• This is a gorgeous Demi-Couture dress from 1970s Lanvin.
• Made under the creative direction of Jules-Francois Crahay 
• Jules-Francois headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. He has been noted as one of fashion’s 'great colorists with his colorful patterns making his 1970s Lanvin designs hugely desirable and influential.' His time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourites for the house.
• The Lanvin label is numbered and the dress has been made to demi-couture standards.
• This dress is made from a fine blue silk tulle that has a floral pattern embroidered over its surface in the same blue. The lining is done with a deep purple silk and this gives it this very unusual colour that lies somewhere between a deep blue and a deep purple.
• Onto the top silk net there is an exquisite floral design done with a metallic gold thread. That same gold thread also circles around the lower skirt in two horizontal panels done in a open chain link design. More of the floral netting separates those panels.
• The result is even better on person as the gold feel more prominent. I love how the gold catches the light from every angle.
• The bodice skims over you and the sleeves are long. Each sleeve has a bit of puff above the elastic cuff.
• The waist is cut more generously and you could add a ribbon or a belt to cinch it in.
• The skirt skims over the hips to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. The added panels of gold on the skirt help to give the skirt support and help hold its shape.
• Fully lined in a purple silk chiffon through the top and a purple silk through the skirt. It closes with a back hand set zipper and there is elastic in each cuff. Hand finishes and hand finished inner seams.
• The label is numbered.
• There is no size tag present and the bias cut of the lining and the net give it a little give so I have put the comfortable range of measurements where it will give a bit. 
  
• Excellent condition 
  

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3925

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This dress was designed by Belgian-born Jules-Francois Crahay, who headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. He has been noted as one of fashion’s 'great colorists with his colorful patterns making his 1970s Lanvin designs hugel​y ​desirable and influential.' His time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourites for the house. I especially love the his work during the period through the late sixties and into the early 1970s. He was a genius at print and colour and he pushed the envelope in terms of using cutting edge fabrics available during this time period. He mainly used this type of fabric for his 1971-1972 collections. This is the second time I have had a version of this dress and I love it even more this time.

This Lanvin dress is gorgeous and is from the main label. I am in absolute love with it. The dress has a gorgeous colour and print combination. It is made from mixing two fabrics and both hold colour exceptionally well so the colours are still crisp bright and true. The top portion of the dress is an easy silk jersey and then the skirt is one of his signature waffle weave cottons. The sleeves are long and simple. The neckline is scooped with a slightly wide cut. The top skims over you and the back goes down in a scoop to leave a bare expanse of skin showing. The waist is seamed and I love how the skirt is set into the waist in soft gathers so that it puffs out slightly around the waist. It also has a bit of a wrap effect where one side is open down the full length, but it is fully wrapped underneath so that you are completely covered. From there the skirt falls to the floor and it widens as it nears the hem. The fabric change on the skirt gives it a touch of weight so that it holds the shape well. The pattern is the same on both fabrics and yet they look slightly different because of the change in texture. It is brilliant. This full on pattern from head to toe makes the dress instantly recognizable as a piece of his work. Excellent condition with a note below.

The bodice is unlined and the skirt is fully lined in a white silky rayon. It closes with a back zipper. I see what looks like remnants of a lining here and there along the seams of the top. I see a mark at the front. Please see the photo after the label shot. Hand finishes. The fabric of the top has some stretch. 

Sleeves: 25" and are up to 11" around the upper arm
Inset shoulders: to 14"
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hip: 13"
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 19" from top of shoulder to seam at the top of the hip
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4941

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 a stunning and extremely rare example of the Haute 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. He quickly became known as one of the most promising designers to emerge after WWII and that reputation was part of why he was chosen in 1950 to become 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. This is a very rare and early Haute Couture coat and we found a reference photo of its near twin that was styled with a belt, dramatic gloves and matching hat added. It is very beautiful and the colour is exceptional.

