• The twin of this dress that was shown over a nude stretch top walked the runway for Look 80 Fall 2016 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Pierpaolo Piccioli.
• It was also featured in an editorial that season.
• The dress is incredibly beautiful and it would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event.
• The entire dress is made from a pale nude tulle netting that has just a hint of a pink undertone to it. It is lined in a matching silk so that is so opaque enough to wear.
• Scattered over the tulle of the entire dress are little combination of a silver sequin with a little clear bead topping the sequin. These catch the light from every angle and make the entire dress glitter in a pretty and subtle way.
• The dress is suspended from tiny net straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The front scoops across and the the upper back is bare.
• He has attached a panel of the netting all the way around the neck line and as it curves towards the back, it gets wider so it drapes down the sides and just passed the waist at the back. It is such a pretty detail.
• The waist curves inwards and the skirt is cut to flare outwards from there. It is very wide and full by the time it reaches the hem. Under the top layer, there are three more layers of netting in the middle of the three layers has a double hem that helps hold the volume even more. Inside all of that is the opaque silk layer. The fabric choice combined with the built-in under skirting helps to give the skirt its structure to keep the volume and shape that you see.
• Fully lined in a matching silk and closes with hidden set back zipper
• Tagged a modern Valentino 40
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5179

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2016 Valentino, Look 80.  /  (4) Marie Claire Spain, October 2016.

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1979 Givenchy show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Hubert de Givenchy.
• On the runway they showed it belted with a wide wrap belt. From what I understand that was sold separately. We have added a thin black ribbon for ours and I prefer it with a more narrow belt as it really allows the beautiful softness of the bodice to show better. I love that you can choose to wear it either way, or with no belt.
• The dress is two separate pieces. It has an inner black silk chiffon slip and then the outer silk chiffon layer pops over that. I love the large silk velvet dots fused onto the silk chiffon of the outer layer and that the chiffon of the outer layer has a slight texture. There is a fantastic play on transparency that this creates between the two layers.
• The inner slip is suspended from ivory mesh straps and is made out of a black silk chiffon. The front is scooped and the upper back is bare. It skims over the body and then widens out to the hem.
• Over that is the phenomenal outer dress. It falls from top gathered shoulders and is cut wide and easy so that it softly blouses to the waist. Each side is open from shoulder to waist for your arms to slip through. From the side you see the inner chiffon piece for coverage. It hooks to close at the back of the neck and then there is an open slit there that runs all the way to the waist.
• We cinched in the waist with a ribbon, that will be sent with the dress, and it looks equally good with a more structured belt or worn without any.
• From the waist the dress falls to the floor in a long sweep of silk. The silk is gathered into the waist and the fabric is set so that it extends past the waist on both sides with a little opening at the top as a fabric folds from the front to the back. Once this is on, that extra fabric drapes down and over each hip. This is a ingenious way to add subtle shape that still feels soft and feminine. It also picks up on the way that the sides of the bodice falls.
• The silk of the skirt is all cut on the bias and when you are standing still it falls in a beautiful column to the floor but there is an incredible amount of fabric in the skirt. The bottom flares out a touch and it has incredible movement when you move.
• The silk slip acts as a lining. It closes with a back zipper. The outer dress closes with a hook at the back of the neck and then it snaps to close at the waist. Snapped continue slightly under the waist as well. An inner waist stay hooks to close.
• Tagged a vintage Givenchy 40
• Excellent condition

Inner Slip
Bust: 16.5" 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
Total length: 58" from top of the shoulder to him

Outer dress
Bust: open with no true side seams
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 65" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5163

Reference Photo: Fall 1979 Givenchy.

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

• This dress is from the Spring 1998 season.
• It was made under the creative direction of the original Mr. Valentino.
• This is a really stunning dress that shows how beautifully Valentino emphasize the female body will always staying within a certain type of elegant.
• It is strapless and cut to curve over the top.
• Under that the dress is covered in a black netting that has little dots worked throughout the tulle. 
• An inner ivory silk layer gives the dress its structure and allows the pattern that you see on the netting to really take centre stage by acting as it's backdrop.
• The dress is gathered down the full length of each side. This is what creates the shape and gathers in the netting that you see. 
• Each side has a detail of a double row of tiny black seed beads running vertically all the way down for a little added glitz as you move.
• The very bottom of the inner skirt peeks out from underneath the netting. It is that so that it flares out with an elaborate pleated ruffle all the way around.
• The ivory acts as the lining through the body and then the bodice is lined with an additional layer of black silk satin. Lightly boned through the inner built-in bodice. It closes with a hidden set side zipper and the inner bodice piece has its own separate zipper. It has its original tag and appears to have never been worn.
• Tagged a vintage Valencia 40
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 56" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5159

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.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 31" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5155

Reference Photo/Video: Spring 2012 Chanel, Look 39. Model Magda Laguinge.

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 dress was made under the creative direction of the original Mr. Valentino
• It is made of a pretty ivory silk crepe.
• It falls from one shoulder and is very sleek feeling from the front.
• At the back the shoulder extends into a thinner strap that runs on an angle across you. The rest of your upper back is left bare and open.
• There is a rhinestone encrusted buckle at the base of that strap and then that extends into a long panel that goes to the floor for a beautiful detail at the back.
• The back is longer than the front with a slightly trained feel so it's sweeps behind you as you move.
• The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk and it closes with an offset hidden set zipper.
• Overall excellent collection with some minor feel of wear and perhaps the tiniest bit of colour change around the edges here and there but very minor, two tiny faint spots. Please see the photos after the label shot.

