The Balmain transformation was definitely begun while under the tutelage of Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer to bring "more hard rock and punk" to the label, which has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing. The review from Vogue's Nicole Phelps that year stated: "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." This is the gown that closed the show that year and is perhaps one of the most memorable and significant pieces that he designed or the house. It was produced in very limited quantities and it is a pleasure to have one in the shop.

The gown is all about movement and showing off the body in it to its best advantage. Inside there is a fitted and shaped corset that runs fro bust to hip so that you are molded and shaped to confirm to the silhouette Decarnin wished the wearer to have. It cuts across the bust with inner built in cups to give you lift and shape. An incredible zig zag made up of crystals shape and define the body further. This lightening bolt then extends up and over the shoulder to create a single strap. At the hips the dress flares out into an extended train of fabric with a mix of leopard spots and zebra print for contrast. The panels that make up the skirt are attached only from where they flow out from the body of the dress. This leave slits up to the high upper thigh that open and flash your full leg when you walk, move or sit. The train is long and dramatic. You can see how amazing this all is once it moves by the runway pics that I have included for reference. Excellent condition with one very minor thing to note below.

It closes with the signature chunky silver zipper that Balmain uses and this is set along a curved seam so that it keeps with the form fitting construction of the dress. The inner bodice is constructed 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 attached by hand.  Tagged a 40. Note that there is one small repair along the hem of the trained skirts. I have included a photo after the label photo. It is very minor and with the extensive fabric making up the trained parts of the skirt, it is something you would never see unless you lay it out flat and look for it as I did. There are many hand finishes through the dress. There is perhaps the very occasion light line in the silk from a very slight thread snag - this is natural occurrence and so very minor but mentioned for accuracy. The inner foundation garment does have some stretch I have provided the range laying flat. You might be able to squeeze a bit more on the upper end 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-SML

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.

This is the twin jacket of the runway Look 32, from the fall 2002 Prada show and it was shown on Kristina Chrastekova. on the runway. Style.com's review of this show in part said: "In a show that was densely layered with references to the history of fashion, Prada cut a strong, curvaceous and erotically charged line to give grown-ups a whole new reason to buy." The jacket was also heavily photoed for editorial that season, most notably by Mario Testino on Gisele Bundchen in Prada for the September issue of Vogue.

The jacket is made out of American mink that has been pieced together with a complex technique that used little strips of the fur like a fabric. This creates the deconstructed look that you see and gives it a more casual and interesting texture. It is cut to fit slim on the body and ties at the waist to draw in the shape. Hidden pockets sit on each hip. The collar is neat and tidy and the the edges left with an almost raw feeling that has the silk that fur is set in peaking through. The interior is finished with a semi-transparent silk chiffon giving it a very feminine feel. It has never been worn. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with a brown silk chiffon and ties at the waist to close. Tagged a Prada 40

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from top of neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C477

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2002 Prada Runway, Look 32. Model: Kristina Chrastekova.  /  (3) Gisele Bundchen in Prada for Vogue, September 2002. Photo by Mario Testino.

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs, fur trimmed & feather 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. All fur coats, fur trimmed & feather pieces are final sale

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 seventies coat is unusual in that it has its own little carrying case hidden away inside a pocket in the form of a zipped pouch. It's label indicates that this was a patented design and it would have been made for the girl on the go and traveling.  The leopard print has been applied to a soft jersey and the inner lining is a lightweight fabric that is probably slightly water repellent. The leopard print acts like a neutral in that you can pair it with pretty much anything and any color. It closes with a double row of buttons down the front and ties around the waist for added shape. I love the notched collar and its trench coat styling. It flares out as it reaches the hem and has front, angled flap pockets. The zip pouch double as the inside of one of those pockets. You just pull it out and voila - the travel pouch is revealed, It is quite clever. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a light taupe nylon. It closes with buttons at the front as see. Attached zip pouch inside one pocket

Sleeve: approx 24"
Shoulder: approx 15-16"
Bust: 20" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C476

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 a lovely set that is unusual in that it is a larger size which can be a rarity in vintage. The print is so shocking for its time period and feels like a precursor for what in the 1980s. The client that commissioned this one must have been a bold girl to have ordered such a bold statement piece. It is two pieces, a dress with a matching coat that slips over it. The dress itself is made from a silk jersey with a stylized blue leopard print. It has a simple cut with an undefined waist, long sleeves and scooped neckline. It cut very loose and full through the body, almost caftan like, though you could easily belt it if you wanted to add more shape. The coat is the same print and the cut equally as simple. The fabric is more of a jersey knit and I like the slight contrast between the two fabric choices. The collar is rounded and simple. Down the front it closes with a series of large, clear acrylic buttons that have a blue center for contrast. The body of the coat is also cut loose and easy with that same slight flare to give it more volume as it nears the hem. Excellent condition.