This coat is beautifully tailored. The double row of buttons at the front and curving cut makes it feel as chic and wearable now as it was when first made. It is entirely finished by hand and has its numbered couture tape under the label. It is so chic and a very important and rare piece. This is truly a vintage gem. It has a deceptively simple cut that hides the precise seams and masterfully tailored cut. It is constructed with the absolute minimal seam work to create the curves of the coat that you see. It is more fitted through the upper bodice and then skims over the waist and flares out slightly as it nears the hem. The collar is neat with a notched front and each sleeve ends in a turned up cuff. A half belt is attached at the back and you could add a belt over it to emphasize the shape even more. The fabric is amazing with a soft finish to it. I believe it is an Alpaca or perhaps a type of cashmere and it is extremely luxurious. The fact that it is dyed that amazing blue makes it that much more brilliant. It is even better in person and the fabric has to be seen and felt to truly be appreciated. This fabric choice allowed Castillo to be able to sculpt the exact shape that he desired. The front has detailed seaming that becomes part of the actual design and inside that is a double row of blue buttons that run down the front to the waist. You can wear this one open or do it up right to the neck like the reference photo. I love the sculptural effect the coat has once on and that beautifully full lower skirting. No shortcut was taken in the construction of this lovely coat and it is an outstanding piece of fashion history in every possible way. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set black silk taffeta and closes with the button down the front. Finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely done by hand. The Haute Couture numbered tape label is present under the main label and is numbered 15.418. This is a medium to heavy weight coat 

Sleeves: 22" and 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 45" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4489

Reference Photo: Model in Lanvin, 1952.

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 came as part of a buy I did many years ago and is from the same source as the gold velvet labelled set sold previously on the site.
• It was made under the creative direction of Antonio del Castillo.
• When Jeanne Lanvin died in 1946 her daughter took over the business and ran it herself for a couple of years before hiring Antonio del Castillo in 1950. During his time as head designer for the house, the labels bear the name Lanvin-Castillo. He departed in 1962 which gives us a neat little window of time that he worked within. 
• This is a two piece set consisting of a sleeveless top and its matching skirt.
• Both pieces are made out of a waffle weave fabric that feels like a cotton or cotton silk mix done in a coral pink. The pink is a touch more pastel than how it photoed here.
• The top is sleeveless with wide straps that curve up and over each shoulder. They are set so that it sits towards the edges of the shoulders creating a wide scoop across the front neck line. A deeper scoop sits above the zipper at the back.
• The shape of the top is created through vertical darts that run from the base of the top up. I love that you can clearly see the workmanship on the inside. The bottom edge of the top is left raw with hand stitching all the way around to keep it from fraying and the back zipper extends past the bottom hem. This is all done in the traditional manner of a Couture piece from this time period.
• The top is meant to be tucked into the skirt to give the feel of a dress while still having the versatility of it being two pieces that you can mix and match with other things that you already own
• The skirt is fantastic. The band around the waist is elaborately finished with gold beads and metal thread embroidery. This crosses over itself at the front and extends down to give the illusion of a bow that is attached and stays perfectly in place. All of the work is completely  done by hand.
• The skirt under that has a large flat pleat at the front to give it extra volume and it swings out to be extremely wide around you. It is wide enough that if you wanted to get a full 1950s feel you could add a light crinoline underneath for extra added volume.
• This is an incredible example of 1950s Couture and pieces like this are extremely hard to find anymore. Especially in a colour like this.
• The top and skirt are both handmade throughout. An inner waist stay hooks to close. The top closes with a back zipper that extends past the hem. The skirt closes with a side painted metal zipper and hook and eye at the waist. It is  partially lined in a white muslin. I see some minor marks on the inside lining of the skirt, stress on one seam and two minor marks on the top. Both pieces have a slight patina to them just because of the nature of the fabric and natural aging. The hem of the skirt is extremely deep. The hand work throughout is extraordinary. Perhaps an occasional missing bead around the skirt band.
• There is no size tag present because it is Couture so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent overall condition with minor notes above