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 55" from the top of the shoulder to the front hem, 63' to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5128

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 the second time that I have had this dress in the shop and I still love it as much now as I did then.
• The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 41 for the Spring 2013 collection.
• Vogue said of the Collection; "When Peter Dundas inherited this historic Florentine house—famous since the 1960s for its kaleidoscopic prints—he made reworked archival patterns a major part of his story line. Last season and this one, though, he's started inching away from them. These days, the label is just as well known for Dundas' confident, louche brand of glamour as it once was for its founder's graphic swirls and geometries." 
• It was one of three white dresses that close the show before the final red look. 
• The dress is made out of a light silk that is light in weight but just heavy enough to keep the structure. It is very close to a true white.
• The front neckline is done in a halter style with the upper part above the bust line finished an a white netting that has a secondary abstract print work through it. This allows you to see the skin underneath. The front is gathered over the breasts almost like a bandeau and seamed in the centre.
• Under that is an open cut out for a bit more skin to show.
• The dress curves in to follow the waist under that and and skims over the hips.
• The skirt falls to the floor and widens out quite a bit as it nears the hem. This gives the dress incredible movement when you walk and you get a sense of that in the runway video.
• I love the loose slightly draped pockets that sit on each hip.
• The back is mostly open with a criss cross of straps and an open cut out between the waist and the back strap.
• Decorative frog knots sit at the low waist for added detail.
• The dress is fully lined through the bodice and the skirt is unlined. It closes at the side with a hidden set zipper. Light boning and padding through the bodice.
• Because the upper body is lined and padded when it is off the body it feels like the fabric is a touch darker as it is completely opaque. Once on its fine and the lining is needed
• Tagged a modern Pucci IT42, FR38, US8, UK10.
• Excellent condition with some faint marks here and there around the hem.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from top of neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5127

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2013 Emilio Pucci Runway Look 41. Model Kasia Struss.

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

• Documented to the 1978 collection
• The dress was made under the creative direction of Roy Halston.
• In 2016 a red version was worn by Kate Moss at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
• Martha Hunt wore the twin of this dress from us to Cannes in 2019 and she landed on several Best Dressed lists. 
  
• These were issued on a variety of colours and this one is a wonderful and quite rare ivory version.
• The dress is suspended by one hook at the shoulder. 
• The inner part of the dress has a high slit cut into the side that travels up the side of the leg opposite to the draped side. 
• Attached to that inner sheath lies a draped panel of jersey that is suspended from the shoulder. It falls from that shoulder down and over the front and the back of the dress. 
• The dress slips on to wear and has a hook at the top of the shoulder to hold it in place.
• These will fit a variety of sizes since they are not cut to be super fitted and the jersey does have some stretch.
• There is no size tag present and I have put the comfortable range of measurements when laying flat below.
• I see a very slight mark on the back near the edge otherwise excellent condition.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 55" from top of the shoulder to hem
Slit: 25" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item#DD5126

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Vintage Halston at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.  /  (3) Martha Hunt wearing vintage Halston in Cannes, 2019.  /  (4) Martha Hunt on Harper's Bazaar Australia Best Dressed List. /  (5) Halston Form Fit Ad, Vogue, October 1980.

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 variation on Look 52 that walked the runway for the Spring Prada 2004 show
• Made under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada
• Vogue said of this collection: "Over almost a decade of ground-breaking experimentalism, Miuccia Prada has explored everything from irony to deliberate ugliness to intellectual subversion. She’s been there, done that, and has the souvenirs to prove it. For Spring 2004, the designer turned her attention to the stiffest fashion challenge of the day: how to make feminine, happily nostalgic clothes without rehashing the clichés of vintage?“ It was about tourism and craftsmanship, many things,” she said of a show that revisited the optimistic fifties to bring back a full set of densely packed suitcases." 
  
• The dress is made of of an ultra fine, ultra light cotton in a deep ivory.
• It is strapless and the fabric has been done in extremely fine pleats with embroidered edges on some of the pleats. These sweep across and around the bodice. One one side the pleats are hand tacked down in a line that curves down one side. On the other side of that tacking the pleats begin to open up to sweep downwards and start to form the skirt. 
• The skirt is made of five tiers of the cotton with attached under layers of silk and netting. This creates an extraordinarily beautiful  draping all the way down the skirt.
• The cotton is printed with an ultra fine pattern made of fine little dots to form tiny clusters of flowers. These cover the entire dress. It is extremely beautiful and has a very delicate and feminine feel.
• Inside there is a net and cupped bodice that is lightly boned for support.
• It closes with a back zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. The construction of the dress is a nod to the dresses of the 1950s and it is very beautifully done.
• Tagged a Prada 42
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5090

Reference Photo: Spring 2004 Prada, Look 52. Model Elise Crombez.

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.

• Fall 2007 dress by John Galliano
• Made of a combination of an ivory silk chiffon that is covered in an ivory net lace
• The dress has a strong nod to the 1920s. It is generously cut through the waist and has a scooped neckline.
• Silk chiffon has been formed into little rosettes on either side of the buttons that run down the side of the dress. Panels of chiffon wrap around the waist from the flowers to add a bit of detail and shape.
• There is a long panel of silk that hangs from one of the rosettes at the front. You can allow it to just trail down the front or hook it over one of the rosettes at the back to create a pretty draping down the full side of the skirt.
• The dress is very light in weight. The silk chiffon underlay acts as the lining.
• It closes with the series of silk covered buttons down the side
• Tagged a Galliano FR38, GB10, US6
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 46" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5092

Reference Photo: Fall 2007 John Galliano, Look 6.

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.

• A very pretty little dress by the Chloe label
• The Fall 2006 collection was designed by the in-house team
• The dress is strapless and gathered across the bodice. The waist nips in under that and then the chiffon of the skirt flares out and is brought back in under the skirt.
• Underneath the edge of the skirt there is a pretty little scalloped ruffle set in three layers so you just see a touch of it peeking out from the edge of the hem.
• Some of the chiffon has been gathered along one side of the waist and then a wide, deeper ivory, panel of fabric wraps around the waist and is brought into a half bow on one side with the ends trailing down.
• An exposed zipper closes it at the back
• The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk 
  
• Tagged a Chloe 36
• I see some shallow marks under each arm and tiny bit of fraying along the edge. 
  

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 6.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 30" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5060

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.

Dolce and Gabban launched in 1985 by founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana  who still run the label to this day. After a shaky start in the first few years, by the 1990s they they had started to open their own boutiques and had become a force in fashion. In 1993 Madonna chose them for her 1993 Girlie Show tour and they gained world wide recognition. They are known for their dramatic designs that are heavily inspired by their Sicilian heritage. This dress came to me from the same owner as the black 2008 one I just put in the shop and she told me it was purchased around the same time period. It is a dress that is incredibly beautiful. It would obviously make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking to go the non-traditional route or as a part of a wedding weekend of events, but I think it is also a dress that could cross over and be worn to other events. We have found more history in this dress and you can see the story in our instagram by linking here. 

