I am now on the final few items of very interesting pieces that are coming from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made and shopped couture. This dress was made by Ady Couture and it is instantly recognizable as being That Iconic Yves Saint Laurent dress from the Fall 1982 collection. The story behind this label is fascinating. Ady Couture was based out of Lausanne Switzerland. She would buy the actual couture fabrics and accoutrements from the couture houses she worked with along with the patterns. She had full permission to make the pieces as they were presented in the Haute Couture collections. When she was younger, and lived in Amsterdam, Ady would attend the private viewing and purchase directly from the couture houses. My client believes that her arrangement with the ateliers was a way to work around customs and that issue is what prompted Ady to negotiate this arrangement with the ateliers. In my hunt for more information I have been able to verify that they made this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lacroix and Ungaro. There may have been others but this are the houses I am confident on. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is beautifully tailored and cut. It is one of the most iconic pieces Yves ever did and this one has this added layer of fascinating history to it. 

In the book 'Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk' the collection notes for this season are a beautiful summation of his work for this presentation: "This bright and colourful collections was full of allusions and reminiscences and details from earlier collections. It conveyed a kind of 'enchanted enchantment', as San Diego Magazine put it, adding: 'Yves Saint Laurent, who has an unbelievable gift for feeling the pulse of his times, marched into centre stage with his incredible collection. His show which is always the high point of the collections, reversed many of his previous themes and led us into a spirited, fun-filled view of today’s life. He seem to be saying, 'let’s not be earnest, life is too short, and boredom is the greatest sin of all.'….  The atmosphere generated by this collection was a kind of 'joie de vie', an antidote to stress and anxiety, both frivolous and magnificent. According to Saint Laurent, 'Haute Couture is opera. And, like opera, it has to be superb.'

This is a dress that when you see it on the hanger is really doesn't look like much but the second it hit the dress form it came to life. I am so pleased to have so many reference photos for this one so you can see just how amazing it is on an actual body. It is made out of a rich light silk that drapes and falls over the body beautifully. The bodice is cut to drape into place in a loose and easy way and then it nips in at the waist. The skirt below that hugs the hips and is crossed over itself at the front. The entire dress wraps around you to close and is held in place by nothing more then hooks at the waist and a series of snaps across the one shoulder. When you unhook it the entire dress opens. It is so simple and yet so brilliantly cut that it is genius. A long attached tie drapes over that shoulder. This extends out from the panel that crosses over your bust and hides the deep plunge underneath. The sleeves are a work of art in themselves. Each is set into the bodice with a high cap and slight pouf. They are then cut to follow the curve of the arm and narrow down to wrist. A zipper is set into each cuff so it fits perfectly. Between those exceptional sleeves and that long panel that trails down to just past the hem it is nothing short of drama and boldness while still feeling exceptionally chic. It is absolutely gorgeous and the leopard print on the silk is just spectacular. He used a few variations of leopard in this collection and this is the one that has a touch of colour worked through the print. Inside the dress is completely finished to haute couture standards with every seam hand finished. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship. This is a very difficult fabric to work with and it is finished to perfection. It is an incredible piece and beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Unlined with couture finished inner seaming. The dress wraps around you and hooks into place at the waist and then has a series of snaps on the top of the shoulder to hold the draped panel in place. Hand finished throughout. Softly padded shoulders and the padding is also hand made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction.

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: is loose and open to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from neck to hem with 3" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3855

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Couture Runway.  /  (3) Model in a 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Dress.  /  (4-5) Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Couture by Helmet Newton.  /  (6) A long evening dress in leopard-print satin crepe from the Fall-Winter 1982 Haute Couture collection on display in the studio of the Yves Saint Laurent Archives. Photo by Ithaka Roddam for W Magazine.

