This dress is gorgeous with its bright meadow green and white print and yards of bias cut silk chiffon that has been used through the skirting. The color is just gorgeous and is a bright clear green that is even better in person then how it photoed. The dress has a simple cut. The bodice is sleeveless and the openings for the arms are cut to angle up and toward the neck. It dips into a fairly low V at the front and all of the edges of the bodice are finished with a band of clear sequins and tiny white seed beads. These are set in rows along all the seams and around the waist to highlight the cut. More of the same sequin and seed bead combination has been scattered over the rest of the bodice fabric. Under that the skirt flows to the floor in a cascade of bias cut silk and there are yards of fabric used for it. So when you move it can create a lot of movement and flow around you. The chiffon has a pretty, brushed abstract pattern screened onto it. All the bead work is hand applied and gives the dress an added bit of high glamour while still keeping a romantic, feminine feel. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a matching green silk. It closes with a painted back metal zipper. Hand applied bead-work. Tagged a vintage 10. I see a couple of sequins missing here and there. A slightly lighter green in person.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3470

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.

One of Emilio's signature prints covers the silk exterior of this bag in shades of green and pops of light lavender. It is instantly recognizable as being Emilio Pucci and I love the contrast the print has with the white base and handles. The bag is covered in a silk twill and closes with a gold clasp and has large gold discs at the base of the handles. More gold is picked up on the bottom with the little gold feet. It is sleek and simple lines still feel modern and fresh. Excellent condition with only slight wear tot eh exterior silk

Fully lined in a soft white leather and closes with a gold clasp at the top. An interior open pocket and two slip pockets on each side between the center part of the bag and the exterior. Minor grubbiness to the silk inherent with normal use

Bag
9" W x 6.5" H x 2" D - the handle adds 6.5" to the height

Item# B148

This garment is in clean, as found condition. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Claire McCardell is remembered as a being a true pioneer of American fashion. She was one of the most influential women's sportswear designers of the twentieth century. She studied at Parsons and worked as a fit model before a series of small jobs in fashion.  in 1929 McCardell landed a job as a design assistant to Robert Turk, an independent designer and dressmaker. It was he that took her along with him when he became the chief designer at Townley Frocks in the early 1930s. When he passed away in 1932 she became the head designer for Townley and eventaully a partner due to her success with the label. She gravitated towards natural fabrics like cotton, denim and wool. Her silhouettes flattered the female form and even now they seem shockingly modern. In 1954 Audrey Hepburn was photoed by Mark Shaw for Mademoiselle Magazine in her dressing room backstage at Ondine. In those series of photos she is wearing a paisley print dress that is remarkably like this one.

This incredible dress is likely from that same 1954 collection as Audrey's was from and is made out of a soft cotton that has a satin finish to it. This gives the fabric a slight sheen that is very pretty. The bodice is fitted with a simple scooped neck and sleeveless silhouette. The waist nips in and then the skirt flares out from there. It is not excessively full but it does have a touch of fullness due to the way the skirt is set into the waist with that series of soft pleats that you see. The dress hangs sleek and slim when you are still and then will flare out a touch more when you move. I have photoed it without its belt as the belt did not fit on my mannequin properly but with the belt in place I think the dress is even better. It is wide so really cinches the waist in and the large gold toned belt buckle at the front feels very modern. It is gorgeous and the perfect little summer frock. Excellent condition with a note below

Unlined and closes with a metal zipper at the side. The belt has a double buckle to close. There is one area of discoloration on the side of the skirt that gets lost in the patter. The fabric on the belt shows minor grubbiness. Otherwise the dress is is very crisp and fresh feeling

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from neck to waist
Skirt: 29" from waist to hem with 4.5" turned under the hem
Belt: will accommodate 24" - 27"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item#DD3453