The dress is made from a pale nude silk tulle net that has a touch of a pink tine to it. This is then layered over inner layers of more tulle, lace netting and silk. The bodice is strapless and has a heavy application of cut out flowers added over the tulle all the way around you. They are placed to fall past the seam that sits under the bust and over onto the top of the tulle as it begins to flare out into that incredible top layer. As the dress moves down to the ham, you see more cut out flowers scattered over the entire dress. At the front, there is a cluster of soft silk chiffon flowers that add a beautiful detail. Small versions of these are also scattered over the top layer of the dress, all the way to the hem..This incredible treatment on the top layer of the dress really adds to the depth and texture of the dress. That entire top layer of tulle tents over the dress to create volume all the way around you and to sweep out behind you. Under those layers is an inner dress that has a dotted lace. I love the effect of this peeking out tulle. More layer sit under that. Besides the visual effect this creates, this technique of multiple layering also gives the dress some of its structure so that it holds the shape around you once on. The bodice is strapless and cut on a soft curve across the neckline. There is a built in boned corset on the inside for shape and to hold the dress in place on you. It curves in just slightly to skim over the waist and then curves back out for the hips. The top skirt is set to fall to the floor with all of the beautiful volume that you see in the photos. The top layer of the skirt gets progressively wider so that it is very full by the time it reaches the hem. The inner hem falls to the floor, but that top outer layer falls slightly longer all the way around you and then it sweeps out behind you. It is incredibly beautiful and romantic. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a soft nude pink silk. The innermost layer of stretch silk goes to just above the knee. It closes with a back zipper and then the tulle layer snaps over that to hide the zipper. Inside the bodice is a cupped and boned corset. I see one vertical repair in the tulle of the skirt at the back otherwise it appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a Dolce & Gabbana 36

Bust: 13-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with an approx A cup built into the front
Waist: 11-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 5.5" from top of bodice to seam under the bust
Total length: 60" from top of bodice to front hem, 69" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4955

Reference Photo: Kylie Minogue for her 2012 release of the single ‘Flower’.

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 Spring 2008 show coincided with John Galiano's tenth year with the label and it was Dior's 60th year as a label. John celebrated that by creating pieces based on some of his signature looks through the past decade. The result was a collection filled with beautiful things like this dress. It is so rare to find a Dior dress in this colour and in the perfect condition that this dress is in. I am very pleased to have such an exquisite example of his work and it is always extra special when you have a dress that could perhaps be worn by a bride who is looking for a non-traditional dress or as part of her wedding weekend. It is also an exceptional dress for any event and for the Dior collector. 

I love that even in these still dress form photos you can get the sense of how beautifully the silk chiffon on the skirt will move once this is on the body. It is a gorgeous dress and his time there was one of the best. The dress is interesting because when you stand still you get a beautiful long silhouette but the second you move the chiffon in the skirt and the back panels are picked up by the air and the dress becomes even more extraordinary. The skirt of the dress is made from bias cut ivory silk chiffon that sits over an inner silk lining. It is set around the waist and heavily gathered at one side. This is what gives you that extra panel and volume on the one side that you see. The skirt is slightly split at the hem on that side so you get a little bit of leg when you walk. The other side curves down slightly longer and it creates that beautiful curved shape at the hem. The bodice is strapless and the neckline slightly curved at the front. Inside there is a built in boned and cupped corset that extends down to the waist. This is what holds the dress firmly in place around you. The chiffon over the bodice has been draped and gathered over to the side to tie in with the skirt. At the back, on that same side, there are two very long panels of silk chiffon. You can allow them to just drape down and behind you to catch the air and move as you walk or you can take one and drop it over the shoulder to get a caped feel. I have photoed it both ways for you to see. His signature row of silk covered buttons runs down the other side and then the last perfect detail is the extraordinary flowers that are embroidered over the dress. This is what takes the dress to its magical level of beauty. Soft pastel flowers are heavily embroidered onto the dress so that they have a slight 3D effect. Little gold threads are mixed in between then along with tiny sequins and beads to catch the light. They are reminiscent of the flowers that Mr. Dior often used in his early work. It is a beautiful nod to the archives that perfectly combines past and present. It is magical. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk. It has a full built in boned and cupped corset. The corset closes with a series of lingerie hooks and the dress buttons to close over that at the side. Tagged a Dior FR36, GB8, IT40, US4

Inner bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 12-14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 56" from top of bodice to the longest point of the hem and the panels extend to 59" from the top of the back bodice.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4944

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 Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal collection was amazing and this was one of the star looks of the show. His wedding pieces range from about $10000-$20,000USD with the more elaborate ones like this tending to be in the upper range of that. Oscar launched his first bridal collection in October of 2002 and his wedding pieces have been worn by some of the most famous women in the world. He once said 'In the same manner that she fell in love with that man, I hope she's going to fall in love with that dress.' 

The skirt on this dress is just magical. It is made from multiple yards of multiple layers of white tulle silk netting. The strapless bodice above the skirt is slightly more ivory in colour so that you get just a tiny bit of contrast between the two. The bodice is completely covered with delicate little scallops of a silk chiffon with embroidered edges. These sit on top of a lace fabric underneath. Following the top edge of each layer are tiny rows of ivory iridescent sequins. Little prong set rhinestones are also scattered over the bodice in little vertical rows so you get a subtle little glitter in the light. The front curves in a pretty sweetheart neckline and it has a full built in hidden corset inside the bodice. It nips in at the waist and is detailed with an elaborate applique design that wraps all the way around you. The runway dress only had a ribbon at the waist and I much prefer this more elaborate design that is made from faux pearls, silver tube beads and glass cut rhinestones in different shapes. The skirt is extremely full. There are 12 layers of tulle in the skirt and then an inner silk skirt. Under the top two layers of tulle some of the tulle layers have been gathered up in little drapes  I did not add any additional crinolines to the dress for these photos. It has enough built in layers in the  skirt already that it falls on its own perfectly. Every angle that you look at this dress from gives you drama and gorgeousness. It is cut longer at the back so that it flows out behind you when you walk. It is a very stunning dress. Excellent condition with a minor note below

The bodice is boned with padded inner cups for structure and support. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Multiple layers of built in tulle and skirting as described above. Minor grubbiness/marks to the inner hem and the tiniest bit of darkening to the colour of a couple of the scallops near the top edge at one side. The dress was already in the shop and it had some issues and I decided to pull it out for a bit and had it completely restored so it is now in beautiful condition for its future bride. Tagged an ODLR 8

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam if inner hook is closed 13" if left unhooked or the hooks moved
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to front hem, 50" to inner back hem and 5*" to the ends of the tulle at the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4943

Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal Collection, Look 5. 

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 gorgeous little set that was one that was produced for the shops that season. It is very pretty and has that perfect feel of the work that Galliano was doing for the label during this time period. 

