The Shrimpton Couture Archives

$3800

This wonderful cape is from the Fall 1973 collection and its twin in a green colour resides in the YSL museum permanent archive collection. I have a copy of a video shared by a former YSL employee that shows it behind the scenes and the sketch I have included here is a shot from that video. I love having that extra documentation on the piece. It is just stunning to see it in person

The cape is this wonderful rich shade of brown and the fabric is extremely soft and cozy. The chenille is heaven to the touch. It is so easy to wear. You just slip it over your shoulders and it drapes in place. A tie in the same chenille sits at the neck  and you use this to tie it in place and to control how loose or tight it sits. A wide set hood extends out from the neck and I love how it drapes over your shoulders for added detail and drama. And of course of you wear it up. It is absolutely dreamy and has all the drama. If that was not enough it has chenille fringes that go all the way around the edges. I love this detail and the movement it adds. The cape is made out of a loose net that has a honeycomb feel to it that gives it a ton of movement and volume. When you're standing still it feels very sleek but the second you move that honeycomb technique expands it out as much as it needs to go. When you move you get wonderful movement as it floats around you. I also the softness and richest the chenille has. I feel like this makes it a lot more versatile than some of the more traditional wool fabric capes. It has this sense of whimsy that YSL really excelled at. I can't say enough good things about this one and the fact that it's twin is held in the YSL museum collection is just icing on the cake. It is a great piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined and drapes over the shoulder to wear with a tie at the neck as described. The easy open cut should allow it to fit just about any size. It appears to have been worn very little if at

Length: 53" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# C605

Reference Photo/Video: Taken from Instagram - credit unknown.

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

It is almost a miracle to find runway confirmation from address in the late 1970s by Oscar de la Renta. Photos of those shows during this time. Are not as readily available so whenever I can actually date of peace and have a runway confirmation it's very exciting. I also love that having that photo shows just how fabulous this dress is on the body because it's gorgeous as it looks on the dress form it's only really going to come to life once it's on. It's truly one of my favourite little Oscar dresses I've ever had in the shop.

This is such a gorgeous dress. It's made out of an inky black velvet that has bright little coloured rhinestones that are set in groups of two and then scattered over the entire dress. Each little cluster has been hand sewn into place. The way these catch the light as you move is just gorgeous. It also gives the dress this incredibly festive feel and elevates what would otherwise just be a normal little black dress. Inside there is a full built in cupped corset to hold the dress perfectly in place when it's on. It is cut to fit more snuggly to your bodice and then drops to a seam set just across the top of your hips. The skirt flares out from there and widens out a bit as it nears the ham. It's very flattering because it shows off your body but it's not skin tight everywhere. I love the wide grosgrain ribbon bow that sits at the center of the neckline. It's just this perfect little detail that Oscar excelled at. The dress is gorgeous and a favorite. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a black silk and has a full built in cupped corset that is boned and closes with hook & eye at the back. It closes with a back zipper over that. I see two areas on the back where the velvet has flattened slightly and catches the light a little differently. One is near the zipper and the other on the skirt below that. Please see the photos after the label shot. If you change the inner corset or remove that you could probably get it at least another inch through the bust and the waist

Inner bust: 15-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4153

Reference Photos: Fall 1979 Oscar de la Renta Runway. Model: Kirat.

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

This is a remarkable example of Courreges and the work that Andre was doing during that time period. I know we often associate his work with very mod and short pieces but he also did many dramatic pieces in fabrics like this. It is just incredible and the photos don't come close to conveying how beautiful it actually is in real life. I am sometimes more excited to find these bolder and more unusual pieces from him then the more common mod feeling ones. This one is also numbered on the back of the label. It is just gorgeous.

This beautiful dress is made out of a black silk chiffon and then it has a floral design that it's fused onto the silk. The colours that are used are absolutely gorgeous. They range from this deep fuchsia and pinks and then they slowly change to soft corals and even pale lavenders in parts. The velvet has a glow to it so the effect of the velvet popping off of the transparent silk chiffon is this fantastic play of texture and colour that has to be seen in person. Many of his pieces are a play on volume and proportion and this dress is an amazing example of that. It is a dramatic piece that is cut with a dropped waist much like a twenties piece would be. This blouses over an inner seam set around the top of the hips. The neckline is squared off at the front and again at the back. I love how it is edged in a little black velvet ribbon. Running across the front of the neckline is a skinny little velvet strap that has a flat bow at its center. Each sleeve is full above its own skinny little velvet ribbon edging. The blouse is full and easy and skims over you to that low drop scene under the seam the skirt falls from there and is actually quite full. When you're standing still it hangs straight but when you move you get this beautiful volume and floating affect around you. There's a little attached velvet ribbon on one side of the head that wraps around to tie in the bow on the other. I would love to play on transparency that you get there is a lining inside but you still have this feeling that there's a slight transparency between the flowers. This is Address that really only comes to life once it's on the body as pretty as it looks in the photos it's really when you see it in real life and you realize how much flow the bias cut fabric has how much drape the dress has and how much movement it will have once it's on the body. It's spectacular. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a single layer of silk chiffon through the bodice and has two layers of chiffon through the skirt. Slips over the head to wear and has elastic through the seam at the top of the hips. You can use the ribbon to tighten it further around your hips. Taged a Courreges zero and has a numbered tag on the back of the label. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The easy cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes

Sleeves: 14" and the ends are 10.5" around
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: open
Elastic seam at top of hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 22" from top of shoulder to elastic seam at top of hips
Skirt: 29" from elastic seam at top of hips to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4149

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

Pauline Trigere launched her label in 1942. She was from Paris and moved to the US in 1937. That early French influence showed throughout her career. In 1949 she was awarded her first Coty award. She won it again in both 1951 and 1959. The 1959 win coincided with being inducted into the Coty Fashion Hall of Fame. She was a pioneer in the use of cottons and wool for evening and her work with silks is wonderful. In 1961 she made headlines for being the first major fashion house to use an African American model. This is a stunning example of her later work and it is gorgeous.

The dress has a similar feel to that magical Loris Azzaro I just showcased on my Instagram on a bride. It is like a magical fairy tale version of all that was amazing about this time period. It is made out of a black silk base with a double layer of black silk netting over that. The top layer of netting has these fabulous little black velvet dots fused onto it. The cut of the dress is beautiful. The bodice has an inner silk piece that leaves the upper chest shoulder and arms bare under the netting. It skims over you and and is seamed in at the waist. The skirt sweeps out from there and is gathered into the waist seam for fullness. I did not use any extra crinolines under it and if you wanted to add one you could get an even fuller look. The sleeves are magnificent. Each one is cut with tremendous volume and a huge and elaborate pouf to the upper parts of them. They narrow down to the cuff and this gives them all the drama that you see. They are the perfect finish to this high fantasy dress. The workmanship is fantastic and it is absolutely beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a back zipper and buttons above that. Each sleeve snaps at the cuff.

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 44" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4131

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

Alber joined Lanvin in 2001 and served as the labels Creative Director until 2015. His first break as a designer came when he landed the senior assistant role at Geoffrey Beene. He stayed there for seven years until he was recruited to design for the Guy Laroche label in 1996. in 1998 he took over the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear for Yves Saint Laurent for three short seasons. A stint at Krizia and then a break happened before his time with Lanvin. The Alber years for Lanvin are ones that are much loved by all and with his recent passing owning these pieces seems even more poignant. This dress is stunning and easy to wear.