Both pieces are fully lined in a hand set blue silk. The dress closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. The sleeves are not lined in the dress. The coat closes at the front with the buttons as show. Proper buttonholes. Hand finished. It is definitely more on the XL side.

Coat
Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: 18.5"
Bust: to 27" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 26.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 30.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 49.5" from neck to hem

Dress
Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: 17.5"
Bust: 26.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 32" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 48.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: LRG- XL

Item# DD2977

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

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.

This dress is very interesting because it was not a runway piece shown that year but a version of it was worn by none other then Hilary Clinton. My client bought this at one of the charity sales in NYC and I am sure that it was a custom made piece for a client based on the Hilary dress. It has no label but is the exact fabric of Hilary's and has all the hallmarks and fine work of an ODLR piece. It is gorgeous and has those classic Oscar lines with a fitted bodice and his signature full skirt with all the underskirts built in underneath to give it that beautiful shape. The bodice is sleeveless and fitted to the body. At the back it drops into a low V to show an expanse of skin. The skirt has beautiful fullness and movement and the hem is curved up and inside with a deep inner hem of fabric and silk that helps to give it the fullness. A secondary shorter interior skirt adds to the fullness you see. A wonderful and iconic piece. Excellent condition

Lined in a combination of the same exterior silk, silk and a silk organza. It closes with a back zipper. Secondary inner skirt and pockets hidden along the seams. No size tag or labels. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across at the inner waist stay  maybe 13" from side seam to side seam if you don't do the stay up
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 30" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2935

Reference Photo: Hillary Clinton in Oscar de la Renta, July 19 2003.

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

In the Vogue review for this collection Sarah Mower noted: "Miuccia Prada had a sound bite for her Spring collection. "It's primitive," she said, "going back to what counts." ... When the chips are down, there is no one who can turn up the thermostat of subversive sexual provocation quite as high as Mrs. Prada. Her girls, their skin glistening as if on a fevered summer's night, might have been passing through on their way to or from lovers' assignations, their clothes disarranged in various states of falling-off or looking as if they might do so at any moment. Rumpled and crinkled fabrics have been appearing all over this season, but never with such sly intent. One pull of a trailing drawstring tape and, whoops! A person could find herself half naked. There was something fabulously Italian about all this shameless reveling in femininity. The fifties overtones, with the high chignons, the ruched bras, and swishing rear action in the below-knee pencil skirts, managed to channel the heyday of Cinecittà without cliché. Best of all, this is a collection destined to look even better on a woman with a real body than it does on a teen model. And that, Mrs. Prada surely knows, really is "what counts.""

 The dress is amazing and was one of the standouts in the show. These were photoed everywhere and this snake print was one of the biggest looks of the season. This dress is particularly fabulous because of its amazing cut. It has that sexy, fitted fifties feel to it and the open sides are shocking when you catch that glimpse of bare skin. The fabric is deliberately rumpled and crinkled and I love the slimming effect the panels of black on either side of the print have on the body. It skims over your curves and ends just past the knee. On the side it buttons and is partially closed over the hip area and then up the side it ties to close allowing you to tie or loosen it to fit as you please. At the top of the shoulder it ties. Really one of the stand out Prada pieces and it feels as wearable now as it did then, perhaps even more so. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes at the side as described above. Tagged a Prada 40.

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 35.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2829

Reference Photos: (1-2) Look 26 from S/S 2009 Prada Collection.  /  (3) S/S Prada Ad Campaign by Steven Meisel.  /  (4) Racquel Zimmerman in Prada for US Vogue March 2009. Photo by David Sims.

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

Purposely frayed edges and a whisper light silk in a snakeskin pattern make this wonderful little Resort 2011 Lanvin dress still feel fresh. Under the genius direction of Alber Elbaz, the collection was edgy but simple. Looks 4 & 25 shared the same print and once in production it was a series of simple shifts that went to the shops. I love pieces from the resort collections - designers do a tighter edit and often explore new ideas that may or may not end up on the next catwalk. They also tend to be more creative and production is smaller meaning less pieces are out there. The dress is a single layer of scarf weight silk so weighs almost nothing. The edges at the waist, neck and sleeves are left frayed and de-constructed - a favorite detailing of Alber's work. The shape is simple and easy and the print and color act as a neutral color wise allowing you to go wot pretty much any color for shoes and a bag. At the same time that print makes a statement and take the dress to another level. Excellent condition

Unlined and zips to close at the back. I see no size tag so please go by measurements below.

Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from dress neck to waist
Skirt: 23.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2482

Reference Photos: Lanvin Resort 2011, Looks #4 & #25 (from vogue.com)

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

The spring 2011 collection by Valli was met by rave reviews. Tim Blanks for Vogue said of this collection: "There's something about Giambattista Valli's clothes that is so fundamentally optimistic, they've got you at hello. Maybe it's the va-va-voom echoes of Rome in the sixties, a quintessential dolce vita moment that resounds through the decades. With today's show, it wasn't like the outfits themselves were retro, but there was a kicky energy that felt like it might have come from bright young things getting dressed up and following Valli, their pied piper, through noble streets to a hole in the wall where they'd have a hell of a time. Two words: "short" and "flat." As in dresses and shoes. We should probably add "sheer" to that list, because a Valli girl is shameless in her pursuit of pleasure." and Hamish Bowles added that "Giambattista Valliwas thinking about “the four R’s,” the qualities he associates with “all my front-row girls. They are romantic, rebel, rock, and royal!”

This dress was Look #20 on the runway and was part of the pieces that he did that featured this print. Here we have a shorter shift dress silhouette with a great sixties vibe. The inner dress has a larger version of the cat print with a second floating layer that is attached and gives it a little sleeve and airiness. The hem of the dress has a beautiful, thick white embroidery detailing. Once on it is very chic and simple and flattering. The contrast of the prints is allowed to shine and really acts as a neutral. Once small detail I love is that there are hidden pockets long each hip and each is lined in the same silk chiffon that the top overlay is constructed from. It's like a little secret touch that only the wearer knows. Excellent, appears unworn condition.

Fully lined in a silk organza and hidden pockets along the hip. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a modern size 40

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 31" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2480

Reference Photo: Giambattista Valli S/S 2011, Look #20. (from vogue.com)

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 was Look 30 in the Fall Prada collection and was only produced in limited numbers and was wait listed worldwide that season. Style.com said of this collection:

When the going gets tough, no one can cut an argument for great design with as much substance, conviction and richness of intelligence as Miuccia Prada. Using an unlikely mix of potentially dowdy British tweeds and men’s shirting, bright, lustrous William Morris prints, humble lining silks and deluxe furs and skins, she performed sheer alchemy to create a vision of high chic for hard times.....

Part of this collection’s genius is that it has continuity and ingenuity: all the hallmarks of Miuccia Prada's talent are on show. Take the way she has of ordaining the peculiar as newly desirable. This season it’s Willam Morris–by–way–of–Liberty flower prints, used as formfitting knee-length dresses, shirts and a deerstalker hat. Or her way of letting the uptight formality out of eveningwear with form-skimming dresses in unpressed lining silks or crinkled georgette, shown with fabric neck pieces (a continuation of Spring’s beaded jewelry). Visually and intellectually, this is a collection that hit the high notes. Post-show, Prada explained her endeavor to be “a desperate search for beauty as we wait for war.” Bad times or no, it's fashion guaranteed to make women desperate to shop.

The one I have here is not only a great wearable size but was never worn so looks like it stepped out of a time capsule. It is made of a soft colored leather and is finished to look like an Ostrich skin. The leather is so soft it has an almost suede feel and look to it. The cut is classic Prada with that over-sized feel and loose and easy cut. It has no front closures but was worn belted with a thick leather belt that feels like you borrowed it form your boyfriends closet. It was intended to be layered and used as a style statement with its very simplicity being the design detail needed. It is an amazing piece that feels as fresh and cutting edge now as it did the day in walked the runway. Excellent, unworn condition.

Fully lined in a white silk satin. No closures but has its original belt as seen. Tagged a Prada 42 and meant to be worn slightly over-sized

Sleeves: 18"
Shoulders: 19"
Bust: 22"-variable flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 22"-variable flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 23"-variable flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: "19.5 from top of bodice to top of waist
Skirt: 20.5" from top of waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C380

Reference runway photo from style.com / Photographed for creative purposes by Lily and lilac (Judy inc), Stylist: Nadia Pizzimenti (Judy inc), Hair and Makeup: Sheri Stroh (plutino group), Model: Dauphine (Elmer Olsen).

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 gown is so spectacular and so striking - it is really an amazing piece. I can date it exactly as it seems to have been deaccessioned from the F.I.T. Museum and still has its original museum tag with the date and donor - a Mrs. Mortimer Solomon, who after a bit of research seems to have been a fabulous Palm Beach resident who was an avid client of Adolfo and who donated many pieces to both FIT and The Met. The gown is a silk taffeta with a bold spot print. The skirting is a red giraffe feel print on white with black edging. The bodice has a softer lack and white print. It is strapless and the bodice feels like ti was literally wrapped around the wearer and tied with that large bow at the front. The skirt is set just under the bust and gently widens to a beautiful Aline silhouette with a slight feel of fullness that the fabric choice assists with. It is very light and airy feeling when on but has a strong boned foundation. The tag is numbered but whether that was done at the atelier or at a later date is unknown. It is a true beauty! Excellent condition.

Fully lined on off white tissue silk and closes with a back painted metal zipper. Note there are two small storage spots that, because of the print really are not noticeable. One is barely visible on the bow just above the knot - super size the photo and you will still be hard pressed to find it and the other on the skirt and I have shown it.

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 8" from top of bodice to waist seam
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD1826

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