I have had tucked away in my archives for quite some time. This is it gorgeous little caftan dress that can play double duty as a light evening coat. It is a little extra special as I believe it is an early piece from her Greek Street shop in London that she opened in 1964. I was pleased to find a photo of a 1966 piece in a similar feeling vein in the 2015 book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic". by Laura McClaws Helms. These button front pieces that fully open down the front were especially loved for their versatility. Of all of Thea's pieces, her caftans have come to represent Thea's work like no other piece of her clothing that she designed. Elizabeth Taylor was a huge fan and collector. This one is just spectacular.

The caftan is very beautiful and is made from a stunning light cotton voile fabric. This fabric is extra special because it's actually signed along its edges and you can clearly see that on the inner seams. The fabric has a glorious floral print with a pink backdrop and then beautiful coral and pink flowers and green leaves run over the entire thing. Around the neck and across the upper back is an added antique gold metal cord embellishment. This goes all the way across the upper back and around to completely cover the shoulders. It then is set all the way down to the waist. It is amazing and it gives a caftan an elevated feel. Thea was known to hunt antique stores and markets during her extensive travels and use what she found in her designs and this is certainly a found antique textile. The dress buttons down the front almost to the hem and then the back has pleating for extra volume that falls from under the gold cording there. The sleeves are magnificent. They have their own lining and then the top layer of floral fabric falls over them and widens out an extremely wide cuff. The caftan is lined and the fabric over it is semi-transparent. This see-through quality gives the fabric depth and a floating feel over the inner lining. You can easily add a soft or structured belt to add shape if you wished and add even more to its versatility. I love that you can wear this in so many ways and one its own or over so many things. This is very special and are early piece of Thea's and  it is also very beautiful. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined and slips on to wear and then buttons down the front. It's easy and open shape should allow it to fit a range of sizes. Finished by hand throughout. There is some wear, discoloration and shininess to the lining here and there and I see one older repair on the shoulder. Please see the shots after the label photo

Sleeves: 25" to the longest point and the inner lining is 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4151

Reference Photo: Actress Fenella Fielding in a paisley kaftan on a matching Chesterfield couch in the shop. Photographs from this series ran in every major UK tabloid. Greek Street, London, October 1966. Photograph by William Lovelace. From the book “Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic” by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.

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 stunning set whose twin walked the runway that season. The set is incredibly beautiful and chic once on the body. Vogue noted that "The reinvention of the iconic Chanel suit began with fluted knee-length coats, worn, with ropes of glistening pearls at the neckline" and closed by stating that "This was a triumphant collection for Lagerfeld, as realistically wearable as it was dreamily desirable." I love that we found both runway photos and some video footage for you to see how dynamic this is on the body. True Haute Couture pieces by Chanel are an extraordinary find as they are so very rare and hard to come by. It is an incredibly beautiful and historically important example of the work that Karl was doing for Chanel during this time period. It is absolutely gorgeous to see in person.

I love how diverse and different this set feels depending on whether you wear the pieces together or separately. The set is made up of two pieces. A gorgeous to-the-knee coat with a chic little dress underneath that. Both of the pieces are constructed from a surprisingly light weight deep blue boucle. This fabric was actually a centerpiece of the show and a new step forward in the way they made their tweeds.  Karl wanted them to feel almost weightless and easy to wear once on the body. The dress mixes that with a silk chiffon bodice to carry on the feeling he strove for with these pieces. “Fragility,” he said. “Everything is almost weightless.” The inner dress is cut in the sleek and simple shape that skims over the body and flares out slightly as it nears the hem. The skirt is made out of the same deep blue tweed as the jacket and then the top is attached to that and is made out of a deep blue silk chiffon. The top is all about delicacy. It is made of two layers of the silk. Each sleeve is long and ends in a neat little buttoned cuff. Both the front and the back are detailed with flat knife pleats. I love how the front of the skirt dips up into the top and at the back it dips down. This little shaping detail just make it lie even better on the body. The workmanship is stunning. The coat slips on over that and has light shoulder pads for a touch of structure. The sleeves are long. It has no closures except for a hook and eye at the neck. This allows it to flare out around you and gives it a softness as you move. The jacket is incredibly detailed. It has four top set pockets on the front and each has a row of glass beads along the upper edge. The same glass beads circle the hem of each cuff and go around the collar. The glass beads cleverly act as a weight for the coat so that it always falls perfectly once on the body. I love the low scoop of the front neckline and the ribbons that sit at the base of the neck. You can just let them hang loosely or tie them. Ribbons also sit on the edge of each sleeve and again you can leave them loose or have them tied into a pretty bow for a more formal feel. The jacket and the skirt of the dress are lined in a high-quality black silk. This Chanel set is exceptional and is true Haute Couture. It is a beautiful piece showcasing the work that the Chanel ateliers are capable of and of Karl's time there. Excellent condition.