Top
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 18.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Skirt:
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 26" from waist to hem with 4.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5340

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 skirt dates to the 1960s and is from Scassi's main label
• It was made under the creative direction of Arnold Scaasi
• Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor along with  several first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie Kennedy clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 2010, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, who hold the bulk of his archives, launched an exhibit of his work titled "Arnold Scaasi: American Couturier"
• Pieces from his main label were made to order and done to demi and couture standards. 
• There are certain pieces that you come across that seem to go beyond just a piece of clothing and start to belong to the category of being a piece of art. This skirt qualifies. It is one of the most unusual and exceptional pieces I have seen.
• It is almost camp in feel and yet it has an incredible craftsmanship at the same time.
• It is made from looped tufts of wool in a pink, coral, deep burgundy and pale purple, that are independently attach by embroidery to a silk ribbon background. That silk ribbon is then sewed together and stacked row by row with a tiny gap left between each row. This creates this amazing sub-texture underneath the yarn.
• The yarn detailing is set horizontally and they puff out from the skirt so that it has a 3D feel.
• At the waist is a wide red grosgrain ribbon that sits in a bow at one side.
• Under the nipped in waist the skirt falls on an angle to widen out quite a bit by the time it reaches the hem. It somehow manages to stay both soft and feel structured at the same time.
• It is not unwieldy to wear but it does have the feel of substance. 
• Inside it is hand lined in a fine red silk.
• Fully lined by hand in a fine red silk and closes at the back with a zipper and then hook and eye at the banded waist. All the work is done by hand and all of the yarn has been done by hand and applied to the silk ribbon behind it.
• There was no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition 
  

Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 36" from waist to front hem, 38" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5267

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 appears in the book on Thea Porter's work that accompanied the exhibit on her work. The photo appears on page 73. The caption in the book notes that "Claudia Bruce wearing a peasant style dress in a Persian paisley print combined with Damascus fabric and a leather and feather headdress. Greeks Street, London, 1969.". It is so rare to find runway photos of her shows and to have all this extra information is fantastic. 1969 is also an interesting year to note because it is the year that she started to sell her designs at Giorgio Beverly Hills. It was said that when word got out that Thea had new things in the Girorgio boutique, women ran to be able to get a piece for themselves, they sold out that fast. This is the only one I have ever seen like this outside of that book photo. Given her extremely limited run on certain pieces it may in fact be the only other one that was made and exists. It is truly a very special piece.

The dress is a fantastic combination of fabrics and this was something that Thea excelled at. She had the ability to source these fantastic antique fabrics and then mix and match them to put them together in a way that you had never seen done before. The front panel combines a floral and paisley print with beautiful detailing between. It runs down the front in a long rectangle shape and then she curved it over the shoulders and ran another panel of it down the back. The rest of the dress is made out of a clay coloured silk organza that has a beautiful pattern hand embroidered over its surface. A little chain of white embroidery runs through that pattern for a little bit of a pop. At the end of each sleeve there is an insert of the cotton fabric. This is set in a wide band all around the cuffs with these little points running up into the sleeve. The shape of the dress is easy and comfortable to wear. It skims over the body and flares out slightly as it reaches the hem. Slits run up each side so you get a flash of leg when you walk. Each sleeve is fantastic. Each is a full and voluminous balloon type sleeve that puffs up extravagantly around each wrist. The collar on the dress is perhaps the best part. A tie loops through the front part only and for most of the shots I have tied it enough so that it scoops like it does in the runway shot. However, you can loosen the front up and that allows you to push the dress down the shoulders to expose a full expanse of bare skin across the top of the shoulders. It is phenomenal. This is a very rare example of her work and most likely you will never see one again. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. The front collar can be adjusted with the tie as described above. Each cuff has a snap to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. There are little bits of blue dye on the front and back panel that looks like it has run a touch but I believe this is inherent to this fabric and this may have been like that since the day it was made. I do not think it is a flaw, but rather a result of the fact that the fabric was hand screened. Tagged a vintage Thea Porter UK 10. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Sleeves: approx 15" and will come up a touch when the cuff is closed. Each upper arm is 13.75" around
Shoulders: no true defined scene
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4899

Reference Photos: Claudia Bruce for Thea Porter. Greek Street, London, 1969. (2) From the book Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic.

