This dress is the Ready-to-Wear version of the Haute Couture Dior dress that walked the Fall 2021 show for Look 32. You can see the striking similarities to it from the similar metallic net fabric, to the cut. This version for the main line was produced for the shops in limited quantities and only sold at certain of certain Dior shops from what I understand. It is an absolutely stunning dress and I love knowing that it is based on that beautiful couture gown. It is truly a beautiful piece and it might even 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 event.

The fabric on this dress is very unusual. A fine metallic gold thread is done in a grid cut out that creates a thatched pattern over the entire dress. This sits over a layer of a pale nude silk netting and then both of those sit over the inner layers of silk tulle and silk on the bodice. The skirt has multiple layers of tulle underneath that top metallic layer with an inner silk lining under them all. The skirt has a ton of fabric and I did not use any extras under-skirts in the photos. All of the volume that you see is created by all of the existing layers of tulle and silk. If you wanted the skirt to be even fuller you could add something underneath and turn it into a fairy-tale cupcake dress. The bodice is meant to be fitted and the fabric is wrapped and gathered all the way around you. Inside there are padded cups that create a sweetheart neckline and light boning to hold the dress in place and give you support. Tiny little half sleeves leave the shoulders bare and they wrap around your upper arms for a pretty feminine detail. The waist is cinched and then the skirt poufs out below that to create all that gorgeous volume that you see. The dress comes with its original Dior cloth garment bag and looks to have been worn very little at all. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in silk and constructed as described above. It closes with a back hidden set zipper and an inner waist stay hooks to close. The front cups are padded and there is light boning in the inner bodice. Hand finishes. Tagged a F36, GB8, I40 US4. The colour is slightly more metallic in person and better.

Sleeves: 11" and are 11" around the upper arm
Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 57" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4733

Reference Photo: Fall 2021 Christian Dior Couture, Look 32. Model Mathilde Henning.

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The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1990 Haute Couture collection. Its twin was shown under a jacket on model Gloria Burgess and we found the original sketch of the dress in my YSL folio. I thought it interesting to see that Gloria was not the original model intended for the dress and that there was a change by Yves as to who wore it on the actual runway and you can see that interesting little detail in the sketch. I have included all the reference photos for you here and it gives you a beautiful idea of how fabulous this is once on the body. This is also the collection that the book 'Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk' notes that "The end of this catwalk show was greeted by 10 minutes of a standing ovation, following Yves Saint Laurent's homage - via 119 designs - to the hugely talented men and women who had thus far influenced him and made an impression upon him". The dress is gorgeous and Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. It really is a beautiful piece and in my opinion, owning a piece of his couture work is one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.

The dress is amazing and showcases how wonderful Yves Saint Laurent could cut a dress to flatter a woman's body. It is made entirely by hand and the silk is that heavier richer silk that you only see in the very best pieces of couture. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulders have padding to extend the line of them outwards a touch over the ends of the shoulder. The sleeves are cut full through the upper arms and then narrow to the wrists. Each cuff ends with four handmade silk covered buttons and loops and each button is perfectly functional. The neckline is set a touch wide across. The silk is gathered around the waist into soft folds to create a little extra bit of a detailing. The folds are set slightly off to the side and on an slight angle that visually helps to extend the body of the person wearing it. The waist is seamed but cut on the more generous side. To cinch it in we have added an ivory silk chiffon sash that is a beautiful match to the dress. The skirt falls under that in a simple shape that flares out as it nears the hem. It falls to just about the knee or above depending on your height and there are hidden pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is beautiful creamy ivory. This is a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. It really shows how sometimes simplicity can have so much of an impact. It would be a dress that might make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice, for a day wedding, or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in an ivory silk and all the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It closes with a hand set side zipper and a button at the back of the neck. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Each cuff has four hand made silk buttons and loop. Padding in each shoulder as described above. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. The silk chiffon sash is not original to the dress but will be sent with it. Any change in colour that you see in the photos is lighting.

Sleeves: 22" and 14" around the upper arm
Slightly wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Total length: 38" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4727

Reference Photo: Spring 1990 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway. Model Gloria Burgess.

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In 1952, Hubert de Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodmans and was eventually made available at other retailers. The line was high end and extremely well made. This part of his brand was created specifically to appeal to his non-couture clients who wanted to be able to purchase a piece of the Givenchy dream. This label continued until 1992 when it was retired and re-branded as the Givenchy Couture label. This dress is from those early days of the label and it is one of the prettiest Givenchy dresses I have seen. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4721

Reference Photos: Spring 1982 Lanvin Couture. Model Anna Bayle.

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.

Bill Gibb was one of the most influential designers in 1970s Britain and his clothes were sought out and worn by the rich and famous. His work has a high fantasy element and he was crowned Designer of the Year in 1970. Much of his work verged on couture and he was unrelenting in striving for perfection. I love finding his worn becasue its rare and exceptionally well made. It represents the more fantastical side of British fashion during this time period and I love that. 

The dress is made from a silk chiffon that has been dyed to a deep fuchsia that gradually darkens to a deep mauve as it loves across the dress. I love the depth this creates and how it highlights the parts of the dress. The sleeves are wide and come out from just above the gathered waist. They narrow down to their ends from there. The front and back both dip into a deep V and the neckline sits wide across the shoulders. There is a little silk flower finished with sequins nestled at the base of the V. From just under the bust to the top of the hips the silk is gathered and fitted for shape. The skirt falls to the floor from there in a sweep of silk chiffon. Pink glitter is fused onto the silk and it catches the light with your every move. Under the top layer of silk on the skirt is an inner lining in a pale silver blue . The two colours layered over each other adds an extra dimension to the skirt that is even better in person. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined in a pale silver blue silk and closes with a side metal and nylon zipper. There are hook and eye along part of the bottom seaming of the arm on that side as well. Big iridescent glass buttons on each cuff. Small areas here and there where the glitter has fallen off but it is minimal and I am being picky. 

Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no defines seam
Bust: no true side seams so open and variable
Natural waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of gatherings 24" down from the shoulder: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, skirt is open under that
Length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3068

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 dress is the silk version of the Fall 2000 Look 54 leather dress that Galliano sent down the runway for the final look of that show. This version was made in this silk taffeta for the shops. It is very rare and wonderful piece of his history. This dress has the added modern provenance of being the actual dress worn by poet Rupi Kaur to the Vanity Fair and Elton John after parties for the 2024 Oscars. Amal Clooney recently wore a longer black version on the Cannes red carpet. This is a rare and early Galliano that is one of the best I have seen. 

The dress is made from an iridescent silk taffeta in a deep oxblood red. The iridescent quality of the fabric make it catch the light in the most incredible way that you could imagine. It doesn't need a single embellishment because of the fabric choice. This is one of John's classic corseted pieces. Inside the dress there is a full built-in corset that has wired cups and extensive boning to hold you in place. The dress came to me with a thick, almost shoe lace like cord that was used to lace it up at the back and I love the contrast this gives. This is a detail however that is hidden from sight. The corset and its lace is all hidden inside the dress and then the dress zips to close over it. The dress is seamed vertically so there is no horizontal seam to break the eye. The shoulders are cut so they sit off the shoulder. The inner corset holds the dress tightly in place around the bodice and the breasts are pushed up from the internal cupping. It skims over the hips and then the skirt narrows inwards slightly before flaring back out. The lower skirt is set on an angled seam and has extra fabric to create that little fabulous flare that it has. The seaming at the back is incredible. On one side he has run a slightly curving seam sett on an angle from the top of one hip to the centre seam of the back. Attached along this seam is an extensive long curved panel that picks up the flare and curve of the skirt. This panel drapes lower down to past the hem. This is a rare opportunity for a beautiful piece of his early work that shows his love and devotion to corsetry and that Galliano flare we know and love. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The inner corset is lined in the same silk and it is bone and cupped. It laces at the back as described above and seen. The rest of the dress is lined in a deep burgundy red silk. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. I see a couple of very tiny areas of darkening on the fabric but they are extremely minor. This is exactly how the dress was worn on the red carpet so they have no impact on the wearability of the dress at all. Please see the photos after the label shot. 