I always love finding a pretty little set like this because it just gives you more options to be able to style the pieces. With this particular set you also get the option of wearing the top tucked into the skirt or letting it lay above the skirt's waist-line for a softer feel. Both pieces will also mix and match with other things you already have in your closet. The pieces are made from a pretty silk that has a secondary deeper ivory flower woven into it with a different finishing thread. There are also little medallions of embroidered clusters of flowers as well as a scattering of gold flower and leaves. This gives the fabric in almost antique feel that is gorgeous. The top buttons to close and is suspended from the shoulders by tiny straps that come out from the centre of the top and cross over the upper back on the other side. The top has the feel of a lingerie piece with soft gathered cups and little insets of lace underneath the breasts. Both the top edge of the camisole and the bottom hem are detailed with a lace finish that has a pretty ivory ribbon running through it. It buttons to close up the front. My dress form doesn't have quite enough chest to really have this sit on it properly but it will be better on an actual body. The skirt is a little masterpiece. It has a banded waist for shape and then it is made of several panels placed horizontally on curving bands down the skirt. When you lay it out flat it is tremendously full across the bottom and this is what lets it fall in those pretty folds that you see here. It is a gorgeous little set. Excellent condition.

Both pieces are unlined. The top closes with a series of MOP appearing ,Dior engraved, buttons down the front. The very bottom button is missing. The skirt zips to close with hidden set snaps on the waistband. Tagged an FR36, GB8, IT40, US4

Top
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total Length: 23.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: " from waist to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total Length: 26" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4937

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 the second time I have had this absolutely gorgeous Oscar de la Renta dress in the shop and I think I love it even more this time. The dress was the final look on the runway for the Pre-Fall 2015 show and it is absolutely stunning. The pieces from this collection feel to me like they have an extra bit of sentiment to them. As Vogue noted in their review. "Pre-Fall 2015 was the last collection he (Oscar de la Renta) had a hand in designing. The house's new creative director, Peter Copping, advised the studio a bit on how to finish it after de la Renta's death in October but this wasn't his debut. Copping sat in the front row taking it all in as a bystander." They continue the review saying, "How does one review a collection like this—one that operates not as a swan song, not as an homage, but as a coda to a great career, now definitively over? On its merits, of course. And though these clothes didn't serve to turn the fashion dial in any way, they manifested the soigné de la Renta signature in spades....It spoke loudest in the collection's clutch of cocktail frocks and gowns, particularly the champagne-toned finale gowns with allover gold or silver embellishment." This is one of those dresses and it is very beautiful.

This is truly a beautiful piece and it would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. The dress is made from a fine ivory net that is covered in beautiful curving gold metallic appliques that form flowers and pretty patterns over the entire surface of the dress. Each individual applique is made from a pale, muted silver-gold lame fabric sewn that is embroidered all the way around its edges. The lame has a slight vertical ribbing that combines the gold and silver thread and this adds a beautiful texture. I love how they catch the light in a subtle way from every angle. In person the dress has a more metallic and gold feel then how it photographed here. It is tremendously beautiful. It sits wide across the front and the straps are sent to the edge of the shoulder. The bodice curves up and over your shoulders and then at the back it falls in a V for a bit of bare skin to show. All of the edges follow the curving pattern of the applique and I love this little romantic touch. There is an inner lining inside the bodice that has a sweetheart neckline shape to it and then the netting has a touch of transparency above that. It skims over you from there, past the waist to the seam that sits at the top of the hip. From there the skirt explodes outwards in two tiers. Underneath each tier is a layer of tulle and then another layer of netting under that. The second layer has a stiffened edge to help hold the shape of the skirting. Then inside the skirt itself there is a built-in underskirt that has multiple rows of that same stiffened fabric so it holds the volume that you see in the photos. I have added no extra crinolines underneath the dress to take these photos. All of the volume that you see is all built into the dress already. The dress is cut shorter at the front and then the back is cut so that it trails out behind you past the floor. The lightness of the tulle and netting allows the dress to billow out around you when you walk. This is dress that feels like a fairy tale come true once it is on the body. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition.

The skirt is fully lined in layers of tulle and netting as described above. The bodice has an inner layer of silk and netting. The dress closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a modern OLDR US2

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room at the front for at least a B cup
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: open
Bodice: 19" from top of the shoulder to the seam at the top of the hip
Total length: 49" from top of the shoulder to the front hem, 80" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4933

Reference Photos: Pre-Fall 2015 Oscar de la Renta, Look 36.

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 Spring 1982 collection marked the 20th anniversary of Yves' Couture house. In the book Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk they note that the historical importance of his collection made him feel very anxious. He was quoted as saying "I am frightened of this collection. I am far more anxious than I was for my first collection. It is a reassessment of 20 years… It is the end of adolescence, the beginning of maturity. I really feel like a beginner." But of course, it was a masterpiece of a collection and raved about.

The collection was extravagant and was heavily influenced by India and the beautiful work done by Indian artisans. There was a play on proportions with wide shoulders and a narrowing at the hips. This tunic was one of the more simple pieces in the collection but it still has the touch of an oversized shoulder and the ease and elegance of a beautiful silk in its making.

I love that you can wear this as a tunic over something else. It was shown over a skirt and a modern girl could easily wear it on its own as a dress. It was shown belted with a silk sash in the advance photos for the collection and you could easily add a belt or ribbon if you wanted to have more shape. The shoulders are padded and set a little wide. The sleeves are cut wide through the upper arm and even as they narrow to the wrist, they are still wide set by the cuff. The cuffs and collar are done in a black silk and I love the contrast to the ivory of the body. It is meant to be worn fairly loose and easy to skim over your bust, waist and hips. It falls to about the knee or just above depending on your height. A slit runs up each side and you can see that he has lined the entire inside of the piece in that same black silk as the collar and cuffs. When you walk and move the slits let you to see that flash of black which ties the whole piece together perfectly. The silk is a rich and heavy weight that drapes beautifully over the body. This is a dress that really needs to come to life with a body in it and my dress form photos are nowhere near to doing it justice. It is completely made by hand and an absolutely beautiful, refined and easy piece of true Couture. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Fully lined in a handset black silk and closes at the back with a hand set zipper. Handmade padding in each shoulder. It is completely made by hand to Couture standards. Has it proper YSL numbered Couture label. There is one small mark near the elbow of one sleeve. Please see the photo after the label shot. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. On a smaller frame, it will just feel more oversized.