The dress is made from a black cotton that has a slight coated feel and top stitched edges made to look deliberately a little raw. This was a signature of Alber's work and it is executed perfectly on this piece. It has this fabulous slightly oversized, boxy shape that is easy to wear. You just throw it on over anything and walk out. It great as a piece on its ow or as a super glamorous beach piece while traveling. It is short so can play double duty as both a tunic or a micro mini if you dare. The cut is a simple boxed shape. It slips over the head with a notched front neckline that hooks at the top of the open slit. It falls in a boxy shape under that to the hem. Each sleeve is cut wide and extra long, adding to the oversized feel it has. I love the elaborate crystal detail that finishes the collar. Huge crystals, drop beads and prong set rhinestones create this fabulous jeweled neckline. No jewellery required with this dress. It is amazing on the body and a rare find. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on to wear. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. It is meant to been worn oversized and the loose and easy cut should fit a variety of sizes. It hooks to close at the top of the neck. Tagged a Lanvin 40

Sleeves: 24.5"
Shoulders:
Bust: 23-25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: 20-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 34.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4132

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

John Bates founded the Jean Varon label in 1960 and it quickly became known for the futuristic designs and innovative use of fabrics. He dressed Dianna Rigg portraying Emma Peel in the 1965 season of the action TV series "The Avengers" and that helped bring him more commercial success. By the late sixties and into the seventies his work tended more towards more floaty, feminine designs. Some of the very best pieces were made during this time period. His caftans in particular are fabulous and they are some of my favourites to find. This one with its dramatic cut and print is one of the best I have ever seen

This is one of the best caftans I have seen from this label and because of the voluminous and open cut it should fit just about anyone and any shape. It is made from a wash and wear jersey that has just enough weight to it to help hold the lines and make it drape correctly once you slip it on. It is seamed all around the edges so it is closed down each side. The neckline is cut into a wide squared off opening across the shoulders. It dips down and has an edging of crochet work that you can see a glimpse of skin through. At the center of the front there are attached ties that curve up to tie behind the neck. You can also wear it off the shoulder and let the sides drop depending on how wide across the shoulder you are. This gives it another look again and is really fabulous. There are slits along the side to slip your hands through and then the entire body of the caftan is a simple loose and open cut. The best part is that elaborate and beautiful crane and ocean design that runs over the entire surface of caftan. The backdrop is a pale blueish grey colour and then the print is done in soft tones on top of that. As it nears the bottom of the caftan it turns to a solid black with cranes flying over the surface and the contrast between the two is spectacular. When it is on this anchoring black at the bottom also helps to add to the drama and floating feeling the caftan has. Everything about this piece feels pretty and romantic while still managing to feel strong and bold. When it is on the entire caftan flows around you. It is really an exceptional piece. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. Ties at the neck. The open cut should fit a wide range of sizes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

From widest point flat across edge to edge: 55"
Length: 61" from shoulder to hem and the outer edges hang a bit lower when its on

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-XL OSFA

Item# DD4137

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

In 1993 Oscar de la Renta took over as Creative Director at Balmain where he designed the Haute Couture collections until 2002. The house had been floundering at that point and he had a huge impact on the reviving the sales of the couture pieces, mainly by catering to private clients, much like Balmain had originally. It is extraordinary to think that Oscar never produced a Haute Couture line under his own label and these few short years at Balmain gives us a chance to see just how talented he really was at all levels. I was very pleased to be able to fully document this dress with its photo on the runway and we even found one that shows the twin of this dress just behind Oscar for the finale of the show.

Like most Haute Couture, this is a dress that only truly comes to life when it is on an actual body. No matter how good it looks in the photos, the impact it has in real life and how it moves once on is undeniably beautiful. You can see in the runway shots that the dress sits lower on the sides of shoulders then where it sits on the dress form and this simple difference changes the look of it tremendously. The fabric is a fine silk in a pale baby blue that gives it the weight it needs to perfectly hold and to shape you through the bodice. The dress is sleeveless with wide straps that curve up and off the shoulder. It is fitted to be like a corset with built in boning and seaming to shape you. The neckline is scooped at the front and dips into a V at the back. There are attached underskirts to hold the volume of the skirt and if you wanted even more there is room to add a crinoline. The bodice is shaped with long vertical seaming that curves into the dipped waist seam. At the back it closes with a corset detailing and matching coloured ties. The skirt is set along the waist seam in a series of big soft inverted pleats that give you this lovely curve around the top of the hips. Then as they open out the volume of the skirt is achieved to give it the incredible volume that you see. Each layer of the fabric is light but when all the layers, and the sheer volume of fabric that has been used, is combined the overall weight of the dress is substantial and it feels like a couture piece. You can see how stupendous this is one in the runway photos and the massive sweep that the skirt has. This comes to me from one of his the original couture clients. This dress is definitely a dress that could walk a carpet and it would also make an amazing dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully hand lined in a pale blue silk through the bodice. The skirt has an inner silk lining and then two layer of tulle over that and a partial layer around the inner hips. Hidden boning and corseting through the bodice. It closes with a hidden inner zipper, a half zipper at the exterior waist and then laces to close over that. A waist stay inside that hooks to close and a second hooked stay above that this sits just under the bust. Hand finished through out to Haute Couture standards. Proper couture tag present Couture tape #172438. I see some teeny marks on the grommets which would be a natural part of normal use. One yellowish mark near the seam above the hem. A couple of very faint marks here and there neat the hem. All of which you only see if you lay it out flat and look for them

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner corset waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to side waist
Skirt: 44" from side waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4136

Reference Photos: Spring 1994 Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Runway.

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

Geoffrey Beene was one of the great American fashion designers and he was recognized for both his artistic and technical skills. He launched his label in 1963 and a piece from his very first collection landed the cover of Vogue. A Coty award followed a year later and in 1984 the Council of Fashion Designers created the annual Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in honor of Beene's fashion legacy. This dress is from one of his early labels done to reach a younger audience and it is literally one of the cutest sweetest dresses I have ever had in the shop

The dress is a riot of print and colour and I love it. The bodice is done in a deep blue that has white and soft grey dots. It is cut to skim over you and then the neckline is cut wide. If you are small through the shoulders you might even get away with wearing off the shoulder. The sleeves are barely a cap and they are finished in the same joyful ruffle that the neckline has. The waist cinches in and is set a bit higher for a slight empire feel. The dress comes with its original striped belt that lets you cinch it in even more. Under that is cutest skirt with a vivid floral design in a riot of colors. The three patterns should not work together but they do. And the skirt even has pockets. Great condition with one note below

Unlined and closes with a hidden set side zipper. The belt hooks to close. There is some fading to the fabric at the top of the shoulders that you don't see once it is one due to the volume of fabric there. Please see the photos after the label shot. The belt shows a tiny bit of normal wear to the back.

Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 24" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4129

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

Sybil Connolly was based in Dublin and she was known for creating fashion from Irish textiles especially linens that she used both with and without pleats. Her first major US fashion show was in 1953. She quickly became a darling of the American market and was dubbed by the media as 'Dublin's Dior'. Jacqueline Kennedy wore Connolly for her official White House portrait and Connolly was a particular favorite of Carmen Snow, the editor of Harper's Bazaar. All of her pieces were made in her atelier in Ireland, even the ready-to-wear pieces. This was the opposite to all the other European designers who had the American market pieces made in America due to the stringent and high costs of customs. But Sybil wanted to keep employment in her own Irish workrooms. Sybil Connolly pieces are rare things to find and I love this one so much.

