• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• The dress is very well documented. Besides the runway shots it was photographed on Yasmin Le Bon and one is held in the permanent archives of The Met Museum.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular. It is strapless and meant to be fitted to the body. The bodice is covered with a black lace that is finished with an iridescent silk ribbon that follows the underlying pattern. This gives it a gorgeous 3D texture.
• The inner bodice is boned and shaped and I love the two pink grosgrain bows that sit on the top of each peak. The back dips quite low to expose an expanse of bare skin.
• It curves in at the waist and the inner underskirt is attached there and acts almost like a bit of a corset around the waist. 
• The bodice ends in a point at the front and the back with the skirt is set under its edge. The skirt has wide inverted flat pleats that open out to achieve the fullness that you see. The skirt is made out of a brilliant yellow silk and I love the vibrant colour and contrast to the pink bows.
• Over that yellow silk base is a lace overlay that combines a striped lace with a floral. The lace lets the yellow peek through and it adds a bit of a cabaret feel to the dress.
• The underskirt underneath is what gives the dress its incredible volume. It is made out of a stiffened lace and all the volume that you see is from the underskirt. It has added built-in side panniers inside to add extra volume and hold the width of the skirt. The very lower edge is finished with a stiffened netting and then that is covered with a band of black lace that peeks out from under the edge of the skirt.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and has built in boning to hold it in place around you. The inner attached skirt hooks to close around the waist and the dress zips to close over that. Hand finishes throughout. I see a couple of extremely minor marks near the hem at the back. Please see the photo after the label shot. Perhaps the tiniest bit of fade to the pink ribbons but this feels more like natural aging than a flaw. It otherwise appears to have been more very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11.5" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 31" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5764

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• The dress is very well documented. It is also extra interesting because its counterpart on the runway was actually shown for his Haute Couture collection. This dress perfectly walks the line between Couture and Demi-Couture.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular. It is made from a silk that has a heavy texture to it and then the way that he has gathered the dress in places to emphasize the design highlights the texture even more.
• It is fitted through the bodice and I love how this counteracts the volume of the skirt. The silk is gathered horizontally and boning sits inside and runs vertically up to the front peaks. A zipper runs down the centre of the bodice and into the skirt. As it runs around to the back it dips down on a curve to leave most of your upper back bare and exposed.
• It cinches in at the waist and the inner underskirt is attached all the way around you inside. It has a stiffer band around its waist that acts like a corset. 
• The skirt is phenomenal. It is one of the best that I have ever seen from him.
• The top layer of the skirt is backed with a stiffened organza and then the same silk used on the bodice covers that. Onto that he has put panels of the textured silk that have been gathered into vertical ruffles and attached to the skirt down there centres. These are spaced perfectly apart all the way around the entire skirt and they add to the incredible volume that the skirt has.
• The underskirt helps to give the dress the support it needs to hold its shape. It is made out of a stiffened fine mesh net and it has added built-in side panniers to add extra volume and hold the width of the skirt. The very lower edge is finished with stiffened netting and then that is covered with a band of black lace that peeks out from under the edge of the skirt.
• The final perfect finish is the attached shoulder piece. This extends out from from the centre of the bodice and is a wide panel that wraps around the shoulder. You can really get a better sense of how this sits on the body from the runway and editorial photos.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and has built in boning to hold it in place around you. The inner attached skirt hooks at the waist and the dress zips to close over that at the front. Hand finishes throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 31" from top of bodice to hem not including the shoulder piece. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5762

