This dress comes from a collection of Bill Blass pieces from a woman who was a close personal friend of Mr. Blass for many years. Many of these pieces were custom made for her and all of them are in excellent condition. These are rare and hard to find examples of his work from the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Some may be the only version of its kind that were made. The family would also like it to be known that their portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to charity. This dress is especially interesting as it definitely inspired some of the dress from Valentino in 2020. He used the same long ruffled technique that details the skirt on this one. It is also a dress that we found two references of similar pieces held in museum collections. 

This dress is stunning. It is from the Spring 1981 collection and I have included two reference photos of variations on it that are held in Museum collections. One is a dress in this same colour and the second with the same ruffle treatment. This particular shade of pastel green was used throughout his collection that year and was the colour of the season for Blass' clients. The dress is beautifully made and the closer you start to look at it the more you start to see the fine detailing that was put into its construction. The work that would have gone into piecing this together using that fine silk chiffon is astonishing. The silk is completely cut on the bias but also has defined seams so that you get the ease and movement of the bias cut through the skirt but with a defined shape over the body. The neckline is a high and scooped. The bodice is made from two distinct layers. There is an inner silk tank with tiny silk straps and then the sleeved chiffon bodice sits over that. Each sleeve is cut long and ends with two silk covered buttons at the wrist. The back hooks at the top of the neck and leaving an open slit that runs from the neck to the first button. The waist is seamed for a touch of shape and you could easily add a belt if you wanted a more cinched in feel. The skirt falls to the floor below that in a beautiful cascade of ruffles. The ruffles are set vertically in rows that run all the way around the skirt. This combined with the bias cut of the skirt creates incredible movement when you move snd there is more fabric in there then you first think. It is beautiful. Excellent condition with one small note below

Fully lined in an interior layer of a slightly deeper color green silk. It closes with a back zipper and then the silk chiffon layer close over that with snaps below the waist and hook & eye above. Each cuff has two silk covered buttons. Hand finishes. The color is absolutely fantastic and even better in person. It is a a touch paler green in person then how it photoed. The fabric does have some give due to the bias cut but the waist seam is set. There is one tiny mark on the front bodice. Please review the photo after the label shot. 

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Inner lining bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3280

Reference Photos: (1) Evening dress, 1981 by Bill Blass. Gift of Mrs. Ronald Reagan from the Classic Chicago Magazine.  /  (2) 1981 Bill Blass Dress from the Indianapolis Museum of Art Collection.

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 unlabeled piece from the 1960s that is made out of a metallic organza. There is an underlying pattern on the organza done in green and pink and then a metallic gold thread has been woven through the organza to create a secondary pattern. The metallic thread runs over both the pieces of the set and the matching belt. The gold catches the light beautifully and really adds detailing to the piece. Like the Malcolm Starr I just had in the shop this one is also meant to be worn over the hot pants that are original to the set. The top piece looks like a dress at first glance but you soon realize that one side of the skirt is completely open from the waist to the hem. The bodice is cut with a high scooped neckline and no sleeves. It skims over the bust and nips in at the waist. The skirt flows down from under there and the entire one side of the skirt is slit from the waist to the floor so that the side is completely split open. If you wanted to add to the versatility of the piece you could easy add a snap or two to be able to wear it on its own and as a true dress. Otherwise you can wear it as it was originally intended by adding the matching shorts underneath. I love that the edges down the side that is open are detailed with a gold braiding and the various crystals and beads that are set within that braiding. It gives it an added extra bit of bling that just puts it over the top. The shorts that go underneath are flat fronted and cut like boy shorts. Beside still having its original shorts it also has the original sash that you can cinch the waist in with like I have for these shots or you can use it around the neck or as a head wrap. The fabric choice gives the dress a touch of structure so it holds the shape and the metallic thread makes it glitzy and fun. This is an easy to wear but glamorous dress set that perfectly represents it time period. Excellent condition.

The top and shorts are fully lined in a black silky rayon and the skirt is unlined and is partially transparent. Both the shorts and the dress close with metal & nylon zippers, the shorts at the front and the dress at the back. The organza feels synthetic. The tie belt is original to the dress. 

