After several hours of hunting for what collection this Jean Paul Gaultier was from, I stumbled across a photo from the men's collection from 2002 and it was the closest thing in feel to this jumpsuit. So I am tentatively dating to that time period. He did do these wide legged jumpsuit in the mid-1990s as well so it may be that the jumpsuit proceeded the men's collection and served as his own inspirational source for the men's look. Whether this date or the earlier, it is amazing.

The jumpsuit is cut to be avant garde in fit. It is loose on the body and the legs and the arms are cut extremely long. The body of the jumpsuit is made of a wool jersey knit in that deep muted burgundy color that Gaultier seemed to favor through many of his collections. It is cut on a very long and lean line. The pants flare out when they do eventually reach their hems and they are wide all the way down the leg. The body is loose with buckles at the side that allow you to add just a hint of shape through the waist. It zips all the way up to the high collar and you could of course leave it open as low as you dared. There is a hint of gathered along each side of the zipper. The front is detailed in a soft black leather and here is the nod to the flight suit. Down each side of the middle zipper is a panel of leather that has two zipped pockets and a large soft pouch pocket as well. The leather wraps around the waist and across the upper back. Extra extra long sleeves that can be pushed up the arms, trimmed and finished in leather are the final perfect touch. Excellent condition.

Unlined and zips at the front to close. Tagged a US8. The hem of the pants are stitch finished but not turned up. The very occasional pill on the fabric along the inner arms but extremely minor and unavoidable with this fabric, this is natural wear. Very minor and mentioned for accuracy only. The fabric has stretch and it is supposed to be very oversized. The cut will fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: 32"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 68" from neck to hem,
Torso: 36" from neck to top of inseam
Inseam: 32" from top of inseam to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD3084

Reference Photos: (1) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.  /  (2) F/W 2002 Jean Paul Gaultier Menswear 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.

From the top of the peaked bust line to the bottom of the layered chiffon hem, this red Rose Taft chiffon dress is wonderful. The color has just a hint of coral to the red and it is constructed with several layers of chiffon over the inner base, giving the fabric the feel of depth and richness. The skirt is set into the waist to suggest that it has been wrapped around the body like a Grecian toga. The gathers sweep up on one side to give a curve at the waist while the bodice is a combination of soft pleats with a formed foundation inside. The exterior of that bodice has soft, hand placed pleating and these are stitched into place to add volume and shape. A sweeping panel of chiffon starts just off the center of the front waist and then curves up and over the shoulder to trail to the floor. It extends past the hem of the dress to give it a slight trained effect. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a a matching red silky rayon. The bodice is boned. The chiffon used appears to be a synthetic. It closes with a back painted metal zipper. Hand finishes

Bust: 17" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Bodice length: approx 14" from shoulder to waist
Skirt length: 43" from waist seam to the bottom of the hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD790

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

At the age of 31, Stephane Rolland took over as Artistic Director for the Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture atelier, making him the youngest of the 20 official couturiers at the time. That was in 1997 and he continued as the head of the Couture division until the last showing in 2005 when the house closed is couture atelier. This gown is from the Fall 2001 Haute Couture presentation and is the actual runway defile sample presented and worn on the runway, Look 7.

I love when I have any Haute Couture piece in the shop and to have the actual runway sample is even that much more amazing. The dress is glorious and nether the photos on the mannequin or the runway photos really do it justice. In person the impact of the layering of the red silk gazaar panels that are hand set to overlap and cover the entire dress from bodice to train give it far more depth and texture then even the photos can convey. It also moves wonderfully and is very sexy. The main body of the dress is cut above the knee and then the dress forms and flows around this. Trailing out and behind you is a massive train of fabric that has an almost organic feel to it with its ever increasing sized patches of red covering its surface. The bodice peaks up on one side and is highly corseted and structured inside to firmly hold the dress onto the body and give you shape. The skirt is a masterpiece  with its beautiful lines and flowing cut. It is an incredible piece of modern Haute Couture. Excellent condition with one small note to review below.