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

• This dress is very special and an extremely well documented piece from Spring 1988 collection. 
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix.
• It has the special added provenance of being the twin of one of the four dresses portrayed in that instantly recognizable photo taken in his atelier that year. That photo is perhaps one of the most famous photos in the Lacroix history.
• The dress is from his Luxe label that was only produced the very first couple of seasons.
• It was very high end expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards and was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. The label was the predecessor to his later regular ready-to-wear collections. It is said that this label only lasted a couple of seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces.
• We found numerous reference photos of the dress as it appeared on the runway so you have an amazing idea of how this dress looks on the body.
• The dress is made out of a printed silk organza that has a slight texture running through it.
• Onto that is a glorious floral pattern in pinks and yellow with pops of green. It feels so vibrant and beautiful with that gorgeous print.
• The sleeves are long and they are cut on a slight curve in the traditional couture manner.
• The shoulders are lightly shaped and the front falls into a shallow V.
• The dress has a little bit of gathering just at the bust area down the centre seam and then it falls smoothly  to the hem under that.
• It is cut to skim over you through the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist.
• At the back the bottom 9" of the skirt has an inset bustle. The fabric there is gathered into a curving seam and there are three black organza half bows stacked one on top of the other to create a bustle feel.
• This is one of his most famous dresses and its amazing. It can be considered to be Demi-Couture.
• The body of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the sleeves are lined in a white silk. The dress zips to close at the back and each cuff has a zipper to close it. Light padding in the shoulders. Laughing hilarious. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage Lacroix 44
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 22.5" and they are 13" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5714

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

• A gorgeous and striking piece that can be worn as a jacket or a dress.
• Made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix 
• The piece zips up at the front and fully opens. This is why it can play double duty as either a dress or a jacket.
• The fabric has a black backdrop and then has beautiful flowers woven through it in a deep red and an almost purple colour.
• It has no collar and the front is detailed with a wide band on either side of the zipper that has a swooping pattern made out of a cord applied onto the fabric. This panel extends down the back with more cording there as well.
• The waist is brought in and seamed and then the skirt under that is pleated into that seam. This allows it to be very full.
• Little pockets sit on each side of the hip so you can put your hands into the pockets and exaggerate the fullness of the skirt even more.
• The sleeves are wonderful. They are set into a slightly dropped shoulder and widen out to be quite wide by their ends.
• It is lined in a black silk and there is light rounded padding in each shoulder for shape. It zips to close at the front.
• Tagged a IT40, FR38, GB32, US6
• Excellent condition

Sleeves from the drop shoulder: 17" and are 13" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 20"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 36" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5081

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

• Note that due to new regulations this coat can only ship to a Canadian address 
  
• This appears to be the actual Haute Couture sample coat that walked the runway for the Fall 1985 Jean Patou collection for Look 12
• Made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix 
  
• This is an extremely rare and important piece of fashion history. Very few pieces of his work at Patou come up for sale and this is more then likely the only piece to exist.
• Made in the Paris atelier
• Made of a soft orange wool shaped in an enveloping cocoon shape highly reminiscent of a 1920s flapper coat.
• It is all cut on the bias so once it is on the body it wraps around you beautifully. It is extraordinary. 
  
• The sleeves are quite extremely wide and they have a long wide cuff that flips up and over the sleeve. The cuff is completely covered in hand dyed feathers.
• More of the same hand dyed feathers are used to create a huge shawl collar that drapes down and over the shoulders. It continues to run all the way to the hem and circles around to the back hem.
• The coat narrows in as it reaches its bottom. This is a classic cut for this style of cocoon coat
• It feels wonderfully decadent and opulent, both key design elements in Lacroix's work. It is literally like wearing a work of art.
• Partially lined in a silk through the upper body of the coat and through the sleeves. The rest is unlined.
• Has its hand written Haute Couture sample label in place and attached metal couture tag
• Excellent condition

It is very full and open and has no closures so should fit almost any size. It is approximately 52 inches from neck to hem but that will come up a bit once it is on the body.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD5048

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

• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• The dress is very well documented. Besides the runway shots it was photographed on Yasmin Le Bon and one is held in the permanent archives of The Met Museum.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular. It is strapless and meant to be fitted to the body. The bodice is covered with a black lace that is finished with an iridescent silk ribbon that follows the underlying pattern. This gives it a gorgeous 3D texture.
• The inner bodice is boned and shaped and I love the two pink grosgrain bows that sit on the top of each peak. The back dips quite low to expose an expanse of bare skin.
• It curves in at the waist and the inner underskirt is attached there and acts almost like a bit of a corset around the waist. 
• The bodice ends in a point at the front and the back with the skirt is set under its edge. The skirt has wide inverted flat pleats that open out to achieve the fullness that you see. The skirt is made out of a brilliant yellow silk and I love the vibrant colour and contrast to the pink bows.
• Over that yellow silk base is a lace overlay that combines a striped lace with a floral. The lace lets the yellow peek through and it adds a bit of a cabaret feel to the dress.
• The underskirt underneath is what gives the dress its incredible volume. It is made out of a stiffened lace and all the volume that you see is from the underskirt. It has added built-in side panniers inside to add extra volume and hold the width of the skirt. The very lower edge is finished with a stiffened netting and then that is covered with a band of black lace that peeks out from under the edge of the skirt.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and has built in boning to hold it in place around you. The inner attached skirt hooks to close around the waist and the dress zips to close over that. Hand finishes throughout. I see a couple of extremely minor marks near the hem at the back. Please see the photo after the label shot. Perhaps the tiniest bit of fade to the pink ribbons but this feels more like natural aging than a flaw. It otherwise appears to have been more very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11.5" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 31" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5764