Sleeves: 22.5" and each is 20" around the upper arm
Exaggerated shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 39" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 11.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4913

Reference Photos: Spring 1982 Yves Saint Laurent  Couture Advance Preview. Model Kirat Young.

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.

For the Cruise 2012 Karl booked the entire Hotel du Cap in Eden Roc on the French Riviera so that he had it at his full disposal for the show. This is remarkable in that it is arguably one of the most expensive hotels in the entire world. The show is also of note because he accessorized all the pieces with real diamonds and pearls. Vogue noted that he said "too much may not be enough" when asked about this extravagance. The twin of the suit walked the runway for Look 8 and was adorned with diamonds on the pockets and at the neck. It was sent to the shop with a beautiful crystal rhinestone and faux pearl button at the top of the neck and left to the clients to add their own personal diamonds.

This collection was a nod to old-school glamour and you can see that in the beautiful lines of the suit. It is constructed from an absolutely stunning ivory version of the Chanel signature boucle fabric. The weave is very tight and it is one single ivory colour. It has little bits of silver thread woven through it. These glitter in the light in this very subtle and beautiful kind of way. I know the still photos are not properly capturing it but in person it is magical. The collar is soft and rounded with a raw finish to its edges and then it is covered with the tiniest possible ivory sequins. He added another band of sequins under the collar to circle the inner shoulders near the neckline. A little jewelled clasp sits at the top of the neck that has crystal rhinestones and large faux pearls with the double C logo on their sides. I love the nod to the 1940s this little jewelled detail has and how it picks up on that old Hollywood glamour theme. The sleeves end at about the wrist depending on the length of your arms. The jacket has a beautiful curving seam at the front and two top set pockets. I photoed the jacket open as it was shown on the runway but there is one single little hidden snap so that you can close the jacket more if you wished. A second curved seam sits at the back. The construction is absolutely beautiful. Inside it has a Camellia flower embossed silk lining and a silver chain is hand sewn along the inner hem. The skirt is as beautifully cut as the jacket. It has a curved band around the waist and pockets on either side of the hip. It curves out to skim over the hips and then comes in at the bottom. There is a wide 7" band of the same fabric circling the bottom hem. He added a back vent that has three beautiful buttons and you could open those if you wished. The set comes with the matching belt that you see on the runway. The belt follows the same curve of the waist band. It hooks in place and it is completely covered on both sides with more of those tiny little ivory iridescent sequins. This is an exceptional Chanel. It would make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional or as a piece for an event surrounding the ceremony. Excellent condition.

The jacket is fully lined in an ivory silk embossed with the Chanel camellia flower print and has a clasp at the neck and a hidden set snap halfway down. The skirt is lined in an ivory silk and closes with a hidden set zipper. The belt hooks to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. All three pieces are tagged a Chanel 38. The very subtle bit of metallic silver thread that runs with through the boucle is more apparent in person.

The Chanel boucle is created with their proprietary method of weaving that they themselves describe as "by weaving the warp and weft, using a variety of different kinds of threads which creates a unique and somewhat irregular appearance. The warp – vertically strung – is the background of the fabric, the base that will support the assembly of materials. There can be up to 12 different threads used for a single warp. The weft – woven horizontally – gives the fabric its unique character and can have an unlimited number of threads. Tight, perforated, textured, thick, with a relief, plaited, random, twill… the potential number of effects is endless". 

Jacket
Sleeve: approx 21" from the natural shoulder and is 17.25" from the dropped shoulder scene. They are 14.5" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 19"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from waist to hem

Belt: It currently hooks to close at 28" and you could move the hooks if needed. it is 30" in total from end to end.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4911

Reference Photo/Video: Resort 2012 Chanel, Look 8. Model Sigrid Agren.

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.

McQueen's Fall 2006's collection was called The Widows of Culloden and it was dedicated to his muse and friend Isabella Blow. The Alexander McQueen site says of this collection: "The inspiration here is highly personal – the designer’s own heritage – which goes at least some way towards explaining the exquisite hand-craftsmanship that goes into each piece as well, of course, as bird head-dresses and McQueen tartan. The collection is luxurious and romantic but melancholic and even austere at the same time. The silhouette – all nipped waists, bustles and exaggerated hip lines – is designed to exaggerate a woman’s form and each piece is unique, a one-off couture creation with emotional content intended to be handed down from generation to generation like the most precious of heirlooms." This was also the show where Kate Moss made the famous glass box closing look. Vogue described that feat by saying; "Only Alexander McQueen could provide the astonishing feat of techno-magic that ended his show. Inside an empty glass pyramid, a mysterious puff of white smoke appeared from nowhere and spun in midair, slowly resolving itself into the moving, twisting shape of a woman enveloped in the billowing folds of a white dress. It was Kate Moss, her blonde hair and pale arms trailing in a dream-like apparition of fragility and beauty that danced for a few seconds, then shrank and dematerialized into the ether." They went on to talk about the collection saying; "The quality of the performance—and the extraordinary workmanship in the clothes that preceded it—was a timely reconfirmation of McQueen's unique powers as a showman-designer, and a far cry from the more straightforward presentations he¿s given the last few seasons. For this collection, he delved into his past, revisiting his Scottish family roots and refining the contents of the rampaging tartan "Highland Rape" show with which he began his career in London in the early nineties. Shorn of its original rawness and anger, the result was a poetic and technically accomplished tale that involved romantic images of Scottish fantasy heroines wandering glens and castle halls in vaguely Victorian tartan crinolines, bird-wing or antler-and-lace headdresses, feathered gowns, and pieces made from brocades that might have been dragged down from ancient wall-hangings." I have also included a shot from one of the McQueen book pages that tells more on the show. This was one of his most extraordinary shows and this dress is the twin of Look 32 worn by Freja in that show. It is fabulous. 

This is an incredibly rare piece of McQueen history and may even make a dress for a bride looking to go the non-traditional route or as part of a wedding weekend. And of course it is something that any McQueen collector would be thrilled to own.