Fully lined in a red silk and closes with two zippers, one on the inner highly structured, formed, boned and shaped corset and the second on the outer layer of the dress. The skirt is lined in a red taffeta. Hand work throughout. The hand written runway sample tag is present. There is some deepening of the color/ marks on some of the squares of silk that make up the train and general grubbiness. Nothing that detracts once the gown is on. Otherwise it is immaculate. It is Couture runway model size tiny - probably closest to a true zero

Bust: 15-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner dress length: 26" from top of bodice to hem NOT including panels that go over the edge of the dress a bit above and blow the actual inner structure
Length including train to the very longest point:  Approx 92" from top of bodice to final tip of the train

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3054

Reference Photos: F/W 2001 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture 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.

The Bellville Sassoon label was founded in 1953 by Belinda Bellville but did not officially take on the Bellville Sassoon label until 1970 when David Sassoon, who had been with the company since 1958, took over most of the designing. The label became internationally known when Princess Diana began wearing pieces quite extensively. Countless other celebrities wore the label as well such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hephburn, and Madonna. Sassoon's version of the label ran from 1970 -1983.

The dress is wonderful with its classic and flattering one shoulder silhouette. The bodice is fitted and the waist nips in. Its accented by layers of ruffles created from the same silk organza fabric layered over the body of the dress. These pretty ruffles sweep across the bodice and up and over the shoulder, following the slant of the neckline. There are three layers of fabric that make up the ruffles there and this is mimicked on the hem. On the hem the ruffles are set farther apart to balance the length of the skirt above and these too sweep up following the curve of the hem up the slit along the side o the leg. The skirt flares out gently as it nears that gorgeous ruffles hem and the slit up the side shows a little flash of leg when you move. It is beautifully made and so pretty in person. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a red tissue silk and closes at the side with a metal and nylon zipper. Hand finishes. Tagged a vintage UK 10 and appears to have never been worn

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to longest point of the hem, 21" from the waist to the top of the slit at the one side of the skirt.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3055

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

The Western world in the twenties and thirties had a great fascination with all things oriental and places in the Far East began to export pieces made specifically for the tourist market. These pieces combined classic design elements of the Asian culture with a slight western twist to the cut and colors. The embroidered and brocade jackets where among the most prized and this one is a stunning example. It is made of a deep burgundy woven silk that is woven through with a gold metallic thread to create the design that covers the entire outer surface. The inside is a solid burgundy silk and it is entirely hand finished. A lovely example of the textiles being produced during this time period. Overall excellent condition with some patina notes to review below

Fully lined in a burgundy silk. It has one hook and eye at the neck and no other closures below that. Pockets on each hip. Hand finished. Note that the piping along all the edges show some wear and patina which only serves to add to its antique feel

Sleeves: 19"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S819

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

There are 4 or 5 Burrows dresses that I always look for and this dress is one of those. The dress is made out of a fine, slinky, red jersey. I have seen the top of these cut in a couple of different way and on this one it ties around the neck leaving the shoulders bare. The dress falls to the floor from there in a beautiful bias cut that and ends with an angled, asymmetrical hem that leaves one leg more bare. The edges of the dress are finished in his signature lettuce hem seaming. The front bodice is where all the glitz and glam is and it is finished with a design that is done in sequins, seed beads and tube beads that pop against the red. All of the bead work has been applied by hand. You can clearly see this is the case on the back side of the fabric. Burrows was the first African American fashion designer to really achieve international recognition for his work. He won three Coty awards; in 1973, 1974 and 1977. He was also one of the five American designers to show at Versailles in 1973 when America was pitted against the French couturiers. Excellent condition

Recently, the first major examination of Burrows' work was held and was aptly titled; 'When Fashion Danced'. Here is what the museum said of his work: "Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced looks at the period spanning the 1970s when Stephen Burrows’s meteoric rise to fame made him not only the first African-American designer to gain international stature, but a celebrated fashion innovator whose work helped define the look of a generation. With vibrant colors, metallic fabrics, and slinky silhouettes that clung to the body, Burrows’s danceable designs generated a vibrant look that was of a piece with the glamorous, liberated nightlife of the era. Through photographs, drawings, and original garments, the exhibition will trace Burrows’s evolution from creating eclectic looks for his friends in the 1960s to his work with the chic 57th Street retailer Henri Bendel to the floor of Studio 54, as he dressed such 70s style icons as Cher, Liza Minnelli, and Diana Ross."