The dress is a dream. It is made out of a fine silk gauze chiffon that is very light and airy. This is a dress that you have to see in person to fully appreciate its beauty. The fabric has such lightness that is is just magical once on. The colour is a soft pale lavender with a darker large shade of the same colour screened onto the silk in the pattern that you see. The bust is cut to skim over you and it has an inset the at the front that contrasts with the rest of the print. This is just a pretty little extra detail. The waist is seamed but it is set slightly low and it is generous in cut. You could change the look of the dress by adding a belt or ribbon around the waist for more shape. Or wear it more loose and easy as you see it in these photos. The skirt billows out underneath that with a tiny bit of gathering around the waist seam. It opens out to the floor from there and has quite a bit of fabric by the time it reaches the hem. Circling the hem is a deep ruffle with a smaller ruffle set just above it at the joining seam. The same ruffle technique is also done at the ends of each sleeve. This gorgeous ruffle technique adds to the feeling of lightness the dress has. Above those pretty ruffle the sleeves are very full and billow out and around the arm.  The sleeves are not lined so you get a pretty glimpse of the arm through the sleeve. It is wonderful and rare example of her work. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a white silk organza with the sleeves left and lined. It closes with a back zipper. The bodice is lined with a pale lavender silk. All of the interior seam edges are finished to Haute Couture standards and are completely done by hand. I see what looks like a tiny bit of a repair near the base of the zipper amd near the seam under one arm but both are extremely minor.

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4133

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 Dsquared2 brand was started by Dean and Dan Canten, identical twins born in Canada. In 1991, the brothers moved to Milan where they worked as designers for the house of Gianni Versace. They also had a short stint as designers with the Diesel brand. In 1995 they launched the Dsquared2 label. This is a more recent piece and it is gorgeous. It manages to be both sleek and simple and yet complete drama at the same time. It is gorgeous

The black jersey this dress is made of is the perfect choice for it to fall and drape perfectly once on the body. The fabric has just enough weight so that the drape down the front is perfectly executed, but it is still light enough to feel extremely comfortable once on the body. The simple yet dramatic cut has that nod back to the glamour days of Hollywood. Straps made from the  same fabric extends from the center of the bust and curve up and around the neck. They twist at the front with a little keyhole underneath that gives a glimpse of bare skin. There are two tiny straps that extend out from that twist that wrap around you and secure tot he back of the dress to help keep it in place. From there the dress drapes down and around you in this supermodel long sheath of jersey. It skims over the body and slightly flares out at the hem. Added to this as that dramatic attached cape. It is actually attached and a part of that front twist. There is a opening that you slip your head through and then it drapes down into this fabulously dramatic cape down the back. You can wear it draped over the shoulder or more as a panel behind you. It will catch the air when you move and billows around you fantastically. It is simple, sexy and perfect. It looks to have never been worn. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a back hidden set zipper that disappears under the caped back once on. Tagged a XS. The fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. 

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 70" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4122

Reference Photo: credit unknown.

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

When hunting for the provenance of this dress we found a great shot of its twin on Moran Atias when she wore it to the Cannes film festival in 2007. I love that I have this so you can see how great it is on the body. The dress also has the significance of being from one Mr. Valentino' final few years before he retired. It 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.

This ivory silk chiffon and lace dress is stunning on the body. This combination of those two fabric allow it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve in a very flattering way. The fabric also have a slight stretch that allow the dress to show off your curves while still feeling wildly comfortable once on. The bodice has a soft and romantic feel as it glides over you. The front and back of the bodice curves across you to leave the other shoulder bare and exposed. All of the edges follow the natural pattern of the lace and this adds to the feminine feel that it gives. The lace is backed with more silk chiffon so even though the lace has a bit of transparency you are fully covered. It is just tremendously beautiful. The lace is set over the waist in angled panels that work the way down the dress. In between the lace are silk chiffon panels. They are set in a way that emphasizes your curves and give height. The workmanship is exquisite where they meet. It skims over the waist and hips and then falls to the floor in a beautiful drape of lace at the bottom skirting. Both fabrics are light and soft and there are additional layers of chiffon underneath so that it feels amazing against the skin. It is cut supermodel long in length. The back is cut slightly longer then the front so you get this pretty sweep of fabric behind you. It is incredible and I love it. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with two inner layers of silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set side half zipper and then has another one mid-back. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.

Bust: 15.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from top of the shoulder to front hem 66" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4118

Reference Photos: Moran Atias, wearing Valentino, at Cannes Film Festival, 2007.

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

McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. I have included two photos from the runway that year and you can see how the elements from these pieces were combined to create this dress. Pieces from this collection are some of the most valued by collectors. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress feels a bit like the embodiment of that center piece they refer to, as you are wrapped an swathed in fabric once it is on. The impact of this dress is not truly conveyed on the photos and the way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body.

The dress is beautiful. Rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish texture. The silk is feather light and once the dress in on the body it feels like you are wearing air. The cut is classic McQueen with an almost scandalously low cut squared off neckline. Underneath he has suggested the presence of a seam with a line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds shape and gives that dress its empire feel. It is lightly gathered over the bust. Inside the bust is structured and supported. The support is genius and done mainly by couture level seam work and fabric rather then extensive boning. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are many yards of silk used to create that magnificent skirt. On one side under the bust there is a extra panel of the silk that is caught up and drapes to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. This creates this curved line that sits off of the dress. The skirts are long and extend even longer at the back. The skirt extends out there to trail out behind you in a long train. I love how the fanbric there extends out from the back upper seam ... as you walk this creates this billowing feel behind you that is extraordinary. It is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place and is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in black silk satin through the bust and black silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. The interior bust is shaped and lightly boned at the sides. Original tags attached. Tagged a McQueen 38.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist-hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to shortest point of the front hem, approx 90" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3473

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).

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 hints of this dress from both the 1986 collection and in the 1988 collection. The original owner did buy it in the 1980s but I do not have the exact day. I tend to lean towards the earlier date for it but I have included reference photos from both the above mentioned collections. It is a stunning example of Valentino's work during this time period.

The dress is beautiful to see in person. It flows over the body from the more fitted bodice and the lightness of the silk allows it to move and float around you when you move. The bodice is a stunning example in shaping and couture techniques. Inside it is boned and has built in cups. This interior structure holds it perfectly in place over the body once on. On the exterior the silk is hand set and gathered over the bust and all the way around you. Each individual gather is meticulously hand stitched into place. Above this more structured part of the dress is a single layer of the chiffon. At the front it scoops in a higher set neck and at the back it is set with a keyhole running down to the top of the gathered bodice. The skirt flows out under that in four layers of the silk and each layer is bias cut. This is what allows it to have such beautiful movement when you move. The final touch are those pretty sleeves that are cuffed at the wrist and pouf out around the arm above that. It also has its original very large silk shawl piece. It is beautiful. The dress does have some flaws but is structurally sound. Please review the notes below.

The interior bodice is finished is boned and corseted. The skirt has four layers of silk as described above. The interior corset closes with hook and eye and the silk layer zips to close over. Each cuff buttons with two silk covered buttons and loops. Three buttons at the top of the back neck. There are areas of fading through the skirt that go through the layers. I have photoed the worst of them. There are some faint areas of the same on the silk above the corset and on the sleeves. I see one tiny repair near the hem at the back of the skirt. It comes. I think you could potentially remove the sleeves and upper bodice and use the shawl to create a layer over the worst of the fading or just have it redyed and it would be perfect again. Sold as found and final and the price is according to the description above

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16.5" from top of neck to interior waist stay
Skirt: 45" from interior waist stay to hem
Shawl: 54" x 52"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3018

Reference Photos: (1) From the book "A Grand Italian Epic, Valentino", 1988/1989 collection  /  (2-3) The "Degradè" Dress from the Valentino Haute Couture 1986 collection. (4) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon taken on location at JohnMel Stables 

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

Please be advised that that there will be a slight delay in shipping this item. It was with a stylist and is currently in transit back to us. It will be shipped as soon as it returns. If you need it by a specific date please add that to the notes section of your order. If it is part of a multi item order we will ship for free separately so the rest of your order is not delayed.

Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of  the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a gorgeous example of his work from this time period. It is beyond gorgeous and it is one of my favorites from him.

I have had the twin of this dress in the shop in the past and it is just as good this time around if not better. I truly love this dress. It is made from a very fine purple silk that has a bright true pink ruffle set down one side. The way that the pink is attached tot he dress gives the appearance that it has been wrapped around the bust and then tied into a dramatic bow at the shoulder with the ties trailing down your side. This is all an illusion as everything is attached and stays perfectly in place. The pink is gathered around the bust and then is caught up to one side to create that fantastic bow. The other shoulder is left completely bare for the perfect balance. The illusion is then made complete with the ties of the bow extending down the side of the dress in an extravagant pink ruffle. This ruffle trails down from the bust right down to the hem and it is fabulous. Wearing this dress is like wearing a piece of art. Inside the bust there is a built in foundation ad a hidden tiny strap lies under the bow so that everything stays perfectly in place. Under that the dress falls in a gradually widening line to the hem. It is extraordinary and amazing and even more beautiful in person. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a deep purple silk. The inner bodice closes with its own zipper and then the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Lightly boned through the inner bodice. Note that the waist of the outer is 16" flat across so if you needed more room you could add to the inner bodice to give you another couple of inches to work with. The dress I have on in the photos is the older twin I of this one that I had before to give you an idea of it on. The colours are even better on person.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder strap to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4109

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 Nina Ricci brand was founded in 1932, at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris and quickly became one of the top couture ateliers in the world. In 1964, Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant, as head of the brand. Over the following three decades, Pipart's couture vision 'celebrated a flamboyant woman and his ready-to-wear found a loyal following among the most stylish women of the day.' This dress Is one of his more quirky pieces and I am obsessed. I have had piece in the shop in the past that has this faux handbag applique but they were all from the 50s and 60s when that was a bit of a rage. I loved finding this 1980s designer version.

This dress is so eighties in every way and I love it. I am almost sad at how it photoed on the mannequin because on person its so much better. And these on the body are fabulous. Dresses like this really need a person in them to come to life. The dress is made out of a fine black wool that has a silk like finish to it. The fabric choice helps to hold the shape and support the applique work done onto it. The shoulders are set wide and there is light padding underneath. Each sleeve is gathered at the top of the shoulder and is meant to pouf a bit. The sleeves narrow down to a gathered cuff that hide a zipper. The body of the dress is full and easy with no defined waist. It simply falls from the shoulders so that the volume is on the top and then narrows down to skim over the hips to a pencil cut skirt. Then appliqued onto the dress is that fabulous faux bag that crosses over one shoulder and down to the hip. The strap is a wide silk textured ribbon that is finished in a flat bow at the top of the shoulder. This angles down to meet the 'bag' made out of a metallic embroidered velvet. The upper edge of the bag is gathered in and finished with a ruffle of a bright blue silk for an unexpected pop of colour. Anther bow sits below that. The best part? It is open at the top so that it is a functional pocket. The final little detail is the inside lining of the collar. It is the same blue as the ruffle on the bag. I love this little hidden secret. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and closes at the back with a zipper. Padding in each shoulder and a hidden zipper at each cuff.

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4104

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

Holly Harp opened a shop LA in the late 1960s and created custom clothing under the Holly's Harp label. She tended to create her clothing out of a hodge-podge of new and old materials. In the beginning she favored things like feathers and fringe but her aesthetic became more 'grown up' and glamorous as her career progressed and she started to focus more on jerseys and draping. She was an avid thrifter and you can often see the influence of earlier decades in her work like with the kimono-esque hand painting and embroidered work on this piece. This is a dress I have had in my archives for a long time and its spectacula.

This is a beautiful example of her work and dresses like this from her are impossible to find anymore. My personal theory on why that is, is that the women who bought her work either wore them to death or are still hoarding them. Her work is magical. The dress is done in the most striking jewel toned red coloured silk velvet mixed with a red silk chiffon. The colour is so dramatic and rich feeling. It is completely cut on the bias cut and only truly comes to life once on the body. The cut is stunning and everything you want from a dress. The neckline is scooped at the front and again at the back. The dress is suspended from two tiny red silk straps and I love the delicate sprinkle of bead work at the base of each strap. The dress skims over you all the way down the body and is so easy to wear. The top layer of the dress is a fused red velvet on silk chiffon. The fabric is very light in weight. To add a little extra glitz there is this subtle bit of silver thread that runs through the velvet parts and these catch the light fantastically. Under this top layer there are three layers of silk chiffon and then a final inner layer of red silk. These are cut in a rolled edge uneven point that centers sown the back and front. The layers give the dress incredible movement and I love the contrast between the velvet and the silks. And the silk underlays go all the way up and are attached around the neckline. This gives you a smooth finish without adding any bulk. It is incredible and so light in weight. It's bias cut mans that when you stand still it falls in one beautiful sleek column but there is actually several yards of fabric in the skirts. It is only when you move that the amount of fabric that is actually there is revealed. The final perfect touch are those strands of piping that are at each side to suggest that the top layer is gathered up so the underskirts can peek out. The piping is finished with beads and there is also more bead work where they are set in on each side. The bead work there is very fine and elaborate. The dress is very well made and hand finished throughout. It is a beauty. Excellent condition

Fully lined an a red silk as described above. Bias cut and just slips on to wear. It has a large of movement and should fit a range of sizes.

Bust: 15-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 60" from top of bodice to longest point of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4096

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 a tough one to date as the label style that is in it covers the period from the 1980s to the early 1990s. It is most likely from the time period when Karl Lagerfeld was the designer for the Chloe label but could potentially be Martine Sitbon. Karl designed for them from 1965 to 1983 and then Sitbon took over from 1987 to 1991. In 1992 Lagerfeld again headed the design team until 1997. Either way this is a rare find and I look forward to sending the new owner verification when I confirm one way or the other one day as I am sure I will stumble across it at some point. The dress is fantastic even beyond that question and I am obsessed with it.

The first thing you will notice about the dress is that it is as light as air. It is made from a feather light silk organza that has just enough crispness to it to hold the shape but that adds as little weight as possible. It also has this ultra fine finish that gives it a bit of a liquid look but in a subtle way. It is quite a remarkable fabric actually. The dress is strapless and the bodice is gathered into soft draping pleats that are gathered in and held in place down the seam on both sides, the back where the zipper is and down the front. There is no added inner foundation and just light boning down each side. It simple drapes over your body and your coverage is provided by the gathered top layer of gathered fabric and the opaqueness caused by a single inner layer of black silk. The gathers run from the top of the bodice to just below the hip. The seam that ends at the hip is softly curved as it is gathered in and up towards the center. The skirt falls under that to the floor and it is also made from a double layer of the silk. The two layers of the skirt float over each other and will move with your slightest movement. Attached at the center of the bodice is a wide sash of fabric that is shapes into a big soft bow. From that bow there are long ties that extend down to softly fall over the front of the dress. This adds so much detail and volume and I love it. The fabric has a touch of transparency to it and with the double layer of the silk there is a depth created by the layers sitting over each other that is fantastic. It is a beauty. Excellent condition

The second inner layer of the same fabric n the skirt acts as the lining and the bodice is lined in a black silk. It closes with a back set zipper.

Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 53" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item# DD4076

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 one of those magical things that you will only ever find with vintage. It has no labels and no indications of any designer but is very well made and just such a lovely thing to see. It is a set that has a dress and full length coat that goes over that. Both of the pieces are made specifically for each other but you still could break them up and wear them separately to extend the life and wears of them in your closet. The set has a nod to the regency period in its design combined with a bit of a sixties feel. The dress has a scooped neck and empire waist that sits under the bust. The sleeves are capped and poufed. The skirt falls from the seam under the bust and widens out gently as it nears the floor. All of the seams are covered with a metallic gold applique that has these huge oval milky faceted plastic beads sewn into place. At the base of the neckline and connecting to the waist they form a medallion effect. An even denser application is down at the back. There is even a row of it down each side of the skirt. That same applique work runs over the matching coat. More gold and beads circle the neckline, the edges of the sleeves and run around the waist and down the front to then run around the hem. The coat is cut to closely follow the lines of the dress underneath with capped puffed sleeves and a scooped neckline. It closes with a wide strap that runs just under the bust and this holds it in place but keeps it open and the edges apart about 2" so that you still see the dress underneath. It is gathered at the back so that is falls in more of a sweep of fabric there. The fabric itself is a silk chiffon in a soft lime colour. It is hand lined in an ivory silk. It is gorgeous and I love the versatility of the two pieces. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Both pieces are fully lined in an ivory silk. The dress closes with a back zipper and the coat closes with hidden set hook & eye and snaps. There is a tiny area of soft faded marks on the side of the waist. The front hem falls just a tiny bit short from the underskirt. Please see the last two photos. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. Well made with tons of hand finishes throughout.

Dress
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Empire waist: 14.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 47" from waist to hem

Jacket
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# E709

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 love Josefa caftans and have covered the history of the label a couple of times in my instagram. They are like owning a piece of wearable art. Every single one of them was entirely hand made, detailed and embroidered. They were made in Mexico in the late sixties to early seventies and were the epitome of Bohemian chic in their day. They are easy to wear pieces that can go from the beach, to exploring far off markets, to being worn as an evening piece depending on how you style them. This one with its pretty pink tones is a beauty and it is a little extra interesting because I have had its twin in blue in the past. I love knowing that they were made in different colours

This is a gorgeous example of her work. The cotton is still crisp and fresh feeling and it would have been hand dyed to the beautiful pink colours and then screened with the striped pattern. It has embroidery work down the front and back. More embroidery is worked across the top of the shoulders and onto each sleeve. Then all of the lines are accented with hand applied pink ribbon on two different tones. The sleeves are incredible. Each is cut straight and wide and I love the detailing and pattern that runs over each. There are even ribbons that hang down on each side on the sleeves and loop at the bottom. I left them hanging down for these shots but you could also clip the bottom so that they separate and then you could tie them into pretty little bows if you wished. The neckline is squared off at the front and the back. From there the dress falls to the floor and widens out as it goes. It is cut to skim loosely over the bodice and then it flares out dramatically as it reaches the hem. It even has pockets hidden along each seam at the hips. It is also a good long length which is sometimes hard to find with vintage from this time period.  It is easy to wear and a great statement piece. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. The fabric has natural variations in it. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. The colour in person has a slighter more natural, paler feel to it then how it photoed. It's even better in person I think. The loose cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. There is a small faint mark on one side. Please see the photo after the label shot

Sleeves: approx 18"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4066

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

In 1951, 27 year old James Galanos launched his first label called Galanos Originals. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. His ready-to-wear line was made close to couture standards and with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper and he used many couture techniques in his work. Grace Kelly was an early fan. He was truly one of the great American designers and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites. This dress is exceptional and I was very excited to have it come into the shop. It would be red carpet worthy and it would also be an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. It already has the something blue built in. And of course it could also be worn to any non wedding event too. 

I love this dress. The color combination is fabulous together and the two different silks that he used are the highest quality. Galanos excelled at silks and silk chiffon and this dress is a testament to that. It is very difficult to work with these fabrics and have them sit properly. The skirt is really where you see his genius. It is made out of four layers of an ivory silk chiffon with each layer stacked perfectly over the one beneath it. Then on top of those is a fifth printed floral layer. This final outer layer has a touch of texture to it that makes it incredibly beautiful. The layers are attached at the side seams and around the waist so that the hem and shallow slits at the sides can benefit from the full movement created by all the layers. This is what gives the dress movement when you move while still keeping it light as air. Along each side of the skirt is a panel of a liquid finish silk satin. This is a clever way to help the skirt hold its shape and give it weight so that when you move it always sits right. The side panels are actually extensions that run down from the bodice. The top is a simple affair that covers you at the front and leaves the back completely bare. It is gathered in soft horizontal folds across the bust and then those gathers tighten and curve down low at each side. Instead of wrapping around you to the back they drop and extend into those side skirt panels that you see. It is incredible. Tiny straps curve up and over your shoulders and then drop all the way down your back to the waist to hold the dress in place. The inside of the bodice is lightly boned and then lined with what feels like several layers of silk and structure so that you can wear it with nothing underneath. To finish the look he then added this spectacular and huge flower print on both the front and back of the skirt. This bold blue flower covers almost the entire skirt and makes sch a beautiful statement. It is like wearing a piece of art. It would also have had to have been all planned out prior to construction and the silk used for it done separately so that the flowers fell in the exact right position. As with most silk chiffon pieces it really will only truly come to life when on an actually body. It is beautifully made and feather light. Gorgeous. Excellent condition with a small note below.

The multiple layers of silk in the skirt serve as the lining. It closes with a low back hand set zipper. Hand rolled edges and hand finishes throughout. Light boning through the bodice. There is the very faint mark on the side panel of the skirt and some small ones near the hem of the inner lining. Please see the last two photos after the label shot. Slightly more ivory in person then how it photoed.

Bust: the total width of the bust across is about 16" and there is no back
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from the top of the strap to the waist
Skirt: 42.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4064

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

This is a beautiful dress from the Christian Dior label that showcases the restraint and elegance the best of the brands work has always displayed. I have had this exact dress in the shop before but in black and it is amazing how gorgeous the ivory version also is. John Galliano went from Givenchy to Dior in October of 1996 and stayed there until he was dismissed in February of 2011. During John Galliano's years at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing dresses in the house's history. His work is always beautifully cut and this one is no exception. It has that minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and it is stunning. This was a piece that was produced in limited quantities for retail. The main line runway pieces that season where based on his own couture work and then the actual production pieces included a group of more refined and elegant pieces like this one. It is always interesting to see how John translated his over the top runway collections into elegant, wearable and yet still glamorous pieces. It is a beauty and really might just be a perfect cream coloured dress. 

I love everything about this dress. The way the buttons are laid out onto it with that curved lined off-set down the front make it feel longer then it is. Everything about the cut is done to lengthen the girl wearing it and give her one long and beautiful line. The shoulders are slightly squared off, but not in an exaggerated way and they are not padded. The sleeves are long and simple. The body of the dress is cut to skim over you from shoulder to hem. The waist is brought in just a touch and this is done with vertical seaming so that there is no line to break the fabric across the waist. The skirt falls from there to the floor in a column widening out just a touch as it nears the hem. It buttons down the one side and the buttons are set on a slight curve that give the dress a respectful nod to the early days of the house and the work of Christian. All of the buttons are functional and the entire dress will completely open so you could wear this is a layered piece over other pieces if you wished. The dress doe not have a single unnecessary seam. It really shows how sometimes absolute minimalism is best. Even with its simplicity it would still be a dress that is red carpet worthy or 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 other event too. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk and closes with the fabric covered buttons down the front. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a FR38 US6 IT42 GB10