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

George Halley started at Charles James who said of the young designer that he 'was a genius at draping'. By the time Halley opened his own atelier in 1966 he was well on his way to fame. He won the Coty Award in 1968 and his work is on par with couture. He is one of my personal favorite designers. In 2015 I included him in my list of: The 10 Designers to Add to Your Vintage Collection' for Harper's Bazaar, saying; 'If you want old school glamour and to feel like Hollywood royalty, look to this under-the-radar label outside of vintage circles... A Coty Award winner in 1968, Halley was one of the great American Couturiers and his work always feels grand and elegant. Think polished silk and fused velvet's and embellishments that have a touch of the Grand Old South to them. Silhouettes to look for are his sweeping ball gowns and hostess gowns. Rich fabrics and rich colors are used with a master's hand. Feathers, crystals, hand painted fabrics and fine workmanship are all things to expect from a George Halley gown. Slipping one on instantly makes a girl feel special and important. These are the showpieces and while you should expect to pay for the quality and beauty of what you get they are absolute jewels'. The best of his work are the pieces that show his love for Old Hollywood glamour combined with his love for over-the-top opulence. Women's Wear Daily called him 'a designer in a lovely world of his own'.

This dress is very pretty in person and the camera does not capture the depth created by that the gold thread woven into the fabric. A George Halley design always starts with his the fabric that he has chosen. For this one he has used a stunning silk brocade that uses real metal thread in a gold tone that is densely woven through the silk. The color is a soft pastel teal blue green through the body and then the collar, waist and down the sides of the skirt are highlighted with a panel of the same type of fabric in a soft dusty pink. The bodice is cut to be more fitted and has a high neckline and narrows down into the cinched on waist. Each sleeve is long with a wide cuff on that pink fabric. The skirt falls to the floor and there is a surprising amount of volume in it. It widens out gradually as it falls from the waist and is set into the waist with a series of soft folds. This is an attached band of matching fabric in the pink that wraps and hooks to close around the waist. The hidden details are exquisite with each snap covered in silk and set into place by hand. It is made to couture standards. In person the gold has a bit more of an impact and catches the light when you move.  This is a remarkable dress that would be impossible to replicate in our modern work. This is almost certainly a one-off and a wonderful find. Excellent condition with a small note to review below.

Fully lined in a hand set turquoise blue silk. It closes with a hand set back zipper, The waist sash and hooks to close. Each sleeve has hidden, hand covered silk snaps. There are some breaks along the edge of the hem, please see photo after the label photo. There is also minor fraying to the edge of the collar . Neither of these notes detract and the gown is extraordinary and very beautiful.

Sleeves: 14"
Shoulders: 24"
Bust: 18" 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 bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3430

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.

Pauline Trigere launched her label in 1942. She had moved to the US from Paris in 1937 and her designs always have that bit of a French feel to them. By 1949 she had been awarded a Coty and won one again in both 1951 and 1959. The 1959 win coincided with being inducted into the Coty Fashion Hall of Fame. She as a pioneer in the use of cottons and wool for evening, In 1961 she made headlines for being the first major fashion house to use amply an African American model. The 1972 collection used variations of the floral motif all through it and I believe that this dress us from the spring of that year.

That gorgeous tulip print that has been done in a brilliant green set against a inky black backdrop is the first thing you see. The fabric is a fine semi-sheer cotton voile  that feels like it has a touch of silk in it as well. The fabric choice holds that brilliant color beautifully. The touch of transparency to it combined with setting it over the inner black lining gives it a bit of added depth and really allows the green to pop. The top is has simple lines with an almost box cut through the body. There is the subtlest of gathers along the shoulders for a little bit of detailing. The sleeves are a single unlined layer of the fabric and have elastics at each wrist. This allows then to have a slight balloon effect once it is on. It snaps to close down the front with hidden set snaps and they begin at about the bust area. This then tucks into the skirt whose front is cut in a kind of modified sarong. The front knot that you see is built into the front of the skirt's design and this leaves an little cut out above and below the ties. The skirt then falls from there in one long and lean line. A very high slit runs up the center of the skirt. This is one of those pieces that may look like nothing special off the body or on the dress form but once it is on an actual body it comes to life. It is an unusual design and quite forward for its time period. Excellent condition with one note to review below

Both pieces are lined with a semi-sheer black silk voile except for the sleeves. The top closes with a series of hidden set snaps at the front and elastic in each wrist. The skirt zips to close with a flat hook and eye on the waist band. There is a little tag that says front on the waist band and I believe that it is meant to flip in when on but could easily be worn like a normal band if you moved the little front tag. There is the teeniest of pulls to the fabric above the first snap of the top. With the print and where it is it is negligible. Please see the last photo after the shot of the label 