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup at the front
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 57" from top of the natural shoulder to hem and the panel extends another 7 inches past the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4693

Reference Photos/Videos: (1-10) Fall 2000 John Galliano, Look 54 (Final Look).  /  (11-12) Rupi Kaur in this dress for the Elton John Oscars Party, March 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.

This exceptional dress is by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior and it is a wonderful example of his work during this time period. We have dated it to the Fall 1979 collection based on the reference and runway photos we found of pieces with similar fabric and cuts. I love that it feels like a throwback to the work of the original Mr. Dior and that it has such a beautiful feel of old world glamour to it. Bohan's work was integral to the labels development over the decades that he headed the atelier and this is a stunning example of his vision. Beyond that it is just an extraordinarily beautiful dress.

I love the nod to the 1950s in this dress. It has that classic little New Look shape to it that we all love and associate with the house of Dior. At the front the neckline is squared off by how the sleeves are set into the dress combined with the straight across cut of the neckline. Across the front of the neckline it is detailed with a wide black silk ribbon that has a pretty bow at the front. The sleeves are a single layer of the silk netting are are covered with those pretty white sequins. They curve softly over the shoulders and fall just below the elbow. The transparency of the netting lets you see a glimpse of the skin underneath. At the back the netting angles down towards the centre of the back where they meet another wide black ribbon finish there as well. The bodice is gathered across and into a vertical strip of the fabric that is detailed with three rhinestone and crusted buttons. It skims over you to the waist with a boned and shaped interior. The skirt is gathered in all around the waist and there is a great amount of fabric in the skirt. This allows it to fall in those soft folds that you see but when you move it has incredible movement. The bottom is anchored by another wide finish of black silk satin ribbon that ties the entire dress together. I love that the entire dress is covered with hand sewn white sequins and there two secondary patterns worked through the netting that gives it added texture. It is incredibly beautiful and the photos don't truly convey the sense of texture the dress has in person. It is a stunning example of Dior from this time period that somehow manages to feel perfectly timeless. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk chiffon. It closes with a hidden set backer and a hook and eye at the inner waist stay. The interior of the bodice is lightly boned and shaped.

Sleeves: approx 17" and 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 18" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 50.5" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4686

Reference Photos: Fall 1979 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.

This dress is very special and an extremely well documented piece from Spring 1988. It has the special added provenance of being the twin of one of the four dresses portrayed in that instantly recognizable photo taken in his atelier that year. That photo is perhaps one of the most famous photos in the Lacroix history. The dress is from his Luxe label that was only produced the very first couple of seasons. It was very high end expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards and was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his later regular ready-to-wear collections. It is said that this label only lasted a couple of seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. We found numerous reference photos of the dress as it appeared on the runway so you have an amazing idea of how this dress looks on the body.

The dress is gorgeous. It is made out of a textured silk organza that has a slight texture running through it. Onto that is a glorious floral pattern in pinks and yellow with pops of green. It feels so vibrant and beautiful with that gorgeous print. The sleeves are long and they are cut on a slight curve in the traditional couture manner. The shoulders are lightly shaped and the front falls into a shallow V. The dress has a little bit of gathering just at the bust area down the centre seam and then it falls smoothly  to the hem under that. It is cut to skim over you through the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist. At the back the bottom 9 inches of the skirt has an inset bustle. The fabric there is gathered into a curving seam and there are three black organza half bows stacked one on top of the other to create a bustle feel. This is one of his most famous dresses and its amazing. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The body of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the sleeves are lined in a white silk. The dress zips to close at the back and each cuff has a zipper to close it. Light padding in the shoulders. Tagged a vintage Lacroix 44

Sleeves: 22.5" and 13" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4401

Reference Photos: (1-5) Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Collection.  /  (6-7) Models in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Atelier, Paris, 1988. Photos by Arthur Elgort.

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.

Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of  the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a beautiful example of his work from this time period.

The dress is made from a light weight black silk organza and it is an easy-to-wear and very pretty dress. The dress is made to look as if it wraps around you but it actually is fully secured all the way around. The bodice has a cross over the front and is meant to skim over you to the waist. At the back it closes with a hook and eye at the top of the neck and then there is an open keyhole slit to where the zipper begins just above the waist. I love how the back and upper part of the shoulders are made from only one layer of the organza so that it has a touch of transparency. This transparency has been carried over to the sleeves as well. The sleeves are spectacular. Each one is extremely full and balloons out over the cuffs. They are also open with a keyhole from the top of the shoulder to the wrist. The wrist is highlighted with a bow made from the same organza and then you have a huge double ruffle of silk that falls over your hands. The waist is brought in and has an attached band of the same organza that you tied to one side. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and widen out beautifully. It is scooped up at the front to one side and there is another double layer of ruffles that begins at the top of the hip and then falls all the way to the floor. It follows the edge of the skirt all the way around the back and then scoops up the other side. This adds that incredible volume and drama to the skirt that you see. The skirt is lined underneath and the inner skirt has a smaller open slit so that your full leg is not exposed. If you wanted to, you could easily expand that inner slit so that opened all the way up and you did see all of your leg. It is gorgeous and even more beautiful in person. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a black silk. It closes at the back of the neck with a hook at the top of the neck and a zipper starting just above the waist. Each cuff hooks to close, and the belt at the waist snaps into place. Perhaps the tiniest bit of fading to an edge here or there, but this is a natural occurrence with this type of fabric in this age of garment and I'm being pretty picky.

Sleeves: 29" including the 6 inch ruffle. 15" around the upper arm.
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 61" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4656

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.

Sophia Loren wore a green version of this dress to Cannes in 1989. Hers had a different neckline that met at the front where this one comes out at the side ps of the bodice so you get a cleaner feel. Both are gorgeous and the photos of Sophia really give a sense of how gorgeous this is once on the body. Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during this time period. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.

I absolutely love the cut of this dress. It is made out of a beautiful iridescent silk taffeta in a deep peach with coral undertones. The choice of this silk gives it enough structure to hold the shape but still keeps it fairly light in weight. That fabric choice mixed with that full on glamorous  cut that it has gives it feeling of high drama. The bodice is cut to hug the torso and the neckline is cut so that it is scooped in a sweetheart neckline at the front and then another scoop sits at the back. The sleeves are amazing. They are cut to wrap around your shoulders. Each extends out from the back and then wraps around the top of the shoulder before sweeping back in to be secured at the sides of the bust line. They are so pretty. You can adjust them a bit once on to wear more up on the shoulder or leave them draped more around the upper arm to leave a bare expanse of skin to show across the top of the shoulders. The bodice is intricately gathered and it angles down a touch where it meets the skirt. The skirt is very full. It flows to the floor in a massive cascade of the silk. There are no additional underskirts added for these shots. All of that incredible volume is built into the skirt. I love the rosettes that gather and pick up the skirt all the way around. It makes it so incredibly romantic in feel. The front is scooped up and the back is cut longer for a bit of a sweep behind you. It is gorgeous. A cluster of flowers sits at one side of the waist for the final perfect romantic touch. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set matching silk and closes with a back zipper. Inside the bust there is one of his signature strapless bras tacked into place. Hand finises. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: open
Bodice: approx 12" from top of the bodice to shortest part of the side seam at the waist 
Total length: 33" from top of the bodice to the shortest part where it curve up at the front hem, 58" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4644

Reference Photo: Sophia Loren in Loris Azzaro at Cannes, 1989.

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 1987 show and we have included reference photos of it from the runway for you so that you can see how fabulous it is on the body. We even found one where you can see the model walking back down the runway so you can see how gorgeous it is from the back as well. It is an easy to wear and very chic little YSL.

