• The dress is from the Spring 2007 Collection
• It was made under the creative direction of Roberto Cavalli
• This is an absolutely beautiful bias cut silk dress who's cut is a nod to old Hollywood in feel.
• The entire dress is covered with a very pretty and intricate leaf and bird print. This runs over its entire surface and the print has a slightly metallic feel with colours centring around a deep red, rust and a coral.
• The front is gathered in and up to the neck and at the centre of where it is gathered, there is a gold toned metal snake that is placed so that it sits at the top of the gathers. The silk extends out from there to curve up and behind the neck where it ties into place. There is a tiny keyhole under the snake detail at the front and the front drapes down and over your bust, waist and hips from there.
• The halter neckline leaves the back completely open. I love how the fabric that comes around from the front is set so there is a pretty curve at the base of your back. This is highlighted even more by the silk ties that extend out from the neck trailing down the middle of your back.
• Once passed the hips the skirt flares out beautifully. This full shape at the bottom of the dress is created by the addition of added panels set all the way around skirt to help it flare out. This extra silk placement creates amazing movement when you move.
• This is classic Cavalli and an absolutely beautiful piece of work.
• The dress is unlined and closes with a hidden set back zipper. The ties that extend out from the neck can be tied and left to trail down the back. The dress is cut on the bias so I have put the comfortable range when laying flat. The length will come up a touch once on a body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below. 
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total Length: approx 65" from neck to hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5263

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 dates to either the 1971/1972 spring season.
• It was made under the creative direction of Jules-Francois Crahay
• Jules-Francois headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. He has been noted as one of fashion’s 'great colorists with his colorful patterns making his 1970s Lanvin designs hugely desirable and influential.' His time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourites for the house.
• He mainly used this particular type of fabric for his 1971-1972 collections and in the book on his work 'Jules Francois Crahay" by Lanvin there is a detail photo of a couture fabric noted as been most likely from the fall 1971 Couture collection and you can see it has the same weave as the fabric used for this dress.
• The dress has a gorgeous bright colour and print combination. The cotton pique it is made of is light in weight and holds colour exceptionally well so the colours are still crisp and true. A texture runs through the fabric that adds visual interest and structure to the fabric.
• The front halter is created by two triangles that curve up and behind the neck. Each side is set into the top of a wide 5.5" band that defines the waist. This leaves the back completely bare and exposed.
• From there the skirt falls to the floor and it widens as it nears the hem.
• I love how the pattern is laid out onto the dress to emphasize the different parts of it. The halter has a smaller floral pattern and then the waist has horizontal stripes. You see the same smaller floral pattern around the hips and the stripes repeat. Below that is a larger version of the flowers with a double stripe anchoring the dress around the hem to tie everything together.
• The colour is a coral-red with pops of yellow, green and soft orange in the print.
• The perfect finish is the top set pockets that sit on each hip.
• The dress is fully lined through the band of the waist and the skirt is lined in an orange silk. The halter top is unlined. It closes with a low set back zipper. 
• Excellent condition

Bust: each halter covers approx 7" flat across from side to side
Seam at the top of the band: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist seam at the bottom of the band: 13.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 10" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 13" from neck to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5211

Reference Photo: From the book "Jules Francois Crahay" by Lannoo.

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 gorgeous dress walked the runway for the Spring 2011 collection in a taupe colour and was Look 41 in the show.
• It was made under the creative direction of both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. 
• Even in the different colour between the runway shot and the runway video you can see just how beautifully this one is on the body and how it moves. 
• Vogue said of this collection that the pieces "displayed incredible Couture like workmanship" and gushed over the exuberant use of ruffles and lace throughout the collection.
• The dress is made out of a pinky-coral silk that is cut on the bias and flows over the body beautifully. The fabric choice keeps the dress very light in weight and gives it beautiful movement. I love it far more in this pretty colour than the pale taupe that it was shown on the runway in. 
• The entire top portion of the dress is finished in stacked ruffles made from silk organza that overlap the one underneath. On the bodice, there are also ruffles made of the same silk as the body of the dress interspersed between the organza ruffles. These swoop over you to curve up and over the single shoulder. All of the ruffles that cover the bodice have been set  on an angle to follow the same curve of the neckline and the ruffles continue all the way around you to the back. I especially love the little twirl created at the top of the shoulder that adds just a little bit of extra detail there.
• It comes in at the waist and then the top of the hips at the sides are subtly gathered for shape. It is all very pretty and feminine.
• The skirt falls from under there and widens out to a pretty fullness by the time it reaches the hem. The skirt has three full layers of silk and the draped to side curves upwards with an overlapped slit. So when you move a certain way you see a bit of a flash of bare leg. I love how the hem is curved to pick up on the angle of the bodice.
  