Unlined and slips over the head with no closures. Tagged a vintage 4 but please check actual measurements. The fabric does have stretch so will accommodate a range of sizes - the comfortable range of that stretch when laying flat is noted in the measurements.

Bust: variable as there are no true side seam
Waist: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 58-60" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem, 40-42" to the shortest part depending on high you tie the neck.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD2802

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 an amazing example of Stephen Burrows work and it feels as relevant today as it would have when it was made. The dress is made of a fine, slinky red jersey that is suspended from two tiny straps at the shoulder and falls from there in a beautiful bias cut that and ends with an angled, asymmetrical hem that leaves one leg more bare. The edges of the dress are finished in his signature lettuce hem seaming. It is the bodice that is truly spectacular - it is fully hand beaded across the bust and down the center front with an explosion of bright tube beads, seed beads and pearls. All of the bead work has been applied by hand. You can clearly see this is the case on the back side of the fabric. Burrows was the first African American fashion designer to really achieve international recognition for his work. He won three Coty awards; in 1973, 1974 and 1977. He was also one of the five American designers to show at Versailles in 1973 when America was pitted against the French couturiers. The dress presents as great condition but does have some flaws. Please review the condition notes below

Recently, the first major examination of Burrows' work was held and was aptly titled; 'When Fashion Danced'. Here is what the museum said of his work: "Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced looks at the period spanning the 1970s when Stephen Burrows’s meteoric rise to fame made him not only the first African-American designer to gain international stature, but a celebrated fashion innovator whose work helped define the look of a generation. With vibrant colors, metallic fabrics, and slinky silhouettes that clung to the body, Burrows’s danceable designs generated a vibrant look that was of a piece with the glamorous, liberated nightlife of the era. Through photographs, drawings, and original garments, the exhibition will trace Burrows’s evolution from creating eclectic looks for his friends in the 1960s to his work with the chic 57th Street retailer Henri Bendel to the floor of Studio 54, as he dressed such 70s style icons as Cher, Liza Minnelli, and Diana Ross."

Unlined and slips over the head with no closures. The fabric does have stretch so will accommodate a range of sizes - the comfortable range of that stretch when laying flat is noted in the measurements. There are a series of repairs - one to the mid back, several running down the seam and along the hem of one side and the back and a couple teeny ones near the front hem - all photoed. There is is a small spot near the beading at the bodice and one at the front hem. Where the repairs are at the back there is light scuffing to the jersey and some small marks. These are normally priced at $1200 so the pricing reflects condition. The dress presents extremely well and once on you would not notice the flaws it does have. 

Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem, 36" to the shortest

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3040

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 have had a version of this dress in a different print and I love this brighter, bolder jersey version just as much. A similar dress is part of the permanent collection at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and was displayed in the 2013 exhibit "Hippie Chic.  Other versions of the dress also reside in The Met's collection. That one has with a shorter skirt length and different pattern. The cut is otherwise the same.

The Fall/Winter 1971-72 collection took its inspiration from the Medieval time period and many of the pieces in the collection had this influence, including this one. Sant' Angelo was the winner of two Coty Awards and two Council of Fashion Designers of America honors and was known for his innovation and pioneering use of stretch fabrics. Here we have a dress that really showcases his love of color and his mastery of mixing color with print. The fabric he chose for the dress is a very wearable and easy to care for jersey. It has a touch of a stretch to it that makes it very comfortable to wear. His signature piping finishes the neck and the multiple patterns are masterfully layered over each other in tiers through the body and over the waist. The sleeves are amazing and made of two tiers of fabric that sit over each other to mimic the tiers used on the body of the dress. The mix of that clear, true red with that brilliant blue is amazing and even better on person. Sant' Angelo once said, "I am not a fashion designer but an artist who works in fashion engineer of color and form". This dress shows us how true that statement was. Excellent condition with one small note to review below.

Unlined and closes with a back painted, hand set metal zipper. I see a couple of tiny nicks on the front skirt. They are lost in the pattern and are stable so have been left as found.

Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD1347

Reference photos:  (1) Museum of Fine Arts Boston  / (2) At Museum of Fine Arts Hippie Chic Exhibit (Photo: Laura McLaws Helms)  /  (3) The Metropolitan Museum.