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

This is an incredible and rare piece of Dior's history in the fur market. During this time period there were select furriers that had permission to make the Haute Couture pieces and the maker of this coat, Canton Furs in Lausanne was one of those. This coat was made in 1984 and this time period was known as the 'Golden Age' for the Dior fur division. Frederic Castet was appointed the head of the division after joining Dior in 1953. He single handedly restructured the fourrure department to follow the haute couture and the prêt-à-porter philosophy of the house in 1968. He was one of the first to treat fur like fabric and would dye it, trim it, pluck it and create whimsical fantasy pieces that had never been see prior. By the 1980s he was doing extravagant presentations that only showcased his furs. These were held on the second floor of the Dior mansion on Avenue Montaigne. They were as wanted a ticket as the couture shows were and they were legendary in terms of the extravagant spectacles that he would put on to showcase his work. His work was worn by all the major stars from Sophia Loren to Elizabeth Taylor.

This coat was originally purchased for the sum of CHF 120’000, on 11.10.1984. That was about $93,000 USD at the time. I have a digital copy of the original insurance value paper done for the coat that is dated to december 13th 1984 that states its insurance value at FR. 200,000. If you want to talk modern dollars that is well over an astonishing $248,000USD. The insurance papers along with the information given to me by the family also gives us an amazing amount of detail on the coat. It is the Haute Couture model nr. 3007 that was named 'Dynastie'. The sable pelts that is is made out of are some of the rarest on the planet. It is made of a Russian sable, 87 Bargouzine quality skin, ’sauvage pointée’, color grade 3 with a matching belt. We found a very similar model that was photoed for the cover of L'Officiel that year. It is of special interest that during Gianfranco Ferre's tenure at the house he used these same sleeves as inspiration for a sable piece that he post on the runway for the Fall 1994 Haute Couture presentation. I have included both these reference photos for you here. 

The coat is in exceptional condition and appears to have been worn very little if at all. The style is very much like a men’s evening smoking jacket with how it wraps to close at the front. I love that feeling of the masculine contesting with the feminine in this piece. I have done a video for this piece that you can watch to get a really great idea of its suppleness and how it moves. It also shows more of the details on the coat. The sleeves are especially of interest. They are cut exceptionally wide and full and the pelts have been set horizontally to contrast against the vertical pelts on the body of the jacket. At their cuffs they are a full 24" around. Everything about the coat is exquisite and exceptionally made to the very last detail. Even the belt has a special hook that allows you to keep it perfectly in place once it is tied at the front. And if you want to wear the jacket without the belt tied you can hook the belt at the back as I’ve shown in the video so you never have to worry about losing it. For those of you that collect and wear vintage furs this is one of the most exceptional pieces you will ever come across and and it is set at an extraordinary price given its original value. It is truly a one-of-a-kind find. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a brown silk with a second lining floating over that. It hooks to close at the front with fur hooks and the belt has it own hook as shown in the video. Silk lined pockets on each hip. The fir is exceptionally soft and supple. Because of the the tie front it should work on a variety of sizes. 

Sleeves: approx 24"
Shoulders: soft with no defined seams
Bust: to 22-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist- hips: open and adjustable when tied
Length: 44" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# C593

Reference Photos: (1) Original Purchase Insurance Papers.  /  (2) Model in Christian Dior, Officiel de la fourrure, 1984.  /  (3) Fall 1994-95 Dior Haute Couture Runway.

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.

This is an incredible cropped fur jacket and the workmanship is of the best possible quality. The design is typical of the furs being produced during this time period and this one is exceptional. It would definitely been a high end piece and the quality it was made with still shows even after some 65 odd years later. It is made from a dark natural mink. The pelts are still very soft and supple and have a bit of a reddish undertone to them in certain lights. It is cut with rounded shoulder and an almost cape like feel through the body. Each sleeve is wide and full. It has been constructed from rows of the fur that are interspersed with rows of a black braided silk cording. The cording has its own incredible pattern worked through it and the final effect is beautiful. The collar is set high and wider across the neck. It is a beauty and a stunning vintage fur. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a deep brown silk and closes at the front with covered fur hooks. Hidden pocket along one inner seams edge and has the original owns name subtly embroidered on the interior lining. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The easy cut should fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: approx 20"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seamed widening out 22" at the bottom hem
Length: 22" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# C588

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.