This is a really gorgeous dress. It is made from a lace fabric that has an unusual blue-purple colour running through it. Metallic thread runs through the lace and then over that are thousands of glossy black sequins that follow the pattern of the lace. The sequins catch the light from every angle but in a subtle way that I love. The lace has an open cut that is lined it with a deep blue silk chiffon. It has a touch of transparency to it but its wearable. This combination also keeps it light so that it feels amazing once on the body. The dress sits off the shoulder to leave a bare expanse of skin across the top. The neckline wraps around the shoulders and it is finished with a pretty black silk organza ruffle. The silk of the ruffles has just enough structure so that it holds its shape perfectly. The sleeves fall to just past the elbow and each is also finished with a ruffle. From there the dress skims over you, running over the bust and past the waist, with no seaming there to break the line. At the top of the hip there is a seam that has another ruffled detailing. The skirt falls under that and widens out as it nears the hem. A final ruffle goes all the way around the edge of the skirt. The back of the skirt is set to hang a touch longer than the front. This gives you a beautiful curve from the side  and adds a touch of pretty volume. It is a gorgeous dress and really showcases Yves' innovative eye and design genius. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a dark blue silk chiffon. It closes at the side with a zipper. Tagged a YSL 42.

Sleeves: approx 18" from the drop and 12" around the upper arm
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam across the top of the hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and open under that
Length: 30" from top of centre neckline to front hem and 36" to back hem including top and bottom ruffle

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4271

Reference Photos: Fall 1987 Yves Saint Laurent 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 as Look 53vfor the Spring 1983 Haute Couture collection. It was shown under a jacket initially and then the jacket was removed. I love that this shows you how versatile these little dresses can be. We also found the fabric noted in a WWD editorial and then I looked into my folio collection book and found the model number and original sketch for you to see. I have included all these reference photos for you here and it gives you a beautiful idea of how fabulous this is once on the body. The dress is gorgeous and Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. It really is a beautiful piece and owning a piece of his couture work is always one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.

The dress is amazing and showcases how wonderful Yves Saint Laurent could cut a dress to flatter a woman's body. It is made entirely by hand and the silk has the tiniest ribbed texture running through it. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulders have light padding just at their outer edges to slightly extend them outward. They are set into the bodice with gathers so that they slightly pouf above the shoulder line. The sleeves are slim and pouf out just slightly as they slim down to the zippered cuffs. The neckline is set wide across the collarbones and edged in a black silk band. The waist is seamed and we have added a black grosgrain ribbon there for shape. You can add a belt instead if you wanted a really cinched in look. The skirt falls under that in a simple pencil to just about the knee or above depending on your height. There are hidden set pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is the best thing about the dress. It is a mix of a bright pink, green, blue and a deep purple set in a large floral design that runs over the entire dress. It is so pretty. Truly a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. And it is just so good on the body. A masterpiece. Excellent condition.

Unlined through the bodice and lined in a black silk through the skirt. All the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It closes with a back zipper and two buttons at the back of the neck. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Each cuff has a hand set hidden set zipper to close. Light padding in each shoulder as described above. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. The grosgrain ribbon is not original to the dress but will be sent with it.

Sleeves: 22" and 13.75" around the upper arm
Slightly wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Total length: 38" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4642

Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway.  /  (5-7) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Advance Preview.  /  (8) Womens Wear Daily, February 1983.

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 top is from the second last ready-to-wear collection that Thierry Mugler presented. It is from the Spring 2001 season and it is an absolutely outstanding piece. It's twin walked the runway that season and I am very happy to have photos and video for reference for you to be able to see how phenomenal this sits on the body. He experimented with materials that included leather and netting as you see in this piece and the appearance of these wide angel sleeves were of note. I've only ever seen one other piece of this available that was done in a different colour from the runway piece like this one is in it's a phenomenal collectors piece

The top is made out of a brown silk net that has those wonderful, leather pieces, hand sewn into place onto the netting. These are set to follow the design of the top. It wraps over itself at the front and ties at the waist, and you can tie it to the side, the back the front however you wish. The ties are extremely long and they are detailed with those little oblong pieces of leather in different sizes laid out to follow the cut of each tide. More leather curves down to follow the shape of the neckline at the front and go all the way across to the sides of the top. They curve up and over to the back where they come down in a little angled point there. The sleeves are as phenomenal as those long front ties. Each one ends in an extremely wide angel shape and is cut extra long. Again the little leather pieces have been applied to follow the shape of the sleeve and some go all the way up almost to the shoulder. I love how some are left to hang over the edge of the top on each sleeve. It just has that little extra bit of genius dimension. It is just outstanding. Excellent condition

Unlined and wraps to close. Tagged a vintage Mugler 38.

Sleeves: approx 27-28" and 13-16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam but can b adjusted up and down a but when tying
Waist-bottom seam: adjustable
Length: 19" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4635

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2001 Thierry Mugler.

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 dress is from the Fall 2014 collection and when Fausto did a series of these in every colour combination you could think of they sold out worldwide and seemed to be everywhere on all of the fashion people. His forst collection debuted in 2006 and Italian fashion editor Anna Dello Russo started to wear his pieces everywhere and is largely responsible for bringing his work to the spotlight. His style during this time period has been called Greco-Roman glitz which to me is the perfect way to describe pieces like this. This dress is fantastic and you can see how amazing it is on the body on the reference editorial shot that we found.

The dress is absolutely gorgeous. It's made out of a light wool that has a slight texture to it finished. It mixes the six different colours that makes it up with a masterful hand. The bodice is a pale purple, and it has lemon straps that are wide and curved up and over the shoulders to meet the back. Around the waist at the front, there's a wide panel of ivory that plays double duty to also not only anchor the shape of the dress, but provide a beautiful backdrop to that huge metal and rhinestone medallion that sits at the front. The band at the back is a beautiful spring green and then you have black panels that wrap around the hips to the back zipper on either side. The skirt is a deeper purple at the front and that same pretty yellow at The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made and that piece of jewellery at the front combined The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made, and that piece of jewellery at the front just gives it combined. with that masterful mix of colours, gives it fine but sexy feel. It's an incredible mix of sexiness glitz and a sense of lightness and fun. its gorgeous on the body and I love it. Excellent condition with one small note below 

The bodice is fully lined in an ivory silk, and there is light boning at the sides. It closes with a back hidden, set zipper and an inner waist stay snapped to close. A touch of a mark on the inner lining. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged modern a US6, UK10, IT42, FR38

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 31.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 5.25" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4629

Reference Photo: Model in Fausto Puglisi for En Vie Fashion Magazine, July 2014.

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.

"I have chosen today to say goodbye to the craft that I have loved so much. The next show to which I invite you, on Tuesday, 22nd January at 6 PM, at the centre of George's Pompano, will predominantly be a retrospective of my work… Some designs from the currencies will also be shown." This was how Yves the announced his intention to retire and leave the world of Haute Couture. That final show was over an hour long and was presented to a room of 1500 hand picked guests. To tell the story of his decades long career there was a total of 371 garments shown that day. The presentation began at the beginning of his career and the show was a full retrospective of his work that showed a highlight of all of his creations through the decades. There were also a small group of 11 new items for the 2002 season included about 2/3rds of the way into the show created as the Spring 2002 couture collection. All were pieces that were based on dresses from the past but done in new colours. They were all made of weightless chiffons and were in a variety of colours. This blending of past and present further evoked the idea of his journey and how his designs are truly timeless no matter when they were made. The twin of this black dress was included in that grouping and it is based on the green dress we have included a reference photo of for you here from the Spring 1991 collection. I love it even more in its black version. The dress has its own special couture tag that commemorates it as being a part of this final show. It is an extremely rare and wonderful piece.