I love this dress. It is basically an elaborate silk net tulle piece that sits over an inner ivory silk chiffon lining. Over that he has added embroidered lace panels in black that have all been placed by hand. The dress is incredibly full and voluminous. The bodice is meant to skim over you and the neckline of the tulle overlay is set scooped under the neck. There is a scooped bodice built in underneath that has been stiffened for shaping. Having the net extend up and to the shoulder allowed him to also place the embroidery up and over the shoulder, giving the illusion that it is somehow suspended over you from a distance. The trailing panels of black embroidered flowers contrast beautifully over the deep ivory netting underneath. The waist is seamed and set just above the natural waist line. The embroidery trails past the seam to soften the line. The waist is cut on the more wide and generous side which helps to create the shape he wanted the dress to have. The skirt has yards and yards of tulle with two more layers under the top layer and over the inner silk lining. The embroidery work is even more spectacular around the skirt going all the way around you. I love how it becomes very dense and heavy by the hem and then it trails upwards towards the bodice. It is incredibly beautiful and the pictures do not convey how magical it is in person. It feels like wearing a magical cloud of tulle. Alexander McQueen was incredibly gifted and this dress really shows the extent of his talent. It was one of my favourite dresses at the show. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in an ivory silk chiffon and closes at the back with a button at the back of the neck and a hidden side zipper under the waist line. I see a couple small breaks in the netting and it looks like there are some minor repairs done near the waist seam. I have photo them all and I've been very picky because it presents as perfect once on. It's beautiful.

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 43" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4851

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2006 Alexander McQueen, Look 32. Model Freja Beha Erichsen.  /  (4) From the book "Alexander McQueen" by Abrams and edited by Claire Wilcox.

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.

Lace was one of the primary fabrics that Sarah Burton used for the Spring 2012 collection and Vogue reported that "She based her collection on the three Gs: Grès for the pleating and draping, Gaudí for the architecture, and Gaia for the sense of all-encompassing oceanic life that infused the clothes, like the outfits composed of coral or shells." They went on to remark on the beautiful pastels and golds used saying "this collection proved how hot-wired into the core of McQueen Burton truly is. The colour palette—as translucent as the inside of a shell—had the kind of unambiguous prettiness that McQueen himself might have felt inclined to disrupt in some way". The twin of this stunning dress in black was featured in the  Spring 2012 collection Lookbook sent out to select retailers. Pink wore one in black for an editorial shoot and Du Juan wore one on the red carpet. I love it in the gold. It is so striking.

The dress is stunning and it might even make for a spectacular bridal dress or to be worn for the events surrounding a wedding weekend or as a gala / event piece. It is made out of a muted gold lace that tops a pale nude silk underneath. The dress is cut to follow the curves of the body from the top of the neckline to below the hips but in a way that doesn't feel overly tight or confining. It just curves over the body in the best possible way. The neckline is a scooped and the bodice is shaped to flow over your curves. The waist is a touch on the more easy side and you could easily add a wide corset belt to get the effect you see in the reference photos and really cinch it in. It curves over the hips to about the knee and then the lower skirts explode out from there. Insets of the same lace with masses of a silk organza underskirt are set all the way around the skirt. If you lay the lower skirt out flat it has more volume than a full circle. This is what creates those incredible rounded effect and the volume that you see in the photos. We did not add any additional underskirts on this dress. All of that sweeping volume is all built in. It also creates beautiful movement as you move. You can see in the photos that the back is cut slightly longer then the front so you get this beautiful sweeping effect behind you as you walk. It is so special and absolutely stunning. This is Sarah at her best. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale nude silk for the body of the dress and then silk organza through the lower skirts. It closes with a hidden set back zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged McQueen 42.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 63" from top of bodice to front hem, 66" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4824

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 2012 Alexander McQueen Lookbook.  /  (2-3) Pink, in McQueen, photographed by Andrew MacPherson, Feb 2012.  /  (4) Du Juan in McQueen at the Deja Vu Screening, June 2012.

This is an extraordinary little dress and I'm very pleased to have the exact date of it because my clients grandmother wore it to her wedding on October 15, 1910.  By all accounts it was a long and happy marriage and my client hopes that this dress will pass on that love to its next owner.

This extraordinary dress was completely made by hand and is very feminine and beautiful. It is a wonderful example of the level of craftsmanship being utilized during this time period. It has survived the passing of time exceedingly well and was carefully stored all of these many decades. The base of the dress is made from a fine and light netting and it is this fabric choice that has allowed it to remain strong and sturdy over the years. The colour is a beautiful ivory that was almost impossible to capture and in real life it has a slightly more pastel feel to it that I think is just lovely. Onto this is an intricate design made of glass tube beads and little iridescent sequins that highlight the design and lines of the dress. The front neckline is in a soft scoop, and the back angles into a bit of a V above a row of snaps that close the dress. The sleeves extend out and are gathered along the top of the shoulders for a pretty little detail. They're open on their underside and the sequins and beads follow the pattern to circle the neckline and edge the sleeves. A wide band of sequins and beads detail the waist, and then the dress falls in a pretty cascade of the netting to just past the knee or a bit below depending on your height. A floral pattern is worked throughout the dress, and the workmanship is exquisite. Hangs lower than the front so you have a bit of a swooping feeling. There's a touch of light boning around the inner waist to hold the dress perfectly in place while it's on you. The placement of each and every embellishment is by hand and it is amazing to think of the time it would have taken to create this extensive design. The combination of the soft and romantic ivory net and the beautiful floral patterns that runs over it is absolutely fantastic. This would be an amazing dress for a collector or a bride who wants to incorporate a bit of the past into part of her celebration. Excellent condition

The dress is unlined with snaps at the back to close. Some of the snaps appear newer than others. The fabric appears to be strong and is wearable with the care. Perhaps the tiniest mark here and there and tiny break in the net but for something over 100 years old I would rate it as being in excellent antique condition. 

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Bodice: 13" from the top of the shoulder to the top of the 3" band at the waist
Total length: 46" from the top of the shoulder to the shortest part of the front hem, 51" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4804

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 very rare piece of vintage and it is a delight to have it in the shop. It is from the 1988 Spring / Summer "Blanche Dubois" collection. The show had a total of 96 looks in it. My client purchased this right after the show and has had it since. The inspiration for this collection was Tennessee Williams 1947 heroin from the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" combined with the idea of the English country lady. An integral part of the collection were the way that he had the hems of the skirts and some sleeves done. He described then as "blown away" hems. Galliano had given his pattern cutters a book on origami and asked them to incorporate the feel of it into the clothing. He wanted the hems to look as though it had been blown up in the wind hence the name "blown away." Interior buttons and button holes along the hems were added to allow the skirts to achieve the draped bubbled effect that you see here and in the reference photos. The collection was critically acclaimed and it was his most commercially successful to date. US Vogue noted that he went from fashion cult to pacesetter with this collection. 