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

Without doubt this is truly an exceptional piece of vintage Chanel and a rare find. It is a wonderful example of the work that Chanel was creating during this time period. Both pieces are made from a of a metallic red silk lurex fabric that is very light and fine. Over that fabric, a black chenille cord has been hand applied into a twisting pattern that runs over the entirety of the set. There is a slight padding under the lurex so that it gives it a touch of a 3D feel as well. Both the jacket and the skirt are lined in a black tissue silk. The cut on each piece is simple so that the fabric can take center stage. The jacket has that classic Chanel box cut with no closures at the front. The edges are all lined in the same chenille cording that runs over the fabric. The skirt is cut to fit around the hips and then widens out as it nears the hem.  Pockets sit on each hip. The fabric is not heavy but has enough weight to it that both pieces hold their shape. This is early Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and it has the Chanel boutique label in the jacket and the skirt has a hand written tape label inside which tells us that this was most likely a custom, or special order piece. It is made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition

Full lined in a fine black tissue silk. Hand finished throughout. The jacket has no closures and the skirt closes with hand set zipper at the back and hook and eye at the waist band. Light padding in the shoulders of the jacket and pockets along the side seams on the skirt. Tape label reads "141 22141" though the last number maybe be something else.

Jacket
Sleeves: 22.5"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 20" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 23.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2625

Photo credits: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

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 collection was inspired by Zandra's trip to China. She came back with sketchbooks filled from her travels there and was particularly struck by "the trellises and fretwork used by the Chinese, framing everything, making squares, bordering each simple visual plane." This became the foundation for her 'Chinese Square" print that we see here on this dress. In between the angular print is her signature 'scribble heads' print that appeared in several earlier collections. The overdress part of this piece appears on page 158 of the book 'The Art of Zandra Rhodes with her catalogue identification of 79/89.

This is one of my favorite pieces by Zandra that I have had in the shop. I love finding her work in these stronger colors. The red used on this dress is the shade that she used throughout the collection that year  and was a reflection of the reds she discovered while visiting China. The outer layer of the dress is made from a red silk chiffon with a high rounded neckline that ties at the back. The sleeves fall to the elbow and I love how their shape is blocked out by the Chinese Squares print. Each is finished with a pretty edging of beads. The beads are also used to trim the edges around of the panels that make up the top layer of the skirt. The bodice is cut loose and easy and is lined in silk. This tops a inner jersey skirt that is topped by panels that give a nod to the traditional Chinese skirts. A long panel of printed silk runs down the front and the back to the hem and then each hip has a pannier of silk that ends just below the hip. Everything is attached at the elastic waist so that it just simply slips on and is extremely easy to wear. It is a remarkable piece from one of her key collections. Excellent condition

The dress slips on the wear with an elastic waist and a tie at the back of the neck. Hand beaded and hand rolled hem. There are a couple of areas were the beads the edge the panels of the over skirt are missing or have lost their coating, but none so bad that you would notice unless specifically hunting for it.

Sleeves: 14" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 11-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from neck to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2826

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

Valentino knows how to cut a dress to perfectly flatter a woman's body. Few designers can come close to the masterful techniques he perfected over the decades of his prolific career. This is a wonderful example of his work and I love that it has been done in his classic Valentino red color. It has that feeling of simplicity that the nineties epitomized and yet, still feels modern and fresh. It is cut to drape perfectly over the body, skimming over your curves to flatter and fit perfectly. The color is absolutely fantastic - the perfect clear red that flatters most skin tones. I think it is even better in person then how it has photoed. If you know Valentino's work, then you know the exact shade this red is in person. The top is cut to be sleeveless and angles in towards the higher cut neckline. There is a slit that runs down the front seam for the most subtle glimpse of skin. All of the seam work through the body is done vertically so there is no line across at any point to break the eye. It subtly flares out at it reached the hem and the hem itself is finished with two layers of ruffles that circle around to the back. The back hem is cut longer then the front  so you get a slight bit of a trained effect there. It is just stunning on the body. Excellent condition with one small note below.