• The dress is fully lined in a marching coral silk chiffon through the bodice. The skirt is made of three layers of silk and these act as the lining. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper.
• Tagged a Valentino 6
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 12.5" on the top of the shoulder to the inner seam under the bust
Total length: 63" from top of shoulder to front hem and the back extends another 4" past that

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5210

Reference Photos: Spring 2011 Valentino. Look 41.

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.

• Note that due to new regulations this coat can only ship to a Canadian address 
  
• This appears to be the actual Haute Couture sample coat that walked the runway for the Fall 1985 Jean Patou collection for Look 12
• Made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix 
  
• This is an extremely rare and important piece of fashion history. Very few pieces of his work at Patou come up for sale and this is more then likely the only piece to exist.
• Made in the Paris atelier
• Made of a soft orange wool shaped in an enveloping cocoon shape highly reminiscent of a 1920s flapper coat.
• It is all cut on the bias so once it is on the body it wraps around you beautifully. It is extraordinary. 
  
• The sleeves are quite extremely wide and they have a long wide cuff that flips up and over the sleeve. The cuff is completely covered in hand dyed feathers.
• More of the same hand dyed feathers are used to create a huge shawl collar that drapes down and over the shoulders. It continues to run all the way to the hem and circles around to the back hem.
• The coat narrows in as it reaches its bottom. This is a classic cut for this style of cocoon coat
• It feels wonderfully decadent and opulent, both key design elements in Lacroix's work. It is literally like wearing a work of art.
• Partially lined in a silk through the upper body of the coat and through the sleeves. The rest is unlined.
• Has its hand written Haute Couture sample label in place and attached metal couture tag
• Excellent condition

It is very full and open and has no closures so should fit almost any size. It is approximately 52 inches from neck to hem but that will come up a bit once it is on the body.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD5048

Reference Photo: Fall 1985 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture.

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• Circa late 1990s
• Under the creative direction of Gianni Versace
• A muted pastel salmon colour that is more pastel feeling in real life than how it photoed here
• The dress has a wide gathered band around the waist and a piece that is attached and loops in and behind one of the panels that form the top
• The panels are one piece of fabric that loops around the neck and the down to attach into the waist. You cross it over itself so that it goes behind the neck. You can then wear them high up on the shoulder or have it cape and fall over the upper arm.
• This leaves your entire back open and exposed
• The skirt has an inner piece that acts a partial lining. The outer skirt drapes over that and forms those interesting pocket like pieces on each hip. It then drapes inwards and down to the hem with a centre slit up both the front and back of the skirt
• It is a very interesting and an avant garde design
• The bodice is made of two layers of the same fabric and the skirt has a partial lining through the hips and the rest of the skirt is unlined.
• Tag a vintage Versace 42
• Excellent condition

Bust: each panel is 11" flat across from side to side
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: adjust depending on how you twist to wear it
Total length: approx 62" from neck to hem
Slits: approx 25" from the longest point of the hem to the top of the slit

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5037

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 gorgeous Spring 2001 Chanel set walked the runway that season. The show that year took place in the Carrousel de Louvre where the Chanel team constructed a multi-coloured Neon Staircase for the models to walk down. The Chanel 'Catwalk' books noted that the models sported tons of colour to go with that staircase and the collection showcased red, pink, blue, coral and purple besides the standard black and white used so often by Karl. Models had logos written on their faces and even their nails with a 'specially produced varnish embellished with diamante chips'. This look was heavily styled with accessories for the show and I loved when you see the pieces paired back you understand just how fantastic they really are. No one does cashmere like Chanel. The fabric of the skirt is yet another amazing example of just how high -end their fabrications for ready-to-wear are. 