This dress is stunning. It has a strapless bodice that is fitted perfectly to hold the dress on the body and then it falls from there to the floor in layers of weightless black silk chiffon. The silk of the bodice is gathered and set vertically and inside the bodice there is a full inner built-in corset that is shaped and seamed so the dress stays perfectly in place once on. A wide band of silk wraps underneath the breasts to the waist and there is a sash that ties in a soft bow off to one side. The ends of the sash trail all the way down the side to the floor and this helps to add to the beautiful movement this dress has once on. Below the beautiful shape through the bodice the skirt falls to the floor in a soft cascade of silk chiffon. The. side of the skirt that opens is slightly longer than the other and this is a clever way to give that side of the skirt even more movement. These are the tiny details in Couture that make a dress move the exact perfect way. The innermost layer of silk chiffon is set all the way around you and then the other layers of the skirt are set over this and slit right up to where the waistband meets the top of the skirt on that side. So when you walk and move you are covered by that single layer of silk chiffon underneath but you are still bare underneath the transparency of the chiffon. You can see this clearly in the video as the model walks. It is very sexy. The layers and open side of the skirt combined with the trailing ties from the waist are then what allow the dress to move so beautifully around you when you move. It is  absolutely perfect in every way. The workmanship is beautiful and the dress appears to have never been worn or worn very little. What a joy to have such an important dress from Yves very last collection. Excellent condition.

Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup
Seam under the bust: 14.25" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 4.75" from top of bodice to seam under the bodice
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to shortest part of the hem, 54" to the longest

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4624

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Couture, Look 240.  /  (4) From the book “Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: CATWALK”  /  (5-6) Spring 1991 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.

This fantastic Christian Dior by John Galliano set was recently worn by Alix Earle and I love that I have photos and video of it on so that you can see just how amazing it is on the body. These laced up pieces were integral to the Dior look during this time period and we included pics of Elizabeth Hurley in another piece that has the same lacing detail on the skirt and back from the same collection for you to see. This is an exceptional set. It is amazing on the body as you can see in the photos here of Alix wearing it. I also have a video on my instagram that shows Alix getting ready in this that night.

I love that this is made up of the two separate pieces. It gives it that added versatility of being able to be worn together so that it feels like you are wearing a dress, or to be able to mix and match the pieces with other existing things in your wardrobe. Both the top and the skirt are made from two layers of a bias cut black silk chiffon that have been stacked on top of each other to make it opaque enough to wear. The top slips on to wear and then you adjust the lacing at the front and the back for the perfect fit on you. It falls from the halter neckline, and I love the little silk chiffon ruffle that follows the edge of that neckline. The actual border of the neckline is a cotton strap that has metal grommets worked into it and then the laces all go through the grommets to adjust and tighten the fit on you. Both the strap edging and the laces have a slight faded feel that is purposeful. It is cut so that it flares out slightly at the bottom and over the top of the skirt below. You could also tuck it into the skirt and belt it if you wished. The skirt is meant to sit a little lower on the hip and the bias cut allows it to swirl around you. On the skirt the laces start at the back and wrap around the hips and then curve down the front. Long ties dangle from the bottom of where they lace up and there is that same ruffled silk chiffon detail that follows the design. Once past where the paces stop the lower skirt opens up and those ruffles run to the very bottom of the skirt. The skirt is meant to curve around the hips and then flares out dramatically for the lower portion of the skirt. This creates incredible movement as you move and is truly fantastic. It is a really exceptional set extremely sexy on the body. I love it. Excellent condition

Both pieces are a double layer of the same black bias cut silk chiffon. The top adjusts with the laces and the skirt closes with a zipper that is hidden along the edge of the angled seam towards one side at the back. The top is tagged a US10, GB14, FR42 and the skirt has no size tag. The bias cut gives it lots of movement and will allow it to fit a range of sizes. We have given the comfortable range of the pieces below.

Top
Bust: Approx 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam and you can go up or down a bit from there by adjusting the laces
Bottom hem: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4623

Reference Photos: (1-4) Alix Earle, in this set, at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl Party, February 2024.  /  (5-6) Elizabeth Hurley in Dior at "Fashion Rocks", October 2003.

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.

I have a small grouping of Chanel pieces that will be listing over the next week or so and they all come from an avid Couture and Chanel collector. Many of these pieces were extremely difficult to source when they were released and were only made in very limited quantities. They are in pristine condition and all but one have their original shop packet that has the extra fabric and style information. These are exceptional pieces for the collector and each is extremely special.

This skirt is exceptional. It's from the Pre-fall 2020 collection and it's twin walk the runway for Look 37. This is a wonderful piece of Chanel and is extremely well-made. The was a Metier d"Art collection which are always the most expensive at retail as they feature work from all the tiny maison d'art houses. It was also Virginie Viard's first Metier d'Art Pre-fall collection. She titled the show 'Paris – 31 rue Cambon' which is of course where Gabriel Chanel first set up shop as a milliner in 1910. She later expanded her fashion empire by taking over six buildings to house her Haute Couture salons one of which was Number 31. In tribute she mirrored the black, beige, crystal and gold that evokes Chanel's apartment, and the famous mirrored staircase. When asked about it backstage, she said that the show was meant to be "the things we like, a mix of Karl and Chanel – the Chanel codes."

In this skirt we see the high workmanship of the luxury suppliers of the fashion industry. At first glance, you might almost think it to be a tweed Chanel piece but then as you look at it closer you realize that every inch is covered with overlapping silver sequins. The sequins are held in place by an ivory, gold and black thread and this is what gives them the appearance of that classic Chanel tweed. The sequins catch the light from every angle. It is exceptional. Running down the front is a panel of glittering crystals that are bordered with faux pearls on either side and the pearls are all caught into a black corded cage. That same detail runs down the centre of the skirt at the back. It is fitted around the waist, but without an added band so you lose no detail of that stunning design, and then it glides over the hips and flares out to the hem. The skirt has never been worn and has its original Chanel packet. Excellent condition

Fully lined in black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper under the back centre detailing. Tagged a 34 and has its original Chanel packet. Current Chanel fantasy skirts start at $5500 and range up to $8500USD + for pieces with this level of detailing. 

Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4545

Reference Photo/Video: Pre-Fall 2020 Chanel Runway, Look 37.

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 very rare dress that is the twin of the dress that walked the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 1992 Haute Couture runway. It is extremely well documented and I have included photos of the original sketch and swatches that I have here from the Saint Laurent couture archive book set that I own in addition to runway reference photos of it that we found. You can see just how fantastic it is on the body. This was Look 47 and part of the short evening segment of the collection.

This collection marked Yves' 30 year anniversary and it was presented on January 29 to coincide exactly with his first collection presented January 29, 1962. The book, Yves Saint Laurent Catwalk, notes that at the time people were expecting a retrospective but Yves actually surprised everyone by producing a full 91 piece collection. There was a definitive tribute aspect to his first 1962 collection. Flowers were a main motif and ran throughout the collection as did polka dots and stripes. Puff sleeve tops with balloons skirts were integral and dresses like this one were a key look. It is an exceptional to have such beautiful documentation on this stunning dress. Every piece of Saint Laurent Couture is a treasure but when it's as highly documented in from such an important collection as this, it is just that much more special.

The dress is exquisite. It is made from a combination of a white silk that has been hand embroidered with roses and leaves across the entire bodice. This is then combined with a silk faille skirt that has dots that appear to be hand painted onto the fabric. A silk organza bow is wrapped around the waist and I love the deeper mustard yellow tone of it. It perfectly offsets the black and white palette. The neckline is scooped across the front and the bodice is meant to skim over the body to the waist. The sleeves are fantastic and each insets into the bodice in a series of pleats across the top of the shoulders. This is what gives them the volume that you see. The edges of the neckline are finished with a black cord and this runs around the cuffs as well. Each cuff is brought into the arm with a button and loop and this bringing in at the arm also helps to exaggerate the puff above. The entire silk of the top is embroidered in this magical, dreamy, black rose embroidery that pops against the white of the silk. The embroidery is done onto the silk directly in some places and then in other places the leaves or roses have been cut out and hand stitched in place. The waist is seamed but it is more generously cut and the organza ribbon that circles it adds the perfect pop of color. Under that the skirt is fantastically full and the fulness is created by the pleats that are set into the waist and the way it has been wrapped in and under at the hem to attach to the skirt underneath. Between the those two layers of the skirt you can feel that there is tulle and some structure inside that helps hold that exaggerated shape. It is a fantastic magical piece of Haute Couture and an important piece from an important collection. Excellent condition with a note below.

