossy black buttons and I love the deliberate contrast in texture that it has against the black velvet. That pop of shine of the high gloss of the buttons is the perfect subtle detail against the inky texture of the velvet.
• The buttons close the dress down one side to just past the hip and then the rest of that seam is completely open all the way to the hem. When you walk, move, or sit, you get a flash of bare leg all the way up that one side. It is almost startling to have that flash of bare skin against the column of black and I love this play between elegance and sexiness.
• It is a dress that appears to be so simple in shape but every seam and line of the dress was purposefully and masterfully executed and planned.
• This is an extraordinary example of his work during this time period and it is an absolutely stunning dress.
• The dress is fully lined in a matching hand set black silk and closes at the side with the row of buttons. All of the work is done by hand to Couture standards and it has its appropriately dated couture tag present. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is Couture so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem and the slit is 29" from the hem up to the last button.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5655

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 twin of this dress walked the Fall 1978 runway.
• It was made under the creative direction of George Stavropoulos.
• Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of silk done on a bias cut. He focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns 'seemed to float on air'.
• He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. His gowns are were made by hand and to couture standards in his salon. 
• I love that we have runway documentation as documentation on his work can be rare.
• The dress is made out of a feather light black silk that has tiny little red lines running over the silk that highlight the cut and line of the dress. 
• The neckline is cut straight across at the front and the back of the dress.
• Tiny straps in a matching black silk curve up and over each shoulder. 
• The seam work is set on angles and it is cut so that the waist is brought in and then it curves back out and over the hips.
• From there the skirt falls in this extravagant sweep of bias cut silk to the floor. I love how much it. widens out by the hem. This allows it to move beautifully around you as you move.
• Underneath the top layer of silk is an unexpected red lining. When you sit or move you get these little flashes of that great red that is fantastic. 
• The same red is used in the stripes that run over the entire dress. These bands of colour are stacked on top of each other and are set on angles running down and around the entire dress to add visual interest and shape.
• There is a slight elastic around the top neckline and this would let you wear this as a strapless piece and just tuck the little straps in if you wanted.
• The dress is fully lined in a red silk and it closes with a side set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from the top of the shoulder to the waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem, with the inner lining intentionally extending slightly past the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5648

Reference Photo: Fall 1978 Stavropoulos Runway.

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 set is from the 1976 Christian Dior collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• This is a shorter skirt version in purple and turquoise of the set that was photoed for L'Officiel in 1976. We had a red version many, many years ago and I am very pleased to have found this one.
• Both pieces are made out of a crepe silk chiffon that is light in weight and moves quite beautifully.
• I love that because it is two pieces you can wear it together to get the full look or you can mix and match it with pieces you already own.
• The top can play double duty as it can be worn as a proper top or you could layer it over other pieces as more of a light jacket.
• The top can be tucked in and left loose and easy, or worn belted, whether tucked in or loose, giving you even more versatility.
• The shoulders are soft and they extend out into sleeves that are cut wide and full for a bit of a kimono feel.
• The neck has no collar and there is a silk covered button at the top of the neck. If you choose to close this, it creates a slit keyhole that runs to the first of seven buttons that sit midway on the top. There are no buttons below that so if you wear it un-tucked it is open at the bottom and very pretty.
• Running around the collar and down both sides of the front is an edging of a pretty gold piping that adds a beautiful finishing touch.
• The skirt has a band around the waist and is cut slimmer around the hips with pin tuck seams for a little detail and shape.
• At the bottom of the hip the skirt opens on each side with a series of soft pleats that give you extra volume on the sides. As you move, this gives you beautiful movement around you. I also love the subtle reference of picking up on the volume of the sleeves
• It is absolutely beautiful and a wonderfully documented set.
• The top is unlined and the skirt is fully lined in a purple bias cut silk. The top buttons to close at the front and the skirt closes with a zipper and hook an eye at the waist.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements below
• Excellent condition

Jacket
Sleeves: to 19" at their longest points and they are 18" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam and narrows to 19.5" by the hem
Length: 23" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5642

Reference Photo: Roland Bianchini for L’Officiel de la Couture N. 625, 1976.

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 dress is from the Fall 1979 Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent collection.
• It was made under the creative direction Yves Saint Laurent.
• The 1979 collection was an a homage to Picasso and Diaghilev. Yves had been to an exhibit on Picasso costume and set designs for Diaghilev's ballet Russes. At the time he told French Vogue that he had been on a different path entirely for the collection but then he saw the exhibition and "my collection took on the structure of a ballet. I embroidered on Picasso, on a slightly soft cubism, on harlequin, the Blue Period, the Pink. It's best when in inspiration comes! You no longer have any doubt, you get on with it, you feel an immense joy!"
• You can see that inspiration of the harlequin especially on the pattern of this dress. We found several runway examples where he used the same pattern and added those here. It was a significant part of the collection.
• In the YSL folio that contains all the drawings from the collection, I saw that he had to use this particular print in several colours; a golden brown, a red, a white and black, and this magnificent blue. I have also included a sketch of the dress that is closest to this particular piece. Based on the drawings in my folio, it seems that this is most likely a one off done in collaboration with the client's request.
• The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• It is made out of a beautiful fine silk that has a secondary pattern within the weave in the same blue and then it is printed with that black design leaving the blue to show between. The silk is of the highest possible grade.
• You can see the very beginnings of the classic Yves Saint Laurent sack dress to come in the cut and silhouette in this dress. These sack dresses played on volume and cut. As the years went by they got bigger and looser through the middle. This one is still on the edge of being a more loose-waist A-line. 
• The collar is banded in the same silk and the silk is gathered in around it for a little added detail. The shoulders are soft and the upper portion of the sleeve is wider and set in a slight cap on the top of the shoulder. This narrows down to a cuffed wrist that ends in a ruffle made of the same silk.
• The cut through the body is loose and easy and it is almost tubular in feel with just the slightest bit of narrowing as it nears the hem. 
• I love how this makes it easy to wear and that it gives you the option of wearing it loose or adding a belt to cinch it in and add shape around the waist.
• I have shot it both of those ways with an added black rope belt. The belt is not original to the dress but will be included.
• The perfect finishing touch is the little slits on either side of the skirt. These allow for movement when you move and gives you ease of walking plus a little bit of extra leg to show.
• This is a superb piece of Couture and is an early example of his work.
• The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with a single button at the back of the neck above a keyhole. Each cuff buttons to close. It is entirely made by hand. The appropriate Haute Couture label is present.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 23.5" they are 15" around the upper arm. The neck is 13" around. The cuffs are 6" around where the button is presently but could be opened and the button moved to get 7".
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36.5" from neck to hem. Each side slit is 9" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5644

Reference Photos: Fall 1979 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.

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.