Dress
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from neck to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Shorts
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 2"
Rise: 15" 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# E696

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

Jean-Louis Scherrer was a Parisian fashion designer and couturier. He trained under both Christian Dior and then Yves Saint Laurent when he started his career at Dior. He worked briefly for Louis Feraud and then launched his own fashion house in 1962. From 1962 to 1992, Jean-Louis Scherrer dressed some of the most prestigious women in the world including Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Paola of Belgium, Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and many more. His work was known for known for being opulent with lavish trimming like the buttons in this dress. He sourced and used the very best of fabrics for his pieces. It is wonderful to have such a beautiful piece of his work in the shop. The dress has no labeled but comes to me from its original owner who removed the tag at some point 

This dress is exceptional and a remarkable example of his work during this time period. The colour is amazing. If you love it in the photos you will be even happier with it in real life because there is a richness to the silk that the camera could never capture. It is a bright spring green that is mixed with white and a slightly deeper green. This creates that spectacular floral print that covers the entire dress. The fabric that the print is screened onto is a fine silk gazar that has a secondary floral print that is woven directly into the silk. This adds to the rich feel of the fabric. The dress is light in weight because of this fabric choice but at the same time this particular silk allows the dress to hold its incredible shape. I did not add any additional crinolines under the skirt. That fullness is all created by seaming, how it is pieced together and the inner skirts that are there already. The print is huge and exuberant, covering the entire dress from head to toe. The skirt is wonderfully full and has been made from several yards of bias cut silk. This floats over inner silk and tulle skirts that create the shape and volume that you see. The bodice is constructed so that it has the feel of a sculpted evening jacket but it is actually fully attached and a part of the dress. The collar is set so that is sits slightly raised up so that it frames the neck and face. It is also cut wider across the front so that you get this lovely glimpse of the collarbones before it plunges into a V at the front. Large jewelled poured glass gripoix buttons run down the front giving it a slight Chanel feel. The sleeves are long and taper in as they near each wrist. The waist curves in and then the fabric flares out over the hips and curves down and around the back. An attached half belt is finished with that perfect oversized bow at the back. It is absolutely beautiful. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a deep green silk and closes with zipper set down the middle of the back. Each sleeve has a zipper at its cuff. Under the buttons at the front are hidden hand set silk covered snaps. The skirt has an two inner attached skirts. There is a silk layer as described above and then there is an inner tulle layer that is attached starting just under the hips. The belt closes with velcro and that was almost certainly a later addition so that tar belt sits more flat. Hand finishes. There is one small repair and small marks near the hem of the back skirt near the side seam. Please see the last two photos. Very minor. 

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost lining hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3279

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

James Galanos typifies that true American glamour. His work combines a chic sophistication with bold design and fabric choices. He was particularly known for his amazing evening wear. His work was executed to the highest standards and the workmanship is on par with couture. He is often called one of the great American couturiers and that title is well deserved in terms of construction and quality found in his pieces. He was a master at working with silk chiffon and his technique of layering the skirts with multiple panels of silk is a signature.

I love this dress. The color combination is very unusual and the silk chosen for the layers that make it up are of the highest quality. The dress is made out of several layers of silk chiffon. The inner pink dress is made out of four full layers that are stacked perfectly on top of each other. For the skirt each layer is attached at the side seam and waist which leaves the hem free and gives the dress movement when you move. The top portion is also made out of layers of the silk and here is it finished with inner elastic through the waist and all around the upper seam of the neckline. This makes the dress very easy to wear and comfortable. It simply slips on and falls perfectly in place over the body. Over the skirt is a panel of green that is set on both the front and the back of the skirt. This is attached around the waist with the side left open down the length of each side so that the pink of the skirt underneath shows. It has its original matching fabric tie belt that you can use to cinch the waist for added shape or use around the neck or even as a head wrap. The choice of these unexpected colors work surprisingly well with each other and it is made to the Galanos couture equivalent standards. The dress form does not do the dress justice as to how it works on an actual body. Excellent condition with one small note below.

The various layers of silk also act as the lining for the dress. It closes with a hand set, painted metal side zipper above the waist and then has elastic through the waist and around the upper edge of the bodice. Hidden pockets along the seams of each hip. Hand rolled edges and hand finishes throughout. It does have tiny straps that you could wear over the shoulders but I feel they are more to hang the dress so presented it as strapless. There is the faintest watermark in the silk at the waist. Please see the last photo

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16"
Skirt: 41" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD1199

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 stunning example of the couture work being done by the house of Lanvin during the years that Antonio Castillo headed the atelier. Castillo started off his career at the houses of Paquin and Piquet. He also did a stint designing accessories for Chanel. In 1950 he became the head designer at the House of Lanvin. The press at the time lauded him, along with Balmain, Dior and Balenciaga, as the new generation of the Paris Couture designers. During his time at Lanvin the house was known for the simple and elegant lines of the clothes and his metallic pieces were particularly sought after. This is a rare Haute Couture dress from that period whose label is the one used from 1954 to his departure in 1962. I found a couple of photos of a 'gold organza' dress that has the same pleated metallic skirt treatment that this one does and was able to date it by those. It is very beautiful. 

