The Nina Ricci Haute Couture house was founded in 1932, at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris and became one of the pre-eminent couture ateliers in the world. In 1964, Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant who took over the atelier in 1954. Over the following three decades, his Haute 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 a wonderful example of Pipart's vision for the house and is a stunning example of the work that the atelier was producing during this time period. The dress is made of from a fine silk chiffon that has been dyed to the perfect red. Every stitch is done by hand and the hours that would have been put just into the hand rolling and stitching of all the edges on the various layers on the skirt alone is mind-boggling. The skirt is made of four full layers of bias cut silk that is layered over each other in cascading tiers of fabric. Each layer is cut to curve up slightly at the front and dip down longer at the back. The layers of silk create a beautiful sense of movement and lightness when you move. The bodice is beautiful. It is densely beaded by hand in a pretty floral pattern all the way around from front to back. Tiny silk straps curve up and over the shoulders. Along the very top edge of the neckline at the front is an attached panel of silk chiffon that wraps up and around the neck leaving the silk to trail down the back. This little extra detail creates a bit of high drama and intrigue to the design. The scarf is original to the dress but may have been attached at a later date. It would be an easy job to unattached it and have it as a separate piece again if you wished. It is stunning in person and on the body. Excellent condition with one small note below.

Fully lined in red silk chiffon and closes with a back hand set zipper. Finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand. There are two small areas of a darkened spots on both sides of the attached silk panel. Please see the two photos after the label shot. Depending on how this is tied and styled it does not necessarily show and if was unattached again you would have the option to not wear it with the dress. The proper Haute Couture label is present.

Bust: to 16" 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
Skirt: 40" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2369

Quote and historical info on the house is taken from the Nina Ricci Website

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 lovely dress by Reem Acra who for twenty years has been producing ready to wear and bridal collection. Her pieces tend to combine traditional elements with modern aesthetics and her work can be very beautiful. This was shown on the Spring 2006 runway with a slightly different bodice and then a version with sleeves and upper shoulders was used for the Bridal campaign ads that year and that one matches the bodice of the one I have in the shop today. 

The dress is very simple in cut and very flattering. It is made out of a pale silver grey silk chiffon through the skirting and then the bodice is a silk satin that is covered in a combination off seed beads and prong set rhinestones. The strapless bust is set in a high empire line and it is meant to be fitted and just cover the breasts. It is boned and formed inside to created that banded effect and to keep it in place. On to this is a lovely and intricate design that covers the entire bust all the way around. The design combines the tiniest of silver seed beads with small rhinestones. These catch the light and add a bit of glamour against the grey silk chiffon. Under the bust the skirt falls to the floor in a cascade of silk chiffon. It is feather light and made up of multiple layers of silk. There are two top layers of silk chiffon and then under that are two more layers of a silk dyed to the exact same colour. There are lots of little details that portray its high end origins. Each of the two pairs of layers of skirting are attached by little slips on the side so they hang perfectly in place. And at the back each layer closes with its own zipper and closure. It is very beautiful and even better in person as the camera doesn't quite capture the right shade of soft grey that it is or the glimmer of the rhinestones as they catch the light. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

Has a built in inner corset through the bust that is boned and closes with a back zipper. Another zipper closes a layer over that and then the outermost layer snaps into place. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 5.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 46" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3573

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 2006 Reem Acra Runway Collection.  /  (3) 2006 Reem Acra Bridal.

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

Isaac Mizrahi presented his first collection through a trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman's in 1987. By 1992 Chanel had bought a stake in the company and Isaac's name was everywhere. He was doing custom work for clients and Hollywood on top of his mainline. In 1995 Isaac was the subject of the movie 'Unzipped' based on his Fall 1994 collection. He is known as much for his personality as he was for his clothing. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) recognized him with the Perry Ellis Award (now called the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award) in 1988 and the women's wear designer of the year award in 1989. He loved to experiment and would often change his aesthetics from season to season which was his ultimate downfall. After the fall 1998 show Chanel pulled its stake and the company folded. He did have a couple of subsequent come back attempts, but for collectors these early years are the most important pieces to find.

My client had this dress custom created for herself and worked one on one with Issac on it. It is a dress that really showcases his depth as a designer and it is stunningly beautiful. It is made to demi-couture standards and it looks to have never been worn. The bodice is amazing. It is strapless and is densely covered with large, glossy black beading mixed with large prong set glass crystal rhinestones. These are so heavily applied that you cannot see even a smidge of fabric between them. The size of the beads, combined with the ultra tight spacing of them give it a 3 dimensional effect. The beadwork wraps completely around you to the back. The top of the bodice curves in the most flattering of ways and to is molded to follow the curve of the breast. The dress falls from directly under the bust so that there is no line at the waist to break the beautiful curve of the skirt. The body of the dress is made from a fine black lace and he has set that over a inner nude silk lining. From a distance this gives the effect that you are covered in just a layer of lace. The skirt sweeps down from under that heavily beaded bust, skims past the waist and then starts to flare out from there. It is cut so that by the time it has reached the middle of your legs it flares out tremendously for the lower skirt. This combination of the flared out lower skirt and the black lace give it a touch of a Spanish feel I think. Extra tulle attached to the inner lining help to keep that gorgeous shape that you see. It is even better in person and once on an actual body it really comes to life as the skirts float and swish around you at the slightest movement. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a two layers of a golden nude silk. The innermost layer of the skirt has additional tulle around the hem to help hold the shape. The bodice has a built in inner corset that closes with its own set of lingerie hook and eye. The exterior layer closes over that with a back zipper. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. 

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with an approx A-B cup
Inner waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 56" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3564

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

Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. The twin of this dress was photoed a year later for the September issue of Vogue on Donna Mitchell and I think that this photo has become one of the most famous shots of her and one of the best shots done for Vogue period. To have this in the shop is a bit of a holy grail for me personally as it is such a beautiful dress that I  have always loved. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of  the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. Even when the dress was as extravagant as this one is. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This very early piece of his work and with its glamorous fabric, history and that dramatic feather collar, it is some of his very best work ever. 

The dress is stunning and besides the actual beauty of it as a dress, the fabric is one of the best textiles I have ever seen. It is a printed silk voile in a riotous colour palette of yellow, coral and black with dots of an extra soft plush chenille fused onto the surface. The chenille appliqué covers the entire dress from shoulder to hem and gives it the most amazing tactile feel. The dots also give the dress texture and a three dimensional quality. To offset the texture and extravagance of the print on that fabric, the actual lines of the dress are fairy simple The bodice skims over the bust to the seamed waist and the sleeves are long and straight with zippers at each cuff. The neckline is high and scooped. The skirt falls from the waist to the floor in a gentle widening line. At the neck it becomes all drama again. Here we see that famous feathered collar in all its glory. the collar is actually a separate piece on its own that hooks into place and I have provided photos of the dress with and without the collar. The feathers on the collar have been hand dyed to match the colours of the dress and there are hand dyed smaller feathers hand placed and attached onto the larger feathers to create the pattern that you see. The effect is amazing and it is even better on person and on an actual body as all the elements really come to life. It is really one of the most significant and dramatic pieces ever done by him. A true collectors piece. Excellent condition 

The entire dress including the sleeves is fully lined in a nude coloured silk. It closed with a back painted metal zipper and each cuff has a zipper to close. The collar is backed with a silk organza and hooks to close. There are a few tiny areas of thinning to the silk behind the feathers of the collar but these are extremely minor. Overall it appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 23.5"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem with 3.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3562

Reference Photo: Donna Mitchell in Bill Blass, Shot by Richard Avedon, Vogue US, September 1971.

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

This is an exceptional example of Valentino's Haute Couture work from the early 1990s. Finding true couture pieces from this time period in such immaculate condition and so well documented is a rarity and and I am very pleased to have this beautiful evening suit in the shop. The set comes directly from the original couture client and is in immaculate condition. It was ordered from the runway collection as presented in 1994. It was shown on Helena Christensen on the runway with just the jacket and skirt. My client also ordered the matching silk top to go with it. Having the reference shots gives you a wonderful way to see the suit how it looks worn on its own and with the top under it as on my dress form. 