The bodice is lined in an ivory silk and the sleeves are unlined. The belt at the waist is attached and wrapped and hooked into place. The skirt is lined in the same fabric as the outer skirt and there is stiffening between the layers as described above. It closes at the back with a button at the top of the neck and then there is a hidden set side zipper too close. The dress is unlabeled, but I have seen the original label that came with the dress. The dress had been let out at some point and my client had it brought back in and unfortunately when she had it altered back to its original size, the tailor lost the tag. I see some very minor evidence of that alteration on the bodice. There are some areas of stress near the embroidery and some minor reinforcements underneath the arms. I see slight dustiness on the fabric at the top the shoulders and there is a tiny chip on the button on one sleeve. Perhaps a slight grubbiness along the inner edge of the lining under the arm. The outside presents as clean and fresh and once on it looks immaculate. 

Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 18" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4509

Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.  /  (5-6) From the book "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: L'oeuvre Integral 1962-2002".

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 extremely rare example of the Haute Couture work being done by the house of Lanvin during the years that Antonio Castillo headed the atelier. Castillo started off his career at the houses of Paquin and Piquet. He also did a stint designing accessories for Chanel. He quickly became known as one of the most promising designers to emerge after WWII and that reputation was part of why he was chosen in 1950 to become the head designer at the House of Lanvin. The press at the time lauded him, along with Balmain, Dior and Balenciaga, as the new generation of the Paris Couture designers. During his time at Lanvin the house was known for the simple and elegant lines. This is a very rare and early Haute Couture coat and we found a reference photo of its near twin that was styled with a belt, dramatic gloves and matching hat added. It is very beautiful and the colour is exceptional.

This coat is beautifully tailored. The double row of buttons at the front and curving cut makes it feel as chic and wearable now as it was when first made. It is entirely finished by hand and has its numbered couture tape under the label. It is so chic and a very important and rare piece. This is truly a vintage gem. It has a deceptively simple cut that hides the precise seams and masterfully tailored cut. It is constructed with the absolute minimal seam work to create the curves of the coat that you see. It is more fitted through the upper bodice and then skims over the waist and flares out slightly as it nears the hem. The collar is neat with a notched front and each sleeve ends in a turned up cuff. A half belt is attached at the back and you could add a belt over it to emphasize the shape even more. The fabric is amazing with a soft finish to it. I believe it is an Alpaca or perhaps a type of cashmere and it is extremely luxurious. The fact that it is dyed that amazing blue makes it that much more brilliant. It is even better in person and the fabric has to be seen and felt to truly be appreciated. This fabric choice allowed Castillo to be able to sculpt the exact shape that he desired. The front has detailed seaming that becomes part of the actual design and inside that is a double row of blue buttons that run down the front to the waist. You can wear this one open or do it up right to the neck like the reference photo. I love the sculptural effect the coat has once on and that beautifully full lower skirting. No shortcut was taken in the construction of this lovely coat and it is an outstanding piece of fashion history in every possible way. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set black silk taffeta and closes with the button down the front. Finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely done by hand. The Haute Couture numbered tape label is present under the main label and is numbered 15.418. This is a medium to heavy weight coat 

Sleeves: 22" and 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 45" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4489

Reference Photo: Model in Lanvin, 1952.

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.

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work from the mid- to later part of the 1970s and is fantastically beautiful. No matter how good it looks on my dress form, in person and on the body it transforms into even more of a bombshell. It is spectacular. To give you an idea of the way the paper bodice fits I have included a photo of French singer Dalida and one if Raquel Welch both wear dresses similar to the bodice of this one. I think this one with its fantastical net tulle skirt is even more special 

This is a killer dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body because this is a dress that in person it is even better. The movement it has cannot truly be captured until it is on a body and moving. The first thing you see is that the entire body of the dress is covered in overlapping glossy black sequins that catch the light from every angle. This detailing alone takes your breath away when you see the dress in person. The dress is strapless and the bodice is cut with a rounded sweetheart neckline and has shaped cups with one of hi signature inner tacked in strapless bras.  It skims over the body from there gliding over the waist and hips. There is some shape at the waist but it is with a more easy feeling which keeps the dress feeling long and lean. Under that the skirt falls to the floor in an explosion of netted tulle that is set in ruffle layers that curve up and toward the centre front. The layers give the skirt so much volume and movement when you move and it is just incredible. When you move even the slightest, they move with you and it's gorgeous to see. It has a full underskirt in a black silk but the way the ruffle are set give the illusion of being more open at the front. I love how the dress curves around the hips and dips down slightly before turning into the tulle to give you maximum curves at the back as well. Above that the entire back is also left bare and open and it is as incredible from the back as it is from the front. The dress is wonderfully made. It is a stunning dress and you will definitely turn heads in it when you walk into the room. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and it closes with a zipper at the back. His signature copper strapless bra is tacked unsaid and you could remove or replace this is needed for a better fit. It is fuller through the waist and If you wanted a more hourglass feel you can alter the waist in. Elastic through the upper seam of the bodice. and the fabric has some give. Hand finished throughout.

Bust: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam with the current inner bra about a B to small C cup 
Waist: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item#DD4486

Reference Photos: (1) Raquel Welch with Loris Azzaro, 1978.  /  (2-3) Dalida in Azzaro, 1976. - First two photos from the book 'Azzaro: 50 Sparkling Years'.

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 one of two identical coats landing in the shop today. The only difference its that one is a medium (this one) and the other is a small. This is from the time period that Youssef Rizkallah headed the company. Youssef joined the Malcolm Starr label in 1969 and remained as the head designer until 1975. The years that Youssef headed the line are among some of my favorites and in particular his pieces that utilize quilting and patchwork, like these coats,  are truly iconic. Rizkallah was born in Egypt and studied at the Ecole de dessin appliqué and the Ecole des arts decoratifs in Paris. His designs seem to combine that sense of couture lines that he gained in Paris with the colour and vividness of his homeland. 

This is a wonderful piece that can be worn as either a coat or as a dress thanks to the zip front that completely opens. We were able to date it based on the very similar piece that was featured in the ad campaign for 1970. Which makes it a very early piece for his time at the label. The base of the coat is a red fabric that feels like a light wool that has a slight ribbed texture to it. The entire coat is detailed with a combination of a deep blue braiding and blue ric rac that follows the detailing and lines of the coat to emphasize the pattern and cut. Elaborate designs run around the hem and panels in the palest possible blue follow the lines of the coat. A floral patchwork is set around the hem and edged by the rib rack to create that fantastic design that you see. This anchors all the various parts of the design and gives a pop of contrast to the colour combination. The coat is collarless and it zips up the front. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves widen out to be full at their hem. The coat falls from the shoulders and widens out as it nears the hem. I took a shot of it laying flat so you can see the incredible shape that it has. It is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. Because it zips to close at the front and fully opens, you can wear this as a proper coat or you can wear it on its own as a dress, which lets it play double duty. It even has weights in the hem so that once on it falls perfectly in place and pockets that are hidden along those front seams. I just love that spectacular design through the body of the coat. It is so dramatic and like wearing art. I love it. Excellent overall condition with notes below

Fully lined in a hand set pale blue silk and closes down the front with an unpainted silver zipper. I see the teeniest bit yellowing, grubbiness to the bottom pale blue panel and maybe a touch of the same on the blue on the cuffs but I am being pretty picky there especially. Grubbiness to the inner lining around the hem and edge of the inner neck and makes on the inner lining under each arm. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged a vintage Small

Sleeves: 24"
Inner shoulders: 14"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4483

Reference Photo: "The Malcolm Starr All Starrs" Ad, 1970.