This is a stunning example of the fur pieces being produced during this time period. This was the beginning of the movement of treating fur more like a fabric and making coats that had far more style to them then the previous norm. It is made from alternating strips of a deep brown mink, an ivory mink and then a dark brown leather that is so deep in colour it picks up as black against the other two. The fur is supple, shiny and very soft. The fur is set in on angled chevron rows with the bands of leather in between. This creates an incurable visual effect. It is cut in a classic sixties cut that flares out as it reaches the bottom hem. Each sleeves widens out to a flare finish at the cuff and I love how the pattern is taken down right to the ends of each sleeve. The collar is notched and made from the darker mink and this then runs down the front and around the hem to anchor the angled pattern. It does up with textured black dome buttons at the front. Pockets sit along the edge of the seams at each hip. It has been properly stored and cared for and appears to have been worn very little if at all. No splitting, issues or shedding. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a deep brown silk satin and closes with buttons down the front. Pockets on each hip. I see no bald spots or shedding. The pelts are supple and soft. The fur has the slightest bit of a vintage storage smell. Very minor. It is still supple and is stable with no signs of any shedding that would indicate that it is breaking down.

Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 41" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C579

This garment is clean as found condition. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.

This was Look 14 in the Fall 2004 line-up from fashion icon Miuccia Prada. This collection is still thought of as one of her most stellar achievements and I doubt the pieces and prints used in this collection will ever truly go out of style. The reviews were spectacular. Vogue.com said of this collection: 'Audiences always arrive at Prada shows tingling with anticipation, braced for Miuccia Prada's next departure from the last season's plot. This time, she confounded expectation again, not by taking off in a new direction, but by developing the cache of ideas layered into her spring collection. That, of course, was famously about the fifties lady tourist, with an overlay of hippie-ish tie-dye among the circle skirts and knits. For winter, she took that same woman into new realms of intellectual exploration on the print front: back to the future, in fact. This time, she confounded expectation again, not by taking off in a new direction, but by developing the cache of ideas layered into her spring collection...."It was a dream of extreme romanticism," she said. "The idea of eighteenth-century painting, with video games. A romanticism between past and future."....For colder months, she added more layers, adding in dip-dyed cable knits and buttonless cardigans betwixt tweeds and bejeweled fifties-style couture-like pieces. What held it all together, literally, were the cinched waists, circled in narrow grosgrain ribbon or with tie-on belts encrusted with sparkle. It was that idea of jeweling, on collars, belts, and fabric brooches, that added the news.' 

On the runway this was shown layered over a jewelled skirt that ironically we just had in the shop in a blue tone. It is one of the most instantly recognizable coats that she’s ever done I think. The coat is made out of a shearling with the sheepskin facing towards the inside to keep you warm while the leather side is on the exterior. When the coat is closed you only see the shearling interior on the flipped up cuffs. If you don't want any shearling to show you can flip them down. Putting the leather on the exterior gives it this amazing feeling of a natural patina and a slight vintage feel to it that I love. The coat falls from the shoulders and gradually widens out as it nears the hem. The shoulders are cut to slouch a bit which gives it an easy to wear feel. Most of the seaming is done on the vertical and cut so that it has some shape through the body. Pockets sit on each hip for a cozy place for your hands. Running down the front and over the hidden set fur hooks is a strip of luxurious natural coloured mink. There is no collar but there is a wide band of golden toned silk inset around the neckline. This was then covered in a pattern made up of gold beads and big oversized glass crystals. They have been applied by hand are are densely set to all the way around to highlight the neckline. It is just gorgeous. This is an iconic piece of Prada history. Excellent condition.

The leather is fully backed in sheepskin shearling. The jacket closes with hidden set covered fur hooks down the front. Pockets on either side. The cuffs can be flipped down. The leather has a natural bit of scuffing that is part of this type of leather and a desired effect. Tagged a Prada 46.

Sleeves: 23" with cuffs turned up, 25" with them turned down
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# C580

Reference Photos: Fall 2004 Prada Runway Collection, Look 14.

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.