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• The dress is very well documented. It is also extra interesting because its counterpart on the runway was actually shown for his Haute Couture collection. This dress perfectly walks the line between Couture and Demi-Couture.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular. It is made from a silk that has a heavy texture to it and then the way that he has gathered the dress in places to emphasize the design highlights the texture even more.
• It is fitted through the bodice and I love how this counteracts the volume of the skirt. The silk is gathered horizontally and boning sits inside and runs vertically up to the front peaks. A zipper runs down the centre of the bodice and into the skirt. As it runs around to the back it dips down on a curve to leave most of your upper back bare and exposed.
• It cinches in at the waist and the inner underskirt is attached all the way around you inside. It has a stiffer band around its waist that acts like a corset. 
• The skirt is phenomenal. It is one of the best that I have ever seen from him.
• The top layer of the skirt is backed with a stiffened organza and then the same silk used on the bodice covers that. Onto that he has put panels of the textured silk that have been gathered into vertical ruffles and attached to the skirt down there centres. These are spaced perfectly apart all the way around the entire skirt and they add to the incredible volume that the skirt has.
• The underskirt helps to give the dress the support it needs to hold its shape. It is made out of a stiffened fine mesh net and it has added built-in side panniers to add extra volume and hold the width of the skirt. The very lower edge is finished with stiffened netting and then that is covered with a band of black lace that peeks out from under the edge of the skirt.
• The final perfect finish is the attached shoulder piece. This extends out from from the centre of the bodice and is a wide panel that wraps around the shoulder. You can really get a better sense of how this sits on the body from the runway and editorial photos.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and has built in boning to hold it in place around you. The inner attached skirt hooks at the waist and the dress zips to close over that at the front. Hand finishes throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 31" from top of bodice to hem not including the shoulder piece. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5762

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

• This is a phenomenal dress whose twin walked the runway for the Fall 1989 YSL show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• The dress is made out of a feather light silk chiffon that has a brilliantly covered print over its entire surface. Worked into the fabric are little gold thread metallic 'dots'. This fabric choice holds the colours beautifully. 
• The neckline is set more wide across so that it sits towards the edges of the shoulders and then plunges into a V at the front. The front wraps over itself and hooks into place around the waist and then has a small row of snaps under that. This clever partial wraparound lets the front wrap over itself to create that V.
• The shoulders are soft and the sleeves extend out from there. They are cut a bit wider at the top and narrow into the wrist.
• The cuffs on this one are spectacular. There is a hidden set zipper at each wrist and then on the opposite side the cuffs are gathered into the seam and highlighted with eight silk covered buttons that run up from the wrist.
• The bodice is cut to skim over you and then it narrows into the waist. The dress comes with its original matching silk chiffon belt that lets you define the waist even more. I love the soft bow that sits underneath where the belt hooks into place around you. It just adds yet another phenomenal detail.
• The skirt is as gathered into the waist and it has many, many yards of fabric in its construction. Tiny gathers are set in all along the seam around the waist and then it opens out to be very full under that. This is what gives the skirt its incredible volume.
• You get an idea of just how much fabric is in the skirt by the reference photos that we have added here. It is truly incredible. 
• Even with all of the volume in skirt because of how many yards of fabric are in it the dress remains light in weight because of the silk chiffon.
• I love how the gold gives the entire dress a touch of a metallic glint to it in the light and the mix of colours keep it vibrant and beautiful.
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and this is a rare and hard to find piece.
• The dress is unlined and closes with a combination of hooks and snaps around the waist and just under the waist. A hidden set zipper at each cuff. The belt closes with hooks under the bow and it is original to the dress. The dress is unlabeled and appears to have been worn very little if at all. 
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 26" and they are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist and meant to blouse over the waist a bit once the belt is on.
Total length: approx 60" from top of shoulder to hem. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5759

