I had this dress in the shop once before and was very happy to have it again. It is spectacular and one of my favourite pieces ever. William Travilla best known for dressing Marylin Monroe in eleven of her films and was an amazing designer. His career began in 1941 as a costume designer and he worked in theatre, film and TV up to 1969. During that time period he designed two of the most iconic dresses that Marylin ever wore. The famous white pleated dress from the "The Seven Year Itch" and the red sequin number in the 1953 film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". His success led him to launch his own label in 1957. He closed his label in 1970 and then re-opened it in Spain where he designed from 1977 to 1990 when he passed away. This dress is a gorgeous example of his work during the 1960s.

This dress is extraordinary. The workmanship in it is to a demi-couture level and the fabric is beautiful. It is a light weight silk chiffon with a print that mixes hues of pinks and corals. Then that silk has been covered in clear sequins. The sequins are laid out flat across the surface of the dress so that they catch the light and give it a liquid feel. The are clear so that you still get the impact of the colours underneath.  Every inch of the dress is covered and there are yards of fabric in this dress. The top of the dress is made from triangle of fabric that sweep up and over the shoulders. The dress is so well made that you can actually get away with wearing it either way around. It is meant to be worn with the bow at the front. This option gives you slightly more coverage. But it will work the other way around as well. On both side the dress plunges right to the velvet ribbon at the empire waist. On what would traditionally be the back that plunge extends down and past the ribbon under the bust to leave an open triangle of skin showing below the waist. The triangles are slightly less wide on the back so if you wear it to the front it has a more bare feel. I have photoed the dress both ways for you to see. Each side also plunges right to the velvet ribbon so you get an open expanse of skin there as well. It is sensational. The interior is lined in a silk that has the same print as the exterior layer even though you would never see this once the dress is on. The lining is entirely hand set. Under the plunging halter the skirt falls to the floor widening out to be very full by the time it reaches the hem. The skirt feels even fuller in person and I think that as great as these photos are the dress is even better in person. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a printed crepe silk chiffon that is the same print as the exterior chiffon under the sequins. It closes at the front with a low zipper below the velvet banding and a series of hook & eye and snaps hidden under the front flat bow. Hand written inner tags marking the front and back. Hand finished through out. If you needed more room around the ribbon band you could extend it and create an open keyhole underneath lime how it is on the other side.

Bust: has no fixed side seams. Each halter at the front covers to approx 7": and the ones at the back cover to approx 4.5"
Band under the bust: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to bottom seam of velvet band
Skirt: 43,5" from bottom seam of velvet band to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3989

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 only has its Gump's department store label but I am pretty certain it is an Oscar de Renta based on pieces I have had in the past. Gump's was based out of San Francisco and they did carry Oscar's work. The dress is priced based on how fabulous the dress is on its own right. It is rare to find such a stunning vintage velvet piece that still feels infinitely wearable and modern.

The dress is almost a caftan feeling piece that you can wear loose and easy or cinch it with a ribbon or belt. The fabric on this one is what takes center stage and it is absolutely beautiful. It is a fused silk velvet on a feather light weight black chiffon. Each little velvet bit of the pattern is edged with a gold eyelash metallic lame that has been pulled through the velvet to create an edge on each individual piece of the pattern. This catches the light from every angle and gives the dress this fantastic bit of a metallic feel. The velvet is this amazing gold toned coral colour that changes shades slightly as it runs over the dress. The pattern is laid out vertically in long curves with just a bit of the black chiffon showing through. It is unlined so you get a glimpse of skin showing through the chiffon parts. It is very light and fluid. To look at it you might think it is heavier but the weight is very light so it moves over you like a dream. The cut is very loose and easy and should fit a range of sizes. It is a simple open shape with a full and wide cut through the body. The fabric is bias cut so there is a lot more room in there then it seems at first glance. The neckline is scooped on both sides with a keyhole and button at the back. Each sleeve ends with elastic and that they are very full above that. It is supermodel long and you can change the shape by adding a ribbon like I did for these shots, or add a more structured belt, or wear it loose and easy so its more like a caftan. It is a great piece that is easy to wear and has lots of impact. It still has its Gump's hang tag and was never worn. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on to wear with a button & loop at the back of the neck above a small keyhole. The fabric is light and easy to wear. Never worn. The loose cut should work on a range of sizes. I think if you are very tiny you could wear it off the shoulders too. The ribbon is not original to the dress but will be included. It is more a coral in person then the red some shots went to.