The Balmain transformation from what it was originally to what it is today began when they hired Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer that gave it its edgy feel that has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing, the label's current Creative Director. When the Fall 2008 collection showed Vogue's Nicole Phelps said in part: 'And as promised, Spring's haute hippie feathers, fringe, and tie-dye were replaced by an all-Billy Idol soundtrack and enough leopard-print chain mail, python-pattern denim, and crystal-embroidered lightning bolts to make you wonder if there was anything at all left on the shelves at Trash and Vaudeville. To be fair, Decarnin's creations are much finer than the East Village emporium's, but they appeal to a similar kind of chick, one with a killer body and an active nightlife.' The twin of this dress closed the show and it is perhaps one of the most memorable and significant pieces that Decarnin designed for the label. It was produced in very limited quantities and instantly sold out world wide despite a very hefty retail price. 

The dress is incredible and the skirts are all still their original lengths. I note that as I have only ever seen one other of these for sale and it had its skirts shortened at some point. The length is integral to the design in many ways. The skirt panels are incredibly long and light in weight so that when you move they float and billow around you as you can see in the runway footage. Above the skirts it is extremely fitted long curving bodice that is constructed to highlight your every curve. On the interior of the bodice there is a full boned corset with built in cups. The corset is cut to run from the bust to the top of the hips so that you are molded and shaped into place. On the outside the silk is hand draped and placed into position to form soft gathers that run around you. A huge zig zag bolt runs down the front. It is densely covered in crystals and it separates the prints on either side of you. The silk on one side is zebra and the silk used for this is a light scarf weight silk. The other side is finished in a black and white leopard print. On that side the silk is more of a silk faille and slightly heavier in weight then the zebra printed silk is. This change in weights of the silk is genius because it means that the way the silk moves in the skirts changes and you get more movement. The crystal covered panel that divides the two printed sides curves over just one shoulder and then runs down the front in the dramatic zig zag that you see. At the back it extends just past the shoulder and curves to the side. To close the dress Decarnin  has used one of the signature chunky Balmain zippers to divide the two prints. The zipper is set on a curve that follows the curve of your body and it becomes an incredible design detail in itself. The dress is fitted to the top of the hips and then the skirts flare out into long trains of fabric. The predominant part of the skirt is made from the leopard print and this is set on a curve at the hem that extends out to the side and to the back. There is a smaller panel at the front that is made out of the zebra print silk that also extends out and back. Where the two fabrics meet at the front side, they are only attached at the to and not together. This means that an opening is created that goes right up to the top of the thigh. When you move your entire legs shows. We have included the runway footage for reference so that you can see just how incredible it is when it is on and you walk. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The inner bodice has a fully built in boned corset made from a nude colored lingerie stretch corseting nylon fabric that has built in cups and is finished by hand. The fabric is hand draped over this and the crystals and lightening bolt have been attached by hand. It closes with a curved set zipper that allows the form fitting construction of the dress. Tagged a 40. There are a couple of small repairs along the hem of the trained skirts. Some tiny pulls in the silk of the bodice. Please see the photos after the label shot. Hand finished throughout. The inner foundation garment does have some stretch. You might be able to squeeze out a bit more room when on a real body.

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11.5-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 33" from top of shoulder to bottom of inner foundation garment
Skirt: 28.5" from bottom of inner foundation garment to shortest hem, 53" to the longest hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3115

Reference Photos: F/W 2008 Balmain Runway, Final Look.

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

Geoffrey Beene was one of the great American fashion designers and he was recognized for both his artistic and technical skills. He launched his label in 1963 and a piece from his very first collection landed the cover of Vogue. A Coty award followed a year later and in 1984 the Council of Fashion Designers created the annual Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in honor of Beene's fashion legacy. When researching this dress I found a dress held by the Metropolitan Museum with a strikingly similar silhouette and also an editorial shot of a dress that uses the same printed fabric.

I love Geoffrey Beene's work during this time period and this particular dress is just divine. It is really a special piece and Museum worthy. The workmanship is very fine and it is surprisingly light weight despite all that is going on in it. The body of the dress is made from an ultra soft leopard printed chenille like fabric that is almost a faux fur but far lighter and more refined. It is almost like a long piled velvet. Very unusual and very interesting. This is mixed with a black silk netting that makes up the shoulders and sleeves. The netting is detailed with gold metallic thread and also with fused dots of a flat piled black velvet. The bodice is cut to curve around the bust and I love how the leopard printed fabric angles up the the mid-neck on both sides. The netting takes over at that point and curves over the shoulders and down the long sleeves. The extensive detailing work and the way the design is laid out is amazing. From there the fabric skims over the waist and hips and then narrows down to the hem. It is cut to curve in slightly and the hem is cut on a curve as well and has a high slit running up the center. It is really an amazing dress and a testament to Beene's genius. Excellent condition.