This Chanel set is so good. These are the kind of pieces that you see in real life and it makes you swoon. As good as it looks in the photos it only really comes to life on the body. Both pieces are absolutely beautiful. The sweater is so pretty in its own right. There is a definite nod to the tennis sweater in its design. The cashmere has a defined ribbing through the body and sleeves, and then the cuffs, hem and neckline are done in a finer ribbing for contrast. Also like a tennis sweater, it has a classic striping around the neck line and the cuffs. It is cut to sit soft and easy on the body so that it feel simple with the perfect amount of casualness. I love the little pocket that sits on one hip and there is a little Chanel emblem under that. It has the double C logo on a grid which to me is a little nod to the tennis net. The skirt is equally as amazing. Here we have wide ribbed cashmere detailing around the waist and then we have a beautiful Chanel tweed boucle done in soft coral and peaches on a ivory backdrop. Big oversized belt loops sit along the the waist line and they have little snaps in behind at their centres in case you want to wear a different size belt, or have a belt sit higher or lower. They are held in place at their bottoms by a dome pearl button that has Chanel embossed on it. There are little pockets set along the inset front seams. The skirt is cut in a sharp little A-line. I love how the sequins done in a mix of pastel peach, coral and white, are used to highlight the grid pattern of the tweed. This is a superb Chanel set that is just exceptional. Excellent condition.

The sweater is unlined and the skirt is lined in a Chanel embossed ivory silk. The sweater slips on to wear and the skirt closes with a hidden set back zipper. Both pieces appear to have been worn very little if at all. The colour and textures are even better in person. Both pieces are tagged a Chanel 38. The sweater has some stretch and the comfortable range of measurements while laying flat are below.

Sweater
Sleeves: 24" and are 11-14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom of sweater: 13.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 22" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 23" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5009

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2001 Chanel.  /  (4-5) From the book "Chanel Catwalk: The Complete Collections".

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.

John Bates founded the Jean Varon label in 1960 and it quickly became known for the futuristic designs and innovative use of fabrics. He dressed Dianna Rigg portraying Emma Peel in the 1965 season of the action TV series 'The Avengers' and that helped bring him even more commercial success. By the late sixties and into the seventies his work tended more towards more floating, feminine designs. Some of the very best pieces were made during this time period. His more caftan feeling dresses in particular are fabulous and they are some of my favourites to find. This one with its dramatic sleeves and plunge front is fantastic. 

The cut of this dress is spectacular. The fabric is a rust clay coloured silk that is very light in weight and drapes beautifully once on. There are two secondary patterns woven into the fabric and this gives it a little pop that I love. The border on the neck line, around the waist, the bottom of the sleeves, and all the way around the hem have a square check design worked into them, and then the bodice and skirt have stripes. I love how he has put the stripes horizontally on the bodice to really highlight and add to the feeling of width through the sleeves and then the skirt is done the opposite way. The dress feels very sexy but in an easy to wear kind of way. It slips on and zips at the back. The top is spectacular. It is cut to skim over you to the waist. The waist is set on an upward curve and sits slightly below the bust line. The front plunges to the waist band for a gorgeous expanse of skin to show. There is space left between the two sides of the plunge and I love that little detail. The sleeves extend out from the fabric on the bodice with no side seams at all. They come out from the waist and are cut wide and straight. That makes them very full and they just sit beautifully on the body. The dress falls to the floor from there and the skirt widens out slightly as it nears the floor. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and closes at the back with a zipper. I see some tiny areas where the fabric has changed colour just very slightly. It's so minor, but I mentioned for accuracy. I could not capture it on camera.

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: no true side seams
Seam under the bust: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of the shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 57" from top of the shoulder with just about 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4920

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.

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.