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 is very special and this one is no exception. Gibb 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 but he has taken the lines of a traditional piece and extended and manipulated them to make a new silhouette. I also love how the fabric combines the cherry blossoms print with English roses within the woven fabric to further emphasize his combining of cultures in this set.

The set consists of a very long, slim cut skirt that has a more over-sized cut jacket that sits over it. The skirt is made from two panels that are almost perfect rectangles that are brought in for the waist. This gives it a very linear line from the hip to the hem. It is seamed down each side with  a very high slit running up each leg. This lets you be able to you to walk in it and it shows a ton of leg when you move or sit. Over this is a simple open front jacket. In comparison to the skirt it is cut with a sense of volume and meant to feel more towards the over-sized side of things. The jacket has no front closures and simply slips on to wear. I love how the top of the collar is set so that it kind of flares open at the very top of the neck. The sleeves are long and cut wide. The braiding that runs down them extends the length of them visually and adds a pretty 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 a rare and absolutely amazing set that is even better in person and is even better on an actual body then 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. 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.

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 has a high fantasy element 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. A dress from this same 1976 collection was photoed on Tina Chow by David Bailey for Vogue. I have included those reference photos here and you can clearly see the same ribbon detailing and pleating technique used on both pieces. His pieces were never produced in large quantities and this one is exceptional. I would not be surprised to find out that it was a one off and a custom piece. It is wonderful to have such a gorgeous example of his work in the shop.

This is an amazing example of his work. It is made up of two pieces. Inside there is a very long full length skirt. Over that sits that fantastic evening coat piece that has a built in silk part on the top and then flows to the ground in a cloud of netting. The inner skirt is beautiful. It is made out of a fine silk chiffon with a soft pink silk lining. The top layer of silk is knife pleated so that it has a lot of movement. It is detailed around the hem with a pretty ribbon finish made up of three stripes of silk satin ribbon in a pale blue, a pink and a mint green. This sits under the evening jacket that has a built in top that is made out of silk. The same striping detailed that the skirt has is used to edge the inner portion of the top. So you see the stripes on the skirt and the top through the netting of the jacket and it adds depth. The inner top is made from the same silk and chiffon combination as the skirt and treated with that same knife pleating technique. Attached and layered over that is the netted part. It is here that the high couture fantasy aspect of the piece goes into full play. The neckline is cut wide across so it almost sits off the shoulder. The fabric on this outermost layer is a fine ivory netting that has a stunning design of flowers and vines hand embroidered over it that covers it from shoulder to hem. I love how the pattern gets denser as it nears the hem. Each bit of that design is hand embroidered with a multi-colored pastel thread that has a metallic silver running through it. It is like wearing a work of art. The combination of the embroidery work and the metallic of the silver is incredibly beautiful and delicate in feel. All of the edges are finished with silver cording and there is a long tie of the same silver cording at the neck. The sleeves are even more incredible. They are cut extra long and each has an inner pleated base made out of a pale pink silk chiffon that is knife pleated like the skirt and inner top. Over this is a slightly more ivory toned silk netting that poufs out from the shoulder and is caught up just below the elbow. It then flares back out, widening as it reached the end of the sleeve. Each sleeve is densely hand embroidered with that same metallic thread as the body of the jacket. Long silver cords hang down from the seam at the elbow. No matter how much you might love the photos this one is even better in person. The workmanship in it has to be seen in person. It would even make a beautiful choice for a bride who is looking for an alternative to the traditional wedding dress or as a part of a wedding event. Excellent condition

Both piece are fully lined in a pale pink silk. The skirt closes with a metal and nylon zipper. The top slips on to wear with snaps and hook and eye at the very top of the inner most silk part. The colours in person are softer and bit more pink feeling in person. There is some light fading to one side of the skirt near the closures but its very minor. 

Skirt
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 44" from waist seam to hem

Top/Overlay
Sleeves: approx 31"
Shoulder opening: approx 17"
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist- hips: open
Length: 25" from top of shoulder to hem of inner top, 58" from shoulder to the full length hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3081

Reference Photos: (1-2) Tina Chow in an ensemble by Bill Gibb. Photographed by David Bailey for British Vogue, April 1976.  /  (3-4) 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.