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 one of two identical coats landing in the shop today. The only difference its that one is a medium (this one) and the other is a small. This is from the time period that Youssef Rizkallah headed the company. Youssef joined the Malcolm Starr label in 1969 and remained as the head designer until 1975. The years that Youssef headed the line are among some of my favorites and in particular his pieces that utilize quilting and patchwork, like these coats,  are truly iconic. Rizkallah was born in Egypt and studied at the Ecole de dessin appliqué and the Ecole des arts decoratifs in Paris. His designs seem to combine that sense of couture lines that he gained in Paris with the colour and vividness of his homeland. 

This is a wonderful piece that can be worn as either a coat or as a dress thanks to the zip front that completely opens. We were able to date it based on the very similar piece that was featured in the ad campaign for 1970. Which makes it a very early piece for his time at the label. The base of the coat is a red fabric that feels like a light wool that has a slight ribbed texture to it. The entire coat is detailed with a combination of a deep blue braiding and blue ric rac that follows the detailing and lines of the coat to emphasize the pattern and cut. Elaborate designs run around the hem and panels in the palest possible blue follow the lines of the coat. A floral patchwork is set around the hem and edged by the rib rack to create that fantastic design that you see. This anchors all the various parts of the design and gives a pop of contrast to the colour combination. The coat is collarless and it zips up the front. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves widen out to be full at their hem. The coat falls from the shoulders and widens out as it nears the hem. I took a shot of it laying flat so you can see the incredible shape that it has. It is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. Because it zips to close at the front and fully opens, you can wear this as a proper coat or you can wear it on its own as a dress, which lets it play double duty. It even has weights in the hem so that once on it falls perfectly in place and pockets that are hidden along those front seams. I just love that spectacular design through the body of the coat. It is so dramatic and like wearing art. I love it. Excellent overall condition with notes below

Fully lined in a hand set pale blue silk and closes down the front with an unpainted silver zipper. I see some faint yellowing, grubbiness to the bottom pale blue panel and maybe a touch of the same on the blue on the cuffs but I am being pretty picky there especially. Grubbiness to the inner lining around the hem and neck. Tagged a vintage Medium. 

Sleeves: 24"
Inner shoulders: 14"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

 Item# DD4481

Reference Photo: "The Malcolm Starr All Starrs" Ad, 1970.

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 an incredible set that is extra special because it is from the debut Haute Couture collection of Marc Bohan. It has the added province of being documented which is sometimes not easy to find with these very early pieces. The book Dior, Catwalk talks about the reaction to this first collection by Bohan; "Thundering applause, led by the Duchess of Windsor, rolled through the elegant grey and white salons of the House of Dior, the happy ending to the suspense story of the fashion year. At stake was the future dominance of Dior, and the career of designer Mark Bohan. The Chicago Tribune hailed him as being "Mister Dior, the third". The New York Times stated "the shouting, clapping, surging mob at the press show cause chaos in the elegant salon. Bohan was pushed up against the boiserie, kissed, mauled and congratulated. Chairs were toppled. Champagne glasses were broken. People were knocked down. It was a complete triumph for the designer". The book goes on to state that; Bohan called the collection the "Slim Line". It was a streamlined take on the original "New Look". He revisited the day suit with wide cut jackets and low waisted flared skirts fitted at the hips. The Times declared it "a success from the appearance of the first model and worthy in the tradition of the great maestro himself. And Women's Wear Daily wrote three months after the collection was shown that "the Bohan flare is everywhere. Bohan has done the impossible. He is a big commercial success and respected by the fashion intellect." 

The set is exceptional and is an excellent investment piece as well. Dior prices continue to skyrocket and finding couture examples like this from such an important collection and in this condition is getting harder and harder. 

This suit is fantastic. It is actually two pieces. A flared skirt and then a top / jacket that goes over that. The top is fascinating in the way that it is cut and we were very happy to find and see in the reference photo of it that its construction is deliberate. The front only buttons at the bottom and then there is a snap just above that button to hold it closed. It is meant to stay open above that and the button holes that you see continuing up along the edge of the jacket are actually faux. They do not open all the way through. You can see in the photo that the model is wearing it the way that it's meant to be worn. The very bottom is closed and then she has a light top on underneath. This lets the jacket play on its volume that it has. You could certainly open the fabric and finish the buttonholes if you wish to wear it fully closed, but it is meant to be like this. The jacket has a lot of volume and is meant to skim over you and then the skirt is cut in a sleek little flare that skims over the hips and flares out with a series of flat pleats all the way around the skirt. Around the waist the silk lies flat and neat. It is very flattering once on the body. When you stand still the skirt lays flat and smooth but when you move you get an incredible burst of movement and volume. Over that goes the jacket with its wonderful to the elbow wide cut sleeves and oversized MOP buttons down the front. The shoulders are soft and there is no collar. The fabric is a very high end silk twill dyed to that pale tan mixed with white. Both pieces are entirely finished by hand to Haute Couture standards and I've shown some of the detailing inside. It is chic and elegant yet still feels edgy. An amazing find. Excellent condition

The jacket is lined in a fine silk in the same colour as the exterior tan and the skirt is interlined in a white silk organza. The jacket closes with the bottom button only and a hidden snap above that as described above. The skirt closes with hook & eye at the waist and hidden snaps below that.  Completely done by hand to Haute Couture Standards. Proper numbered couture label in place on the jacket. There are some natural, variations and lines in the silk that is inherent to this type of fabric and should not be considered a flaw. It is in remarkable condition.

Jacket
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16-17"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4484

Reference Photo: Christian Dior Haute Couture Printemps-Ete 1961. Photo Emerick Bronson. Model Nicole de Lamargé.

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.

Every so often I am contacted by someone and entrusted with something very special and this wedding set by Romeo Gigli absolutely fits that bill. This incredible set is a one of a kind, Haute Couture made to measure piece that comes directly from its original owner and she has graciously given all of the original documentation on it to share with you along with a full write up on her experience with Romeo and a scan of the Elle article that was written a year after her wedding. 

Romeo Gigli launched his label first in 1981 which failed. In 1983 he partnered with Carla Sozzani and in 1985 he presented a 25 piece collection in Milan. By 1986 he was an international sensation and his collections made world wide headlines. In 1989 he had his Paris debut. His work was romantic but dramatic. Hallmarks included shawl coats, which this set so perfectly displays, along with soft sloping shoulders and silhouettes that narrow as they come down the body. Historical references run through his work and his de-structured lines felt fresh and new.

This set has all of the original pieces that Marion wore on her wedding day and even includes the original boxes and silk bags that the set was delivered in. Every piece was made in studio by hand and when I tell you that my photos do not do the full set justice I have never been more honest as everything is more beautiful in person. This is a once in a life time opportunity to own this incredible and important piece of fashion history. The link to Marion's story is below and a short description of the pieces follows. 

Click here to see the full photo set of Marion in the fittings with Romeo, on her wedding day, see the Elle editorial, and read Marion's story about the experience >

The wedding ensemble consists of a pale pink silk chiffon top, a gold lace hobble skirt and a deep gold silk jacket or top that was worn over those two pieces. An incredible silk chiffon coat that is filled with silk flowers and flows behind you in a knotted train was worn over that. The original pale taupe velvet shoes in their original box are present along with the hand made hair sticks and pins. The two original pink raw silk hand made bags that the skirt and tops were delivered in are included and the entire ensemble comes in its original raw silk covered box. The final piece included is the little hand held green silk bag that Marion carried that day.

The skirt and inner top are the base of the outfit. The top is slightly cropped and made from a pale dusty peach pink silk chiffon. The chiffon has been hand gathered into soft pleats and crosses itself over the front and back. It wraps around you and closes on one side, inside, with a series of silk covered buttons and then the other side wraps over that and closes at the back outside with buttons as well. The skirt is made out of fine gold lace and is banded around the waist for shape. It drapes softly over the body with volume through the hips created by the layers. It narrows down at the ankles for a touch of a hobble skirt in appearance with the ends curving up and under. It is an incredible design.