Sleeves: 23.25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4063

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 remained as the head of the Couture division until the last showing in 2005 when the house officials shuttered is couture business altogether. This dress is from the Fall 2001 Haute Couture presentation and it is the actual runway sample that was worn on the runway. It was Look 7 In the presentation that day. I have included several runway reference photos for you so that you can see just how spectacular the dress is once on an actual body. In addition this dress was lent and worn by Alexandra Daddario and we have induded those shots here as well so you can see just how fabulous this is on an actual body. This also adds to its provenance and I love that,

Having the actual Haute Couture runway sample is just that much more amazing even in the land of Couture. Having the sample means that the dress is still completely made by hand to Couture standards but has the added touch of all those last minute adjustments that would have been done  by Stephane and the atelier to perfectly fit the model to walk the runway that day. This is an amazing opportunity to see what few see; a dress straight from the atelier, overseen and fitted by the couturier himself for its debut on the runway. The dress is covered with various sized panels of a red silk gazaar. These have been hand set to overlap as they cascade down the length of the dress. The panel size gradually become larger as they run down the dress to the train at the back. By layering the panels the dress has a sense of depth and texture then even the photos can truly convey. It also adds a subtle movement when you move. Each panel is secured to the base fabric just along its edges so that there is a movement and lightness created when it is on and you move about. The bodice is strapless and the panels are set slightly more towards one side so that they form a bit of peak there. The inner part of the dress is cut to above the knee so that you get a long flash of leg at the front. The rest of the dress flows back and around you from there. At the back the train is long and dramatic. The interior is corseted and structured so that it firmly holds the dress on the body and gives you shape. This is an incredible piece of modern Haute Couture. Excellent condition with one small note to review below.

Fully lined in a fine red silk and closes with two zippers. One is on the interior corset and the second is on the outer layer of the dress. The interior corset is boned and shaped. The skirt is lined in a red silk taffeta. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The hand written runway sample tag is present. There is some deepening of the colour/ marks on some of the squares of silk that make up the train and some minor grubbiness from being worn for the runway and then stored. The inner zipper pull is missing and has been replaced by a ribbon. Nothing that detracts once the dress is on. It is 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: (1-4) Fall 2001 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture Runway Show.  /  (5-8) Alexandra Daddario photographed by Storm Santos.

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 launched his ready to wear label in 1962, just two years after opening his first salon in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. His first New York boutique launched in the fall of 1970 and it caused a sensation. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. More boutiques followed including one at Bergdorfs. He encouraged his couture clients to also shop in his boutiques. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and noted that he often carried the lines he created for his Couture label into the boutique work. The primary difference he noted was in the fabric and construction details but they were still remarkably close in quality otherwise. This especially held true in the early days. The line between the two was often blurred and on this set you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. This is one of the most beautiful Valentino pieces I have had in the shop.

The dress is made out of a black silk taffeta that holds the intended shape and volume beautifully. It is a set made up of a dress and jacket that slips on over that. They are fantastically beautiful worn together or separately. I love that having the two pieces gives you more styling opportunities and extends the life of this in your wardrobe. The dress is suspended by two tiny straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The bodice dips into a wide set V at the front and dips lower across at the back to leave a bare expanse of open skin. It is cut to be more fitted to the waist and then under that it is all volume and drama. The skirt has an incredible amount of volume to it that shows best when you move. The lightness of the silk causes the skirt to billow out and move around you as you move yet it still has enough weight that it holds that full feeling when you stand still. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. The 13" ruffle that circles the entire lower hem is actually added on top of the skirt and not simple seamed onto the edge. That means the ruffle has the inner part of the skirt behind it and this extra weight and fabric helps to hold its volume perfectly. This extra little detail is fabulous and adds an extra element of romance and femininity. And it has pockets. Over this pops the jacket and it is a thing of beauty in its own right. The body of the jacket widens out from the soft shoulder and curves around and up from the hem to the neckline. I love the ruffle finish that follows all the way around the edge. The sleeves are incredible and each is cut to be very wide by the time they reach their ends. The seam above the ruffle finish on them is a full 20" around and the ruffle makes it go beyond that even. It is absolutely beautiful. This is Valentino at his best and a tremendously beautiful dress and jacket. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a black silk. The dress closes with a back zipper and there are two hidden hook and eye at the base of the jacket at the front. Tagged a size 6. 

Dress
Bust: to 16.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Jacket
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Sleeves: 22.5" long and 14" around the top part of the arm
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4054

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

Stephen Burrows was known for his innovative use of matte jersey fabrics in a rainbow of colours. He colour blocked it, detailed it with beading, draped it on the bias and added cutouts to highlight the body. He used the Jasco-brand jersey for his work which was light in weight and had some stretch. Many of his pieces, including this one, had their hems finished with a complex zig zag edging. This became known as a 'lettuce' finish and became his signature. His first boutique was simply known as "O" and opened in 1968 with a cofounder. The “Stephen Burrows World" label launched in the summer of 1970 as part of an exclusive in-store boutique for Henri Bendels. In 1973 he was one of the five American designers that participates in the “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, a spectacular competition between American and French designers. That year marked his first Coty win, which was also the first win by Black designer, and he won it again in 1974 and 1977. He left Bendels shortly after only to return again in 1977, 1993 and 2002 for short stints each time. By the late 70s and into the 80s his work was being worn by some of the biggest names in Hollywood like Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand and Cher. His work was the subject of the 2013 exhibit titled 'Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced' and which was the first major exhibit of the work. Another followed at SCAD who presented “An American Master of Inventive Design,” in 2014. 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 from his signature slinky and sexy black jersey. The entire dress is suspended from two tiny straps at the shoulder and falls from there in a beautiful bias cut that ends with an angled asymmetrical hem. This angled cut leaves one leg more bare so that when you walk or sit you get a flash of more skin on that side. He designed his pieces to not be worn with undergarments believing that they should just skim over the body like a dancer. The jersey is opaque enough to do this and he was after that simple and easy dancer feel that the dress has. It is a dress that just slips on and falls into place, floating over the body, without being too tight in any area while still fully highlighting the body beneath. The bodice is truly spectacular. It is fully hand beaded across the bust and down the center front in a densely applied mix of tube beads, seed beads and faux pearl beading. The bead work has all been applied by hand and you can clearly see this is the case on the back side of the fabric. The lower edges of the dress are finished in his signature lettuce hem seaming. It is a fabulous example of his work and I love it. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips over the head with no closures. Tagged a vintage 10. The fabric does have some stretch so will accommodate a range of sizes. I have provided the comfortable range of stretch when laying flat. Perhaps a bead missing here or there but no bare spots.

Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem, 38" to the shortest

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4053

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 black silk gazaar dress is from the Nina Ricci Boutique ready to wear line. When hunting for a reference to date it by, we happened across a photo from 1972 that has a variation of this dress with a different neckline and no sleeves. I like this off shoulder version even more and love that the photo at least gives you an idea of how the dress looks like on the body. The Ricci atelier was launched in Paris in 1932, with Nina retiring from designing in the early 1950s. Jules Francois Crahay then headed the design team until he left for Lanvin in 1963. Gerard Pipart took over from Crahay and stayed on with Ricci until 1998. This dress would have been made during his tenure with the house. It is an incredible example of the work being done by the label during this time period and might be my favourite Ricci dress in the shop to date.

The dress is made from a beautiful black silk gazaar that feels like it has been treated so that it holds its shape and volume even more then it normally would. The fabric has a very fine woven feel to it and just a touch of transparency that keeps it feel light and easy. It has just enough weight and structure to be able to create the impressive lines and volume that you see but without making the dress heavy or bulky to wear. The photos really do not give it full justice and it is an integral part of the design of the dress. The bodice is cut to skim over you to the waist. Running along the edge of the neckline is a 6" wide ruffle. This falls from the elastic finished edge and puffs softly around you. The elastic that runs through the top edge of the neckline allows you to wear the dress off the shoulders leaving you bare. Long sleeves sit under that and they each end in a full circle of fabric to create a pretty 4.5" ruffle. The waist nips in and I have added a grosgrain ribbon that I will send with the dress that allows you to cinch the waist in further. The skirt falls to the floor from there and has yards of fabric in it that create the fullness and volume that you see. The skirt falls in a gently widening line and is finished by a 9.5" ruffle that goes all the way around the hem. The dress has a simple silk taffeta skirt underneath and I did not add any additional  crinolines. The volume you see is achieved solely by the cut and the fabric choice. It is incredible and I love everything about it. Excellent condition

Lined in a black silky rayon through the bodice and the a black silk taffeta through the skirt. The sleeves are unlined. The dress closes with a back zipper. The grosgrain tie belt is not original but will be sent with the dress. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. It is even better in person.

Sleeves: 20" from the top edge to the end of the ruffle. Meant to sit off shoulder. The upper arm is 12.25" around
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of the center of the neckline to waist seam
Skirt: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4052

Reference Photo: Robert Ricci, with two models in Nina Ricci evening wear, UK, October 1972.

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

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during the late seventies, early eighties period. An all sequin version of the dress was worn by the French-italian singer Dalida that same year. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.

This is a killer dress. It is really one that will come to life once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is made out of a black ribbon finish with silk organza ribbons set on to the base in a curving design done to suggest flowers worked through it. Each flower design is finished with a series of curved and looped rows of glossy black sequins. This covers you from where it sits in a curving sweetheart neckline above the breast down to the top of the hips.  Where it meats the skirt it is cut on an angle, which softens the line and adds shape. This part of the dress is entirely opaque and shaped to give you curves. He then used a silk chiffon over the top of the chest and down the back where it dips into a low scoop. An open keyhole runs down the back for a hint of skin. Each sleeve is cut to be wide and full and the chiffon lets you have a glimpse of your arm through it. The cuffs sit under all that volume and they are done in the same ribbon lace and sequin fabric as the bodice. The rest of the dress is made from a bias cut silk chiffon that sits and drapes beautifully around you as you move. It falls from under the bodice and is pretty amazing in its own right. There is an under skirt that acts as the lining and then panels of silk fall to the hem that are only attached around and under the body of the dress. This gives them complete freedom to move so when you walk the panels will float and move around you with the slightest bit of air. It is really gorgeous. The inner skirt underneath keeps it from exposing everything but at the same time does give a suggestion of leg. If there was ever a dress that needed a body inside of it to bring it to life, this is it. It is stupendous once on. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body and the rest is as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and then a black jet button at the back of the neck. Each sleeve has three jet buttons and loop closures. It appears to have been worn very little if at all

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4040

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 incredible dress that is the twin of the dress that was Look 5 from the Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2011 collection. This collection was shot as a lookbook which gives you an amazing glimpse into his styling process. At the time Dior said this of John's collection: ”Dior’s Fall ready-to-wear collection takes its inspiration from the legendary love affair between Mrs. Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. English romanticism is channeled into Balmoral fringed tweeds and candy-coloured tartans with Prince of Wales checks. Ultimate luxury and expertise create evening glamour in elegant draped gowns and head to toe sequins to ensure that every head is turned.” Vogue commented that: "John Galliano galloped the Duchess of Windsor through This Is Your Life, with richly hued musings on what Wallis Simpson in her prime might've worn at specific times of day and across the decades." For the lookbook the Dior team took these pieces and styled them in lavish settings to play on this theme making them feel thoroughly Galliano. This was one of the best pieces of the collection and I love having the photo reference from that lookbook so that you can see just how creative it can go styling wise. This was John's second last collection for the house before being dismissed and his last where he was present for its presentation.

The dress is a play on a flapper dress with a soft tartan inspired check blown up to be oversized and then softened with more pastel coloured version of red and blue. It is printed on a silk chiffon to further soften the feel of the print and give it a romantic vintage feel. The dress has the same long lines as a flapper dress but with a far more sexual twist. It can be worn longer and more straight on the body or you can hike it up to be super short and have that incredible top blouse over as I have done in the majority of these shots. The front is plunged right to the waist and then crossed over itself at the base where it meets the seam. I photoed one front, side and back shot with the dress fully extended down so you can see the full lines of it. The triangles of the two bust pieces extend up and around the neck where it ties into place leaving the tie to trail down your back. The back is left completely bare and it is scooped open right to the waist where is blouses out slightly. It is meant to convey the decadence and abandonment of the twenties with the feeling that with the slightest movement you will fall out of the dress. Yet it has a genius cut so that you are covered. A band of silk gathers and wraps around you at the top of the hip and this is what allows you to pull the dress higher or lower on your hips. The skirt falls under that in a flaring flirty bit of fabric that has tremendous movement. I love that he still worked in his signature tightly spaced silk covered buttons down one side and how there is a little bow at the top of the skirt on each hip. These little details are always what makes a Galliano designed piece that much more special. The last detail is the green and red lace that edges the dress. It has been stiffened and has deliberate raw edges to further play on that feel of the dress being a piece from the past. It is laid out over a band of ivory velvet and this last little touch ties everything perfectly together. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a fine pink-salmon coloured silk. It closes with the buttons down the side and ties around the back of the neck. At some point someone added a snap under the front where it crosses to make it a little more secure. I have left it but it could easily be removed if you wished. I see a bit of residue on the lining of one halter where a double sided tape was used. Tagged a Dior F 36, GB 8, IT 40, US 4. Note that this was very difficult to measure and depending on where you want the band to sit it should fit a range of sizes

Bust: no true side seam and each halter will easily cover a full range of cup sizes
Waist/top of hip at seam: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam and expanding to 17.5 at the bottom seam of the band
Bodice: to approx 21" from top of bodice to top seam of the waist/top of hip
Band: 4"
Skirt: 14" from waist to longest points of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4036

Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior, Look 5. Model: Alina Baikova.

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 John Galliano dress is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. And yes - it is the dress that was worn by Ariana DeBose earlier this year to attend the West World HBO premier. I’ve included photos of her here from my various Instagram posts from that evening and you can see and read more on my Instagram. She even landed in the Vogue Best Dressed of the Summer season so far list in this one. It is spectacular. It is a stunning example of his work and is truly a beautiful piece. 

No matter how good you think that this dress looks like in photos and on Ariana, it is even better in person and moving. The silver metallic beads that creates the pattern on the silk catch the light from every angle when you move. The dress is made out of a deep red silk that has the slightest bit texture to it. The dress is cut on the bias so it just glides over the body. It doesn't even have any closures, it is made to just fall over you in a sweep of bias cut fabric. It is in its original supermodel length and has not been altered. It is cut to skim over the bust with a V neck plunge on both the back and the front. The V cut out are set just slightly off center and the back one scoops lower then the front. The dress is so well made that you could probably wear either side to the front and it works if not for the depth of the back plunge. The dress skims over the waist and hips and is cut so that the bias cut of the silk follows your curves and highlights the body underneath without it being too tight and fitted. Galliano was a genius when it came to this cut. Once past the hips the dress flares out as it nears the bottom and is incredibly long. Set in and around the full lower skirt are panels of the same silk that have been pleated. So when you walk or move these kick out and expand to add volume while still falling in a smother column when standing still. These glide and curve around you and add the illusion of even more height. That pleat work is picked up again at each shoulder where a ruffle of pleated and smooth silk wraps over and down the top of the shoulder for a pretty feminine touch. The final perfect detail is that spectacular design made out of a combination of silver tube beads and embroidery work that wraps around the waist and top of the hip. These cover each side of you and cleverly draw the eye in to add shape but without sacrificing the comfort of the bias cut. It is just wonderful. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined with an inner silk chiffon lining and slips over the head to wear. No size tag present. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. It is in its original uncut length. Being bias cut the length may come up a bit once on the body. The dress should work on a large range of sizes given the bias cut. On smaller frames it will drape more and be more fitted on larger frames. I think the pleats may have softened a bit over time but its hard to know if this was not an international design detail to play on its decadent thirties feel. The very slightest touch of a watermark here and there near the hem. You don't see this at all unless its laid out flat and the skirt opened completely.