Each of the three pieces that make up this set is exquisite and would be an amazing vintage find on its own. The suit itself is true to the runway. The skirt is cut to hug the hips and then flares out in a wide 11" band of silk at the bottom hem. The silk has been folded into sharp pleats and then set into the skirt so that by the time they reach the hem they open and swirl and curve around you. The movement this creates is wonderful. Over this is that stunning jacket that is cut and tailored to perfection. The soft set shoulders have just a suggestion of padding. It falls from those shoulders and gently widens out and away from the body. This gives the detailing on the jacket an uninterrupted line to be displayed on. The hem of the jacket ends in a rounded curving edge and then under that is a panel of the same pleated silk that finishes the skirt. It layers over the top portion of the skirt and the tiered effect it creates is stunning. The detailing on the jacket is extensive and the pattern combines insets of black silk and silk velvet with hand beading. Glass tube beads are densely applied by hand around the insets and these run from the hem to just about the bust area and all the way around the jacket. Each sleeve is finished with the same treatment. It is insanely beautiful. My client also ordered the matching pleated silk taffeta top to go under the jacket and it is remarkable in its own right. When worn under the jacket it is cut so that the top two pleated tier and collar lie perfectly over the jacket's neckline. That top tier is cut at the back in a way so that it sits perfectly in place so that it can be worn like this. The front of the top has a high ruffled collar and then there are three tiers of silk set on a slight curve at the front. A velvet strop runs down the centre with glossy black dome buttons. These are set on the upper part of the top and then hidden snaps close the bottom part. Each cuff is finished with a pleated ruffle. You can wear everything together or mix and match any of the pieces with what you have in your wardrobe. This is a very special documented set and a fantastic way to add a piece of real Haute Couture to your closet. It is absolutely beautiful. Excellent condition

The top is unlined and the jacket and skirt are lined in a fine black silk. The skirt zips to close at the side and then hooks at the waist. The jacket closes with the glossy black dome buttons as seen and hand set silk loops. The top buttons to close and has hidden set snaps from where the buttons end to the bottom of the front. My client had the pleat that runs around the the of the jacket made so that it can be removed and worn without the ruffle which makes it even more versatile. Made with Haute Couture techniques and by hand. Hand done detailing on the jacket. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little 

Top
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 26.5" from neck to first hem, 32.5" to the end of the pleated hem

Jacket
Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3554

Reference Photos: Helena Christensen for the Fall 1994 Valentino Haute Couture Runway Collection.

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

This is a fantastic and romantic gown by Alfred Bosand who was really one of the great American designers whose clothes where made to couture levels with lots of hand finishes and detailing to them. Bosand started his career after World War II by attending the Fashion Academy, New York City. He then worked with several designers before launching his own label. By the time he returned in 1986 he was one of New York's last privately owned couture designers with his own label. His work is of very high quality.

I love how the dress is beaded from the top of the straps to the hem. The base fabric is made from a beautiful black silk net that has a layer of silk chiffon backing it. Under this is a built in inner dress made out of a black silk satin backed crepe so that the dress is not transparent. The dress is suspended from the shoulder from two tiny straps. It is seamed just under the bust and the top edge has a bit of a scalloped effect by the lace net being allowed to peak up and over the seam there. The skirt cascades from the high set waist to the floor in a delicious sweep of fabric. As it nears the floor it widens out which gives the change of design there the perfect backdrop and space to really pop. The entire dress has been covered in beading, sequins and embroidery. The top part of the dress has little rows of gold tube beads that are each set on a slight curve and broken up with scatterings of gold sequins. These are all hand set and by laying them out in this more organic feel they are more visually interesting then to have just done straight vertical rows. The entire lower hem is covered in flowers. This takes up about 24" of the bottom of the dress and in person they have far more impact then on it looks in the photos and on the dress form. The colours used are a soft turquoise mixed with a deep pink and pops of gold. The design is made up of a combination of embroidery, tube and seed beads and gold metallic thread. I love that the bottom hem is scalloped all around the edge. It is very beautiful and even better in person. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk satin backed crepe and closes with a back set zipper. It looks to have been worn very little if at all 

Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist - hips: open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to seam under the bust 
Skirt: 45.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3549

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

Vogue magazine raved about this collection saying in part; 'With pop chanteuse Regina Spektor at the grand piano in his 583 Park Avenue show space, the designer sent out a Fall collection of impeccable clothes for gals young and old who are accustomed to the good life' .... They then went on to mention this gown specifically; 'Come evening, the collection went two ways: understated, as with a trio of black columns in velvet, hammered satin, and silk crepe; or gala. Gustav Klimt's work was a reference point not only for a strapless floral chiffon embroidered dress accessorized with several strands of beads, but also for a pair of black gowns—one in a realistic (gold-) leaf motif and the other in a more abstract brushstroke style.' The twin of this dress was the brushstroke dress they referred to and was Look 61 on the runway.

The dress is made out of a very light weight black matte satin silk. The light weight of the fabric is absolutely intentional. It is just heavy enough to be able to hold and carry the hand painted brush strokes that have been applied onto it, but is still light enough that with every move it billows out around and behind you. I have included the clip of Jessica Stam walking the runway in it so that you can see the effect as it moves. The bodice is strapless and the fabric is hand gathered over it in soft folds. It is shaped to accentuate the bust. Below that, the skirt is very full and billows out and around you beautifully. It skims over the hip and then flows to the floor. At the back it is longer and extends out into a train. At the base of the back there is a large bow made out of the same fabric and even this is done in just a single layer of silk so that it too moves and flows with you as you walk. From the side this creates a beautiful curving angle from the waist to back hem. No matter what angle you see the dress it is stunning. The fabric itself has been hand painted with gold and copper brush strokes and to further highlight these there are little areas of hand applied gold sequins, others are detailed in a gold glitter and there are rhinestones scattered here and there as well. It is stunning. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and a black silk organza through the skirt. It closes with a back hidden set zipper.  Light boning through the bodice. Tagged a modern ODLR 8. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. All of the detailing has been done by hand

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 7" from top of bust to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to front hem, 51" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3508

Reference Photos: (1) Model Jessica Stam walks the F/W 2008 Oscar de la Renta Runway. Look 61.  /  (2) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.
Reference Video below: F/W 2008 Oscar de la Renta Runway Show.

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

In 1962 Capucci opened his first atelier in Paris and took the fashion world by storm. In 1968 he went back to his native Rome and opened his atelier there. By 1972 his work was presented in a museum in Rome at the Museum of Etruscan Art. A remarkable achievement for a living designer. He exhibited again in 1990 and in 2005 he founded the Roberto Capucci Foundation to preserve his numerous drawing and archives. His pieces tend to be highly architectural and the ones you see in exhibits border on not being wearable, so it is a treat to find a beautiful and highly wearable example of his work.

From the late 1970s comes this fabulous little deep blue chiffon dress that is cut to flow and drape over the body. The neck is cut wide to give a glimpse of the upper shoulders and the sleeves flow from there in an expanse of volume and fullness to above the buttoned wrist. The skirt has yards and yards of chiffon and flows to the floor in a pretty, light expanse of fabric. The back and bodice are especially pretty with their pin tuck lattice design that is detailed with a little clear beads where each pin tuck crosses over the other. It is lovely and a rare example of a hard to find designers work. Excellent condition

Fully lined except for the sleeves and closes with a back zipper on the interior fabric and snaps on the outer. Each cuff closes with a hidden snap under a silk covered button detail. Hand finished inside and hand applied beads.

Sleeves: 24" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2753

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

This dress is instantly recognizable as having been designed by Bob Mackie. Mackie was best known for dressing Cher and for his undying love of opulence and bead work, both of which he incorporates heavily into the best of his designs. Modern girls are obsessed with his vintage pieces. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In some ways he and his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. I think he secretly always designed for the big screen and the bygone glamor of Hollywood as his work is always over the top and extravagant. This dress has the added provenance of being the twin of the one recently worn by Tracee Ellis Ross on a 2020 episode of Blackish where she portrayed Cher. 

This is an amazing dress that is heavily sequinned and extremely sexy and flattering once on. The base of the dress is made of a nude stretch silk netting that has a pattern made up of beautiful curving bands that feel like they are wrapped around you like flames. Mixed into this is an elaborated detailing made of faux pearls that curve down the front of the dress and highlight that very high set slit at the front. The pearl embellishments travel upwards right to the neckline and even run down each sleeve. The designs that you see are made up of ivory colored sequins hand set in curving bands. White and silver tube beads are set vertically to create an edge around each of those curving bands. Additional silver sequins and even some rhinestones are scattered in between. This combination of the glass tube beads and sequins give the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour as every inch of it catches the light and sparkles. As a result the dress has a decent weight to it when it is off of the body because of that extensive bead-work, and yet once on the body it lies and drapes in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The bodice is cut to skim over the chest with a high, slightly angled neckline. The sleeves are cut straight and lined with an additional layer of nude silk to really show off the design that trails down and around each sleeve. The waist is brought in just slightly so that there is a bit of shape created but there is no horizontal seam to break the lines of the design. The skirt is incredible and is cut on a curve so the back is longer then the front and it wraps around you to that high, wide slit at the front. The effect of this is far more dramatic and fabulous on a real body and it really shows off the legs. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so, so, so much better in real life. Extremely well made and made to demi-couture standards. These were sent to the stores with a full lining made of a nude silk chiffon and you could remove this if you wanted a true nude, semi-see through dress that Mackie is so well known for. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a nude silk through the body and the sleeves have a more transparent nude chiffon lining. It closes with a painted metal and nylon back zipper. Hand finished throughout. Slight padding in each shoulder and zippers on each cuff. In person it is a touch more of a cream. It does have some stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range laying flat. 

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15
Bust: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to longest point of back hem
Slit: approx 24" from front hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3503

Reference Photo: Tracee Ellis Ross in Bob Mackie for Blackish (from her Instagram and the Blackish Instagram).

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

In its heyday the Gene Shelly of California label was highly sought after. The label was doing some of the best of the early sequinned vintage pieces that you could find anywhere on the planet. All of the sequin work that covers this dress was done by hand in Hong Kong on American manufactured fabric. The company would send the fabric to be hand sequinned and beaded. After that was done the fabric would be sent back to California where the dresses were made. At the time, Hong Kong was doing the best sequin and bead work in the world outside of the specialty ateliers in Paris. This dress is not perfect but it is still very beautiful and with a little work it could be perfect again. 

This dress is especially interesting because it bears many similarities to the one I sold before that ended up being the twin of one worn by Diana Ross and The Supremes. This dress has a very similar layout of the beads and sequins but it has been done on a silk based rather then a knit. This base of this one is a beautiful pale ice blue that perfectly sets off the silver sequins that are applied to it. There are hundreds of silver sequins that are laid out flat onto the silk from shoulder to hem. Each sequin has been meticulously applied by hand into its set place. Every inch of the fabric is covered with sequins and the dress glimmers in even the lowest of light. Set in among the silver sequins are big faceted pink and coral paste crystals. These circle the neckline like a built in piece of jewellery. There is also wide band of them applied around the lower skirt. Each crystal has been is hand sewn into place and they are large enough that they each have a 3D effect. Tiny faux pearls and seed beads outline them. Around the neck line and sleeves are coral beads and faux pearls. The dimension and texture created from the result of all of this hand work is wonderful. The dress itself is immensely flattering with its figure hugging shape and all of the seams in it are set vertically to give the wearer a beautiful long line. The base dress is in excellent condition but there are sequins missing. Please review the condition notes below.

The base is an icy blue silk  and the dress closes with a painted metal zipper at the back. The sequins and embellishments are all applied by hand.There are areas of missing sequins. Most notably across the upper shoulders and down the top of the cap sleeves. Some other areas in the body of the dress. These could be filled in with modern silver sequins. Or it could be worn as is. Priced with the work needed to make it perfect taken into account. Please review the photos after the label shot. 

Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of dress to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3502

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

This dress is from the archive of the Roman couture house Tiziani, which was founded in 1963 by American designer Evans Richards. The label quickly became a favorite among celebrities and socialites including Elizabeth Taylor, who was a regular client; Doris Duke, Gina Lollobrigida, and Principessa Borghese. The label is also famous because of the fact that as a young designer, Karl Lagerfeld accepted a job there. Lagerfeld worked at Tiziani from 1963 to 1969. This piece is unlabeled but has the provenance of being a part of a past auction that featured the sketches and a few select pieces of work from Karl Lagerfeld's time at the label, this dress being one of them. It also does have it couture tape present. 

The dress is constructed from a fine, pale blush pink coloured silk chiffon that in person has a prettier and softer feeling then how it photoed. The colour is even better when you see it in person. The dress is very beautiful and has a very romantic feel to it. The silk it is made out of is extremely light and airy so that it feels like it is floating around you when you move. The work on this dress is meticulously done and I have included a shot of the interior so that you can see the couture workmanship inside. The bodice is cut to skim over the bust with light padding in each shoulder to give it just a touch of structure. At the neckline there is a pretty bow shaped cut out with an open lattice inside of the bows. This has been densely embellished with pink sequins, beads and rhinestones. I love the little flowers formed along the lattice and how Lagerfeld has used this touch of glitz almost like it was an attached piece of jewellery at the neck. The bead work is extremely fine and mixes tiny seed beads, sequins and prong set rhinestones. Being set onto a lattice means that you get just a touch of skin peaking through from underneath. The neckline is softly scooped above that with a ring of the same embellishment circling the neckline. The sleeves are cut to pouf above the buttoned and cuffed wrists. Each sleeve is unlined so that you get a touch of transparency through the silk. The skirt falls from under the bodice and is set along the waist on a curved line and a series of soft gathers. It falls to the floor and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The construction of the dress is entirely by hand and it is done to Haute Couture levels and is stunning. It is extraordinary and an amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a hand set pale pink silk through bodice and the skirt has an inner skirt that is made of silk satin. It closes with a hand set back zipper. Each cuff buttons to close. Hand work throughout and made to couture standards. Perhaps a touch of grubbiness here and there to the very edges of the hem and there is one button missing on one cuff

Sleeves: 26"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3501

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 very beautiful and unique piece that is not 100% perfect but could still be worn as is or have some restoration work done to to bring it back to its original condition.

It is an incredible, late twenties, early thirties dress that is made of a bright floral printed silk mixed with a nude silk chiffon and a black silk netting. The way the the silk is placed and the netting is used makes it incredibly sexy and yet demure at the same time. There is something very feminine about this dress. The upper bodice has a nude chiffon base which gives a feeling of wearing nothing underneath when you see it under the netting. Individual clusters of the flowers from the printed silk have been cut out of the fabric by hand and then hand applied onto the netting. This is scattered over the sleeves and shoulders and all across the back. A panel of the same silk runs down the front where the dress closes with a tightly spaced series of silk covered buttons. The waist is brought in and then the skirt skims over the hips and gently flares and swings out. The semi-transparent effect that the dress creates is stunning and was probably quite scandalous feeling in its day. The silk used for the skirt and appliqué is a beautiful quality and I love the bright colours. An incredible dress that feels very special. Sound enough to wear as is with the stated flaws but please review the notes below.

The dress is lined through the bodice with a nude silk chiffon and has a built in sleeves of the same fabric. The skirt is unlined. It closes down the front with the series of silk buttons and loops that you see. Hand work throughout. There are numerous breaks in the netting and a tear above one cuff to the netting. This type of netting can be repaired and you could just carefully close each break since it has no other flaws other then the ones on the netting. I took numerous photos of the worst areas. 

Sleeves: 24"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# D622

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 dress is gorgeous with its bright meadow green and white print and yards of bias cut silk chiffon that has been used through the skirting. The color is just gorgeous and is a bright clear green that is even better in person then how it photoed. The dress has a simple cut. The bodice is sleeveless and the openings for the arms are cut to angle up and toward the neck. It dips into a fairly low V at the front and all of the edges of the bodice are finished with a band of clear sequins and tiny white seed beads. These are set in rows along all the seams and around the waist to highlight the cut. More of the same sequin and seed bead combination has been scattered over the rest of the bodice fabric. Under that the skirt flows to the floor in a cascade of bias cut silk and there are yards of fabric used for it. So when you move it can create a lot of movement and flow around you. The chiffon has a pretty, brushed abstract pattern screened onto it. All the bead work is hand applied and gives the dress an added bit of high glamour while still keeping a romantic, feminine feel. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a matching green silk. It closes with a painted back metal zipper. Hand applied bead-work. Tagged a vintage 10. I see a couple of sequins missing here and there. A slightly lighter green in person.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3470

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 elaborately sequin and bead covered dress is even better in person. The workmanship on it is outstanding with a dense, hand applied application of large black paillettes, smaller sequins, beads and curving ropes of seed bead work that give it even more of a 3D effect. The bead work covers every square inch of the fabric and each one has been meticulously placed by hand onto the black stretch knit base. Once that dress is actually on, it hugs and molds to the body. The dress has a very intentional simple cut to offset the extensive bead work. It is a chic sheath silhouette with a slightly nipped in waist, long skirt, a barely there suggestion of a cap sleeve and a V neck. The back is also finished with a V cut that is set so that it dips lower down the back then the front. The hand work done on the dress gives it a three dimensional quality as they are set raised up from the knit. Glossy black flowers are formed from the combination of the various beads used and thick ropes of twisted black seed beads loop and curve through the design from top to bottom. Everything has a high gloss finish and I love the way it gleams in the light. It is also a great wearable size and the knit base makes it feel fantastic once on and extremely comfortable to wear. Excellent condition.

The bead work and sequins are hand applied onto what feels like a cashmere mix knit base. It closes with a back metal zipper. The edges of the slit on the skirt are finished with a black silk panel of fabric but it is otherwise unlined. The knit gives it quite a bit of stretch and the measurements give below are the comfortable range lying flat. You may be able to get a bit more then that if needed.  It still has the high end department store Neusteters label but if it had another designer label at some point that is now a mystery.

Bust: 18-22" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-17" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-22" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: 37" from waist to bottom hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# E416

Reference Photo: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

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

Guy Laroche began working for Jean Desses in 1949 and eventually launches his own Haute Couture label in 1957 at 37 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt in Paris. He was known for being gracious and humble and eventually ventured into ready to wear in 1961. This dress is from his Haute Couture label and is even though it is not perfect, it is a beautiful example of the work he was doing in Paris at the height of his career. Laroche once was quoted as saying "“It is my intention to try and adapt haute couture to modern requirements: to make dresses that are simple and chic.” 

The dress is very beautiful and of course made to exquisite standards. It is entirely hand made and bears the Haute Couture label. It is made out of a heavy ivory silk. The cut of the dress is simple. The neckline is cut wide across so that you get just a glimpse of the top of the collarbones. The sleeves are to the elbow and are cut wide and straight. There is just the suggestion of shape through the waist and then it falls to the floor in a gently widening curve. Inside the hem the skirt is weighted so that it always falls perfectly and this also helps to hold the intended shape that you see. The entire bodice is densely covered in a combination of tiny black seed beads and large black paillettes. These are set on 3 dimensional loops that cover the upper shoulders and sleeves and then gradually become more of a flat embellishment and are spaced out more as they reach the waist area. Because of the way they are set onto the silk these have a ton of movement so when it is on and you move they have a real tactile quality to them. At first glance the dress seems to be in great condition and it is structurally sound but it does have scuffing and light marks throughout. I have included lots of photos after the label shot. Even with the small flaws it is an incredible example of couture being produced at this time period. Good overall condition

Fully lined in a white silk organza through the bodice and a silk through the skirt. It closes at the back with a hand set fine painted metal zipper. Weighted hem and completely made by hand. Haute Couture label preset. Scuffing, light foxing and small water marks throughout. Please review the photos after the label shot and read the description above.

Sleeves: 15"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 56" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3432

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-Louis Scherrer was on of the great French couturiers in the grand Parisian style. He counted Sophia Loren and Jackie Kennedy as fans in his heyday and his work in the 1970s especially was wonderful. Opulence, hand beading and rich passementerie were his trademarks. He launched his own Haute Couture house after working at Christian Dior and stayed there until his dismissal in 1992. By that time period he had sold out all but 10% of his company. In 1977, the year that this gown was made, he was just reaching the top of his game as a couturier.

This dress, with its matching ruffled silk shawl, is tiny but perfect. I love the soft yellow silk organza that has been used for the skirt and the shawl. This choice of fabric allows it to have the volume that you see but without adding any weight at all. The skirt is cut to skim over the hips and that drops to that first extravagant ruffle. There are three ruffles in total that circle the skirt and each is wide and has yards of fabric in them. The skirt under the ruffles gradually widens as it reaches the hem. The movement and airiness the skirt creates in person is amazing. The shawl is made of the same silk as the skirt and is very long and finished with the same ruffled treatment we see on the skirt. It can be wrapped or just lightly held. Once this is removed that bodice of the dress is revealed and here is the true magic. It is strapless and fitted to the bust which balances against the volume of the skirt perfectly. Tiny sequins are hand placed to create that stunning floral design that you see. The edges of the green sequin leaves are done in the smallest glass tube beads. Little glass crystals edge other parts of the design and create a border across the top of the bodice. The workmanship is exquisite and the care and time to have created the design using only the finest, smallest of beads and sequins is astonishing. The entire dress is finished to Haute Couture standards and it is even more beautiful in person. Excellent condition with a small note to review below

Fully lined in the same silk organza that is used on the exterior. All of the work throughout is done by hand done to the edgings of the inner seams. It zips to close with a painted metal zipper and the exterior skirt snaps to close over the zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. The bodice is lightly boned. It will of course close all the way but was small on my dress form. I see one tiny dot of a mark just under the bodice seam and a tiny repair near the base of the back closure. Numbered tag 002576

Bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Shawl: 9' long x just over 5' wide

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3393

Reference Photos: (1) 1976-1977 Fall-Winter Women's haute couture runway show.  /  (2) Jean Louis Scherrer with model, 1977.

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

Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name. He was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seem to have a way of flattering the wearer even at their most extravagant.

I have had a shorter version of this dress in the past and I swear I have seen this used for an editorial or advert but have not yet been able to track that down. This showcases Bill's more extravagant side and is a heady combination of sequin detailed lace, trimming and silk organza. The bodice is an attached overlay that sits over an inner silk chiffon base. The outer layer of the bodice is made up of a combination of glossy black sequins and white ribbon that have been hand applied onto a black lace backing. The ribbon has been applied under and through the sequins and lace to form little rosebuds that peek through the sequin work. It also is a clever way to give the appearance of being his signature dot pattern from a distance, but have that extra bit of texture and visual interest when looked at closer. This sits over a tiered skirt constructed from a combination of black and white silk organza stripes. Each stripe is edged in a black lace trim. A wide silk satin sash circles the waist and nips it in. The skirt has a nice fullness to it. This is partially due to the cut and the way it is gathered and set into the waist and there is also a full layer of organza underneath to help hold the shape and give it volume. Overall excellent condition with a note to review below.

The bodice is lined in a black silk and sits over a black silk chiffon under-bodice.The skirt has a full second layer of white silk organza. It closes at the back with a hand set zipper. The top overlay buttons to close over that. Padded shoulders. There are a couple of marks on the dress that I have photoed. There are two small areas of yellowing of the ribbon on the front. It would be possible to replace these. There is a small mark on the third white tier down on the skirt and a small touch of fading to the black near the hem. All fairly minor. Please review the photos provided after the shot of the label

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to bottom seam of band at the waist
Skirt: 36" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3387

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 coat would have been designed while Youssef Rizkallah headed the company. Youseef joined the Malcolm Starr label in 1969 and remained as the head designer until 1975. The years that Youssef headed the line are among some of my favorites and in particular his pieces that utilize quilting and patchwork are truly iconic. Rizkallah was born in Egypt and studied at the Ecole de dessin appliqué and the Ecole des arts decoratifs in Paris. His designs seem to combine that sense of couture lines that he gained in Paris with the color and vividness of his homeland.

This is a wonderful piece that can be worn as either a coat or a dress thanks to the zip front that completely opens. It has the added provenance of being the twin to the one featured in the ad campaign for 1970. The base of the coat is a black fabric that feels like a light wool that has a slight ribbed texture in it. The entire coat is detailed with a combination of a red braiding and red ric rac that follows the lines of the coat so emphasize the pattern and cut. Elaborate designs adorn run over the body of the piece and all around the hem. Pops of a white cotton are used to  create even more drama. A floral patchwork is set into all of this on big curving and angular cuts that anchor the design and give a pop of contrast to the the starkness of the red, black and white. The collar has a beautifully curved cut out to it and the skirting of the piece flares out dramatically and is quite wide. The sleeves are deliberately kept simple so that all you see is that spectacular design through the body of the dress/coat. It is dramatic, wonderful and rare. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a hand set red silk and closes down the front with an unpainted silver zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage 8

Sleeves: 22"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 44" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C536

Reference Photo: "The Malcolm Starr All Starrs" Ad, 1970.

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 such a pretty dress. It has no labels to tell us its origins but it is well made and just pretty beyond words. It is not 100% perfect but its imperfections are mild. The fabric is the star on this dress. It is a ivory silk base that has a super soft chenille feeling applique that has been fused directly to the base fabric. These give it a 3D texture and in incredible sensation when the dress is touched. The form little abstract dots that cover the dress from head to toe. Between each of those dots are hand applied silver tube beads hat catch the light beautifully and give the dress a touch of sparkle. It is sleeveless and the neckline and back are scooped. There is just a suggestion of shape through the waist and the skirt falls below that is a gently widening column of fabric. A slit up the center back allows you to walk comfortably. Excellent overall condition with a note to review below.

Fully lined in a white crepe and closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. Inner waist stay that hooks to close. Hand finishes. There is some darkening to the fabric as it nears the hem and a small area on the bust. They are pretty mild and feel more like shadows when it is on the body. Please review the last three photos.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# E677

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

This dress is is a spectacular example of the high end hand beading that was being produced during this time period. It is harder and harder to find these original pieces that are entirely made of glass beads and with such a heavy covering of bead work. The instant you lift this dress up you know it is an early and well made original because it literally weights about 8 pounds. This is entirely due to the dense and heavy coverage of the beads which literally cover every inch of the dress. The cut is simple but dramatic. It is cut to hug every curve but without clinging. This creates a long lean silhouette that suggests the body underneath and gives the illusion of height. The neckline is a simple scoop at the front and the back dips into a V. The hips are cut with a slight curve to follow the curve of the body and the skirt falls to the floor from there. The back hem has a bit of extra fabric and is slightly longer. The entire dress is densely covered with hand placed pink, gold and silver glass tube beads that are set into angle rows. These are so heavily applied that they cover the entire surface. Worked in among the sequins are a strands of tiny ivory seed beads that are each finished with a faux pearl. There are hundreds of these hand beaded tassels that follow those curving lines. The effect that these create whenever you move is wonderful. I love that no matter what angle you look at it, every line lines up. The time and hours put into making this dress with all that hand work and then lining it all so perfectly would have been astounding. It is amazing. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set pink silk and closes with a back metal zipper. All the sequins, pearls and beads are completely hand sewn into place. It weighs several pounds. There are some minor grubbiness to the inside lining near the hem but of course this is not seen when on.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 50" from top of shoulder to front hem, 54" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

Item# E871

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

Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own name reversed. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964, he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. His mainline was made to couture standards and I am always happy to find his work. 

Yards and yards of a peach silk organza have been used in this Arnold Scassi gown. The silk used is just incredible. It is a light weight, fine organza and then onto this are hundreds of little cotton pique shapes that have been individually applied.  The fabric he has chosen give the dress both lightness and fullness. That combined with the inner structure through the sleeves and built in skirting allow it to hold that stunning shape and silhouette that you see without having to add any additional underpinnings of your own. The bodice is fitted and cut to follow and highlight the curves of you body to just above the hip where the skirt then explodes out in all of that volume. I actually love how he has extended the bodice down and to the top of the hips while still defining the waist with that pretty grosgrain and silk belt. It cinches in the waist while still exaggerates the curves of the female form and giving you shape despite all the volume in the sleeves and the skirt. The skirt is wonderfully dramatic and full with inner built in layers of silk and tulle to hold the volume. The inner construction of the skirt is amazing. The very inner skirt is made from a fine peach silk with a broad band of horsehair taping inside the bottom hem. Between that and the outer layer of silk are four full layers of silk net tulle. The sleeves are equally incredible and are shaped to have that gorgeous fullness to them and also have an inner finished of tulle netting to hold the shape. The inside is exquisitely constructed and it is all hand finished. This would make a stunning wedding dress for someone who is not looking for a white dress. Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes to review below

The bodice is fully interlined in a fine peach silk. The skirt is finished in silk and tulle as per the description above. The sleeves are finished with tulle. It closes with a hand set back metal zipper. The belt is a silk grosgrain backed with a silk ribbon. It hooks and snaps into place. Finished to couture standard by hand. I see one small spot on one of the appliques to the side of the front waist. There is some slight grubbiness to some of the applique pieces near the hem. At some pint a repair was done to the skirt at the back. It is extremely well done and I only initially spotted it when steaming the skirt from the inside. You would never notice it on but mentioned for accuracy. Please review the photos after the label shot. The color in person is a touch more vibrant then how it photoed.

Sleeves: 12"
Shoulders: approx 15"
Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3329

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

Nat Kaplan was a dress manufacturer that opened in 1935 and produced well-made mid-range garments for about 50 years. They tended to use great fabrics and the pieces were finely tailored. Fit was paramount and they did not skimp on details to give their clients amazing value for their money.

This dress is beautiful and and very feminine feeling. The bodice is fitted with little cap sleeves. The waist is set high and is detailed with a pretty flat bow that is made from the same fabric as the dress. The skirt falls from there to a midi length. The fabric itself is wonderful and unusual. It is a lovely silk brocade that has a slightly raised flora design covering its surface. You can see a very subtle striped effet in the base silk. The is part of the fabric itself and these bands change rom the palest pink to the palest green. The pink, gold thread and green print is then woven though that. A gold metallic braiding details the sleeve edges and the neckline. There are little pink and clear rhinestones set into that and down the front there are also bug huge glass crystals for extra glamour. It is just lovely. Excellent condition with one small note below

Full lined though the bodice in an ivory silk satin. The sleeves and skirt have a silk interlining. It closes with a painted metal zipper at the back. I see a bit of grubbiness to the edge of the hem at the fold.

Shoulders: 13.5
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 37" from waist to hem with 2.5" turned up under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3320

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 three piece set is gorgeous and has the added benefit in that you can mix and match all the separate pieces with other things in your current closet. The label on the sweater tells us that it was hand beaded in Hong Kong and the hand work is easily apparent where you can see the back. At the time, Hong Kong was doing the best sequin and bead work in the world outside of the specialty ateliers in Paris. The skirt and sleeveless top are matched and the sweater is done in a contrasting pattern. The base of the top and skirt is a creamy ivory silk satin of very good quality. The top zips up the back and is completely covered with a pattern of flowers and leaves. The edges have a cord created of tiny seed beads mixed with little round gold beads. At the hem strands of seed beads dangle all the way around with each strand finished with two gold beads. The skirt is cut sleek and narrow with the same gorgeous bead work down all the way around the bottom portion of the hem. The sweater is cropped and has a contrasting patterns all around its edges, around the shoulder and detailing the sleeves. The same beads have been used for the sweater that were used on the skirt and top, so the piece are tied all together. It is gorgeous and far better on an actual person then the dress form. Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes below.

All three pieces are fully lined in a hand set, ivory tissue silk. The skirt closes with a metal zipper and flat hook & eye at the waist. The top has a hand set zipper at the back that can be completely opened. The sweater closes with a series of hook & eye down the front. All three pieces appear to have been made and finished primarily by hand. There is perhaps the teeniest touch of pressing over the seams of the skirt. There is some grubbiness at the inner silk lining of the sweater at the neck, under each arm and a spot on the inner edge of the front. all of these could be eliminated by removing the silk lining as the sweater itself is fabulous. Please see the label pic and the two following photos for these areas. It is priced as the top and skirt with the sweater included at no charge

Sweater
Sleeves: 17"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hem: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 19.5" from neck to hem

Top
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hem: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 20" from shoulder to hem including 1.5" bead fringe

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# D612

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

Ruben Panis was known for his flair for drama. He started off his career designing costumes for showgirls in Las Vegas and eventually honed his skills by working for both James Galanos and Norman Norell. His gowns were worn by many Hollywood icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor. At the height of his career he was charging up to $5000 for a dress which at the time was an exorbitant amount. This is an excellent example of his work and very well made.

The dress is made out of a beautiful silk jersey that has been dyed to a clear, bright red. The way it is cut is very forties in feel with a bit of that old Hollywood charm. The bust is gathered in soft horizontal drapes that run from the top of the bodice to the top of the hip. Inside it is lightly boned. This gives it structure as well as creating a beautiful curving line that accentuates the body underneath. Running up and around the neck is a tiny strap made of the same jersey. This strap hooks into place at one side and you have the option of tucking it in and wearing the dress as a strapless piece. The skirt falls to the floor under that and the jersey gives it lots of swing and movement. To finish the dress, Panis added a little drama with elaborate beading that runs on each side of the dress. A large abstract flower with dangling bead in its center sits on each side. The petals are ling and curved. The effect is wonderful. Excellent condition.

The bodice is lined in a red silky rayon and the skirt has an inner lining made of the same jersey fabric. It closes with a back, painted metal zipper and the strap hooks at one end. Light boning through the bodice and hand finishes.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of neck to natural waist, 20" to bottom of the draping
Skirt: approx 42" from natural waist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3304

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

George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. His dresses were made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s a gown by him started at around $8500 and they went up in cost from there - that starting price point equals to around $26,000US in today's dollars. So when you buy a vintage Stavropoulos gown you are getting incredible value for your money. The only reason his work is not under the Haute Couture category is because he was not an official member of the association.

This dress has the most unusual and wonderful fabric treatment that has been applied onto its surface. Hundreds and hundreds of little embroidered white triangles of fabric have been applied to the dress to cover it from shoulder to hem. These are sewn onto a fine white silk netting and then that is layered over an inner, more ivory toned, silk crepe. This play on tone give it more depth and visual interest. The triangles are set onto the fabric so that parts of the points flutter off the fabric, giving them a 3D quality. The actual dress under that amazing applique work is quite structured. The bodice has slim sleeves that taper in from the shoulder as they reach the ends, and the neckline is cut wide and squared off at the front. The shoulders have very light padding and they are set so they have a bit of high capped feel to them. At the back it is slightly scooped. The dress follows the body with has vertical seaming that bring it on at the waist a touch and then it falls to the floor. A high back vent is the perfect finish and gives a glimpse of leg. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk crepe and closes with a hand set, painted metal zipper at the back. Light padding in each shoulder. Very well finished. In person it has a touch more of an ivory tone to the base.

Sleeves: 22"
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: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3282

Reference Photo: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

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

This dress is from the archive of the Roman couture house Tiziani, which was founded in 1963 by American designer Evans Richards. The label quickly became a favorite among celebrities and socialites including Elizabeth Taylor, who was a regular client; Doris Duke, Gina Lollobrigida, and Principessa Borghese. The label is also famous because of the fact that as a young designer, Karl Lagerfeld accepted a job there. Lagerfeld worked at Tiziani from 1963 to 1969. This piece is unlabeled but has the provenance of being a part of a past auction that featured the sketches and a few select pieces of work from Karl Lagerfeld's time at the label, this dress being one of them.

The dress is constructed from a fine purple silk that has been adorned with dense areas of hand beading. It is almost overtly ornate in its design and is a strong statement piece. The bodice has a V neck that is edged with pink silk satin trimming. This same ruffled trim work circles under the bust and at the waist. It is carried through and around the sleeves, the cuffs and the hem. The sleeves are full and pouf above the wrists. Each sleeve also has a dense panel of bead work circling the elbow area. More beads adorn the bust and run around one side of the skirt. The bead work is extremely fine and mixes embroidery work, real metallic thread, seed beads, crystals and larger beads. These give the dress a touch of glitz and sparkle, The green of the designs pops against the purple silk and I love the 3D feel this detailing adds to the piece. The bottom of the skirt is finished with knife pleating and the work done there is meticulous. The construction of the dress is entirely by hand and it is done to couture levels. It is extraordinary and an amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a purple silk and closes with a back zipper. Each cuff buttons to close. The inner skirt is finished with an extremely wide stiffened hem encased in silk that helps to give the skirt structure and the slight bit of volume you see. All hand work through out and made to couture standards. Light padding in each shoulder. There is the tiniest of fading to the edge of the purple silk lining on the inner arms that does not effect the exterior in anyway. 

Sleeves: 23.5"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from neck to first seam under the bust, and 17.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 42" from the dropped waist seam to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Reference Photo: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

Item# DD3251

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 gown with its exquisitely beaded bodice and attached cape is a numbered Haute Couture piece designed by Pierre Balmain. Both pieces would have been  made entirely by hand at the Paris atelier and the bead work done by Lesage. We found a similar gown from that same Couture collection that was featured in Harper's Bazaar that year It is an extraordinary example of the work being done during this time period of the label's history and is very beautiful.

The impact that this gown has cannot be denied. You instantly get the feel of Ancient Greece and yet is has a touch of modernity to it as well. It dress is made out of a very fine ivory silk chiffon. The neckline is high and the skirt flows to the floor with two layers of of silk chiffon over an interior silk skirt. The bodice is covered with hand placed glass tube beads that is most likely the workmanship of the famed Lesage ateliers. Eash bead has been carefully placed by hand and then they are mixed with a real metal gold thread that has been used to outline the design created with the beads. More of that same metallic thread is used to create a gold and ivory braiding that runs down the front and back and highlight the neckline. The cape detail on this one is unusual and really what makes it extra special. This cape is made of that same high end ivory silk chiffon. It ties at the front neck but it also is secured to the shoulders so that it stays perfectly in place no matter how you move, stand or sit. It is attached by tiny snaps, hidden under the inside collar of the neckline. There are endless couture level details put into this one and the workmanship throughout is perfectly and meticulously done. It is an amazing example of the fine workmanship and attention to detail of Haute Couture. and it is a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition with one small note to review below

The dress is fully lined in an ivory through the bodice and innermost skirt. The skirt has two layers of silk over the inner lining. There may be the occasional loose or missing bead or thread. Both pieces have their numbered tag present under the main label and both bear the same number of 764027. Hand finished. It closes with a hand set, back painted metal zipper. I see one tiny yellowed spot on one tie and a pinpoint of a spot on the cape. There are two teeny smudges on the lower portion of the skirt. None of these detract - I am just being super picky. There is a slight darkening to the silk around the waist under the seam. I have photoed it all the way around and you can see that after the photos of the Couture label.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Cape: 57"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2945

Reference Photo: Gleb Derujinsky in Pierre Balmain, Harper's Bazaar, April 1961.

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 likely the early work of Elinor Simmons before her name went on the labels. She designed for the Malcolm Starr label from the early 1960s to 1972. You can see her influence in this classic feeling Malcolm Starr dress with its almost sculptural lines and elaborate beading, sequin and rhinestone embellishments on the bodice.

The dress itself has a simple and long A-line cut with a sleeveless bodice and a wide scooped neck. At the back, it is also scooped but this is set far lower so that the upper back is left bare. The entire dress is made out of a satin finish silk of very high grade. This has been dyed a shocking, vibrant pink that is far better in person even then how it photoed here. Onto that is a beautiful hand done detailing that completely covers the bodice of the dress across the full front and the back. Gold toned tubes beads are mixed with seed beads and prong set rhinestones in a dense 3D application. These catch the light wonderfully and the final effect is quite beautiful. The upper portion of the dress skims over the bodice with a high set waist line. The skirt comes out from under the seam at the waist, gently widening out as it nears the floor. It is cut supermodel length which is not always as common in pieces from this era. The fabric choice really holds the shape of the dress beautifully and the color is wonderful. It is really a lovely dress. Excellent condition.

Fully lined through the bodice in a fine silk dyed to the same color and the skirt is lined in a white muslin. The dress closes with a back painted metal zipper. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Note that color is a bit deeper then how it photoed. The elaborate rhinestone, sequins and beads on the upper bodice are all set by hand. There is an additional 3" turned up under the hem.

Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Skirt: 47" from seam under the bust to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3233

Reference Photo: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

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

American couturier, James Galanos, made gowns with a level of craftsmanship that left even France’s most esteemed couturiers astonished that an American could equal their craft. The immaculate construction of a Galanos gowns are amazing. His price points were high, but his clients were more then willing to pay for the quality of what they received. He was a master cutter and he used proper couture techniques to create his pieces. Galanos was particularly known for his evening wear and this is one of the most glamorous pieces I have ever seen from him. It is truly extraordinary and I have never seen another like it.

This dress needs an actual body in it to really come to life. As gorgeous as it looks in my photos, it will look even better once on. The fabric is amazing. It is a black silk net that has little explosions of gold and silver covering its surface. Each of these three dimensional 'dots' is make from silver and gold tinsel lame that has been set into the net and tufts out from it. These are densely applied over every inch of the dress and each would have been done by hand. The way that these catch the light and make the entire dress glint is wonderful. The dress is cut in a classic baby doll with a high thin bodice that sits low on the bust and is suspended from the shoulder by two thin straps covered in the 3D tinsel florettes. The bust is then detailed by a band of of hand applied matte gold sequins set just underneath the bust. The skirt explodes out from under that in a  full and voluminous curve to the floor. Once on an actual body, the effect of this volume is even more pronounced. Under the top netted layer is a base of gold knit lame that adds to the metallic feel of the dress. I love how the bottom hem is finished in the same band of gold sequins that sit under the bust, even though you just barely glimpse them through the netting that lies over the inner skirt. It also comes with a matching jacket made of the same gold and silver detailed netting. This is cut loose and wide through the body with no front closures. Each sleeve of the jacket is cut wide and full. It is an extraordinary set. Excellent condition

The bodice is lined in a nude silk organza and support is added by shaping seams and grosgrain. The body of the dress is lined in a olive toned, fine silk. It closes with a back painted metal and nylon zipper. The jacket slips on with no closures.

Dress
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Under bust seam: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from top of shoulder strap to lower edge of the sequin waist band
Skirt: 46" from lower edge of the sequin waist band to hem

Jacket
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 22" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3234

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 dress would date to the late teens or perhaps the early 1920s. Dresses of this age are rarely 100% perfect and this one does have some small areas that are starting to show weakness, but overall is still very strong even after all of these years. It is a wonderful example of the workmanship that was being done during this time period.

The dress is made from a fine silk chiffon that has been covered in a dense pattern of glossy black jet tube and seed beads mixed with larger glass jet beads. The design is very extensive and is set over the entire surface of the dress. The execution of the design is very well done and it is quite beautiful. The bead work covers both the front and the back of the dress and the hand work involved would have taken hours and hours to finish. The dress is cut in a classic flapper tube shape with a high set neck and a long body with no defined waist. The silk chiffon top layer sits over an inner silk satin which is what has give the dress its stability and longevity. I love the romantic touches of the wispy bits of silk chiffon that finish each sleeve and care set to curve around the arm. Floating panels of chiffon sit on each hip and give the skirts a slight volume at the sides. Circled around the dropped waist is a heavily embellished belt that is made of large black glass beads that ends with a long tassel of beads hanging down one hip. This is then caught up and finished with a silk and velvet pink flower for a pretty pop of color against the black. It is incredibly beautiful and entirely made by hand. Excellent antique condition.

Lined with the inner silk satin dress under the chiffon overlay. The dress slips on to wear. The shoulders at the seams are starting to show signs of aging - please see the photos provided - you could reinforce them but I have left the dress as found and all original. There may be other areas of weakness here and there as well but I don't see any readily apparent ones. The bead and jet beads seem to be entirely present with perhaps the occasional one missing around the edge of the neck. The attached belt detail that wraps around the waist has no hook - I have twisted it in place for the photos. I think once the new owner gets it you should add a hook or secure it where it sits best on you. Some small areas of shattering on some of the inner silk petals of the flower. Even with these small defects the dress is remarkably sound and shockingly beautiful. It is almost 100 years old and is considered to be in museum quality condition.

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.

Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 41 from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# E485

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

Harvey Berin opened his self-named label in 1921 and by the 1940s his label was considered to be a leader in American fashion. The pieces were actually designed by Karen Stark, his wife's sister, though it is said that all designs had to meet with Berin's approval before going into production. The dresses were made with high end finishes and were often based on the Parisian couture designs of the season. By 1952 Stark had won a Coty award. This dress is one of the best I have seen from the label and is extraordinary.

The dress is absolutely wonderful and could easily stand side by side with any of the couture dresses being produced in this time frame. The base fabric is a pale ivory with just the barest touch of blush to it. It then has a beautiful floral and leaf pattern worked into the silk that is made from a nude toned netting. The weave of the netting varies and these variations become a layer of the design itself. Over these fabrics the dress has been densely beaded with thousands and thousands of little white glass seed beads. These are applied by hand in a dense scattering cover over the main silk part. More beads are worked into dense ropes that follow the edges of each leave and flower. More beads are used to make up the inner design of the flowers and leaves. The heavy profusion of beads makes the dress feel that is has a good solid couture feeling weight to it. The cut is kept simple to off-set that amazing design. The straps are cut wide and curve over each shoulder. The bust is fitted with a sweetheart neckline at the front and a simple scoop at the back. The waist nips in and the skirt flares out to be very full under that. I put a light crinoline under it for the photos and I think you could go even fuller if you wished. In person the dress has far more impact and beauty then the photos could ever convey. You will honestly be floored when you see it in person. The color is a more true ivory-nude and the dress has more depth and a 3D effect in real life. It is wonderful and would perhaps even make a fabulous wedding dress for the bride looking for something non-traditional. Excellent condition with a couple of tiny items to note below.