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 incredible set that is extra special because it is from the debut Haute Couture collection of Marc Bohan. It has the added province of being documented which is sometimes not easy to find with these very early pieces. The book Dior, Catwalk talks about the reaction to this first collection by Bohan; "Thundering applause, led by the Duchess of Windsor, rolled through the elegant grey and white salons of the House of Dior, the happy ending to the suspense story of the fashion year. At stake was the future dominance of Dior, and the career of designer Mark Bohan. The Chicago Tribune hailed him as being "Mister Dior, the third". The New York Times stated "the shouting, clapping, surging mob at the press show cause chaos in the elegant salon. Bohan was pushed up against the boiserie, kissed, mauled and congratulated. Chairs were toppled. Champagne glasses were broken. People were knocked down. It was a complete triumph for the designer". The book goes on to state that; Bohan called the collection the "Slim Line". It was a streamlined take on the original "New Look". He revisited the day suit with wide cut jackets and low waisted flared skirts fitted at the hips. The Times declared it "a success from the appearance of the first model and worthy in the tradition of the great maestro himself. And Women's Wear Daily wrote three months after the collection was shown that "the Bohan flare is everywhere. Bohan has done the impossible. He is a big commercial success and respected by the fashion intellect." 

The set is exceptional and is an excellent investment piece as well. Dior prices continue to skyrocket and finding couture examples like this from such an important collection and in this condition is getting harder and harder. 

This suit is fantastic. It is actually two pieces. A flared skirt and then a top / jacket that goes over that. The top is fascinating in the way that it is cut and we were very happy to find and see in the reference photo of it that its construction is deliberate. The front only buttons at the bottom and then there is a snap just above that button to hold it closed. It is meant to stay open above that and the button holes that you see continuing up along the edge of the jacket are actually faux. They do not open all the way through. You can see in the photo that the model is wearing it the way that it's meant to be worn. The very bottom is closed and then she has a light top on underneath. This lets the jacket play on its volume that it has. You could certainly open the fabric and finish the buttonholes if you wish to wear it fully closed, but it is meant to be like this. The jacket has a lot of volume and is meant to skim over you and then the skirt is cut in a sleek little flare that skims over the hips and flares out with a series of flat pleats all the way around the skirt. Around the waist the silk lies flat and neat. It is very flattering once on the body. When you stand still the skirt lays flat and smooth but when you move you get an incredible burst of movement and volume. Over that goes the jacket with its wonderful to the elbow wide cut sleeves and oversized MOP buttons down the front. The shoulders are soft and there is no collar. The fabric is a very high end silk twill dyed to that pale tan mixed with white. Both pieces are entirely finished by hand to Haute Couture standards and I've shown some of the detailing inside. It is chic and elegant yet still feels edgy. An amazing find. Excellent condition

The jacket is lined in a fine silk in the same colour as the exterior tan and the skirt is interlined in a white silk organza. The jacket closes with the bottom button only and a hidden snap above that as described above. The skirt closes with hook & eye at the waist and hidden snaps below that.  Completely done by hand to Haute Couture Standards. Proper numbered couture label in place on the jacket. There are some natural, variations and lines in the silk that is inherent to this type of fabric and should not be considered a flaw. It is in remarkable condition.

Jacket
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16-17"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4484

Reference Photo: Christian Dior Haute Couture Printemps-Ete 1961. Photo Emerick Bronson. Model Nicole de Lamargé.

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.