I am now on the second batch of very interesting pieces that are coming from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made. This dress was made by Ady Couture and the story behind this label is fascinating. Ady Couture was based out of Lausanne Switzerland. She would buy couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and with permission make copies of the piece presented in the Haute Couture collections. When she was younger, and lived in Amsterdam, Ady would attend the private viewing and purchase directly from the couture houses. My client believes that her arrangement with the ateliers was a way to work around customs that prompted Ady to negotiate this arrangement with the ateliers. In my hunt for more information I have been able to verify that they made this permissible copies of the work of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lacroix and Ungaro. There may have been others but this are the houses I am confident on. This one seems to be heavily influenced by the Fall 1987 collection by Givenchy. You can see the same skirting technique used in the runway reference photos I have included here. And if you put the top of the dress that Audrey is wearing with the runway piece together you pretty much get this dress. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is beautiful. A truly iconic piece of couture 

The dress is made from the most incredible metallic fabric. It literally changes colour from a purple to a green depending on how the light hits it. You get a hint of that in the photos but when it is on and in actual light and you are moving it can really go to a green colour. It is just amazing really. The fabric has a touch of weight to it and this helps to hold the shape that you see. The dress is astonishing and so bold. Pieces like this are really a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. At the front the neckline is scooped to show a touch of skin. The sleeves are set into the shoulders so that you get a bit of a peak. They are wider near the top and then they and taper down slightly as they reach each wrist. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist is dropped. Under the dropped waist is a wide band of poufed and gathered fabric that creates an incredible volume. You can see how it creates this bold and dramatic 3D feel. With the way the light catches the fabric and changes the colour the effect is even more dramatic in person. Nestled into the folds of that gathered part is a large black velvet bow. The skirt is set under that on a sharp angle that works it way away from the body to widen out to be quite full as it nears the floor. It is cut to feel sculptural and balance out the volume above. The front is cut a little shorter then the back and the I love the pleat effect the back has because of this. It did not come with a belt but you could easily add one to give it more of the feel of the runway version and add shape. It is incredible. All of the volume is created by the cut and the fabric alone. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. It is an incredible piece and just beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and there are hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. 

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 58" to the longest part of the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3808

Reference Photos: (1) A/W 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Silver metallic lame brocade strapless gown dress with a black velvet chest and bow and 2-layer puffy skirt. L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.  /  (2) Audrey Hepburn, in Givenchy, at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City for the 17th Annual International Emmy Awards in 1989.

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

I have several interesting pieces that have come in from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made. This dress was made by Ady Couture and the story behind this label is fascinating. Ady Couture was based out of Lausanne Switzerland. She would buy couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and with their permission would make copies of the piece presented in the Haute Couture collections. When she was younger, and lived in Amsterdam, Ady would attend the private viewing and purchase directly from the couture houses. My client believes that her arrangement with the ateliers was a way to work around customs and this was the work around that that Ady negotiated with the ateliers. In my hunt for more information on the label I have been able to verify that they made this permissible copies of the work of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but this are the four houses I am confident on. I feel that this particular dress has a more Yves Saint Laurent or Ungaro feel to it and I am still actively searching to find its counterpart. The dresses are completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and are incredible to see.

The dress is made from a silk taffeta and this fabric choice allows it to hold those extravagant lines that you see. It is absolutely beautiful and a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. The colour of the silk is extraordinary. I have managed to almost capture it in these photos but in person it is even richer feeling then what you see here. At the front the neckline is set in a simple high scoop. The bodice is cut to skim over your curves and is simple in cut to let the other details shine. The sleeves are a work of art. Each is made on a curve to follow the shape of the arm. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a beautiful sense of volume there. They then taper down to the cuffs where they zip to close around the wrist. The waist is seamed and the skirt is set around the waist in a series of soft gathers that sit out from the waist slightly. This gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is and is quite genius. The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is made into two sections. The top section comes out from the soft gathered pleats all around the waist and then it balloons out all around you in a full pouf. It is seamed underneath to catch the fabric back inwards and then the second part of the skirt falls to the floor. That second tier has many yards of silk in it so that it flares out as it reached the hem. Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and then you tie it into a bow at the side. What is truly incredible is that all the volume and shape that you see is created purely through the way it is cut and the fabric choice. The skirt does not have extensive underskirts to shape it. The silk of the skirts are interlined in a silk organza to help give it more weight but it is really the genius of the cut that gives it the intended shape. The final perfect detail is the elaborate detailing that runs across the front and back of the bodice and over the sleeves. All of the work is by hand. The intricate floral design has been created by combining embroidery work with tiny black sequins and beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen and I love how they have deliberately laid the sequins out so that you get a more matte feel for parts of the design. Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam is hand finished. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absoluteyly beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully interlined with a slightly gold tinged silk organza. It closes with a back fine zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over it. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction.

Sleeves: 26"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from shoulder to waist
Length: 42" from waist to front hem, 45" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3685

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