An oversized silk top goes over this that has a bit of volume through the body. It is made from a deep copper gold silk with a burnished finish. The sleeves are incredibly long and are meant to be gather along the arms and follow the cut and curve of them. The collar is very high and wired so that it stands and frames the face beautifully. One side is longer then the other and you can shape the wire to give it a quirky little curve in the direction and way that works best for you. I love the open cut out just under the collar. It hints at the silk chiffon top underneath and adds an unexpected flash of skin.

The coat is utterly remarkable. It is thoroughly Romeo Gigli in spirit and it is one of the most beautiful, magical things I have ever seen. It has those beautiful sloped  shoulders he was known for and the front flips over into a deep shawl collar. It slips on over everything else with no front closures. It just falls over you in this exceptional drape of chiffon and flowers and then trails out behind you. The end has been knotted and I love this detail as it is absolutely Gigli at his best. The coat is made from a silk chiffon outer and inner layer that has a touch of transparency to it while inside and between the layers are thousands of silk flowers. Each would have been placed by hand one by one to form a solid layer of flowers that shows through the silk. It has weight yet it feels weightless. It has presence yet it feels ethereal.  The top layer of the chiffon is a pale dusty pink and then the inner layer is a pale taupe. The flowers float between the two and it make this light rustling sound as it moves that it magical. It is one of the best things I have ever personally seen.

Finally are the accessories. Her original velvet shoes that slide on and then tie in place, the little green silk bag that is held by the tied straps and the various hand made hair and stick pins in their original box.

The entire set will be sent in it original box hand covered in a deep dusty pink raw silk as it came to Marion from the Gigli ateliers.

Everything is in superb condition. I see a teeny smudge of discoloration under the arms of the inner silk chiffon top and the wear to the soles of the shoes giving away the clue that it was worn that day. The silk on the large box it came in has more wear as seen in the photos

This is a once in a life time, absolutely remarkable piece of fashion history.

Inner top
Shoulders: no true seams
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 14" from top of shoulder to hem

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 47" from waist to hem and including the 4" waist band

Outer top
Sleeves: 39" from the dropped shoulder seam and are around 11" arond after the dropped shoulder
Shoulders: 27" across and meant to drop significantly
Bust: 30" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 27" flat across from side seam to side seam and narrows to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam by the hem
Length: 41" from neck hem
Neck: 13" around

Coat
Is about 36" flat across the inner bust and it is about 120" long from the neck to end past the knot and not including the deep shawl collar. It is pretty much OSFA

Bag
Approx 9.5" tall and about 5-7" in diameter

Shoes
Approx a 40-41

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED for the inner outfit and the coat is OSFA

Item# DD4458

Reference Photos: Courtesy of Marion Hume. (1-2) Fitting with Romeo Gigli.  /  (3-7) On the wedding day.

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 dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway. This dress is from the Fall 1987 Haute Couture collection. Several variations of this dress where produced and we have included reference photos where you can see the strapless version from the runway. And a shorter version of this dress was also shown on the runway and one was worn by Audrey Hepburn as well.

The dress is made from the most incredible iridescent metallic fabric. It is purple first and foremost but when the light hits here it gets a highlight of a hint of the green that is just amazing to see. The fabric has enough weight to it to hold the shape that you see. The neckline is scooped and the sleeves are set into the shoulders so that you get a bit of a peak where they are gathered into the bodice. They are cut wider near the top of your arm and then taper down to the wrist. The bodice skims over you to the slightly dropped waist seam. Around the hip area is a wide band of gathered fabric that creates that incredible volume. A black velvet bow sits the front. The skirt is cut on a sharp angle that widens out to be quite full as it nears the floor. The cut is meant to feel sculptural and contrast the volume around the hips. The back of the skirt is fuller and set a little longer then the front. One version on the runway was belted and you could easily add a belt to add shape. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. It is beautifully made and appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and there are hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 58" to the longest part of the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3808

Reference Photos: (1) A/W 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Silver metallic lame brocade strapless gown dress with a black velvet chest and bow and 2-layer puffy skirt. L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.  /  (2-4) Fall 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Runway.  /  (5) Audrey Hepburn, in Givenchy, at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City for the 17th Annual International Emmy Awards in 1989.

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 Stella McCartney era at Chloe has since become extremely collectible. The fall 2001 show was fantastic. This was the opening look for the show and in Vogue's review they specifically mentioned the faux coats that were treated so glamorously with added details saying; "Stella McCartney continued with her exploration of grown-up, couture-inspired silhouettes for Chloé, without forgetting about the youthful, fun-loving basics that are the label's bread and butter. McCartney's forte is her ability to glam up casual street clothes. Her fitted jeans and corduroy trousers with zipper pockets, face-stenciled T-shirts and pearl-encrusted draped tops all had an air of insouciant cool to them; so did the faux furs with shaved bits that accommodated clusters of silver flowers." This was one of the strongest looks from the show and a true piece of fashion history.

The twin of this coat was the opening runway look and was worn by Angela Lindvall. The show had several piece sin this faux fur but this coat is the hardest to find. You will often see the shorter version that was made of this coat or the shrugs or collars but the actual coat is very rare. These had a pretty hefty price tag and not as many were made. They were only sent to certain stores and were a limited production piece. The coat is a 3/4 length and is made from a thick and soft faux fur. The cut is loose and easy and it widens out as it nears the hem for a bit of a swing coat feel. It has hidden fur hooks to close the top part of the front and then swings open under that. There's a hook at the top of the collar so you can wear it folded down like how I photoed it for these photos to give it a more loose and easy feel or you can close that top hook so that it wraps around the neck like how it was worn on the runway. The sleeves are cut extra long and they are gathered along the inside of the wrist. This gives them a curve so that they follow the curve of the arm and it also lets you wear them up a bit so they get that bit of a gathered slouchy feel you see in the runway pics. The inside is lined in a men's wear shooting fabric that she often used. There are two zippered pockets in the interior that have little chains attached to the zipper pulls. On the exterior there is a pocket hidden along each hip. It is meant to feel a little big and slouchy once on and I love that. The best part about is of course that extraordinary detailing done on the shoulder and collar on the one side of the coat. Fine silver metal strips have been applied to the coat to create a series of medallions. Swirling beads and sequins sit over those to create this fantastic design that goes across the top of the arm. under the shoulder at the front and then runs up and into the collar and around to the back. Its just brilliant and an amazing piece of fashion history. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with two interior pockets as described above. It closes with hidden fur hooks at the front. Pockets on each hip. Tagged a vintage Chloe 40

Sleeves: 28"
Shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 47" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4454

Reference Photos: Fall 2001 Chloe Runway, Look 1. Model Angela Lindvall.

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.

Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find. This set is from the early to mid-seventies and it is fabulous.

This is an amazing vintage set. I love the camel coloured wide legged jersey pants with their wide cut legs. The jersey they are made out of is the soft wool that she used extensively during this time period and it has a soft finish to it that looks and feels heavenly once on. The pants are banded at the top with a wide gathered sash of a pale yellow jersey for contrast to the camel colour below. This hooks to the one side and there is built-in boning at the sides to hold its shape around the waist. It is a touch wider on one side then the other to create a pretty curve. The pants fall to the floor and widen out to be 64" around at each hem. The top has a metallic finish to it and the contrast between the two fabrics is fantastic. The silk has actual metal thread woven through it and this gives it a subtle glint from all angles. A design runs through the silk and the metal thread is woven onto that in a floral design The neckline is scooped and it skims over you to the waist. The sleeves are long and simple. It ties into place at the back with ties made of the same fabric. These sit on an angle that starts at the neckline, run across to one side and then go straight down to the hem of the top. This leaves a little bare expanse of skin showing between the ties. I photoed the top un-tucked and tucked as it can be worn either way. Both pieces have a Haute Couture label in them and the top has an additional handwritten numbered tag inside. This is an incredible and rare opportunity to own a beautiful piece of her work and it is that much more versatile with the two pieces since you can mix and match with pieces from your exiting wardrobe. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Both pieces are unlined and have been completely finished by hand. The pants close with hook and eye at the band and a zipper under that. There's a small repair to the jersey inside the inner structure of the band and then one of the fold along one side. Neither is seen once on. The top ties to close at the back.