Both the skirt of the dress and the jacket are fully lined in a fine black silk. The top is made from two layers of silk chiffon. The dress closes with a series of silk covered buttons at the back and each cuff has two silk covered buttons and loops. The jacket has a hook and eye at the top of the neck and at each cuff. Both pieces have an appropriate Haute Couture label and numbered tape present. Extremely faint spot on the front bodice. Slight pilling here and there on the jacket but I am being picky.

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

Jacket
Sleeve: 24"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39" from neck to hem

Dress
Sleeves: 22.5"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 38" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4147

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2003 Chanel Couture Runway, Look 3.

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 the prettiest Oscar dresses I have ever had in the shop and I love it. The movement it has when it is on and you walk is fabulous. It is from the Spring 2010 collection and while its exact twin was did not make an appearance on the runway there were dresses that had similar elements to this one. I have included the two closest here showing one with the same fabric and the other with the same ruffle detail on the skirt. I think that this one is even more gorgeous then either of those.

This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is made out of beautiful printed purple coloured silk chiffon. The silk is draped over the bust as it dips into a V at the front and into a low squared off shape at the back. Pretty wide straps that are detailed with ruffles curve up and over each shoulder. The ruffles give it such a soft and romantic feel. Under that is a wide band that sits just to under the breasts. This band is a full 4" wide and it is completely covered with an intricate design that combines over-sized rhinestones, bead work and embroidery. It is like having your jewels become a part of the dress. That stunning colour combined with this unexpected embellishment at the waist creates the most gorgeous effect. The skirt is set in under that and widens out to be quite full by the time it reaches the hem. The volume in the skirt shows best when you move. It is made out of a cascade of silk that becomes very full as it nears the hem. The entire skirt is covered with individually placed long chiffon ruffles that are set vertically all the way around the skirt. The lightness of the chiffon cause all those ruffle appliques on the skirt to move with the slightest bit of air. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. It is just the prettiest dress that has all the classic Oscar elements of romance and femininity. It is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and 4 layers of silk chiffon under the top layer of the skirt. It closes with a hidden set back zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of 4" band: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to top seam of band
Band: 4"
Skirt: 46" from bottom of band at the waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4145

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 2010 Oscar de la Renta Runway (1 -  Look 32, Model: Caroline Trentini / 2 - Look 35, Model: Sara Blomqvist).  /  (2) Leighton Meester (as Blair Waldorf) in Oscar de la Renta, Gossip Girl, Season 4.

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 little dress is from the Nina Ricci Boutique ready to wear line. 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 is just the prettiest example of the sweetness the house could do in terms of design. Besides being one of the prettiest dresses you could possible wear it might even make an amazing dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration.

The dress is made out of a beautiful white cotton waffle weave pique that is extensively embroidered with a pretty daisy pattern. The embroidered daisy flowers are scattered over the entire dress. The bodice is fitted and sculpted to the body. I love how the edge of the neckline and at the waist are both softly rounded in a pretty curving scallop to soften the line. The dress is suspended from two tiny straps that curve up and over the shoulders. The neckline dips down at the front and cups are seamed to help mold it to your frame. A sweet little bow sits at the bottom of the front V. The waist is cinched in by shaping with the actual seam sitting just below the natural on the top of the hips. The skirt falls under that and it is extremely full with yards and yards of fabric in it. Excellent condition

The bodice is partially lined through the cups and upper back in a white cotton muslin. The skirt is lined in an attached inner white muslin. Stiffened netting runs through the hem of the lining to help hold the shave and give the volume that you see. It closes with a painted metal zipper at the back.Ribbon finished edges in a skirt. Handwork throughout. It has a touch of cream to it in real life.

Each cup is 7.5" across
Underbust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 18" from top of bodice to dropped waist seam
Skirt: 32" from waist to hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4143

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.

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.

Marc Vaughan is one of the lesser know Couturiers that launched his label in 1953 and then re-named it in his own name the year after. He began solely as a couturier and in 1957 expanded to offer a pret-a-porter line. He concentrated on the European market in the early days only expanding into America in 1963 where his work was sold in New York through the Hattie Carnegie House. In 1966, the year that this set is from he 'used and grouped together the cubes, the pyramids, the squares, the rectangles, the obelisks ... He created there his most authentic creation based on angular forms inspired by the eye of a geometer.' This is also the collection where he showcased his cubic pants, pants that are seamed like these are so that they fall in a more square shape around the leg. We found a photo of a similar pant to this one and we were also able to find one reference photo of a similar set to this. I like this one with its stark silver contrast even better. It is just exceptional and you will never see another.