Fully lined in a pale pink silk and closes with a side set painted metal zipper. There is a teeny tiny area of the slightest of darkening to the fabric under one arm and a couple of tiny storage spots. Nothing that I feel detracts in any way. I have photoed the areas and you can see then after the shot of the label. Hand finished throughout. There is a 4.5" hem turned up and it appears that someone has turned it up at some point already and this prior shortening takes up about 2.5" of the total

Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 29" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3218

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

George Halley started at Charles James who said of the young designer that he 'was a genius at draping'. By the time Halley opened his own atelier in 1966 he was well on his way to fame. He won the Coty Award in 1968 and his work is on par with couture. He is one of my personal favorite designers. In 2015 I included him in my list of '

This gown is really quite extraordinary and almost outrageous in its level of opulence. It is constructed to couture standards and the workmanship and quality of materials used in its construction are amazing. The impact of the color combined with that refined and elegant cut are just wonderful. A George Halley design always starts with his fabric and embellishment choices and here he has gone above and beyond. The skirt is made from rich silk with a satin finish in a purple lavender color. It is set higher up the bodice just under the bust and has tremendous volume of fabric. An added, attached silk organza underskirt helps to hold the shape and fullness you see but most of it is created by the deep inverter pleats that sit at the back and the soft wide gathers at the front. I love the huge soft bow that sits at the front. This is attached to a band of matching silk that is attached partway around the waistline and then snaps into place on the other half, meeting and hooking into place under the bow. The hidden details are exquisite with each snap covered in silk and set into place by hand. The bow draws the eye up and assists in creating that beautiful silhouette. The bodice is a work of art with a floral design made entirely of heavy glass crystals, beads and rhinestones. These are set by hand and follow the pattern of the pale lavender lace underneath. The bodice has a high neck whose collar is densely applied with hand placed jewels. The beautifully cut sleeves widen as they near the wrist and each has its own densely beaded finish. In person the color is softer and has less of a contrast then how the light has made it feel. The crystals catch the light when you move. It is very heavy because of the dense glass bead work on the bodice but once on, somehow feels extremely comfortable. This is a remarkable gown that would be impossible to replicate in our modern work. This is almost certainly a one-off and a wonderful find. Excellent condition with two small notes to review below.

The dress has an attached inner stiffened organza skirt and the outer skirt is interlined with a matching purple silk. The bodice is fully lined in a hand set inner cream silk and layer of nude silk sits between that and the outer embellished lace layer. It closes with a hand set back zipper, The bow is partially attached and on the part that it is not sewn into place, it closes with hand set silk covered snaps around the other half of the waist and then hooks into place under the front bow. Each sleeve has a hand set zipper at its end. There are two small breaks in the netting close to each other on the back of one shoulder, see photo after the label photo. There is also a variation to the color under the folds of the pleats on the skirt, the silk is a darker shade of purple all along and under each fold. You do not see this when it is one as it is hidden under the folds. The color is also very soft along the transition and very even so it looks deliberate in many ways. Neither of these notes detract and the gown is extraordinary and very beautiful.

Sleeves: 14"
Shoulders: 23"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 47.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3152

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 Balmain transformation was definitely begun while under the tutelage of Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer to bring "more hard rock and punk" to the label, which has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing. The review from Vogue's Nicole Phelps that year stated: "And as promised, Spring's haute hippie feathers, fringe, and tie-dye were replaced by an all-Billy Idol soundtrack and enough leopard-print chain mail, python-pattern denim, and crystal-embroidered lightning bolts to make you wonder if there was anything at all left on the shelves at Trash and Vaudeville. To be fair, Decarnin's creations are much finer than the East Village emporium's, but they appeal to a similar kind of chick, one with a killer body and an active nightlife." This is the gown that closed the show that year and is perhaps one of the most memorable and significant pieces that he designed or the house. It was produced in very limited quantities and it is a pleasure to have one in the shop.

The gown is all about movement and showing off the body in it to its best advantage. Inside there is a fitted and shaped corset that runs fro bust to hip so that you are molded and shaped to confirm to the silhouette Decarnin wished the wearer to have. It cuts across the bust with inner built in cups to give you lift and shape. An incredible zig zag made up of crystals shape and define the body further. This lightening bolt then extends up and over the shoulder to create a single strap. At the hips the dress flares out into an extended train of fabric with a mix of leopard spots and zebra print for contrast. The panels that make up the skirt are attached only from where they flow out from the body of the dress. This leave slits up to the high upper thigh that open and flash your full leg when you walk, move or sit. The train is long and dramatic. You can see how amazing this all is once it moves by the runway pics that I have included for reference. Excellent condition with one very minor thing to note below.

It closes with the signature chunky silver zipper that Balmain uses and this is set along a curved seam so that it keeps with the form fitting construction of the dress. The inner bodice is constructed from a nude colored lingerie stretch corseting nylon fabric that has built in cups and is finished by hand. The fabric is hand draped over this and the crystals and lightening bolt attached by hand.  Tagged a 40. Note that there is one small repair along the hem of the trained skirts. I have included a photo after the label photo. It is very minor and with the extensive fabric making up the trained parts of the skirt, it is something you would never see unless you lay it out flat and look for it as I did. There are many hand finishes through the dress. There is perhaps the very occasion light line in the silk from a very slight thread snag - this is natural occurrence and so very minor but mentioned for accuracy. The inner foundation garment does have some stretch I have provided the range laying flat. You might be able to squeeze a bit more on the upper end when on a real body

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11.5-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice:  33" from top of shoulder to bottom of inner foundation garment
Skirt: 28.5" from bottom of inner foundation garment to shortest hem, 53" to the longest hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3115

Reference Photos: F/W 2008 Balmain Runway, Final Look.

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 Malcolm Starr silk chiffon gown is wonderful. The unusual color combination of that soft pink combined with a soft pale yellow is brilliant and the two colors really compliment each other. The dress has a simple and classic cut - it is a simple sheath with a seamed, easy waist line and a long skirt that cascades to the floor. It is sleeveless with a scooped front and slightly lower scoop at the back. The bodice is cut to draping softly over the bodice with an inner foundation that leaves the upper shoulder area covered only in one layer of the silk chiffon. The waist is seamed but cut loose and generously and the skirt cascades to the floor in a column of silk under that, slightly widening out as it nears the hem. The chiffon has a pretty abstract pattern screened onto it in soft lilacs and pinks on an pale yellow. Onto this and following parts of the pattern glass tube beads, paillettes and crystals with a more dense embellishment circling the waist. All are hand applied. The effect is beautiful. This beading is done from shoulder to hem and gives the gown an added bit of high glamour while still keeping that soft, feminine feel. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a yellow silk. It closes with a painted back metal zipper. Hand applied bead-work and finished.

Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from neck to waist
Skirt: 40" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3054

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

There are 4 or 5 Burrows dresses that I always look for and this dress is one of those. The dress is made out of a fine, slinky, red jersey. I have seen the top of these cut in a couple of different way and on this one it ties around the neck leaving the shoulders bare. The dress falls to the floor from there in a beautiful bias cut that and ends with an angled, asymmetrical hem that leaves one leg more bare. The edges of the dress are finished in his signature lettuce hem seaming. The front bodice is where all the glitz and glam is and it is finished with a design that is done in sequins, seed beads and tube beads that pop against the red. All of the bead work has been applied by hand. You can clearly see this is the case on the back side of the fabric. Burrows was the first African American fashion designer to really achieve international recognition for his work. He won three Coty awards; in 1973, 1974 and 1977. He was also one of the five American designers to show at Versailles in 1973 when America was pitted against the French couturiers. Excellent condition

Recently, the first major examination of Burrows' work was held and was aptly titled; 'When Fashion Danced'. Here is what the museum said of his work: "Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced looks at the period spanning the 1970s when Stephen Burrows’s meteoric rise to fame made him not only the first African-American designer to gain international stature, but a celebrated fashion innovator whose work helped define the look of a generation. With vibrant colors, metallic fabrics, and slinky silhouettes that clung to the body, Burrows’s danceable designs generated a vibrant look that was of a piece with the glamorous, liberated nightlife of the era. Through photographs, drawings, and original garments, the exhibition will trace Burrows’s evolution from creating eclectic looks for his friends in the 1960s to his work with the chic 57th Street retailer Henri Bendel to the floor of Studio 54, as he dressed such 70s style icons as Cher, Liza Minnelli, and Diana Ross."

Unlined and slips over the head with no closures. Tagged a vintage 4 but please check actual measurements. The fabric does have stretch so will accommodate a range of sizes - the comfortable range of that stretch when laying flat is noted in the measurements.

Bust: variable as there are no true side seam
Waist: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 58-60" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem, 40-42" to the shortest part depending on high you tie the neck.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD2802

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