The fabric is self backed and the dress unlined. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. Each sleeve has a hidden set snap at the cuff. Ribbon edge finished for all inner seams. It appears to have never been worn, or worn very little. Tagged a vintage size 6

Sleeves: approx 25"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 17" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to front hem, 58" to the back hem
Slit: 26" from hem up

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3484

Reference Photos: (1) Valerie Celis in Geoffrey Beene for Vogue US, 1994. Photo by Ellen Von Unwerth.  /  (2) Spring 1993 Geoffrey Beene dress from the MET Collection Online.

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

I have held this in my archives for several years now and I think that it is a stunning example of the fur pieces being produced by designers like Pierre Cardin during this time period. This was the beginning of the movement of treating fur more like a fabric and making coats that had far more style to them then the previous norm. I am no expert on furs but believe this it is Fitch. The color is a rich deep brown that has an undertone ranging from a soft taupe to a creamy ivory. The fur is supple, shiny and very soft. The fur is set in horizontal rows with bands of a black suede in between. It is cut in a classic sixties cut that flares out as it reaches the bottom hem. The sleeves are incredible and each widens out to a flare finish at the cuff. It does up with hooks at the front and the collar is deep and rounded. Pockets sit along the edge of one of the rows at each hip. It has been properly stored and cared for and appears to have been worn very little if at all. No splitting, issues or shedding. Excellent condition with a minor note below to review.

Fully lined in a deep brown silky rayon and closes with the fur hooks down the front. Pockets on each hip. I see no bald spots or shedding, the pelts are supple and soft. There is slight wear at some of the common points - near the hooks and the edges of the sleeves, but it is very minor. The fur has no odd odor, is still supple and is stable with no signs of any shedding that would indicate that it is breaking down.

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 42" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C534

Reference Photos: (1) Model in Pierre Cardin, 1966.  /  (2) Hiroko Matsumoto photographed in a white fur coat by Pierre Cardin, 1966.

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.

Karlie Kloss wore the twin of this dress to the Balmain after party in Paris that season and the photos instantly went world wide. This was a peice that was available exclusively through Farfetch so very few were produced making it even harder to get. This one still has its farfetch tags and has never been worn. Olivier Rousteing said of this collection to Vogue: "Welcome to my jungle," Olivier Rousteing pronounced backstage, declaring this fearless mash-up of safari chic and hip-hop style to be his most personal collection ever. "I'm French, I'm black, and I'm proud to be at Balmain, but this is a message of freedom and globalism."

The dress is made from a leopard print jersey that is cut supermodel long. It has a open back dress that leaves an expanse of skin bare. It has the signature Balmain chunky zipper at the back that sits low below the waist, becoming a design feature in itself. The halterneck sits high at the front with a gilded and embossed lion head snaps fastening it at the back of the neck. I love the black detailing that sweeps up and around the neckline and forms a criss-cross pattern around the waist. This draws the eye in and acts both as a fabulous detailing to the dress and also it gives the illusion of a waist cinching belt and makes you look even tinier through the waist then you are. The hem is cut longer at the back then the front for a trained effect asymmetric hem and a super model long, sweeping floor-length that features a thigh-high split at the front. Original tags still attached. Excellent condition

Has a full black stretch jersey inner lining. Closes at the back of the neck with snaps and at the low back waist with a zipper. Tagged a 42 but Balmain fits small. Original tags attached. Never worn.

Bust: no true side seams
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 16 " from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 48" from waist to front hem, extends another 20" past that at the back
Front slit: 33" from hem to top of slit

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2970

Reference Photos: Karlie Kloss at the Balmain After Party on September 25, 2014 in Paris, France.

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