This is a fabulous set that is truly something you will only ever find in vintage. It showcases perfectly that mod feeling of the mid-sixties while also representing the extravagances of couture during this time period. The set is two pieces, a metallic silver pant and a tunic with open sides. The tunic is a masterpiece and I love the fabric. It combined and embroidered black and silver thread on a white silk organza. Each of those black and silver designs that you see are individually added to the base and have a 3D feel to them as they sit on the fabric. Big silver flowers are added over the tunic and each is secured in place by more of the silver thread. It runs straight down and over the body at the front and the back and then the two sides are attached with four wide bands of silver lame. It is open down the sides between the bands. The tunic is just long enough that you could wear it as a dress if you dared which adds another element to its wearability. You could also layer it over other things to get more looks. This tops a pair of silver lame pants and the fabric is an early version of it. It is more like fabric that has been coated with silver then the lame we are more used to now. These are cut with that amazing seaming that lets them sit in a box shape around the outer leg. They are simple in cut with a high waist and flat front. It is quite genius and a gorgeous set that illustrates the leaps and bounds that couture was taking during this time period. Excellent condition with minor notes below.

The top is lined in a silk organza and the pants are lined in a lingerie weight netting. The tunic closes with a back zipper and the pants also zip to close. There is some minor wear on the pants. I see slight rubbing of the silver in the edges of the waistband and there is minor discoloration to the inner lining. The inside lining of the tunic shows some grubbiness and the edges of the silver have the same very minor rubbing here and there. It presents perfectly when on.

Tunic
Bust: 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: 28" from top of shoulder to hem

Pants
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39.75" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 29.5" from waist to hem
Gusset: 13.5"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4093

Reference Photo: Model wearing Marc Vaughan Couture, 1966.

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 gorgeous Valentino dress from the early to mid 1990s. It is beautifully made and a wonderful example of Valentino's main label and the work that he was doing during this time period. I love this one with its insanely low front plunge. It feels like a Valentino-fied version of the famous Bridget dress that Ossie Clark did with the way it is plunged at the front. It is a little sexier then some of his work tends so be but it still has that refined elegance that you would expect from him combined with a bit of pure drama created in that moment when you first see the dress on and that bare expanse of skin. 

The dress has that feeling of simplicity that the nineties epitomized and yet, still feels modern and fresh even now. There is also a bit of a historic feel to it with the way that the skirt is set under that beautifully beaded bodice. The skirt is made from an inner layer of a black silk that is cut to fall from the slightly high set waist to the floor. It widens out as it nears the floor and is still is in its original uncut length. Attached over the skirt are two layers of a black silk chiffon that are cut on the bias. They wrap around the skirt and end about 2 inches apart at the front. Where they end the line lines up perfectly with the plunge above it to create this beautiful long line. The bias cut of the silk and the soft floating feel of the chiffon draped over the inner silk skirting creates this beautiful movement when you move. Above that the bodice of the dress is fabulous. It is perfectly cut so that it plunges to the high set waist and is open all the way down. This leaves a bare expanse of skin showing and the effect is stunning. The bodice is made from two layers of black netting. Onto the  top layer has an intricate floral pattern that beaded over each breast and then fully across the back. The transparency with the netting behind it makes the bead work stand out even more and it is just fantastic. The sleeves are the same chiffon as the skirt's overlay and they are soft and  gathered so that they drape over the top of your arm. It is just stunning on the body. Excellent condition

The skirt is lined with a layer of silk chiffon and the bodice is made of two layers of the netting as described above. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. Tagged a vintage Valentino 6

Slightly dropped shoulders: 15.5"
Sleeves: 7" long and 11" around at the ends
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
High set waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bust: 16.5" across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 11.5" from top of the shoulder to waist
Skirt: 53" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4077

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.

This is one of the prettiest Oscar dresses I have ever had in the shop and I love it. The movement it has when it is on and you walk is just incredible. It's exact twin was did not make an appearance on the runway but there were several dresses that had similar elements to this one. I have included the two closest here. I think that this one is even more gorgeous then either of those and I am kind of obsessed with it. In the review of the show Vogue's Janet Ozzard said in part; "It’s virtually impossible not to get swept up in Oscar de la Renta’s confident vision of the luxurious life. The designer played to all of his strengths for spring, showing more of the pretty dresses, chic suits, and slim coats that have made him a touchstone of relaxed, modern elegance....Judging from the cuts and colors of this collection, de la Renta has Palm Beach on his mind." and for the evening pieces she noted that; "Turning up the volume for evening, de la Renta progressed from a long, cool pour of pink charmeuse, to a giddy yellow satin strapless dress covered in nosegays of silk flowers, to embroidered and embellished showstoppers guaranteed to make it a memorable night—red carpet or not." 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.