Bust: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4029

Reference Photos: Ariana DeBose, wearing John Galliano from Shrimpton Couture, at the Season 4 Westworld Premiere, 2022.

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

Zandra Rhodes is one of my favorite designers and it is always a treat to have one of her pieces for you. This is an incredible cut velvet fabric that she has had custom made with one of her own proprietary designs. It gives it that incredible Zandra Rhode touch while hearkening back to the decadence of the twenties in feel. 

The fabric on this dress is just stunning. It is a cut fused velvet in a chiffon with one of her signature designs made from the velvet parts. The velvet is in a rich deep burgundy red colour that catches the light beautifully. This is fused onto a black chiffon base and the contrast between the two is fabulous. The chiffon parts are partially transparent so you get a sense of that but the dress is but it is also line in black so that it is not completely see-through. The addition of the velvet gives the dress an incredible sensual feel and it feels wonderful when on the body. It is cut in an easy to wear and flattering cut. It simply skims over the body past the bust to the loose and easy cut waist. It skims over the hip and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The bodice has extra detailing across the front with hand applied sequin and beads. The sleeves are unlined and are cut to be wide and full to just about the elbow. Each sleeve is open along the inner seam and the edges slightly overlap so that when you move they have incredible movement. The end of each sleeve is finished beads and sequins. At the wide cut neck there is a panel of silk that is gathered with beads for the perfect finishing detail. The dress appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined in a black silky rayon and it closes with a back zipper. The bead and sequin work detailing are hand applied. This came from the estate of a very good Zandra Rhodes client and was most likely a custom/direct order.

Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Length: 53.5" from shoulder to longest points on the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3528

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

Bill Gibb was one of the most influential designers in 1970s Britain and his clothes were sought out and worn by the rich and famous. His work always has a high fantasy element to it and he was crowned Designer of the Year in 1970. Much of his work verged on couture and he was unrelenting in striving for perfection. Every piece I bring into the shop that was made by him is very special and this one is no exception. Bill had a great fondness for history and exploring the far corners of the earth for inspiration. This set has obvious Asian roots with the fabric choice he made but he has taken the lines of a traditional piece and extended and manipulated them to make a new silhouette. I love how the fabric combines the cherry blossom print with English roses to further emphasize his combining of cultures in this set. It is gorgeous.

The skirt of this set is made from two panels that have been cut into long rectangles and then are brought along the waist band. This creates this wonderful linear line from the hip to the hem. It is seamed down each side to just past the hips and then below that one each side is a high slit to the hem. So when you move or sit you get this flash of legs. It is very sensual. To counteract the slimness the line of the skirt creates, the jacket is cut to feel more of an oversized. It is left open at the front with no closures. You just slip it on to wear. The top of the collar is set so that it flares out to the sides. The sleeves are long and cut wide. The jacket is detailed with black flat braiding that highlights the cut and adds detailing. More braiding runs along the edges of the set and highlight its lines. The fabric is a beautiful bright red silk satin with little cherry blossoms and roses woven through it in a slightly metallic finished thread. This is one of those pieces in person and in an actual body it id far better then how it looks on my dress form. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Both pieces are fully lined in a red silk. The skirt closes with a metal and nylon zipper. The jacket has no closures and slips on to wear. I see a tiny touch of foxing on the side of the skirt, a tiny pen mark on the front of the jacket and some slight lines running up the satin on one sleeve. Please see the photos after the label shot. They are all very minor but mentioned for accuracy. Tagged a vintage UK 8

Jacket
Sleeves: 24.5
Shoulders: 15" across
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 13" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 11" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 43" from neck to hem
Slits: 20" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3436

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

Guy Laroche began working for Jean Desses in 1949 and eventually launches his own Haute Couture label in 1957 as a full member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Parisienne.  He became known for his color sense and the young, sexy look of his clothes. In 1985 he won the Haute Couture Golden Thimble award and two years later he was awarded the insignia of Chevalier de L’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur. His second Golden Thimble was given posthumously after his death in 1989. Michel Klein took over the couture division where he remained until 1996. This dress is from Klein's tenure as the Haute Couture director and label and it is a beautiful example of the work he was doing during his tenure there. Laroche once was quoted as saying “It is my intention to try and adapt haute couture to modern requirements: to make dresses that are simple and chic.” and I feel that this dress tries to live up to that thought while still maintaining the feel of couture during this mid-nineties.

This is the type of piece that is so bold and edgy that you will only ever find it in a Haute Couture piece. I feel like whoever ordered this one had it tweaked slightly from the runway presentation and made it better. The bodice is scooped across on a more graceful line (I don't love how it fits Kirsty Hume who is the model in the photo) and the back skirt feels longer. They also eliminated the bow at the front, opting instead for a single long panel falling at the back that matches the colour and fabric of the skirt. These small details add up to a big difference in how it presents. I also feel that the fit overall is far better then how it appears on the runway. It makes me wonder if there was a last minute substitution of the model for this piece, because in person the dress that I have here is a far better cut and fit overall then how it looks like in the runway shot. The dress is a mini dress that has an attached long panel on the skirt that wraps part way around you to leave the full front open under the mini skirt. The bodice is scooped wide and low at the front and made from a pale taupe silk. It extends down past the waist so a very short mini skirt that has a slight flare to it as it reaches the hem. The long skirt wraps around and is attached at the side of the waist. It is a soft olive toned green and done on that same rich heavy silk that has a slight satin finish. It falls to the floor in a long smooth drape of fabric. A wide silk cummerbund wraps around the waist to give shape. This narrows down at one end and hooks into place under a long swooping gold brooch which I believe is gold plated. The cummerbund has a long panel attached at the back and I have left it hanging as an extra panel. You could probably be clever and wrap /tie it to create a bow effect if you wished to emulate the runway photo more. The darkness of the sash around the waist is then picked up by the spectacular sleeves. Each is made out of a deep blue-black silk chiffon and are cut extra long. They are also cut wide and full to fall at an angle at the end of each sleeve. This bit of softness and transparency the sleeves have contrast sharply to the rich silk the rest of the dress is made from. It is a very unusual dress and shows the experimental side of couture. This is one of those dresses that when the right person wears it, it is going to blow people away. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in hand set silk that matches the colour of the exterior silk that is being lined. The sleeves are unlined. The dress closes with a hand set hidden back zipper and then there is another zipper that closes the inner mini skirt. The sash at the waist wraps and hooks into place. The brooch is detachable and shows sight patina on the gold. Proper couture label present. The dress is entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. The inner silk of the long skirt is scuffed near the hem and I see slight grubbiness along the hem on parts. Please see the shot after the label photo.

Sleeves: 34" to the longest point
Inset shoulders: 12"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Mini dress length: 31" from top of shoulder to hem
Full Length: 60" from shoulder to longest point of the hem
Waist sash: 26.5" in length to where the hooks presently sit with an extension past that that wraps and hooks into place

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4012

Reference Photo: Fall 1994 Guy Laroche Haute Couture Runway Collection on Kirsty Hume.

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