Top
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: approx 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 12" from shoulder to hem

Pants
Waist: 12" at top of band and narrows to 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam of true waist
Band: 3.5" high on the boned hook closure side and the other side will widen to approx 9"
Hips: open
Length: 40" from true waist to hem
Inseam: 29"
Rise: 15" from true waist to inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4182

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.

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during the mid-seventies. When researching we found several examples of dresses from 1973 that utilized the same jagged flame pattern and sequins against silk chiffon. This one actually looks like a sleeveless version of the one shot on Marisa Berenson. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces from.

This is a gorgeous dress. It is really one that will come to life even more once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins and these catch the light from every angle. This covers you from that jagged design on the bodice down and over the hips. The sequins extend right from the flame design at the front and then are set in long vertical rows to the hem. The top of the bodice is a single layer of black silk chiffon. This bit of transparency  adds an incredibly sexy feel. He used that same silk chiffon down the back where it dips into a low scoop. I love the way that the jagged flame pattern defines the bust and that low scoop at the back. A high slit up one side lets you have the perfect flash of skin when you walk or sit. It is fabulous once on an actual body. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body in a black silk and it zips to close at the back.

Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under
Slit: 19.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD4403

Reference Photos: (1-3) Marisa Berenson in a Loris Azzaro. October 1973. Photo: Michael Holtz.   /   (4) The cover of the book "Azzaro" for Assouline - Marisa Berenson and Loris Azzaro photographed in 1973, for issue 604 of L'Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris, by Roland Bianchini.  /  (5) Image from the book "Azzaro: Fifty Sparkling Years"  /  (6) Magazine spread featuring a model in Azzaro, 1973. / (7) Spring 1973 Loris Azzaro 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.

I love all of the pieces by Bill Tice that I bring into the shop. Most, including this one, were made in the 1980-1981 time period. His easy-to-wear and glamorous jersey pieces have been worn by countless celebrities for the red carpet and events. Every girl that has bought one of his pieces through me has absolutely loved it. This is the first time I have had one of these long open jackets in this peach the shop and I'm absolutely obsessed with it. And I just out a peach dress from the same label that would match this perfectly. You can see that here.

It is made of a soft peach jersey that is meant to mimic the feel of silk jersey. This is one of those things that is a fail-safe piece that you know is going to work every time you put it on. This fabric has the added bonus of traveling very well. It is the kind of piece you can throw into your suit case and slip on over just about anything upon arrival with either flats or heels and you are instantly ready to walk out the door. It is cut to feel long and slim with pleats running down its full length. It has gold cording that defines the collar, the bodice and back, around the arms and the cuffs. There's also a long stripe of the gold cording that follows the ties that close it at the neck. To wear it you just slip it on and tie it at the neck with those ties. The fabric is very light so when you move this has a ton of movement and will billow out around and behind you. It's fantastic. Excellent condition.

Unlined through the body and slips on to wear. The easy cut and open front should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: 24"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: 26"+ flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4370

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.

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and his trademark look soon developed. He became know for his extravagant use of colour, beading, sequins and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new cutting edge fabrics. This is a wonderful example of his work during this time period. We found a reference photo of an Azzaro dress with a very similar shoulder treatment and I think this one is even better.

This dress is nothing short of a bold and dramatic statement piece. The bodice is hand draped into soft rounded gathers over the bust. They continue all the way down under the bust to follow the curve of the body all the way to just below the hips. For this part of the dress he used a black stretch jersey that gives the dress it's fitted shape but also keeps it comfortable to wear. Inside the dress is one of his signature strapless underwire bras and this has been sewn into the dress for added support and shape. The top edge is shaped into a low sweetheart curve and the gathers are set to run horizontally down the body. Hand set vertical seams are tacked into place at points all the way around you to give the gathers a slight scooped feel and add length to offset the horizontal lines. It also keeps the gathers from adding bulk. Under that the skirt is set low and i is made out of a black textured silk that has a metallic finish. This is set over several layers of built in under skirting to help give and hold the volume you see in the skirt. On each outer side the panels of the skirt slightly lift up and away from the dress. To tie this into the top, the same fabric and swooping line is used to create that sweep of fabric on the one side of the bodice. I love how this flares out up and over the front portion of the shoulder. It is fabulous. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk with a built in bra though the bodice that hooks to close separately. It closes at the back with a painted metal and nylon zipper. The interior bodice is boned. Layers of tulle and silk underskirts under the low set skirt. The flame/fan detailing on the bodice has wire inside to hold it up. It would be easy to add additional wire or stiffening inside if you wanted it to really hold even taller then it does now. Hand finished throughout

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the inner waist stay hooks slightly smaller then that
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3680

Reference Photo: Model in Loris Azzaro, L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.

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 as Look 38 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California. The show was star packed with Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' This dress to me also harkened back to  the earlier Galliano era and the times that he did knits in a similar colurway. It was a favorite of the street style crowd and it is a gorgeous little creation. I believe that I read at the time these were all hand knit.

The dress is easy to wear and makes a huge visual impact that I love. It is made of a knit virgin wool that is light and feels fantastic once on the body. I love the horizontal stripes of colour that were meant to depict desert sunsets. The weave is loose and open so that you will see either your bare skin underneath or whatever you decide to wear underneath it. It is cut to skim over the body. The neckline is a wide boat neck and then it travels down over the bust, waist and hips, opening up to be quite flared as it reaches the hem. You can see in the reference video that this flare allows the dress to kick out around you when you move. The sleeves are cut to just above the elbow and they are finished with hand knotted yarn tassels in black. These circle the cuffs for pretty detail. These same hand-tied tassels are also set all the way around the hem for added movement there as well. It is just gorgeous. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips over the head to wear with no closures. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a US4, GB8, FR36, IT40. The knit has considerable stretch. I have put the comfortable range of measurements lying flat and there may be a little bit of room beyond that once on the actual body

Sleeves: approx 15" and are 7-13" around the upper arm and is 12-14" around the cuff above the 2" fringes
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 13-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4218

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Look 38, Model Zuzu Tadeushuk.  /  (4-7) Sofie Valkiers in Dior at Paris Fashion Week 2017.  /  (8) credit unknown.

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 1982 show and I love that we found photos of it for you so you can see just how spectacular it is one and how the sleeves sit once on a body. This silhouette with its dramatic sleeves and full skirts was an important element for that season. It is just a stunning example of one of his most recognized looks.

The dress is made from a combination of two of his favorite fabrics, silk taffeta and silk velvet. These became signatures of his and ran through his collections from the start of his career to the finish. It is a stunning piece. The top is cut to skim over the bust with a scooped neckline at the front. It is seamed at the waist and then extends down over the top of the hips. There is an attached silk taffeta sash that wraps around the waist and cinches you in for added shape and detail at the waist. The sleeves are full with a beautiful sweeping cut that starts at the shoulders and remains full to just past the elbow. At that point the fabric changes to to a velvet. Four glossy dome buttons  detail the lower part of the sleeve. These are meant to be pushed up slightly to exaggerate that pouf of the upper sleeve even more. The skirt falls from under the velvet and it is beautifully full. The photos do not really do the amount of fabric in the skirt full justice. I love that under the top purple layer of silk there is a lining finished in a coral red silk taffeta. You don't see that inner layer when you are standing, but when you sit or move just right, you get that extra flash of color. It's a small detail that I am obsessed with. The fabric choices helps keep the intended shape and volume. Pieces by Yves from this time period have become an important piece of fashion history and having documentation like this one has makes it that much better. Excellent condition.

Fully lined through the bodice in a black silk satin. The skirt is lined in a deep red silk taffeta and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the side with a metal and nylon zipper and each cuff buttons to close. The sash is attached at the back. Slight flattening to the velvet here and there along the waist seam that is covered by the belt once on. Tagged a vintage YSL 40.

Sleeves: 29"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2856

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (3) Alice Englert wearing this dress for Harper's Bazaar, 2023.

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.