This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is made out of the perfect pale mint green coloured silk chiffon. It is strapless and the upper bodice has a soft rounded shape to it. The silk is draped over the bust to give the feel of a bandeau and gathered in along the center. Inside it is cupped and shaped for support. Under that it is cut to hugs the body and the silk has been draped softly over the inner lining. The gathers are all set to curve and wrap around your body. That stunning colour combined with the soft gathers creates the most gorgeous effect. The dress is meant to hug the body and highlight your curves to past the hips to create an hourglass feel. The skirt is set in at about mid-thigh and it is spectacular. Here you see the genius of Oscar. The skirt has a ton of volume to it that shows best when you move. It is made out of a cascade of silk that becomes very full as it nears the hem. It is set longer at the back then the front so that you get this pretty curve from the side view and this fantastic sweep of skirts from the back. The entire skirt is covered with individually placed chiffon 'feathers' or 'petals' that move with the slightest bit of air and fall softly to the floor. The lightness of the silk causes all those appliques on the skirt to move with the slightest bit of air. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. The final perfect detail is that open keyhole under the center of the bust. This little flash of skin is the prettiest detail that adds that perfect finishing element of romance and femininity. This is Oscar at his very best and it is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a matching pale green silk. The applique work on the skirt are set on top of the same silk chiffon as the rest of the dress so you get a touch of transparency under them. It closes with an inner side zipper to close the built in boned inner support and then a second hidden set zipper over that to close the exterior dress. Lightly boned through the inner bodice and built in hidden cups. Inner waist stay hooks to close. Tagged a US 6. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner corset waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from top of the bust to front hem, 57" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4073

Reference Photos: Spring 2004 Oscar de la Renta Runway Collection. Look 49 & 53.

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

Marie-Louise Carven, who founded her label in 1945, was one of the few female couturiers in the post-Chanel/Schiaparelli days of the Parisian designers. Her work was exquisite and she was a brilliant marketer, launching perfumes and a ready-to-wear line in 1950, something that couturiers still were not doing to a great degree at that time. She was known as being one of the great couturiers of the 'Golden Age' of Haute Couture and her designs became know for being so perfectly French and representing the spirit of Paris. She specialized in making dresses for a more petite sized woman. She was only 5'1" tall and found that there were often no options for herself so she decided to fill that gap saying that the other couturiers had no time for smaller stature women. Green was an integral colour for the house. Her atelier was green and white and her perfumes came wrapped in green and white striped paper. This dress is a stunning and very rare example of her work during this time period and encapsulates all that she meant to achieve with her work.

The dress is made to the typical fashion of her work in this time period. She loved to add collars and trims and often used organdy and linen that were cut out and embroidered. This dress has all of those and it is tremendously beautiful. The workmanship on this dress is amazing. The body of the dress is made from a pale green organdy that has been embroidered around the edges and on each individual piece of the pattern as well. It has open cut outs between the green parts so that you can see the pale ivory silk organza lining underneath. The effect of this layering is wonderful. It gives the pattern even more depth and texture then it would have with just the embroidery work. It is also slightly transparent which adds to its feeling of airiness and lightness. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist is seamed and set slightly high. I have added a ribbon to some of the photos and you can wear it with or without a belt for more shape. The skirt widens out as is nears the floor and is cut slightly longer in the back for a pretty sweep of skirts behind you. The neckline is finished with an elaborate silk organza ruffle. The ruffle is made of four layers and each layer is edged with a silk ribbon finish. It can be worn on or off the shoulder. I prefer it off the shoulder so that you get that bare expanse of skin. The hem is finished with the same ruffle technique and this cleverly weights the skirt so that is fall perfectly and also gives it this beautiful little kick with you move. It is an extraordinary and rare piece of Haute Couture and it is fabulous. This is an amazing piece of fashion history and it is a simply beautiful dress. Present as excellent condition with some small things to note below

Fully lined in the ivory silk organza and zips to close at the back. It is in overall great condition and at first glance looks perfect. There are some tiny flaws that I think are inevitable with this type of fabric. There are some well dome repairs here and there to the inner lining that do not show from the exterior. Some tiny areas of darkening here an there to the ruffles. There are some small stress tears around the armholes. I photoed these. Here and there the connecting bridge to another pattern piece has come apart and there is maybe a couple of tiny tears on the fabric here and there. Please see the photos after the label shot. It is completely wearable as it is now. The ribbon tie belt is not original to the dress but will be sent with it. It is slim through the hips

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 39" from waist to front hem, 43" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4074