Top
Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust-hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 44" from waist to hem
Slit: 25" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3397

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

Scott Barrie was one of a group of black designers and models based out of New York's Seventh Avenue in the late 1960s. He quickly became known for his sensual designs and in particular, his evening wear. Naomi Sims was a fan and often was spotted wearing his work. His label closed in the early 1980s. He then worked at Krizia, remaining there up to just before his passing in 1993 of brain cancer. This gives us a very small window for finding examples of his work. The earlier pieces especially were produced in very limited amounts. The very early pieces were made by him out of his apartment on a makeshift cutting table and domestic sewing machine. To me this makes each of his found pieces that much more special.

This dress is stunning and shows his range with fabric and the more romantic side of his work. He is best known for his work in stretch jerseys but I  love this silk chiffon example. This dress has the added bonus of having a all black version of it photoed for Vogue in 1973 so we know the exact date it is from. It is very sexy in a very pretty and romantic kind of way. It is made from a bias cut silk chiffon that is printed with huge pink and coral tropical flowers on a vivid green backdrop. The lightness of the fabric choice makes it feel like the silk floats around you when you move. The bodice is fitted at the front and each sleeve is a pretty flutter of silk. The back is left completely open and bare with a small ruffle of silk edging the opening. It is just absolutely stunning. Excellent condition with a note to review below

Fully lined in a green tissue silk and closes with a low back zipper and ties behind the neck. There are some small marks on the skirt here and there - they do not detract because of the pattern but are present if you inspect it closely and flat with the fabric spread out. I photoed the ones I found and it is priced with this taken into account. The fabric is otherwise strong and stable. The zipper did not do up all the way on the dress form but does close properly on someone the correct waist size.

Bust: variable with no true side seams
Waist: 11-11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to slightly dropped waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to front hem, 44" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD1262

Reference Photo: Apollonia in Scott Barrie for Vogue US, September 1973. Photo by Richard Avedon.

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 stunning dress was designed by Bob Mackie. Mackie was best known for dressing Cher and for his undying love of opulence and bead work, both of which he incorporates heavily into the best of his designs. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In some ways he and his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. I think he secretly always designed for the big screen and the bygone glamor of Hollywood as his work is always over the top and extravagant.

Every square inch of this gorgeous little dress has a touch of a metallic to it. The  of the dress them selves are fairly simple and that really allows the metallic detailing to shine. Onto the pale green silk base of the dress is a gold metallic overlay that covers the dress. Then onto that are hundreds of little gold dangling rows of gold thread and gold sequins. These cover the entire dress so that with the smallest movement they move and flash all around you. The bodice is cut to skim over the chest with a scooped neckline. Over the interior bodice is a more caped piece that floats above the more fitted interior. The sleeves are capped and the waist nips in. The waist is banded and the color under the lave overlay an more nude color. Under that the skirt flares out slightly as it nears the shorter hem. The effect of all this is far more dramatic and fabulous on a real body and it really shows off the legs. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so, so, so much better in real life. Very well made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale green silk. It closes with a hand set back zipper. Hand finished throughout. Lightly padded shoulders. It is surprisingly light in weight so easy top wear. It is more a matter gold in person. Main line label that id hand dated

Shoulders: 14
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 31" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3368

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

This dress is made out of a fine Indian printed silk and that, along with that vivid color combo of the pink and green, give it a definite wow factor. The print that covers the dress has a gorgeous abstract curving design and this runs over every inch of the dress. There is also a secondary ribbon texture that is woven directly into the silk for added interest. I love the lightness and airiness of the dress created by the yards and yards of the ultra fine silk chiffon used. Working in this type of fabric is already difficult and this would have taken many hours of work to complete this dress. The silk is cut on the bias through the skirt and there are yards and yard of it. The tremendous amount of fabric that was used to make up the skirt allow it have wonderful movement and drape. It seems to float around you at the slightest movement. The neckline is squared off and cut low, with the bodice more fitted under that. The waist is nipped in for shape. The sleeves are cut so that they widen out to be quite full by the time they reach the wrist with a lovely flare shape, ending in a wide and full cut. At the back the dress scoops low for an expanse of skin to show. It has a matching sash that you can use at the waist, neck, or as a head scarf. It will also ship with an additional skinny belt covered int he same fabric (not pictured). Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes below

