• The twin of this gorgeous dress was presented for the Resort 2009 collection for Look 16.
• It was made under the creative direction of Alessandra Facchinetti
• Vogue noted that it was her third Valentino collection and for this one she "sketched a portrait of a lady in soft hues - pearl grey, icy white, and blush pink - punctuated, with pops of chartreuse and a rich fuchsia... Ruffles found their most elegant expression in organza gowns. Smartly paired with metallic flats these embrace the bodice before walking into the floor". There were three gowns presented in this similar cut - one in black, one in this dusty pastel gray green, and one in a white. This was the more elaborate of the three.
• Its twin with a wide belt added around the waist was worn by Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and I love that those reference photos and the presentation reference photo lets you see just how beautifully this one is on the body and how it moves. 
• The dress is made out of a pale pastel green silk organza that is cut to be more fitted around the bodice and then flows in a cascade of ruffles over the skirt. The fabric choice keeps the dress light in weight and gives it beautiful movement. 
• The entire top portion of the dress is gathered in from the shoulders down and into the waist on curves that angle towards the centre. The straps are a touch wider as they curve over the shoulder and it comes in at the waist. The gathering and draping over the bodice is beautiful and detailed.
• Edging the front neckline is a series of little raw edged bows that are held in place by a heavy application of hand applied beads, stones, rhinestones, sequins and metal thread. This follows the neckline all the way down to where it crosses and insert into the waist. There is a modesty panel that keeps it from being too low. If you did wish to have this have a full plunging feel it would be easy to have that adjusted to follow the V of the neck line.
• The skirt falls from under there and it is a little masterpiece of panelling and drape.
• The front is a lighter almost silk jersey and it is heavily gathered at the centre of the waist to fall and expand ot as it near the floor. A matching panel runs down the centre of the back that is not as tightly gathered as the one at the front.
• The sides panels of the skirt are made of the organza and there are added panels of organza layered onto that to create those giant ruffles that you see falling down each side and around to the back. These fall all the way down to the hem and create that beautiful structure that you see in the photos.
• Because the organza is so light in weight when you move, everything moves around you beautifully.
• This is an extraordinarily beautiful dress and I love its added provenance with its royal tie in.
• The dress is fully lined in a matching silk chiffon. The skirt has an additional two layers of silk chiffon under the top layer and these act as the lining. I see a tiny repair near where one ruffle is stitched to the side, but it's on the underneath so does not show. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from the top of the shoulder to the bottom of the band at the waist. The band is just under 2" wide.
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5445

Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2009 Valentino Look 16.  /  (2-3) Princess Mette-Marit of Norway in Valentino at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner, December 2009.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 2008 Emanuel Ungaro collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Esteban Cortazar.
• Estaban headed the label from 2007 to 2009, succeeding Peter Dundas. He was only 23 when he began there. 
• He brought a softer look to the label and you can clearly see that in this dress. On the runway this dress was shown with a wide belt. And you could certainly add one if you wanted to add some more shape but I love it just on its own as shown here.
• The dress is made out of a printed silk chiffon with a soft, pale, grey tone, floral pattern worked over at surface. The silk is interspersed with silvery toned pale grey panels of jersey that help shape the direction of the fabric and add some structure to create the way the dress falls over the body.
• A band of fabric wraps around the neck and then extends out into long ties that fall down the back in the most beautiful way.
• At the front the silk is gathered into the band at the neck and then sweeps down and around to the back.
• This leaves the sides partially exposed and the entire back from the waist up is left completely open and bare. Only the ties that extend from the back of the neck break the bareness of the skin there. It feels soft and feminine yet very sexy at the same time.
• The waist is seamed and the front halter blouses over the seam. Under that the skirt curves out and over the hips and then sweeps down to the floor.
• The jersey panels are set in curving angles down one side of the dress with the silk set so they blouse slightly over the jersey insets. This perfectly ties the way the top blouses over at the waist and creates a pretty detailing all the way down the skirt.
• The very lower portion of the skirt is quite full and moves beautifully as you move. You can see that in the reference runway video here.
  
• It is a very romantic and beautiful feeling dress.
• The dress is fully lined in a pale grey silk chiffon through the bodice and stretch pale grey jersey through the skirt. It closes with a hidden set zipper and snaps along the back waist. 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: very flexible and open to most sizes
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 18" from neck to waist but will drape over
Total length: approx 63" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5380

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 2008 Emanuel Ungaro, Look 18.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• This dress is from Fall 2008 collection and is a piece that would have been produced for the shops.
• It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
• The Collection celebrated the 1960s with Simon & Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson' for the opening music. The models were styled with a nod to the 1960s but in a highly exaggerated way.
• Galliano said of the show "I am always looking for heroines who make me dream"
• The dress is made from a muted silver coloured silk. The silk is a beautiful weight and is just heavy enough to keep the shape that he wanted without it feeling too heavy.
• Straps extend outward from the middle of the front and curve over each side of your neck and then are angled back down to connect in the centre of the back.
• The bust is peaked and shaped. Inside it has a bit of a slightly stiffened lining to help hold the shape and mold it over the breasts. The fabric is softly pleated to angle in towards the centre where part of the silk extends out and is twisted to form a pretty 3D flower.
• From under the seam of the bust it falls over the body with a more generous feel. The silk is gathered in and pleated on one side and it does the same on that same side around the back. It has a more generous cut over the waist and hips. The bottom skirt widens out as it near the hem.
• The fabric at the hip on the opposite side of the pleating has been gathered and twisted to form too large flowers. These are a pretty extra detail and tie in the flower at the bust. They also are a clever way for him to have controlled the draping and the way the dress sits over and around you.
• The bit of flare on the lower skirt creates a pretty bit of movement around you when you move.
• The dress is fully lined in the same silver silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. I see a couple of small faint marks underneath the bust area near the pleats. Please see the photo after the label shot. It does not detract from its wearability but is mentioned for accuracy.
• Tagged a vintage Dior FR40, GB12, IT44, US8 
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 62" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5246

Reference Photos: Heather Graham at a Dior Party during the Marrakech Film Festival, 2008.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

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

This is a suit pieced together from the actual Chanel sample jacket for this look and then the pants were purchased at retail by my client. It is incredibly rare to find a sample piece so that is a little extra special. The twin of the suit was worn for Look 13 for the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. The show was set in the  Hamburg concert hall and that setting held an extra special place for Karl since it was his hometown. The concert hall had just been opened and for this show Karl mixed the modernity of the new space with his memories of Hamburg as a child “I’ve never left; this is part of me,” he reflected after the show. “I like Hamburg as an idea; something in the back of my mind.” Vogue noted 'You saw what that was, the essence of his inspiration, in a flash: Sailors in peaked caps on leave, girls in thigh-high boots and leather, the people who mill around docks and nightclubs. The clothes evoked ’60s beatniks, countercultural girls in sweaterdresses, smartly dressed officers in uniform, and naval ratings in sailor pants—looks that ran up and down the register of the cool, the hip, and the immaculately classic. It was an obvious, simple idea, really, but one marinated in a mind that has the sophistication to align the results with Coco Chanel’s heritage, and with what any girl would absolutely kill to wear right now.'

The lines of this suit are crisp and sharp and the tailoring is immaculate. Both pieces are made out of a pinstriped virgin wool that allows them to retain the exact lines that Lagerfeld intended while still staying light in weight. The jacket is cut so that it is fitted across the shoulders and then falls in a more box shape to the top of the hips. The collar is neat and small and I love how there is an inset of a white waffle weave cotton for a crisp little pop. That same little pop of cotton is set within each cuff so that it feels perfectly tied together. It buttons to close up one side and the buttons themselves are incredible. I took a detail shot so you can see that they are especially done with both Paris and Hamburg noted on them. The bottom hem is banded and there is a little top set pocket on one side. Each sleeve is long and straight and they end in a notched slit held by a button rather than a traditional cuff which falls in line with the sleek minimalist feel of the rest of the suit. Beside the little pop of white at the end there is also a little 'hidden' surprise of another functional pocket that sits at the end of the one sleeve nearest the pocket on the front. I am obsessed with this little detail. The pants are sleek and simple in their cut. They are flat fronted with a slanted slip pocket on each hip under the waist band. Two more pockets are at the  back and each is still tacked shut. The legs fall wide to the ankle with just the tiniest bit of a flare at the ends. Each leg is finished with a precise wide cuff. The inside of the suit is as immaculate as the outside and it is lined in a deep grey silk embossed with the Chanel logo. A signature Chanel chain runs along the inner hem of the jacket. Every stitch is perfection. Excellent condition with a minor note below. 

The jacket is lined in a grey Chanel embossed silk and closes with the buttons along the front panel as seen. It has a Chanel sample label and is tagged a modern Chanel 38. A pocket on the front and on each cuff. Metal embossed buttons and the signature Chanel chain around the inner hem. There is slight yellowing and grubbiness on the inner collar of the Chanel. The pants zip to close at the front and have hidden hook & eye at the bands. Slip pockets on each hip and two tacked shut pockets at the back The pants have their original Chanel packet and are tagged a modern Chanel 40

Jacket
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to head 

Pant
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40.5" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 29" from inner seam to hem
Gusset: 17" from waist to inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4540

Reference Photo/Video: Pre-Fall 2018 Chanel, Look 13.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• This is an exceptional and very rare example of a Heim Haute Couture work from the late 1940s early 1950s.
• It was made under the creative direction of Jacques Heim.
• Jacques Heim began his career working at his parents fur business. In 1923 he took that business over and made it into his own vision. Heim began designing a line of made to order, in-house couture pieces that used original fabrics most notably those of Sonia Delauney. In 1930 his label became an official member of Haute Couture and his self-named label, Jacques Heim, was born. Jacques remained at the helm of his business until his death in 1967. The label closed in 1969.
• This era of Couture was known as the golden era in part because of its excellence in every aspect to the art of Couture. This dress is everything you look for in an Haute Couture dress from this time period.
• The dress is a phenomenal example of Couture and is made out of a hand dyed net and hand dyed, handmade lace.
• The dress is completely made by hand and would have been made in his Paris atelier.
• Wide straps curve up and over each shoulder and then the front neck and back are both scooped with a more shallow version at the front in a deeper one at the back. The opening across the shoulders is cut wider across so that you can wear this dress more on the outside of your shoulders and expose the collarbones.
• It skims over the bust and is shaped and meant to be slightly more fitted. From there it nips in at the waist. The dress comes with its original matching belt that is also made by hand and covered in the same net and silk as the dress. The belt is slim in its cut and highlights the waist even more.
• The skirt is truly outstanding. It is the perfect rendition of that 1950s full "New Look" feeling skirt that has come to be so associated with that era. The skirt is made from five layers of tulle that are hand dyed to this incredible soft taupey grey that has a hint of purple in its undertone. These five layers sit on top of multiple layers of inner skirting. All of the volume that you see here is created from the stocking of all those layers. I have added nothing extra underneath for these photos, though I think you could make it even fuller if you took the time to starch out every single layer.
• Onto the very top layer of netting are hand applied strips of handmade lace that have been added in vertical rows. Fees stand down and over the bodice to the waist. From there they trail down the skirt to end in various lengths. This has been done all the way around you and the final effect this creates is beautiful. It is hard to imagine the length of time this all would have taken by hand.
• The dress closes with a back metal zipper and the belt buckles to close. The inner bodice is boned for structure and all the hand work is done to Couture standards. An inner waist stay hooks to close. The skirt is made from multiple layers of netting as described above. I see a tiny bit of wear near one grommet of the buckle, one tiny repair in the netting and a faint mark on the skirt. These are all extremely minor but mentioned for accuracy.
• There is no size tag present since it is true Couture so please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition.

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 45" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED 

Item# DD5296

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 customs regulations this dress can only ship to a Canadian address 
• The twin of the dress walk the runway for the Resort 2018 Prada runway as Look 19.
• It was made under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada.
• The dress is made from an inner silk chiffon, lace edged dress that you wear a silk organza and feather dress over top of that. The two dresses laying over each other is what creates the depth and airiness that you see.
• The inner dress is a pale ivory and the outer dress is a pale grey. The two together are absolutely beautiful.
• A nude pink silk edges the top of the outer dress and there is a layer of gold connected metal discs set under that.
• The fit is full and open through the body much like a 1920s flapper dress.
• There is a pleated organza that detail the hip area above the feathers. I love how she always adds these tiny details.
• Hand dyed feathers circle around the entire lower skirt and give it incredible volume. They move beautifully as you move.
• The inner dress slips onto to wear with a single button at the side of the bodice and the outer dress closes down the side with hidden set snaps
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition and it appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Inner Slip
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of the shoulder to hem

Outer dress
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 34" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5156

Reference Photo/Video: Resort 2018 Prada, Look 19. Model Aira Ferreira.

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 the dress walked the Spring 2009 runway for Look 62 
• Under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld
• This is the actual dress that was worn by Catriona Balfe for the Season 5 premiere of Outlander in 2020. 
• In the book "Chanel Catwalk" the notes on this collection tell us that for this show they rebuilt the facade of 31 rue de Cambron inside of the Grand Palais. The collection played homage to classic Chanel style. The palette of the show was mainly black, white, pink and grey. Many of the pieces had a touch of a lingerie inspiration in them, including this gorgeous dress. It was one of the outstanding pieces in the show and it is even more beautiful in person. My photos don't come close to doing it justice. 
• The upper bodice and shoulders of the dress are made of a fine silk netting that has a touch of transparency to it. It breaks at the back to leave a bare expanse of skin down the centre. 
• A muted silk satin, with a more matte finish, is used to create a tiny little bodice piece that wraps around you.  A little bow sits at the centre front for a pretty and feminine touch.
• The skirt falls from that empire cut and flows outward to the floor, expanding by quite a bit as it nears the hem.
• It is made of four layers, a top black silk net layer, a more ivory layer under that, and then two inner black silk organza layers that sit next to the skin.
• Fully lined in silk behind the bust area and the inner two layers of the skirt are a black silk organza.
• The bodice buttons to close  with two pewter coloured silver metal buttons at the back and the dress zips to close under that.
• Tagged a Chanel 38.
• I see a couple of very tiny and little minor pulls and breaks in the skirt near the hem that don't affect it at all but are mentioned for accuracy and a repair near the edge of the arm opening. Overall excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from top of shoulders to waist
Total length: 62.5" from top of shoulders to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5050

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 2009 Chanel Runway, Look 62. Model Kim Noorda.  /  (5-6) Catriona Balfe, in this dress, at the season 5 premiere of Outlander, February 2020.

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.