The fabric of this dress is the undeniable focal point of the dress and it is just wonderful. The bodice is a heavy silk faille dyed to a brilliant emerald green. It is cut to skim over the bodice with a seamed waist that has a matching fabric belt in the same green silk. It is sleeveless and the front is detailed with a cleverly built in pleating effect that gives a nod to the Lanvin bow but without adding bulk to the bust area by adding an actual bow there. Variations of these 'built in' bows were used extensively during the collections of 1954 and I think this is one of the best versions. The skirt is a masterpiece and you can see in the reference photos just how wonderfully it will move. I have photoed it over a light crinoline so that you can get a better idea of the full shape. The top layer is made out of a fine metallic thread silk organza that has a bias cut fine line worked through the fabric. This tiny angled line contrasts with the sharp knife pleats that the skirt has and lets the gold thread catch the light even more then it would otherwise. In person the fabric almost seems to glow. The gold color is not quite captured in these photos and I think it is far better and richer feeling when you have it in hand. Under the top gold layer is an inner silk skirt that has a deep stiffened hem to help give the skirt volume and hold the pleats true. The entire dress is made with masterful seaming and cut. The fabric choices are just extraordinary. It is a stunning and rare example of the Haute Couture pieces the house was producing in this time period. It has its Haute Couture label which is hand numbered on the reverse side. The inner silk is stamped Rhodia along the seam. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully hand lined in silk and all done and hand stitched on the interior to Haute Couture standards. The dress closes with a side set painted metal zipper and snaps and hooks on the inner layer. Inner waist stay that hooks to close. The matching fabric sash circles the waist and there is a combination of hook & eye and hidden snaps to secure it. The inner skirt shows grubbiness and marks around the hem. Grubbiness along the edge of the hem of the outer skirt here and there and I see one teeny, well done repair on the outer skirt. If not for that it would look unworn. Hand numbered Haute Couture tag

Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam but see above notes
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 40" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3468

Reference Photos: (1) Lena Madsen in evening gown of finely pleated 'opaline' gauze by Lanvin-Castillo, photo by Guy Arsac, 1954.  /  (2) Gold organza gown by Lanvin-Castillo, 1954.

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

James Galanos was known as the designer that could rival the French in terms of construction and design. He launched his atelier in 1951 and though he was never a designer that was formally made a couture house he certainly produced clothing with many of the hallmarks that define couture, thus giving him the status as being known as one of the 'American Couturiers'. 

This dress is very unusual and I had a hard time deciding how to best have it sit on the dress form. It definitely works as a halter with the hook placed at the back of the neck. These leaves the upper back entirely bare and open and the ruffles that edge the halter run down the sides of the bust and around the neck. However, it also could potentially work with the hooks done up on the top of one shoulder. It does leave one breast exposed this way but I feel that you could wear it like this and have a bandeau underneath and it would be as amazing. You could also replace the elastic that edges the bodice and it would sit higher. The fabric is beautiful. The top layer is a floral print on a fine silk chiffon. Under that are four attached layers of a solid green silk and at the edges he has set these so each layer's edge can be seen. It gives the dress an opaqueness but it is still light as a feather. The bodice is finished with a ruffle that follows the curve of the fabric there. It wraps and hooks to close and inside there is a little label that says front on the inner waist band so you know which side to place at the front of you. The skirt wraps over itself and fall to the floor in a column of silk. It is fabulous. Excellent condition

Fully lined in the four layers of green silk. Hand finished throughout. It wraps and hooks to close. Elastic through the edge of the halter top. There is a small areas that does not seem quite as tight as the rest of it and I think you could tighten this and it would sit higher and cover the breast on that one side.

Bust: open
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bust: approx 18" from shoulder to waist but meant to drape a bit
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3398

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 part of a collection of Bill Blass pieces from a woman who was a close personal friend of Mr. Blass for many years. Many of these pieces were custom made or customized specifically for her and all of them are in wonderful condition. These are rare and hard to find example of his work from the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Some may be the only version, colour, print or design that was ever made. The family would also like it to be known that their portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to charity.

This gorgeous full length skirt and top set is a wonderful example of the work that Blass was doing in this time period. We were able to date it exactly based on a family photo that my client has. He pulled out the stops for the creation of this set. It is made out of two silks. The first is a crisp right green silk taffeta that he used for the skirt and sash. He then chose a softer textured purple silk for the top. A third colour is brought into the mix with the the tie belt that is a silk finished in periwinkle. The skirt is very full and I have not used any crinolines under the skirt for these shots. The fullness that you see is all done through the way it is cut and the seaming. The choice of the silk taffeta also helps it to hold the shape while still keeping it very light in weight. The skirt has a double silk sash attached around the waist. One part is the same purple as top and the other is a soft and pretty blue. The top is a light silk that has a slight texture running through it. It buttons down the front and the way that the buttons are set gives you just the peek of skin between the buttons. Each sleeve is cut to be very full and have lots of volume. It comes with a matching silk taffeta sash that is in the same green as the skirt and I have used it to create a large bow at the neck. You could style the sash a variety of ways other then this but I liked the balance it created in both he colour and the volume. Having the three separate pieces makes it very versatile because you can wear it all together for the full Blass look, or mix and match with modern pieces from your wardrobe. It is beautifully made and wonderfully extravagant. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Both pieces are unlined. The skirt closes with a metal and nylon zipper and a flat hook & eye at the waist. The skirt hem is finished with a 3/4" strip of stiffened dressmakers tape to give it some weight and structure. The top buttons to close. The tie around the waist is attached and the tie at the neck is a separate piece. There are some very faint minor marks on both the skirt and the top. Please review the photos after the label shot.

Top
Shoulders: 15"
Sleeves: 29"
Bust: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 45" from waist to hem
Matching sash: 84" x 13"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3261

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

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 am very pleased to begin presenting a collection of Bill Blass pieces from a woman who was a close personal friend of Mr. Blass for many years. Many of these pieces were custom made or tweaked specifically for her and all of them are in exquisite condition, having been stored and cared for properly over the years. These are rare and hard to find example of his work from the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Some may be the only version of its kind that were made. The family would also like it to be known that their portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to charity.

This is a lovely example of Bill's work that has the added provenance of being featured in the September issue of Vogue that in 1986. It's twin was photographed on Paulina Porizkova and I have included that reference photo here. Both the dress and jacket are made out of the most extraordinary fabric. He has used a fine silk velvet that has gold thread lame running through it in the manner of a men's suiting. This gives both pieces an incredible sheen when combined with the velvet. As it catches the light it almost has the feel of a liquid running over you. The dress is strapless with a built in inner bodice that gives it structure internally but from the outside you only see the fabric falling in one smooth line. The bodice has carefully placed hand done gathers that give just the hint of detailing. Under that the skirt falls to the floor in one long lean line. There is no slit on this one, rather the fabric is cleverly laid out so there is hidden volume as it nears the hem. Over this is the remarkable jacket that has a more structured feel to it. The cut is pure Blass with the waist just a suggestion and the shoulders boxed and padded. The sleeves are long and each is finished at the cuff with a wide band of hand done bead and sequin work. This same incredible detailing runs around the collar, down the front and circles all around the hem of the jacket. It is incredible and very chic. Excellent condition

Both pieces are fully lined in silk. The dress closes with a double zipper at the back, with the inner one closing the inner corset. The inner corset is boned and shaped. The jacket closes with hidden snaps at the front and hook & eye at the neck and waist. The bead work is hand done and elaborate.

Dress
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 40" from waist to hem

Jacket
Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3260

Reference Photo: Paulina Porizkova in Bill Blass, Vogue UK, September 1986. Photo by Bill King.

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

Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on the models and the results were spectacular. She first opened her atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, a partial anagram of her husband's first name, Serge. Her work spanned over five decades and all of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, was created as Haute Couture pieces.

When researching this garment I happened across a dress that is held in the collection of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, with a similar cut, and what looks to be the same fabric, dated to 1977. The collection notes on that dress even mention a matching cape that is not shown in the single photo provided for that garment (and shared here). It is also interesting to note that the Museum held dress has been exhibited twice. Once for the "New Look to Now", at de Young Museum, 1989-91; and it was lent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for "Mme. Gres" in 1994. This 1970s period is also about the time period where she turned her attention from using primarily jerseys to incorporating more taffeta and silks into her work. Her designs were never huge variations on themselves through the decades and we do see similar feeling pieces to this across the decades of her work at times, but I am fairly confident that this is the correct date within a season or two. Especially given the reference photo provided and the fact that the Museum dress also has a matching cape. It is just too coincidental given the same color and similar silhouette, not to be from that same collection.

The dress and gown are made from a deep green silk taffeta. This fabric choice gave her the ability to work in the volume she required for the silhouette whole still keeping the dress light and wearable. It is also a fabric that helps to retain the shapes she wished the set to have. The sleeveless bodice is cut so that the shoulders slightly extends outward giving the silhouette an almost statue-like appearance. The bodice skims over the body in a long lean drop that ends just at the top of the hip. It extends in this same long lean line over the hips, under the skirting and falls to the floor, with a high side slit up one side to allow you to walk. Attached to this inner dress is a dramatic skirt that is cut high at the front and curving down and slightly trained at the back. By tightly gathering the taffeta and adding a second tightly gathered, short ruffled layer underneath around the hips, she has created a form that stands away from the body and gives tremendous volume and shape. On the body it has an airy lightness and the volume of the skirts surrounds you, making you feel like you are a part of a magical fairy tale. Over this is a matching silk taffeta cape with almost monastic simplicity in its lines. It simply hooks into place at the neck with one tiny hook and falls beautifully over the shoulders. The cape flows and extends down longer at the back, picking up on the curved lines of the back skirts and extending the line downwards and back. It is magnificent. Both pieces are made by hand and both have the Gres Haute Couture label present. This is a rare opportunity to own an original Couture Gres ensemble comprised of this extraordinarily beautiful gown and matching cape. Excellent condition.

The Dress and cape are unlined with hand done seams throughout as per the parameters of Haute Couture. The dress closes with a off-set back zipper that is camouflaged along a seam. It also closes along the top of one shoulder with a series of hooks and snaps. The cape has one single hook & eye to close. Under the skirt overlay is tightly gathered ruffle of silk taffeta that gives the skirt overlay support and some extra volume. I see some very tiny marks on the bodice that are negligible but mentioned for accuracy. Note that the bust is more suited for a medium frame and the dress will work well on a smaller frame as well as the volume through the waist and hips is not meant to really hug and fit the body bit to glide over it. The dress has a very faint smell of perfume but it is not unpleasant or overwhelming. It is an extraordinary thing to see in real life.

Dress
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at dropped seam: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 23" from neck to dropped seam where over skirt begins
Inner skirt: 37" from dropped seam where over skirt begins to hem
Total Length: 60" from neck to hem of inner dress, 67" to longest point of the back of the trained top skirt 
Slit: 20" from the hem up

Cape: will fit any size and is 30" in length

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3227

Reference Photos: 1977 Madame Gres Dress from the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.  /  Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

This garment has been professionally steamed and sold in, clean, as found condition. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Antony Price launched his self-named label in 1979 and quickly became know as one of the more glamorous designer of the eighties. His work tended to have a mix of femininity, high glamour and edginess. His designs showed off the body and often had dramatic, over-the-top finishing touches. You see an example of that on this dress from his Fall 1989 collection with its two large bow details that sit on the back of each draped shoulder. On the runway they were stiffened to heighten their drama but for retail the bows are softer and drape beautifully. The front of the bodice is cut low and wide across the neck. From there the velvet curves around the shoulder and and each shoulder is tied into a bow of matching velvet. You can wear these at the top of the shoulder, have them pushed down to drape and fall towards the back and have them act as a weight and show more skin there. Or, you can choose to not wear them at all for a more traditional feeling line. The back edge of the neckline is finished in elastic so it sits properly no matter where you decide to place the bows. The fabric is a deep bottle green cotton velvet whose color seems to be illuminated from within. The waist nips in and the skirt is cut to be slim and fitted. It is hard to really show off this dress on a mannequin to its full advantage but on a proper girl it is even more spectacular. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silky rayon and closes with a back metal and nylon zipper. Appears unworn. Note that the provided reference photos are taken from the runway footage. Apologies for their low quality. You can see the dress in the video at about the 14:00 mark

Bust: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from top of middle back to waist
Skirt: 24" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2706

Reference Photos: Stills from the video of the Antony Price A/W 1989 Runway Show.

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