Fully lined in a red silk satin. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. Hand finishes. Tagged a Valentino 10. The fabric does have some give. There are some very minor marks on the back ruffled hem that you would never notice once on (photoed). The original price tag is still on the dress and was $3275 even back then.

Bust: 18-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from shoulder to front hem, 63" to longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3015

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

Janice Wainwright launched her own label in 1970 and continued designing into the 1980s. Her work in the late 1970s and 1980s simplified in terms of embellishments and embroidery but she still used amazing fabrics and the better of her later pieces, like this one, explored drape and bias cuts. This dress is made from a beautiful red silk that has a dot pattern worked directly into the silk. The dots seems to be fused onto the silk and each has the slightest but of a 'fringe'; around the outsides. This gives them a bit of a 3D quality and adds to the texture of the dress. The construction is very interesting. It is all bias cut with a strong nod to 1930s lingerie in how it is cut. It floats over the body with a deep plunge at both the front and back. You see the classic angled seams of the thirties through the waist and in how the skirt is attached. This allows it to flow over the body and never feel very tight but still highlight every curve. It ties to close at the top of each shoulder and I would bet that you could figure out different ways to tie and wear it. It is beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a red silk chiffon that is also bias cut. It slips on the wear and ties at the stop of each shoulder. The bias cut allows it to fit a range of sizes and it could easily be altered for the perfect fit on a smaller frame. It is tagged a vintage UK12, US10, FR40, IT44

Bust: from 16-24" flat across with no true side seams due to the side plunge
Waist to hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from top of shoulder to longest point of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD3014

Reference Photo: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

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 wonderful 1950s dress is made from a very fine, high end Asian silk. Woven through the silk is a beautiful design of feathers that have been done in a red thread. Also woven directly into the silk are medallions that are scattered over the surface and around the feather design. Along the inner seams the fabric has the markings of the fabric maker which is in interesting detail and depicts its higher end origins. The red is much better in person then how the camera has captured it. The color is richer and has more depth to it. The cut of the dress is very pretty and unusual. The bodice has a low V with is sent in soft gathers along the band of the waist. The waist is nipped in and then the skirt is set below that and it has a very unusual cut. The inner base of the skirt is a more pencil skirt shape at the front, but the back is shaped almost like a bustle back skirt and has pleat work that give it some volume there. Then there is a second panel of fabric at the front that lies over the inner skirt. This panel gives it that rounded, volume that you see in the photos. It  is attached at the waist and curves around the sides towards the back. It is so clever and unusual. Excellent condition

Fully interlined in a combination of an ivory silk organza and a black silk. It closes with a painted metal zipper at the back. Hand finished and beautifully made. The fabric is marked along the inner seams. The skirt has ribbon edged, hand finishes

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 13.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 30" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# E642

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

True Haute Couture pieces by Chanel are an extraordinary find as they are so very rare and hard to come by. This, like several other of the Haute Couture pieces in the shop at the moment are from one of my clients whose mother purchased the majority of her Couture pieces between 1973 to the mid and late seventies.

The dress is made of two layers - an inner silk dress that acts as the lining, and the outer layer that is made from a semi-transparent silk chiffon. The silk chiffon used on the outer layer is especially fine and it has a beautiful red floral design screened onto the black with a secondary print suggesting an exotic animal print. The straps of the inner dress are made of that same fabric as is the matching belt that cinches in the waist. When the two pieces are layered over each other the result is wonderful. The outer dress gives the dress a very light and airy feel that is very feminine. The dress is so well made that I could not decide which way it sat better so photoed it with the buttons down the front and also turned around and with the buttons running down the back. The neckline is collarless and simply ties with that row of silk covered buttons starting below a bit of an opening. The bodice is cut to sit looser over the inner slip and the sleeves are full, poufing up above their buttoned cuffs. The skirt is a masterpiece of soft pleat work all the way around the hips. Each is done by hand, with masterful technique and spaced apart perfectly. These give the skirt it's flounced feel. The matching silk fabric belt hook and ties into place to cinch in the waist. As good as it is on the dress form, it will be even better on a real girl's body. Entirely made by hand with the Haute Couture tag and numbered tape behind present on the interior dress. Excellent condition