When we photoed the skirt we did it to show how you can change the look of the hem depending on if you choose to button the buttons up, or leave them undone. there are many configurations that you can do, including buttoning some of the button holes onto the same buttons inside or leaving them all undone and having a longer length skirt. Another key component of the show where these extremely high waists that you would then put a large belt around. My client told me that she often wore this as a strapless dress as well and if you are small enough through the bust to do so, you can have that added option. There is boning through the sides of the waist that help to hold it up and in place. The amount of fabric that the skirt has, and that unusual way the hem has been sewn combined with the buttons, really does give it the most fantastic and fascinating movement when you move. The fabric is at ultra soft white cotton or cotton mix. This piece was only ever owned by one person and it was loved and worn. It does have some faint marks on it but it doesn't take away from the importance or rarity of the piece.

This is an exceptionally rare piece to come up for sale from one of his very early collections. Excellent overall condition with a note below.

The skirt is unlined and closes with a hidden set side zipper. There are buttonholes hidden along the hem of the skirts and then button sit along the seams inside the skirt which is what allows you to change the look and length of the skirt. I see a repair along the back but because of the asymmetrical hem you would actually think that this was deliberate if you did not know better. I see another tiny area at the front where someone has put a stitch near the seam. There are some marks on the front and along one side of the hem. I did have this cleaned and they faded quite a bit but we were not overly aggressive in the cleaning. You might be able to fully get these out with more specialty cleaning. Please see the photos after the label. It is a remarkable piece of fashion history

Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total Length at its longest and unbuttoned it is 45" and then it can be adjusted with the buttons shorter

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4785

Reference Photos: Spring 1988 John Galliano. (Third image from the book "Galliano: Spectacular Fashion" by Kerry Taylor for Bloomsbury.)

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 very recognizable Alexander McQueen piece. While there are many of his pieces out there that only die-hard collectors would know at first glance, this is one of the dresses that you instantly know is McQueen. Lee had only recently joined the Gucci Group at this point and his shows were becoming bigger and more commercial. The Fall 2003 collection was titled 'Scanners' and he went to the frozen arctic tundra for the show set. The runway was a wasteland set against an icy mountain. Models walked among rubble and rocks on the runway and and a dusting of snow covered everything. The name of the show came from the invitation that had scans of McQueen's actual brain on them. In the book "Alexander McQueen" by Abrams, they noted that "the collection engaged McQueen's interest in Eurasian culture and was presented as a journey of displaced travellers from west to east, from dark to light across the harsh planes of Siberia through Tibet, and into Japan, the land of the rising sun." The looks touched on both Russia and Japanese themes as well as mixing in a little bit of his signature punk. This is the twin of the dress that walked the runway for Look 55 and it is outstanding. It also has a strong tie-in with red carpets and we have included photos of some of the people that have worn one here including Eve and Naomi Campbell. This is an exceptional, very rare and extraordinary piece of his work for the collector. It might even make an amazing choice for a bride looking a non-traditional choice or alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration.

This dress is beautiful and rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready-to-wear. The fabric is a feather light white silk chiffon that moves with the barest breathe of air. The cut is classic McQueen with a low cut squared off neckline at the front that is meant to hold and push the breasts upwards. Underneath the bodice sits a band of silk to add some shape and structure. This tiny little detail adds the perfect bit of shape and gives the bodice its empire cut. The back is scooped to show a bare expanse of skin. I love how the straps are meant to sit at the very outer edge of your shoulders. Inside it is lined in an ivory silk satin and has hidden set boning. The construction is beautiful and done to the high level that you expect from runway McQueen. The skirt falls from the band beneath the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt. At the front it is cut to just past the knee or just above mid-calf, depending on your height. It curves around the back where it drops in length at the centre and then there are two long panels on either side of you that fall to the floor. The effect this multi-length hem creates when you move is fantastic. As you walk it floats out behind and around you. You can see the movement in the runway video and it is extraordinary. If that was not enough, the entire dress was then hand, beaded and sequin with a combination of silver thread, tiny little silver beads and tiny silver sequins. They form an exquisite and highly detailed trailing flower design that is denser around the hem and then trails up the dress into the bodice. Attached ties extend out from the centre back of at the waist with extra extra long ties that can be wrapped around you or tied and left to trail out behind you. This is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a white silk satin through the bust and white silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a series of large hidden set hooks at the back. The hooks could be moved a quarter to half inch up or down to get more or less room. The interior bust is shaped and boned. Hand finishes throughout. No size tag present. 

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Empire waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of shoulder to the top of the 1" band under the bust
Total length: 39" from top of shoulder to the front hem, 44" to the shortest pont of the back hem, 59" to the longest point of the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4744

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2003 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 55. Model Natalia Vodianova.  /  (4) Eve at the 2003 CFDA Awards.  /  (5) Naomi Campbell at a Party thrown in honor of McQueen, November 2004.  /  (6) Lily Donaldson on left at the 2006 Met Gala.  /  (7-8) Sienna Miller at the premiere of Cold Mountain, December 2003  /  (9) Julia Schlaepfer wearing this dress at the BAFTA Tea Party, 2024.

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

The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1990 Haute Couture collection. Its twin was shown under a jacket on model Gloria Burgess and we found the original sketch of the dress in my YSL folio. I thought it interesting to see that Gloria was not the original model intended for the dress and that there was a change by Yves as to who wore it on the actual runway and you can see that interesting little detail in the sketch. I have included all the reference photos for you here and it gives you a beautiful idea of how fabulous this is once on the body. This is also the collection that the book 'Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk' notes that "The end of this catwalk show was greeted by 10 minutes of a standing ovation, following Yves Saint Laurent's homage - via 119 designs - to the hugely talented men and women who had thus far influenced him and made an impression upon him". The dress is gorgeous and Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. It really is a beautiful piece and in my opinion, owning a piece of his couture work is one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.

The dress is amazing and showcases how wonderful Yves Saint Laurent could cut a dress to flatter a woman's body. It is made entirely by hand and the silk is that heavier richer silk that you only see in the very best pieces of couture. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulders have padding to extend the line of them outwards a touch over the ends of the shoulder. The sleeves are cut full through the upper arms and then narrow to the wrists. Each cuff ends with four handmade silk covered buttons and loops and each button is perfectly functional. The neckline is set a touch wide across. The silk is gathered around the waist into soft folds to create a little extra bit of a detailing. The folds are set slightly off to the side and on an slight angle that visually helps to extend the body of the person wearing it. The waist is seamed but cut on the more generous side. To cinch it in we have added an ivory silk chiffon sash that is a beautiful match to the dress. The skirt falls under that in a simple shape that flares out as it nears the hem. It falls to just about the knee or above depending on your height and there are hidden pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is beautiful creamy ivory. This is a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. It really shows how sometimes simplicity can have so much of an impact. It would be a dress that might make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice, for a day wedding, or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in an ivory silk and all the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It closes with a hand set side zipper and a button at the back of the neck. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Each cuff has four hand made silk buttons and loop. Padding in each shoulder as described above. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. The silk chiffon sash is not original to the dress but will be sent with it. Any change in colour that you see in the photos is lighting.