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 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 is very special and I love this one especially as it truly shows the range of his work. This set is a little extra special because its twin resides in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum. They dated it with a general reference to the 1960s but I feel that it has more the feel of the 1977 collection after finding the reference photo of a piece with similar details on it. Bill Gibb's work is extremely rare to find and knowing that this one is important enough to have been acquired by a museum is just an added bonus for a collector .

My photos cannot convey how beautiful this dress is on person. The dress is amazing all on its own even without the jacket that goes over it. It has an empire cut with a halter style bodice. It is suspended from the shoulders by two tiny straps. The fabric that the dress is made out of is a fine ivory netting with a lace pattern worked through it made up of a gold metallic thread. This runs over the entire dress from the top of the shoulders to the hem. The gold that makes up the pattern is denser as it nears the hem and really catches the light and makes the entire dress take on a golden tone and shimmer in the light. The skirting of the dress has been meticulously pleated into tiny little micro pleats. The combination of those tiny pleats and the gold is incredibly beautiful and delicate in feel. It has a lining of the palest pink silk that gives the netting just a touch of a pink feel to it in certain lights. It is incredibly beautiful. You can then slip on the jacket which is cut to fall over the full length of the dress. It has long sleeves and is made out of a pale pink silk chiffon that has been embroidered by hand. The jacket is made up of four panels of fabric that are split along the seams between each panel from the hem right up to the waist line of the dress. Having these sit open along the seams like this allows the fabric of the dress to show underneath when you move. The chiffon that he used to make the jacket is a soft dusty pink silk. The embroidery work at the top of the jacket is done in a combination of soft corals, mint and ivory. The tiniest little seed pearls detail parts of the embroidery. All of the edges of the outer jacket are finished with gold lace. It is just stunning. This is a rare and absolutely amazing piece that is even better in person. It would even be a beautiful choice for a bride who is looking for an alternative to the traditional wedding gown. Excellent condition with one tiny note below.

The dress is fully lined in a pale pink silk and closes with a side metal and nylon zipper. The overlay is unlined and slips on to wear with hook and eye at the very top. Note that it was a bit tiny on my dress form and will fall even better on the proper sized girl. Museum quality and appears to have never been worn, or worn very little. There is one small storage spot on the front panel of the chiffon jacket near the lower edge that is shown on the photo after the label shot. The colors in person are softer and more of a true gold and very soft dusty pink.

Dress
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of straps to empire waist seam
Skirt: 44" from waist seam to hem

Overlay
Sleeves: 19"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist- hips: open
Length: 52" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3079

Reference Photos: (1) Tree Allen in Bill Gibb by Barry Lategan, 1977.  /  (2) Bill Gibb Set from the V&A Online Collection.

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

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 has a high fantasy element 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. This dress is simply amazing and a wonderful example of his work. The dress is made from a silk chiffon that has been dyed to a deep fuchsia that gradually darkens to a deep mauve. I love how the color deeps as it goes down the dress through both the bodice area and the skirt. The bodice is cut with a wide sleeve that comes out from the gathered and corseted waist. The neckline at the front and back dip in a deep V to meet the high set waist and this creates a beautiful shape that is far better on a real body then how it looks on my dress form. The front neckline is detailed with a little fabric flower that is finished with sequins to pick up on the detailing on the skirt and tie the top and skirt together. The skirt cascades to the floor in a sweep of silk chiffon. Onto it is a design that is made up of fused glitter so that every time you move it sparkles as it moves. The outer silk is backed with an inner lining if a silver silk and this gives the fabric added dimension. It is far better in person and really a wonderful dress that is meant for a real body to make it truly shine. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined in a silver silk and closes with a side metal and nylon zipper and hook and eye along part of the bottom seaming of the arm on that side. The waist area appears to be boned but it is not - that is all seaming. Big glass buttons on each cuff. Some of the pattern in the skirt looks like a shadow on the silk and I suspect that it is where glitter was once applied and has fallen off. That said it is regular so it could have been done like that purposely. It certainly doesn't appear or feel like a flaw and is mentioned for accuracy only. It appears to have never been worn, or worn very little

Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no defines seam
Bust: no true side seams so open and variable
Natural waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of gatherings 24" down from the shoulder: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, skirt is open under that
Length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3068

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