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 more recent Chloe dress that is incredibly easy to wear. The dress is suspended from tiny silk straps that go up and over your shoulders. These attach to either side of the neck and that causes it to scoop and gather towards the neckline. The top edge of the neckline on both the front and the back have been  gathered and stitched for a pretty feminine touch. The openings from your arms draped down on a curve adding to that feeling that the dress is just this incredibly easy thing that you just slipped on. The dressed falls from there to the floor. It’s extremely loose and easy to wear and the only hint of shape that it has comes if you choose to put your hands in the pockets that are hidden along each hip. It is made from an incredibly lightweight silk in the prettiest dusty pink color. The silk has appliqué work over it made from a blue silk with a floral pattern work through it. Then over all of that are little puffs of fringed fabric that create a feathered feel without actually being made out of feathers. The fringes range from white to pale silver greys to deep blue that match the floral applique colour. Once on the dress falls to the floor and it is in its original supermodel length. It was never worn and it still has all its original tags including its price tag of $3150USD. This is a fabulous dress that is easy to wear, flattering and yet feels like you’re wearing nothing. Excellent condition 

Unlined and slips on to wear. You can adjust the length and where it falls on your chest with the straps. Pockets on each hip. Tagged a 36 but its easy and open bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. All original tags and never worn. The pink is lighter and a dustier feel then how it photoed. Better on person.

Bust: will open to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 62" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-LRG

Item# DD4067

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 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.

This gorgeous little dress is the ready-to-wear version of the Haute Couture dress that Yves created. I have included the runway photos of the couture version that walked the runway and that was featured in an editorial that year so that you can see how the dress looks on. The ready-to-wear version is a slightly simplified version of it but otherwise looks remarkably the same. He often did this with a few select pieces from his collections so that his non-couture clients had access to his work as well. The 1987 collection is one of my all time favourites and I am very pleased to have this wonderful example from it in the shop for you.

If you are a Yves Saint Laurent fan the second that you saw this dress you would have known that it was his work. This was a definitive look of the Couture collection and I love that he made a ready-to-wear version. I am also glad I have reference photos for you because if there was ever a dress that needed be seen on a body this is it. It really is not being done full justice on my dress form but it is gorgeous on the body. The dress sits off the shoulders to leave a bare expanse of skin. The sleeves are cut to follow the arm to just past the elbow. A pretty chiffon ruffle edges the entire neckline and then another ruffle curves around each wrist. The bodice skims over the bust and comes in at the waist. Under that the skirt flares out dramatically and is quite full. The front of the skirt is cut to the knee, or just above depending on your height, and then the edges of the skirt curve down and around to a full length at the back. The fullness and the length change give it a ton of movement when you move. The fabric is a segment in itself. It is made from a black silk net backed by a black silk tulle. Then onto the top net layer is a design made of black raffia. This gives the dress an incredible texture and the raffia catches the light fantastically. It also means that the parts of the dress that are not lined have a touch of transparency which is very sexy. This is an incredible piece of Yve's history and an absolutely gorgeous dress. Excellent condition with a minor note to review below 

Lined in a layer of tulle as described above and then there is a inner lining though the bodice and to just past the hips that is made out of a gold nude toned silk chiffon covered in a layer of black silk chiffon. It closes with a side set zipper. The raffia has small breaks in it here and there. I have never seen a vintage piece with raffia detailing that does not do this as it ages. It is inherent to the material and normal wear. 

Sleeves: 18"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam before it flares out
Length: approx 35" from natural shoulder to front hem, 52" to lowest pint of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3888

Reference Photos: (1-2) S/S 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Show.  /  (3) Brynja Sverrisdottir in S/S 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Couture. Photo by David Bailey.

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 Galliano was moved from Givenchy to Christian Dior in October of 1996 and stayed there until he was dismissed in February of 2011. This dress is from the Fall 2007 collection and was a piece that was produced in limited quantities for retail. In the runway we can see similar beadwork and the design used on the upper part of the dress referenced  in look 26 in an shorter orange version. A shorter version in black with a slightly different bodice was also worn by Penelope Cruz when she attended the 2008 Cruise collection show. I have included photos of both of these examples here as it is always interesting to see the progression and variations on a theme that a designer chooses to do.

Vogue raved about the collection saying in part: "If you're getting into the forties this season (and that's definitely one way to go), John Galliano is the man to fulfill those latent Joan Crawford urges, no holds barred. His ready-to-wear collection for Christian Dior was virtually a camp-fabulous Hollywood spectacular—like a pumped-up 2007 remake of The Women (Cukor, 1939; ever a fashion favorite), but this time played out in full glorious purple, pistachio, electric blue, and fuchsia, rather than black and white.' This is one of my favourite Dior dresses that I have had in the shop to date and it is even better on person and on an actual body.