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 18-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-LRG

Item# DD3984

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 1980s and 1990s Gianni Versace ruled the catwalks. He was the favourite of the Supermodels and they were featured predominately in his runway shows and his ad campaigns. Versace launched his label in 1978 and in 1989 he presented his first couture collection. The days that Gianni headed the label were heady, glamourous ones and set the tone for the label as we know it today. He remained at the helm of the brand until his death by assassination in 1997. This is from the 1991 collection and while its runway counterpart was a much simpler version that shared the same colour and buttons as this, the actual twin of the suit was worn by Whoopi Goldberg to the Golden Globes that year for her winning performance in Ghost.

The suit is fantastically Versace and it is fabulous. It is sexy and bright and you won't be missed by anyone once you have it on. Both pieces are done in a showstopping bright coral orange that is a touch brighter and lighter then how it photoed here. It is even better in person. The fabric is a fine wool silk mix, mixed with a top stitched satin finish fabric that he used on the collar cuffs and skirt. The jacket is cut to feel a touch fuller through the shoulders and then comes in at the waist. It is the epitome of the nineties silhouette.  Each sleeve is long and ends in a cuff made of the top stitched fabric. Sitting above that is a single enamel and rhinestone button in coral and black. Larger and more elaborate versions of those buttons also sit at the front base of the jacket to close the jacket and add detailing. All of the buttonholes are done in the proper dressmakers technique. The collar is notched and and the top stitching runs around the upper part of it. The jacket closes low on the front for a play on a tuxedo silhouette. Low shallow pockets sit on the outer edge of each hip. The skirt is insane. It is very short and fitted with a flat front and no waist band. It is cut on a curve all around the hem so that it is even shorter on one side. It is very short and sexy on the one side as a result of that curving hemline. It is a wonderful and a very rare suit. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Both piece are lined in an orange  silk. The skirt closes with a hidden set side zipper and the jacket buttons to close. The jacket is light padded through the shoulders and all of the pockets are functional. Tagged a 38. Note that the skirt is accidentally on backwards in the shots. The short side will sit on the other side of you once on.  There is one tiny dot of a mark on the side above the top stitching. Please see the shot after the label photo

Jacket
Sleeves: 22"
Slightly extended shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom edge: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 20.5" from waist to longest point of the hem, 16" to the shortest

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3969

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1991 Versace Runway Collection.  /  (2) Whoopi Goldberg, in Versace, at the 1991 Golden Globes (with her second Golden Globe from her role in 'Ghost').

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 1960s if you wanted to wear something with a dramatic flare then you chose the work of Ronald Amey. He was known for his original use of fabrics and colors and his dresses were priced into the thousands even in the 1960s. His career was very short-lived. From 1959-1969 he designed under the label Burke-Amey. Joseph Burke, his partner, took care of the business side of things. In 1970s he bought out Burke and renamed the company Ronald Amey where he continued to produce his dramatic clothing until the label shuttered in 1976. His clothing was of very high quality and he incorporated many couture level details into their construction. All of his pieces were sewn in-house at his New York atelier

One of his signatures was to combine bold colors, prints and fabrics in interesting, unusual ways and this dress is a splendid example of that. The colors are bold and the mix is dramatic. The bodice and sleeves are sheer orange printed silk chiffon that is layered over the same printed coral ribbon silk that you see used for the skirt. This gives the top a very couture and quirky feel. The neckline is cut wide across the collarbones and it is anchored by a wide band of blue silk satin that is top-stitched in gold thread. This curves around the neckline and then down the front on either side of the notched front. The panel continues past the seamed waist and runs down the center of the skirt where it ends with a large diamond of the same fabric in brown. More of the blue runs around the hem and then is used again for the cuffs on each sleeve. The combination of the orange, coral and blue is spectacular . The heavy dose of all those prints, colors and patterns should not work but it does. The perfect finish is the wide fabric belt made of the same blue as the banding and this wraps around the waist where you can cinch it in and leave it simple as I did or tie it in a far more elaborate way. The exterior is in excellent condition with a note about the lining to review below.

Fully lined in a bright peach silk throughout. Entirely hand finished. It closes with a front zipper and there are zippers on each cuff. The zippers stick a bit when you open and close them. There is shattering of the silk around each arm on the interior. The exterior fabrics are sound and show no wear at all. The exterior of the dress appears to have been worm very little. The dress is even better in person.

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 40.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3478

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