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

• The dress is from the Spring 1983 collection based on the reference photo that we found with a similar design of the cut of the lower skirt.
• It was made under the creative direction of Thierry Mugler 
• The fabric is a black raw silk which has enough structure combined with the extensive seam work to hold the design and intended shape.
• Long vertical panels of the fabric have been pieced together side-by-side from the top of the strapless bodice to the hem of the skirt. The lines become a part of the design and the entire dress has been shaped by the manipulation of the sizing and placement of the strips.
• The bodice is strapless and the tops of the ribbons are set at different heights all around the neckline. Where they rise above the top edge they are not sewn together so you get a very distinctive ribbon feel.
• It is meant to fit the bodice and then curves in at the waist. Inside there is for built-in corset that is lightly boned and holds the dress in place around you.
• From there it curves out and over the hips, comes in slightly just below the knee, and then flares outward again for the lower skirts.
• Just under the knee the panels open up and are no longer stitched together. This is what gives it the added volume there and creates a 'fringed' feel around you.
• Behind the panels are three layers of stacked black silk chiffon When you walk you get that bit of transparency between the the panels and it feel very interesting and unexpected. You get a sense of what that will be like in the runway reference photo.
• The dress is just brilliant in person and better then how it photographed. It is not 100% perfect but it is still an outstandingly beautiful piece.
• The inner nude silk corset acts as the lining behind the bodice. It is lightly boned and closes with its own side zipper. And attached waist hooks to close. The upper part of the skirt is lined in a black silk. Three layers of silk chiffon are attached behind the lower portion of the skirt as described above. The dress closes with a hidden set zipper placed over the inner corset zipper. I see fading on the fabric here and there throughout but most notably around the bodice, under the arms and around the waist. Please see the photos after the label shot. 
• Tagged a vintage Mugler 42
• Excellent overall condition with the note above.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from top of inner edge of the bodice to inner waist
Total length: 53" from top of inner edge of the bodice to hem. The ribbons extend above the top edge of the bodice from 1.5-2.5"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5758

Reference Photos: Spring 1983 Thierry Mugler.

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

• This is a piece that dates to the 1980s.
• It was made under the creative direction of Pierre Cardin.
• This is a rare and very special Haute Couture piece that is very bold in its execution. 
• It would have been made completely by hand Paris atelier.
• This is a piece that is meant to be layered over other items and could be worn with almost anything underneath.
• The very avante garde design of the top leaves one side of the bust completely bare and exposed as it angles down from the shoulder and underneath the breast on that side.
• The ruffles are very dramatic as they follow that angle and sit on top of the shoulder to frame the face.
• Another ruffle circles completely around where the sleeve is insight into the top and then the sleeve extends from there in a long and simple line.
• All of the silk is gathered from the shoulder down on a curving angle to the opposite side of the low waist. It angles back out to curve over the hip on the opposite side.
• Everything is gathered in at that point just below the waist. The ruffles starting at the shoulder, calm down to that point and then more ruffles follow the new angle that wraps around the hip.
• Nestled in where everything meets at that single point at the top of the hip is a black silk bow.
• This is a piece that has a dramatic feel from every single angle. It is absolutely extraordinary.
• For those who don't want to be exposed, you would have multiple options on what to wear underneath. Ranging from a simple body suit to a bandeau... the choices of how to make this work are absolutely endless as are what to wear it over.
• This would make a spectacular piece for a bride who wants to wear something that is completely unique.
• The top is fully lined in a matching ivory silk and it closes on the side with a hook & eye and a silk covered snap. You could adjust the waist up or down if needed by an inch or two by moving those. It is completely made by hand to Couture standards and has its proper Couture tag present. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please see the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeve: 22.5" and is 12.5" around the upper arm
Bust: the front on the one side covers to 9" from under the arm to where the ruffle starts and then the ruffle extends outward another 4.5"
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 33" from top of the shoulder to the longest point of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5753

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