As with many Galliano piece this dress is entirely cut on the bias and it is meant to be on an actual body and not a mere dress form. As good as it looks on the form once on an actual body it will only be better. The dress is made from a rich looking champagne coloured silk satin that in certain light has a slight silver undertone to it. The fabric and the way it is cut and draped allows it to hug the body but without being tight. It skims over the body and highlights every curve yet is very comfortable and easy to move in. Once on an actual body and you start to move in it the dress moves with you. The dress molds itself around the bust and plunges at the front into the squared off neckline. A wide panel of fabric runs down the centre of the body to the bottom of the torso. All of the fabric on either side of that center strip is gathered and hand draped into and under the panel in big soft folds. Then he embellished it with little silver flat metal sequins meant to suggest tiny leaves, hand sewn tube beads and prong set glass crystal rhinestones. These catch the light and add even more glamour to the dress. As the draped silk of the dress nears the bottom of that center panel is starts to open up more into looser folds and eventually falls and expands out into the skirt. The skirt has yards and yards of fabric in it and I love how it is draped around the sides of the hips for shape and volume. It gives you this insane hourglass feel. At the back the fabric is lightly gathered into the zipper so it is fitted on the back and then it falls out to the skirt with a series of panels built into the back for added volume. It then extends out to a short train at the back for the perfect finish. It is one of the most beautiful and glamorous dresses I have ever had in the shop. It is red carpet worthy and 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. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined with a fine ivory tissue silk. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Tagged a US 8 but cut very small

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 64" to the lowest point of the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3875

Reference Photos: (1-2) Dior Runway Show in Prague showcasing Fall 2007 RTW/Resort 2008 pieces. Dress shown worn by Miss World 2006 Tatana Kucharova.  /  (3) Fall 2007 Christian Dior Runway, Look 26. Model: Patricia Schmid.  /  (4-6) Penelope Cruz at the 2008 Dior Cruise Collection Presentation.

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 the most incredible dresses from this time period that I have had in the shop. The fabric is an early and original version of the moss crepes that you see so frequently during the 1970s with designers like Ossie Clark.  It is also special in that all of that sequin work that covers the entire dress are gelatine sequins which are a rarity in themselves. In the 1920s when the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen tomb was opened, many garments where found inside the tomb that were embellished with tiny gold disks with a hole punched out of the middle. They were made from pure gold and sparked a craze for flapper dresses to all be covered in little metal discs. By the 1930s, manufacturers developed a process to create lightweight sequins using gelatin coloured with paint. That is what these are and while these sequins looked great they did have the unwanted side effect of potentially melting at temperatures with applied heat and dissolving in water. As a result the industry soon switched to acetate sequins and then eventually our modern day Mylar or plastics. It is extremely rare to find pieces with these earliest kinds of sequins and even rarer to find one in this extraordinary condition given the potential to melt if cared for improperly. 

The dress is even more gorgeous in person then how it photoed. This is one of the best pieces from this time period that I have seen in a very long time. It is now so rare and hard to find these in such amazing condition. It is also surprisingly long for a piece from this time period. The dress has been finished beautifully and it obviously is a high end piece. It was a hard dress to photo since it is meant to be on an actual body and my dress form is not doing it anywhere near the justice it deserves. The dress falls in a stepped V at the front with the sides of the front V extending out to become the wide straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The bodice is cut in that loose and easy way over the bust that pieces from this time period were done in. It gathers in at the front a touch and then falls over the waist for a bit of a column feel. The skirt falls to the floor under that in a smooth column that widens out gradually as you hear the floor. At the back it dips scandalously low to reveal a wide expanse of bare skin. It does up with a side zipper so that all of the lines stay long and smooth. It was then densely detailed with the most amazing pattern of flowers and vines that cover the entire dress except for the stark band across the middle that was left as just the black crepe. This anchors the design above and below and visually draws the eye in. The design is made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny hand set gold sequins and the vines that trail between them are done in the tiniest possible seed beads. They are so densely done that the pattern sits up and off of the crepe underneath for the most beautiful 3D feel. You can clearly see the hand work on the back and I cannot even imagine how many hours it would have taken to accomplish this type of meticulous and detailed work. The design completely covers the front and back of the bodice and runs all the way around the long skirt. The embellishments catch the light and add a fabulous glitter to the dress. It is truly incredible and if you are a fan of these pieces from the late twenties and into the thirties you know just how exceptional and rare it is. It is truly a once in a lifetime find. Excellent condition 

Unlined and closes with a side set metal zipper. Ribbon edged finished hem. It is in wonderful condition and appears to have been worn very little. For a garment almost 100 years old it is truly amazing. 

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to the front hem, 60" to the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# E698

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.