The exterior dress is unlined and closes with a tie at the neck and silk covered buttons. It has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The interior dress act as the lining and closes with a handset side painted metal zip. Matching original belt. Finished to Haute Couture standards. Haute Couture label present with interior tape number 54878. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Outer Dress
Sleeves: 24.5"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 28" from waist to hem

Inner Dress
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3010

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

Koos Van den Akker started his career as an apprenticeship with Christian Dior in the late 1950s. This early exposure to Haute Couture shows in pieces like this. This particular dress is exceptional and a real testament to his beginnings in the world of couture. He was a designer that started from the fabric, allowing it to influence the final design. Here he uses the semi-transparency of the beads on a fine netted lace to shape and mold the body underneath. The lace used is a combination of a red and black. Hand sewn onto the black portions of the lace are thousands of tiny black sequins. These are set into place to follow the pattern of the lace and they cover the dress from shoulder to hem. Covering the red parts of the design are tiny seed beads, again hand applied by the thousands to the lace net below. The combination of beads and sequins catch the light wonderfully when you move. The dress itself is fitted through the body and the sleeves are set so that the the shoulders are left bare. The dress is lined in a layer of fine black silk that gives you coverage through the body but leaves the upper neckline and sleeves semi-transparent. The semi-transparency is also used in the deep V in the back and for the last couple of inches of the hem. The workmanship is very fine and the is truly exquisite in person. Excellent condition

Lined in black silk and closes with a hidden set painted metal and nylon zipper. Fully boned through the torso for support.

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 33" from top of shoulder (where it sits off shoulder) to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2305

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

Galanos was known as the designer that could rival the French in terms of construction and design. He launched his atelier in 1951 and although his atelier was never formally designated as Haute Couture by the French, he certainly produced clothing that met the parameters of couture and he is often referred to  as one of the great American couturiers. This set was custom made, and is from the estate of 1950s model Betsy Pickering Kaiser. Betsy appeared on several Vogue covers in the 1950s and it was during that time period time period that she met Galanos. They were friends for over 60 years. She collected, and wore Galanos, her entire life and was his friend and muse. He once told her husband ‘I would rather have Betsy wear my clothes than any other woman’. She was a constant presence on the International Best Dressed List and and was added to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame in the early 1970s.

The set is cut to a length befitting a model and it made of a beautifully printed, light weight silk chiffon that is combined with a metallic red lace. The silk has a romantic feeling, watercolor print covering its surface that gives the effect of oversized, abstract flowers. The pants are made of two layers of silk and weigh mere ounces. They are cut long and wide with an elastic waist that makes them easy to wear. The top portion layers over the pants and is also made of two layers of silk through the skirt. Each side is slit open right up to the lace top. This layered effect gives it lots of volume and movement and creates a light, floating effect when you walk. The bodice is made of two panels of lace, one making the back and the other the front, and these are connected along each side. He has cut them so that the sides plunge quite low for a bit of skin to show. It is almost scandalous. The lace is particularly beautiful with its metallic finish. I love how it is layered over a nude inner silk lining so that from a distance you look like you are wearing nothing underneath it. The entire top dress layer is suspended by four tiny silk straps that curve over the shoulder. The contrast between the silk and the metallic lace and the boldness of the colors is wonderful. Excellent condition with a small note to review below

The pants are made of two layers of silk chiffon and close with a back painted zipper. They have elastic at the waist. The over dress is lined with a nude silk chiffon through the bodice and the skirt is constructed from two layers of the silk chiffon. The overlay closes on one side with hidden fabric covered snaps. There are a couple of small repairs and light snags near the hem of the overlay that are minor and do not detract. This is a one-off, unlabelled custom piece made for Betsy and came from her estate. There is a little bit of play in the measurements because of the cut and elastic waist so it will fit a range of sizes. Its more on the larger size then the smaller.