Sleeves: 22" and 14" around the upper arm
Slightly wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Total length: 38" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4727

Reference Photo: Spring 1990 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway. Model Gloria Burgess.

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 very rare dress that is the twin of the dress that walked the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 1992 Haute Couture runway. It is extremely well documented and I have included photos of the original sketch and swatches that I have here from the Saint Laurent couture archive book set that I own in addition to runway reference photos of it that we found. You can see just how fantastic it is on the body. This was Look 47 and part of the short evening segment of the collection.

This collection marked Yves' 30 year anniversary and it was presented on January 29 to coincide exactly with his first collection presented January 29, 1962. The book, Yves Saint Laurent Catwalk, notes that at the time people were expecting a retrospective but Yves actually surprised everyone by producing a full 91 piece collection. There was a definitive tribute aspect to his first 1962 collection. Flowers were a main motif and ran throughout the collection as did polka dots and stripes. Puff sleeve tops with balloons skirts were integral and dresses like this one were a key look. It is an exceptional to have such beautiful documentation on this stunning dress. Every piece of Saint Laurent Couture is a treasure but when it's as highly documented in from such an important collection as this, it is just that much more special.

The dress is exquisite. It is made from a combination of a white silk that has been hand embroidered with roses and leaves across the entire bodice. This is then combined with a silk faille skirt that has dots that appear to be hand painted onto the fabric. A silk organza bow is wrapped around the waist and I love the deeper mustard yellow tone of it. It perfectly offsets the black and white palette. The neckline is scooped across the front and the bodice is meant to skim over the body to the waist. The sleeves are fantastic and each insets into the bodice in a series of pleats across the top of the shoulders. This is what gives them the volume that you see. The edges of the neckline are finished with a black cord and this runs around the cuffs as well. Each cuff is brought into the arm with a button and loop and this bringing in at the arm also helps to exaggerate the puff above. The entire silk of the top is embroidered in this magical, dreamy, black rose embroidery that pops against the white of the silk. The embroidery is done onto the silk directly in some places and then in other places the leaves or roses have been cut out and hand stitched in place. The waist is seamed but it is more generously cut and the organza ribbon that circles it adds the perfect pop of color. Under that the skirt is fantastically full and the fulness is created by the pleats that are set into the waist and the way it has been wrapped in and under at the hem to attach to the skirt underneath. Between the those two layers of the skirt you can feel that there is tulle and some structure inside that helps hold that exaggerated shape. It is a fantastic magical piece of Haute Couture and an important piece from an important collection. Excellent condition with a note below.

The bodice is lined in an ivory silk and the sleeves are unlined. The belt at the waist is attached and wrapped and hooked into place. The skirt is lined in the same fabric as the outer skirt and there is stiffening between the layers as described above. It closes at the back with a button at the top of the neck and then there is a hidden set side zipper too close. The dress is unlabeled, but I have seen the original label that came with the dress. The dress had been let out at some point and my client had it brought back in and unfortunately when she had it altered back to its original size, the tailor lost the tag. I see some very minor evidence of that alteration on the bodice. There are some areas of stress near the embroidery and some minor reinforcements underneath the arms. I see slight dustiness on the fabric at the top the shoulders and there is a tiny chip on the button on one sleeve. Perhaps a slight grubbiness along the inner edge of the lining under the arm. The outside presents as clean and fresh and once on it looks immaculate. 

Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 18" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4509

Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.  /  (5-6) From the book "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: L'oeuvre Integral 1962-2002".

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.

John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have two of the dresses he sent for you with more to come. This is the actual runway sample from the Fall 1975 collection and you can see how fantastic it is on the body on the reference photo we found. The bead work on it was done by hand by Madame Gandini who did beading for many of the Couture houses of the day. John is one of my favorite American designers and right out of the gate he won the Coty Award for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. His work veers towards minimalism with sharp tailoring. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one might even make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event. It is a work of art. 

John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $10,000 even in the 1970s. If you convert that to modern dollars you get to about $68,000 which is incredibly still less then a modern couture pieces done to this level would be. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.

This is an amazing dress that is heavily and densely beaded. The base of the gown is made of an ivory silk chiffon and then onto that are hundreds of vertical chevron bands of a silver coloured glass tube beads laid out in to fully cover every square inch of the dress. The dress is already spectacular on its own and the addition of the thousands and thousands of glass tube beads give the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour. Every square inch of the dress catches the light and sparkles. As a result the dress is fairly heavy off the body. We weighed it and it is almost 10 pounds because of that extensive bead-work. Yet once on the body it perfectly drapes over you in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The impact of all those silver ivory toned beads from head to toe is stunning in the light. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will gasp to see it in real life. This needs a body to give it a life of its own and the camera cannot capture just how gorgeous it is and how the beads catch the light. The cut is sublimely simple. The bodice is cut with a V and there is a border of the bead work following the V to highlight it. The rest of the dress falls from there is a beautiful column of beads to skim over you all the way to the floor. There is just a suggestion of the waist and it skims over the hips. The sleeves are long and equally as simply. They widen out as they near the hem and this graceful line of the sleeves with their bordered cuffs is perfection. The back is just one long column of the bead work. The skirt widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. As good as it photoed the effect that this dress has once it is on an actual body is far more dramatic and fabulous. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so much better in real life. It is completely made by hand and you would never be able to find its modern equivalent. It is stunning. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in an ivory silk chiffon and it closes at the back with a metal and nylon zipper. Hand finished throughout. As noted above it has a good weight to it since it is fully beaded from top to bottom with glass beads but feels balanced when on and comfortable. There is perhaps the occasional bead missing here and there - a bit of the top row on the back of the collar is missing - but no bare areas. There is a slight darkening to some of the beads just above the hem. Please see the photo after the label shot. It feels more ivory silver in person.

Sleeves: 22" and 12" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4398

Reference Photos: Fall 1975 John Anthony Runway.

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.