I think our modern world forgets just how important Oleg Cassini was as a designer in his heyday. From his first film in 1941 he was responsible for many of the best looks on film, dressing stars like Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney (who he married), Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner and the list goes on and on. In 1952, he opened his own fashion house on Seventh Avenue. By 1961 he was appointed by Jacqueline Kennedy as her exclusive couturier. Some of his early works especially, were more on par with couture, using the same techniques and high fashion fabrics as the French couture houses. This is a later example of his work and yet it still shows the care and meticulous detailing that he put into his work.

The dress is amazing in person. It is made of a black silk chiffon that has been extensively covered with gunmetal silver glass tube beads. The dress is extremely heavy because of the bead work. It weights about 4 pounds and it is gorgeous. The bodice of the dress is suspended by beaded straps and then scoops down with shaping at the front and a lower set line at the back. It has a wide band of beadwork following the top seam and then is shaped by a series of vertically set rows of beads that go all the way around the bodice and end in little jagged ends. It is fitted to the bodice and then nips it in at the waist. The skirt skims over the hips into a pencil shape and then onto that are curved vertical panels that start just under the waist and go to just above the hem. These give the illusion that the skirt is tiered but that ruffled effect is actually created by the panels dropping and layering over each other. I did a photo of it laid out flat so you can get an idea of how much volume is actually in the skirt. When you move the movement this creates is fantastic. Each is finished along the curved edge with a series of stacked rows of beadwork. More vertical bead circle the hips and these are done to pick up that same jagged finish design as on the bodice. The hem is then finished with a wide band of yet more beading. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black muslin through the bodice and black silk through the skirt. It closes with a back zipper. Hand work throughout. Light boning in the bodice. It looks to have never been worn. Perhaps the occasional bead missing but no bare areas that I could see. 

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11.5-12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3629

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

Jean Paul Gaultier's career spans decades. His first show was in 1976 and his avant garde designs quickly gained him the reputation of being fashion's 'l'enfant terrible'. His designs mixed cultures with abandon, gender norms were blurred through his pieces and the body was presented encased in ways unimaginable prior to his brilliant vision. In 1997 he entered the sanctified world of Haute Couture and for just over two decades produced stunning work cumulating with his final show for Spring 2020. His pieces of couture rarely come to market and I am very pleased to have this dress that is very well documented and instantly recognizeable. This is the twin of the dress shown for the Fall 2000 Haute Couture presentation entitled 'Paris and its Muses'. I have included the original runway photos for reference here for you. The dress was also photoed for Vanity fair on Doutzen Kroes. Fast forward to 2013 where the twin of this dress was featured in the The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk exhibit. I actually attended the opening of that show in San Francisco and it is surreal to now have the actual dress in hand as I remember swooning over it on display. This dress was obviously a favourite of Jean Paul's because he chose to recreate a version of it for his Fall 2018 Couture collection. That 2018 version was then worn by Rita Ora for the 2018 MTV VMAs. This may have been the only original piece ever produced beyond the piece that was shown in the exhibition. 

The dress is an incredible work of art. It is made from a layer of silk netting that falls over an interior nude coloured lingerie weight stretch silk. This makes it very easy to wear and be comfortable in despite the dramatic feel it has to everyone seeing it. Onto the silk netting at hand made and hand applied tubes of silk with a stiffened netting inside that gives them the 3D dimension that you see. The entire dress would have had to have been careful planned out prior to its creation. Every single word that you see running over its surface would have had to have been laid out and planned for how it would be placed onto the dress before it was even started. Each word would have had to have been figured out as to the degree it would curve over the body and then it would have been all meticulously brought to life. The letters cover the dress from head to toe and the closer you look the more you see the French words 'Cherie',  'Mon Amour', 'Jean Paul Gaultier', 'Paris' and more as the hand written script cascade and curves it way down the length of the dress. It falls from the shoulders in a long swoop that widens out as it nears the hem. I love how the hem is curved and swooped to follow the final words across the bottom. The script and the netting inside the words also helps to keep the shape of the dress that you see in my photos as they act as structure and support. In a way like a crinoline but attached on the outside rather then worn underneath and hidden. The top is sleeveless and the straps are just wide enough to accommodate the lettering that runs over them. The front scoops down and the back dips into a V. The waist is easy and then it flares out dramatically to the hem. It is bias cut so should fit a range of sizes. Inside you can see how all of the seams are finished with proper couture techniques. This is a dress that would have taken hundreds of hours to complete and is literally like wearing an art piece come to life. To have a piece available for purchase is almost as rare as being able to have bought it as a couture client in the first place. Truly one of the most magnificent pieces he has ever created. Excellent condition with some very minor notes below 

Composed of two layers, the inner nude lingerie weight stretch silk and then the netted layer over that. The inner layer closes with a zipper and the outer layer snaps to close with a tightly spaced series of tiny snaps.  The dress looks to have been worn very little if at all. There is some minor stress to the netting around the seam of the armholes. I see a couple of the ends of a word that have popped through the silk a bit and some small tiny snags to the netting here and there. All of these are very minor. Please see the photos after the Couture label. All the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. Proper Couture tag present. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Sourced from the original couture client  

Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3612

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 2000 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Runway Collection.  /  (3) Doutzen Kroes in Jean Paul Gaultier couture from the 2000 collection for Vanity Fair, 2009.  /  (4-8) Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Grand Palais, 2015.  /  (9) Fall 2018 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Runway Collection. Look 34.  /  (10-12) Rita Ora in Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2018 MTV VMAs.