Fully lined in bright green silk with the sleeves lined in silk chiffon. It closes with a hand set, painted metal & nylon zipper. Hand finishes. The sash has hand rolled edges The inner lining to the skirt has small nicks and thinning to it throughout. It seems stable and is completely wearable as is. No similar issues to the outer layer at all. Some grubbiness to the hem that gets lost in the print. I see one mark on the skirt that gets lost in the print.

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at Inner lining: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 44.5" from waist to hem
Sash: 41" x 15.5

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3281

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 beautiful pale green chiffon dress by Bill Blass is absolutely stunning. It is from the Spring 1981 collection and I have included two reference photos of pieces held in Museum collections, one of a dress in this same color that was used throughout the collection that year, and a second with the same ruffle treatment. The dress is beautifully made and the closer you start to look at it the more you start to see the fine detailing on it. The work that would have gone into piecing this together using that fine silk chiffon is astounding. It 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. It slides over the body to define your curves but not in a tight or fitted kind of way. The neckline is a high and scooped. The bodice has two layers, an inner silk piece with tiny silk straps, and a chiffon over piece. Each sleeve is cut long and lean with two silk covered buttons at the wrist. The back hooks at the top of the neck and then over the inner lining leaving an open slit between the neck and the first button down. The waist is seamed for a touch of shape and you could easily add a belt if you wanted more definition. Below that, the skirt falls to the floor in a cascade of ruffles. It is all cut on the bias and it is deceptive as to just how much silk has been used on its construction. The ruffles are set vertically in strips and give a very pretty cascading effect. These vertical ruffles circle all the way around the skirt and this creates incredible movement. Once on, you feel like the silk is just floating around and over you. It is truly 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 and I think it is even better. 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.

Jean-Louis Scherrer was a Parisian fashion designer and couturier. He trained under both Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent while 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 hand-beading, embroidered and lavish trimmings, all done on the very best of fabrics. It is wonderful to have such a beautiful piece of his work in the shop

This dress is exceptional and a remarkable example of Mr. Scherrer's work. The color is amazing. A bright spring green is mixed with a slightly deeper green and a white to create the floral print that you see. This is screened onto a fine silk gazar that has a secondary floral print woven directly into the silk, adding to the rich feel of the fabric. The skirt is wonderfully full with yards and yards of bias cut silk. This floats over a series of inner silk and tulle skirts that create shape and volume. The bodice is constructed so that it has the feel of a sculpted evening jacket but it is fully attached. The collar is set so that is sits slightly raised and frames the neck. It is also cut wider across so you get this lovely glimpse of the collar bones before it plunges into a mid-V at the front. Large bejeweled gripoix poured glass buttons detail the front. The sleeves taper in as they near each wrist. The waist curves in with a beautiful line and then flares over the hips, curving down and around the back. An attached half belt that is finished with a bow adds additional shaping through the lower back. It is beautiful and has a lovely formal feel but without feeling too stuffy. In excellent condition with one minor note to review below

Both pieces are fully lined in in a fine deep green silk. It closes with middle set zipper at the back and 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 skirts, one of which has a tulle layer attached starting just under the hip. 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 photo provided here

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.

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 gorgeous ball gown 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 shared with me. He pulled out the stops in the creation of this set. It is made out of two silks, a silk taffeta for the skirt and sash in a brilliant lime green, and a textured silk for the top and detailing at the waist of the skirt in the most beautiful periwinkle color. 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. 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 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 very full and voluminous. 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 of volume that it created. Having the three separate pieces makes it so versatile as 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 some minor notes below.

Both pieces are unlined. The skirt closes with a metal and nylon zipper and a flat hook & eye at the waist. The skirt's hem is finished with a 3/4" strip of horse hair dressmakers tape to give it some weight and structure. The top buttons to close as seen. The tie around the wast is attached and the tie at the neck is a separate sash. There are some faint, minor marks on 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 think one of my favorite vintage pieces is the full length maxi skirts by Pucci. His velvet are amazing and the print and colors that they were done in can't be beat. You can throw them on with just about anything topping them and it works. The prints are so vibrant and bright that they act like a neutral and they work as well with flats as they do with a heel so are infinitely versatile. This one is done in a brilliant and bright green velvet that has a spectacular grape vine print running over its surface. The skirt also has borders worked into the print that separate out the top from the bottom and give it visual interest. I love the deep purple and blues used to make up that design. They pop off the green beautifully. The cut is classic Pucci and shaped into a simple A-line silhouette that falls to the floor in a graceful sweep of fabric. The velvet gives it enough weight to hold the shape so it falls perfectly once on. These can really be worn year round as the velvet is a cotton version so breathes well. It is just fantastic and I love it. Excellent condition

Lined in a bright green silk and closes with a side painted metal zipper and fabric covered snap at the waist. Hand finished and the velvet is signed throughout. Tagged a vintage Pucci 12, but vintage Pucci is cut small compared to modern pieces

Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S883

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.

This exception and huge Yves Saint Laurent silk scarf from the late 1970s, early 1980s is wonderful. I love the bright fuchsia pink of it and the quality of the fabric is very high. This fabric choice allows the colors to be fully saturated so the scarf is exceptionally bright and vibrant. This one mixes a bright pink with a beautiful floral design. This is then surrounded by a green and deep purple border. I love the hand rolled edging to the scarf that adds a pretty and feminine finish. It is made of a fine silk and cotton mix that is extremely light and pliable - it is the same weight and feel as a fine Hermes piece. It is super light weight despite its size. This will allow you to wear it for many purposes, as a scarf, a shawl, a sarong, a head wrap, or anything else you can dream up style wise.

The YSL logo is screened directly onto the silk and the edges are hand rolled. It is freshly cleaned and it looks to have been worn very little if at all.

Measures 54" x 53"

Item# A366

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 exception and huge Yves Saint Laurent silk scarf from the late 1970s, early 1980s, is wonderful. I love the bright vibrant green of it and the quality of the fabric is very high. This fabric choice allows the colors to be fully saturated so the scarf is exceptionally bright and vibrant. This one mixes a bright green with a beautiful floral design. This is then surrounded by a blue and purple border. I love the hand rolled edging to the scarf that adds a pretty and feminine finish. It is made of a fine silk and cotton mix that is extremely light and pliable - it is the same weight and feel as a fine Hermes piece. It is super light weight despite its size. This will allow you to wear it for many purposes, as a scarf, a shawl, a sarong, a head wrap, or anything else you can dream up style wise.

The YSL logo is screened directly onto the silk and the edges are hand rolled. It is freshly cleaned and it looks to have been worn very little if at all.

Measures 54" x 53"

Item# A364

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 fabulous Yves Saint Laurent scarf from the late 1970s, early 1980s is huge. The print is a beautiful mix of greens and reds done in an elaborate print that is inlaid around the edge and leaves the innermost part of the scarf a solid white cotton. It is made of a fine cotton silk mix that is extremely light and pliable - it is the same weight and feel as a fine Hermes piece and has a touch of transparency to it. The edges are amazing with a white, looped embroidered lace that is placed all the way around the square. It is super light weight despite its size. This will allow you to wear it for many purposes, as a scarf, a shawl, a sarong, a head wrap, or anything else you can dream up style wise.

The YSL logo is screened directly onto the fabric. It is freshly cleaned and it looks to have been worn very little if at all.

Measures 55" x 55"

Item# A359

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.

Ken Scott was an American who moved to Italy and ended up in Milan, first designing scarves for Falconetto in the 1950s and eventually opening his own ready to wear line in 1964. He was part of the print movement of the time that included designers like Emilio Pucci, Bessi and La Mendola. Each was creating their own hand done prints and designs which they then screened onto fabric to make into beautiful clothing for the jet set crowd. Scott's garments have a touch of the American sportswear movement to them mixed with that European glamor. I love whenever I find a great piece by him like this dress as it is a label that is not as common as the others are. This dress is stunning. The jersey is printed with a gorgeous mix of soft greens mixed with pops of periwinkle on the palest blue-lavender base. The skirt is long and has a slight flare below the banded waist. Depending on how the waist fits you it will either gather up the fabric above to softly drape over the waist, or as in the last full length shot I have provided here, sit in a longer, less shaped silhouette. Tye way it sits will also effect the length of the skirt. . A tie runs through the upper seam of the halter neckline and gathers the fabric in. At the back there is a small slit between the tie and where the zipper starts. This really gives it a sexy, Grecian  feel. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a back painted metal & nylon zipper. It also ties through the neck. The fabric does have some stretch but the waist is a fixed measurement

Bust: loose and open
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3228

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

Arnold Scaasi did exquisite work and as time passes I feel his designs are coming to be appreciated by a new audience. He apprenticed for Paquin before moving ot New York and working for Charles James. He launched a ready to wear label in 1956 but 1964 launched a couture salon and scaled back everything else to concentrate  on made-to-order. He cut and created his designs to extremely high standards and the workmanship is fabulous. This skirt is from those early days of his couture salon and is both innovative and exquisite. The fabric is wonderful. It is a cotton patchwork with multiple floral designs making up the squares. The fabric has been cut so that it is set on an angle so that you get that diamond pattern. The flowers are all stitched along their edges so the skirt has a subtle bit of a quilted texture. White lace ribbon is hand set along the lines that separate each square. It has a high set, corset feeling waist that cinches in the waistline severely and then rises above that in a beautiful curved and sculpted line. The skirt widens out as it nears the hem with soft pleats set on either hip just below the waist to help give it the volume and shape you see. It's glorious. Excellent condition.

Fully self- lined in a cream silk and hand finished. It closes with a back, hand set painted metal zipper and a series of hook & eye at the waist. The waist banding has backing to give it additional shape and support.

Hips: to 21"" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from top of waist to hem, the front rises an additional 5"aboce the waist at the front

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S818

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

Besides its Haute Couture origins, this Emanuel Ungaro set has the added modern provenance of being worn to Madonna's birthday party in Italy by stylist B. Akerlund. It has also been photoed for creative purposes with all those reference photos included here. 

A brilliant mix of bright, primary colors have been used to create this wonderful couture skirt and top set. Both pieces are made from high quality silks that have subtly different weights and finishes to them. The top is more of a soft draped silk, while the skirt is made from a silk taffeta to give it more shape and volume. The finishes on the silk also are different and become a part of the design itself. The top has a subtle floral design woven into the silk and the skirt has dots. The top is a deep red silk cut loose and easy with billowing sleeves that button at each cuff. The front plunging keyhole is edged and highlighted with gold cord and has inset bands of silk. The green taffeta skirt has a cinched and banded waist done in a bright yellow silk. It  extends out into extra long, attached ties that are wrapped and tied around the waist. On the skirt there is an attached front panel of fabric in a play on an apron,  that has a beautiful painted scene. Perhaps inspired by Paul Gauguin? The contrast of the jeweled colors and the painted panel on the skirt give it a wonderfully couture folk art feel. Excellent condition with one small item to note below.

The skirt is backed in a white, fine silk organza and closes at the waist with a zipper and flat hook and eye at the waist. The top is unlined and slips over the head. Both pieces are completely made and finished by hand as per the standard of haute couture. The top is labeled and the skirt has the interior cross stitch that couture pieces of this time period have to indicate the front. There is an area of very slight discoloration on the back of the skirt skirt and a water mark that falls under the apron that you do not see when it is on. One small smudge on the sleeve. All photoed

Shoulders: no defined seam
Sleeves: 26"
Bust: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: open
Length: 25" from neck to waist

Skirt:
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD1181

Reference photos: (1-3) Photographed for creative purposes by Nikki Ormerod, Styling: Nadia Pizzimenti, Hair & Makeup: Ashley Readings, Model: Constance from Plutino Models. (4-6) B. Akerlund and Madonna from B's instagram account.

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