Over dress
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 62" from shoulder to hem

Pants
Elastic waist: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Pant: 45" from waist to hem
Inseam: 32" from inner seam to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD2278

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon

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

The book 'Ossie Clark, 1964-1974' by Judith Watts, has a coat pictured in it from the 1971 collection with the same slightly off-set buttoned front that this suit has. The label on the suit is his couture/custom made label and this is certainly the only version of this particular suit that I have seen. I love the shade of red. It is one that is flattering to most skin tones and has such impact despite the relative simplicity of the design. The suit is two pieces, a light weight top that is shaped more along the lines of a jacket, and a pair of trousers. The pants are flat fronted with minimal seaming and cut to be fitted and sit high and slim around the waist and hips. The legs widen out as they near the hem and that cut gives the effect of an extra long leg. The jacket is cut to skim over the body and lands just below the hips. It buttons entirely up the front and by the time is reaches the wide set collar the buttons sit just under one side so the entire row of buttons is set just off the center point. Angled, top set, flap pockets sit on each hip and the collar is elongated and pointed - a signature Ossie collar. The fabric choice utilizes another of his favored signatures - it's a moss crepe that drapes and sits wonderfully. Presents as excellent condition overall with some minor notes to review below.

Unlined with the jacket buttoning up the front and the pants zipping. There is some slight fading across each shoulder that I have photoed. It is priced accordingly. Tagged an vintage Ossie UK 12 but of course go by the actual measurements. It is cut small.

Jacket
Sleeves: "22
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from top of bodice to waist

Pants
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 44" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 32" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3003

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 wonderful and even better on a real body. It is made of a fluid scarf weight silk in a gorgeous red that has just a hint of a coral tone to it. The fabric has a secondary print of little triangles and flowers woven directly through the silk and then that is covered with a combination of oversized white dots and smaller blue & yellow dots. Long panels of the same  silk fabric wrap around the waist, tie and then flow down each hip. Each ends just above the hemline and this gives the skirt a really unusual effect and adds an interesting volume to each side without adding bulk. One of the side ties is attached along the side of the waist and the other is not attached at all. I am not 100% sure if originally both were meant to be attached and it will be sent as found. I think that having one free and loose gives you more styling options so prefer it that way myself. The skirt has a faux wrap effect so that when you move or sit you will get a sexy glimpse of bare leg showing. The top is strapless and lightly boned inside for support and shape. I love that this leaves your shoulders and arms bare. It has a very chic but sexy feel in that perfect Valentino way. Excellent condition

Fully lined in the same silk as the exterior but without the dots on the inner lining. Closes with a painted metal and nylon zipper at the back. Light boning trough the bodice and an Inner waist stay that hooks to close. Hand finished throughout with excellent construction.

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 41" from top waist seam, included 3: band at the waist to longest point of the hem at the back. The front curves up slightly

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3002

Reference Photos: (1) Iman for the Valentino ad campaign shot by Horst, 1983.  /  (2) Vibeke Knudsen in Valentino by Giampaolo Barbier, Vogue Italia, 1983

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

For the April issue of Vogue in 1973, Lauren Hutton was photographed in similar jersey dress by Bill Blass. Hers was a black one, but this one has been done in that perfect blue red that Blass did so wonderfully. This is an early Bill Blass piece. By 1973 he was only three years into running his own company after buying Maurice Rentner Ltd in 1970 and re-labelling it under his own name.

The choice of a silk jersey gives the dress a wonderful drape. It also keeps it remarkably light in weight so it is very comfortable to wear. There is a definite Grecian feel to it created by the long piped tie, made from the same fabric as the dress, that you can wrap around the upper body, and even over the hips if you wished. The neckline is high and the bodice is seamed horizontally so that you don't get a bunching up of the fabric once you tie the ties over it. The waist is defined by a seam and the skirt flows to the floor in a cascade of jersey. I love the sleeves in particular. Each is cut extra long and with a tremendous fullness at the cuff. This gives them a bit of an Old Hollywood feel and creates a subtle glamour. It will fully zip up at the back - it is just a little small on my dress form. Excellent condition overall with one small note to review below.

Unlined and closes with a back set zipper. The waist stay inside the waist closes with hook & eye. Elastic at the end of each cuff. The ties can be tied as you wish. There is a faint watermark at the hem and it has photoed darker then it even in in real life. Once on this does not detract at all. Hand finished, rolled edges. The red has a more blue undertone in person. The fabric has stretch but the waist measurement is firm

Sleeves: 28"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist:  to 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 41" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2991

Reference Photo: Lauren Hutton in Bill Blass. Photo by Richard Avedon. Vogue US, April 1973.

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