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

Renato Balestra launched his couture label in Rome in 1951. His work quickly gained international fame and was one of the cornerstone ateliers of the Italian couture 'Alta Moda' movement. On their website they state: 'The Balestra brand blends the mastery of the artisans and the style of the designer to express its vision to the fullest, thanks to hundreds of hours of craftmanship and the highest attention to details.' This is a beautiful example of his work and is in remarkable condition. This particular piece has the added provenance of having been more for the Ebony Fashion Fair and could very well be the only one ever made exactly like this. 

The jumpsuit is made from a very fine silk satin that uses both a yellow and a purple for an electric clash of colours. The purple silk is used for the halter cut top of the jumpsuit and then a bright clear yellow has been used for the wide cut pants that start just under the high set waist. Under the bust the same purple silk has been individually cut into an intricate design and laid out onto the yellow silk. This was then appliqued onto the silk using a mix of a purple metallic thread embroidery, rhinestones and tiny tube beads to give it a 3D feel. These have all been meticulously laid out and done by hand. This touch of glitter around the waist is what gives the jumpsuit its sparkle and glitz. The bodice is simple and perfect with a deep V front that plunges right to the band under the bust. A sweet little flat bow sits there for detailing. The back secures with a hook and eye at the neck and then is left open in a long slit to the banding at the waist. The pants are cut wide and full so that you have this beautiful long line and a touch of movement when you move. The interior is all done to Haute Couture standards and is beautiful to see. The top is lined in a hand set silk crepe and the pants have been interlined with a yellow silk chiffon. The workmanship and care need to work with these types of fabric when all the work is done by hand cannot be underplayed. This would have taken hours of meticulous hand work to accomplish. The workmanship is exquisite and the liquidity of the fabric and the cut of the jumpsuit once on the body is very sexy. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the bodice in a hand set purple silk and fully interlined through the pants with a yellow silk chiffon. It closes with a hand set zipper starting at the waist and then has a hook & eye at the back of the neck. This leaves an open slit between the two at the back. All hand finished with hand finished interior seams and all the beadwork and embroidery work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Note that the yellow in person is a slightly lighter shade then how it photoed. It did not quite do up all the way on my mannequin at the back but will close as described above on the proper sized person for its size. 

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at under-bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of bodice to seam under the bust
Pants: 46" from seam under the bust to hem
inseam: 35"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3498

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 little 1920s flapper dress was completely made by hand and a wonderful example of the level of craftsmanship being utilized during this time period. It has its original Made in France label still present and these pieces were always a little higher quality then some examples you see from the time period. It has no other label but it is not hard to imagine that it might have been a designer piece as well. The base of the dress is a black silk netting that is strong and sturdy. Onto this is an intricate design made up of gelatin sequins set boxes. Each is a combination of purple, pink & turquoise in an alternating design. The placement of each sequin is by hand and it is amazing to think of the time it would have taken to make the fabric alone. The center of each block makes me think of a cluster of little pink "hearts" that are then surrounded by an abstract shape. A metal based gold lame thread and tiny little gold tubes beads are then shaped around each to make the block design that you see.  These are then stacked in rows to cover the dress entirely with the black netting serving as the separation between each. This combination of colored sequins, gold thread & beads is absolutely fantastic. There is an extra panel of netting inserted at each hip to give the skirt extra flare. Excellent antique condition

The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear. The edges of the side net panels are raw and at one time there may have an extension to them but it is now cut even with the hem. I see no other flaws and it appears to have been worn very little if at all and is wearble with the care it would deserve to be worn with. Even with that small defect the dress is remarkably sound and shockingly beautiful. It is almost 100 years old and is considered to be in museum quality condition.

Bust: 17" from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" from side seam to side seam
Total length: 40" from shoulder to bottom hem

Note that antique and twenties pieces are final sale. They will be packed exceedingly well and we only sell pieces that will stand up to the stress of shipping, however, having pieces potentially shipped multiple times through multiple customs and countries is too hard on garments that are historically important and deserve to be treated with love and care. Please purchase accordingly.

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# E290

This garment is in sound, clean, as found condition and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival