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This gorgeous little 1960s dress is one of those things you will only ever find in vintage. It has no label and it is so fabulous. In this particular case, the dress.doesn't really need a label to justify how amazing it is. It is made out of a red chiffon that has been pleated into sharp little knife pleats. These run around the entire dress and each one is perfectly match to its neighbour. It has no sleeves and the dress simply falls from the shoulders down to the hem where it opens up to be quite full. The lightness of the fabric combined with the pleating give it a swinging bouncy f that I love. This is a dress that will move and float around you at your slightest movement. The hem has been finished with a an edge of stiffening so it gives it a slightly ruffled effect. This adds to the movement that the dress has even more. The neckline on this one is the star of the show. It is. extremely and densely embellished with a brilliant array of beads sequins and glass rhinestones in a variety of gold and colours. These have been applied with a heavy hand and create a fabulous 3D jewelled bib. It runs down in a point at the front over the shoulders and circles the back of the neck. It is like it has its own built-in jewels. Such a great dress. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a red silk and zips to close at the back, and then the top chiffon layer buttons to close over the zipper I see a touch grubbiness along the inside of the neck and edges of the arm on the lining only. Unlabelled.
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 37.5" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4674
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yves saint laurent
Incredible 1972 Yves Saint Laurent Red Floral Silk Chiffon & Red Silk Dress w Balloon Sleeves & Pleat Detailing
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When dating this extraordinary Yves Saint Laurent dress, we found a photo of a piece with almost an identical cut bodice from 1972 along with several runway photos that show other pieces with that same cut to the bodice. I have included those here for you and it is interesting to note that the pleating technique that is used around the upper hip of the skirt was also done in a more intricate fashion for the 1974 Couture show. Yves often use ideas from both collections. - Rive Gauche and Couture - to build and develop ideas and it is fascinating to see the progression of his work from garment to garment. This is an incredibly beautiful example of his work from this time period.
This dress combines a floral silk chiffon with a muted red silk on the skirt. This combination is absolutely gorgeous. Is combination of silks give the dress just enough weight and structure to be able to create the impressive lines and volume that you see but while still making it feel soft and romantic. The colours are spectacular. The top is a printed silk chiffon, and it has a stunning floral pattern in red purples and greens that float over the entire bodice and the sleeves. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist nips in. It plunges at the front and crosses over itself, and the neckline has been detailed with ruffles that begin at the back of the neck and circle around to follow the V at the front and then run down to the waist. piping in the same fabric detail. The waste and ties have been left off to the side to hang down and create a pretty little detail. The skirt falls to the floor from there and it has yards and yards of fabric in it that creates the fullness and volume that you see. The skirt falls in a gently widening line and is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. I love the volume that this type of fabric creates and how it billows around you as you move but at the same time it is as light as a feather. Around the entire upper hip area, and starting at the waist or a series of tiny cleats that gradually open out to create the volume underneath. This intricate detail is a beautiful addition to the dress. The sleeves are outstanding. Each is a single layer of the silk chiffon and are wide and very full. They are caught up at the wrist with a circle full circle ruffle underneath. This creates a beautiful and dramatic finish to the top. I love everything about this dress. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a red silk and closes at the back with a hidden set painted met zipper. Attached ties at the waist and elastic in each cuff. The silk skirt and the exterior layer is a tool ruffle that helps keep the volume through the skirt. Tagged a vintage YSL 38. I see some light marks around the hem of the skirt.
Sleeves: 24" and 14" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 60" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4665
Reference Photos: Fall 1972 Yves Saint Laurent.
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The book Givenchy Catwalk says of this collection that "Hubert de Givenchy presented a collection made up of soft lines with dresses that suddenly highlighted the shape of the body before the pleated skirts flared out towards the bottom." It is interesting to note that some of the looser more flowing designs from this collection were a part of the November 28 1973 presentation at the Royal Opera at the Palace of Versailles as part of the fashion show that later became to know become known as the "Battle of Versailles". The book notes that "Givenchy took part in the evening event to raise money for the château restoration, presenting his dresses alongside designers by four other Persian Couture houses competing against five American design designers". I have found nothing that suggests that this dress was a part of that show but it definitely has the feel of what went. This dress was shot that year both for Vogue Paris and British Vogue and I love having those reference shots for you to see just how amazing this dress is on the body.
This is an amazing true Haute Couture Givenchy dress that is a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and then the silk has been pleated into perfectly matched knife pleats. The cut is tremendously flattering to the body and it feels a little bit sexy with the way the top sits on the bodice. The fabric is a beautiful and very light red crepe silk chiffon that moves and drapes fantastically. The bodice is done with its own panel that wraps around to the back. It is set wide and open at the front and then the pleats wrap on a slight curve to follow the shape of the halter to the back where it is set with a wedge of open space between the two sides. Silk straps come out from the peak of the front and then curve over your shoulders to connect to the back. The skirt flares out from there and it has a ton of movement when you move. It is spectacular. The silk is very fine and light and it is cut on the bias and then pleated in long vertical lines. There are yards of it in the skirt and that and the lightness of the skirt picks up the air when you move so that it moves fantastically around you as you walk. This is a very beautiful example of Givenchy from this time period. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. It also comes with a matching curved shawl in the same fabric. Excellent overall condition with notes below.
The dress is fully lined in a matching hand set red silk. It zips to close at the back and then an inner wider waist stay hooks to close at the inner waist. Light. boning through the inner built-in corset. Hand finished throughout to couture standards. I see some wear and patching on the straps. A small repair at the top of one peak and and some repairs/ small shattering to the inner lining near the arms. A small thinned spot near the zipper and a mark here and there and also near the hem. Presents wonderfully but these are mentioned for accuracy. Proper couture tag and numbered tape present.
Bust: 15.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 12" from top of straps to seam under the bust
Total length: 61" from top of straps to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4664
Reference Photos: (1) Photos by Guy Bourdin for Vogue Paris Special Collections Issue, 1973. / (2) Susan Moncur in Givenchy by David Bailey for British Vogue 1973.
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This dress is an incredible piece of Halston history. Its near twin walked the runway for the Resort 1982 show and version in white were shot for the press advance looks that year as well. The original sketch appears in one of the Halston books and it has the added provenance of the dress that was lent to and worn by Emmanuelle Chriqui in 2002. This is classic Halston from his main label couture line. It is incredibly chic and sexy and one of two important Halston pieces I have for you today. This is an incredible example of his work from this time period.
This is an amazing couture Halston dress that is a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and utilizes his signature minimal seaming. Halston defined how woman dressed in the 1970s and these jersey dresses that he did were tremendously flattering to the body. It is also insanely sexy with the cut out at the front that leaves your stomach bare. The fabric is a beautiful and very light black silk jersey that moves and drapes fantastically. The neckline is scooped with a piped edge that extends up and behind the neck where it hooks into place. On either side of the scoop at the front the fabric extends into panels that create a halter shape. The panels curve down on an angle and secure into the sides of the waist. This leaves the middle part of the stomach bare and open. The panels are then gathered into the piping at the top and wrap around the back in a low curve. The entire back is completely bare and exposed and it is so sexy. The skirt flares out from there and it has a ton of movement when you move. It is spectacular. The jersey is very fine and light and it is cut on the bias and there are yards of it in the skirt. I love that he cut the sides of the skirt slightly longer then the front so you get a bit of a sweeping feel around you. This also helps the skirt to pick up the air when you move so that it billows around you as you walk. Inside the skirt there is an inner layer of silk chiffon and that helps to soften out any bumps underneath the top layer and helps to make it very flattering to wear. This is a very rare example of Halston at the top of his game. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. Excellent condition with a tiny note below.
The bodice is made from two layers of the silk jersey and the skirt has an inner silk chiffon lining. The dress hooks to close with two set so of hooks and then it snaps and hooks below the back of the waist. Hand finished. I see some tiny, snags and pin holes along the hem here and there. The fabric has some stretch but the waist has no give.
Bust: The front halter should accommodate a variety of cup sizes. It is approximately 14 to 17" flat across the front
Waist: 12"
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from neck to waist
Total length: approx 50" from shoulder to longest points of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML
Item# DD4661
Reference Photos: (1) Models Chris Royer and Margaret Donohoe in looks from Halston’s Resort 1982 Halston Ready-to-wear Advance. / (2) Resort 1982 Halston Runway. / (3) Resort 1979 Halston Runway. / (4) Sketches from 1978-79 Halston. / (5-6) Emmanuelle Chriqui in this dress at the 2022 Environmental Media Association Awards Gala, October 2022.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian lacroix
Rare Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Well Documented Brilliant Silk Floral Dress w Back Bustle
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This dress is very special and an extremely well documented piece from Spring 1988. It has the special added provenance of being the twin of one of the four dresses portrayed in that instantly recognizable photo taken in his atelier that year. That photo is perhaps one of the most famous photos in the Lacroix history. The dress is from his Luxe label that was only produced the very first couple of seasons. It was very high end expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards and was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his later regular ready-to-wear collections. It is said that this label only lasted a couple of seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. We found numerous reference photos of the dress as it appeared on the runway so you have an amazing idea of how this dress looks on the body.
The dress is gorgeous. It is made out of a textured silk organza that has a slight texture running through it. Onto that is a glorious floral pattern in pinks and yellow with pops of green. It feels so vibrant and beautiful with that gorgeous print. The sleeves are long and they are cut on a slight curve in the traditional couture manner. The shoulders are lightly shaped and the front falls into a shallow V. The dress has a little bit of gathering just at the bust area down the centre seam and then it falls smoothly to the hem under that. It is cut to skim over you through the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist. At the back the bottom 9 inches of the skirt has an inset bustle. The fabric there is gathered into a curving seam and there are three black organza half bows stacked one on top of the other to create a bustle feel. This is one of his most famous dresses and its amazing. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
The body of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the sleeves are lined in a white silk. The dress zips to close at the back and each cuff has a zipper to close it. Light padding in the shoulders. Tagged a vintage Lacroix 44
Sleeves: 22.5" and 13" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4401
Reference Photos: (1-5) Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Collection. / (6-7) Models in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Atelier, Paris, 1988. Photos by Arthur Elgort.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
bill blass
Prettiest 1970s Bill Blass Black Silk Organza Dress w Extensive Ruffle Detailing & Full Puff Sleeves
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Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. 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. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a beautiful example of his work from this time period.
The dress is made from a light weight black silk organza and it is an easy-to-wear and very pretty dress. The dress is made to look as if it wraps around you but it actually is fully secured all the way around. The bodice has a cross over the front and is meant to skim over you to the waist. At the back it closes with a hook and eye at the top of the neck and then there is an open keyhole slit to where the zipper begins just above the waist. I love how the back and upper part of the shoulders are made from only one layer of the organza so that it has a touch of transparency. This transparency has been carried over to the sleeves as well. The sleeves are spectacular. Each one is extremely full and balloons out over the cuffs. They are also open with a keyhole from the top of the shoulder to the wrist. The wrist is highlighted with a bow made from the same organza and then you have a huge double ruffle of silk that falls over your hands. The waist is brought in and has an attached band of the same organza that you tied to one side. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and widen out beautifully. It is scooped up at the front to one side and there is another double layer of ruffles that begins at the top of the hip and then falls all the way to the floor. It follows the edge of the skirt all the way around the back and then scoops up the other side. This adds that incredible volume and drama to the skirt that you see. The skirt is lined underneath and the inner skirt has a smaller open slit so that your full leg is not exposed. If you wanted to, you could easily expand that inner slit so that opened all the way up and you did see all of your leg. It is gorgeous and even more beautiful in person. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in a black silk. It closes at the back of the neck with a hook at the top of the neck and a zipper starting just above the waist. Each cuff hooks to close, and the belt at the waist snaps into place. Perhaps the tiniest bit of fading to an edge here or there, but this is a natural occurrence with this type of fabric in this age of garment and I'm being pretty picky.
Sleeves: 29" including the 6 inch ruffle. 15" around the upper arm.
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 61" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4656
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Dreamy 1970s Valentino Black Silk Wide Ruffled Hem Dress w Matching Wide Bell Sleeve Cropped Jacket
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Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 two years after opening his atelier in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. His first New York boutique launched in the fall of 1970 and it caused a sensation. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. More boutiques followed including one at Bergdorfs. He encouraged his couture clients to also shop in his boutiques. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and noted that he often carried the lines he created for his Couture label into the boutique work. The fabric and construction details were still remarkably close in quality to his couture pieces at this point in time. The line between the two was often blurred and on this set you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. I absolutely love this set. It is gorgeous.
The dress is made out of a black silk that holds its shape and volume beautifully. This is a two piece set made up of a dress and its matching jacket. They are fantastically beautiful worn together but I also love that by having the two pieces it gives you more styling options and you can wear then separately and mix and match with other things you already own. The dress is suspended by two tiny straps that curve up and over each shoulder. A wide set V sits at the front and then it dips lower across at the back to leave a bare expanse of open skin. It is cut to be more fitted to the waist and then under that it is all volume. The skirt has an incredible amount of silk in it that really shows best when you move. The lightness of the silk causes the skirt to billow out and move around you as you move, yet it still has enough weight that it holds that full feeling when you stand still. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. A full 13" ruffle circles the lower hem and it has been sewn is on top of the skirt and not simple seamed onto the edge. This is a clever technique that leaves fabric inside and behind the skirt and this helps to hold its shape. This uses extra fabric so it's not something you see as much anymore. And it has pockets. The jacket is a thing of beauty in its own right. It widens out from a soft shoulder and curves around and up from the hem to the neckline. I love the tiny ruffled finish that follows the edge. The sleeves are incredible and each is cut to be a wide bell shape. By their ends they are each a full 20" around and the ruffle that finishes each sleeve is a little more then that even. It is absolutely beautiful. This is a stunning Valentino from this time period. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a black silk. The dress closes with a back zipper and there are two hidden hook and eye at the base of the jacket at the front. Tagged a vintage Valentino size 6.
Dress
Bust: to 16.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem
Jacket
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Sleeves: 22.5" long and 14" around the top part of the arm
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17.5" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4054
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Resort 2018 Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri Runway Look 47 Plunge Yellow Silk Chiffon Dress Size 38
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I have two of these in the shop today and this one is the smaller one that is a FR38/US6 in size. The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' The twin of it with the front tacked closed a bit was also worn by Kate Mara in 2017 which shows you how it looks when you do close the plunge a bit. It is also interesting because a very similar dress was shown for the Resort 2008 collection and you can see that progression from the Dior archives to this piece.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful yellow colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little ruffle in the same silk. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then it falls into another deep V at the back. The panels there sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The top layer of the skirt is a silk chiffon that has a touch of texture to it. There are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all of these layers have once it is on and moving around you is fantastic. It is fabulous on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR38, UK10, IT42, US6.
Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7-8" across
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4655
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor. / (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Resort 2018 Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri Runway Look 47 Plunge Yellow Silk Chiffon Dress Size 42
I Have a Question
I have two of these in the shop today and this one is the larger one and it is a FR42/US10 in size. The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' The twin of it with the front tacked closed a bit was also worn by Kate Mara in 2017 which shows you how it looks when you do close the plunge a bit. It is also interesting because a very similar dress was shown for the Resort 2008 collection and you can see that progression from the Dior archives to this piece.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful yellow colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little ruffle in the same silk. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then it falls into another deep V at the back. The panels there sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The top layer of the skirt is a silk chiffon that has a touch of texture to it. There are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all of these layers have once it is on and moving around you is fantastic. It is fabulous on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR42, UK14, IT46, US10. A tiny pinhole in the lining of the bust. The easy cut should work on a range of sizes.
Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7-9" across
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG
Item# DD4653
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor. / (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
loris azzaro
Romantic 1980s Loris Azzaro Irridescent Soft Coral Silk Taffeta Dress w Rosette Floral Detail
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Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during this time period. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.
I absolutely love the cut of this dress. It is made out of a beautiful iridescent silk taffeta in a deep peach with coral undertones. The choice of this silk gives it enough structure to hold the shape but still keeps it fairly light in weight. That fabric choice mixed with that full on glamorous cut that it has gives it feeling of high drama. The bodice is cut to hug the torso and the neckline is cut so that it is scooped in a sweetheart neckline at the front and then another scoop sits at the back. The sleeves are amazing. They are cut to wrap around your shoulders. Each extends out from the back and then wraps around the top of the shoulder before sweeping back in to be secured at the sides of the bust line. They are so pretty. You can adjust them a bit once on to wear more up on the shoulder or leave them draped more around the upper arm to leave a bare expanse of skin to show across the top of the shoulders. The bodice is intricately gathered and it angles down a touch where it meets the skirt. The skirt is very full. It flows to the floor in a massive cascade of the silk. There are no additional underskirts added for these shots. All of that incredible volume is built into the skirt. I love the rosettes that gather and pick up the skirt all the way around. It makes it so incredibly romantic in feel. The front is scooped up and the back is cut longer for a bit of a sweep behind you. It is gorgeous. A cluster of flowers sits at one side of the waist for the final perfect romantic touch. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a hand set matching silk and closes with a back zipper. Inside the bust there is one of his signature strapless bras tacked into place. Hand finises. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: open
Bodice: approx 12" from top of the bodice to shortest part of the waist
Total length: 33" from top of the bodice to the shortest point of the front hem, 58" to the back him
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4644
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Well Documented Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Look 53 Silk Floral Dress
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The twin of this dress walked the runway as Look 53vfor the Spring 1983 Haute Couture collection. It was shown under a jacket initially and then the jacket was removed. I love that this shows you how versatile these little dresses can be. We also found the fabric noted in a WWD editorial and then I looked into my folio collection book and found the model number and original sketch for you to see. I have included all these reference photos for you here and it gives you a beautiful idea of how fabulous this is once on the body. The dress is gorgeous and Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. It really is a beautiful piece and owning a piece of his couture work is always one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.
The dress is amazing and showcases how wonderful Yves Saint Laurent could cut a dress to flatter a woman's body. It is made entirely by hand and the silk has the tiniest ribbed texture running through it. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulders have light padding just at their outer edges to slightly extend them outward. They are set into the bodice with gathers so that they slightly pouf above the shoulder line. The sleeves are slim and pouf out just slightly as they slim down to the zippered cuffs. The neckline is set wide across the collarbones and edged in a black silk band. The waist is seamed and we have added a black grosgrain ribbon there for shape. You can add a belt instead if you wanted a really cinched in look. The skirt falls under that in a simple pencil to just about the knee or above depending on your height. There are hidden set pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is the best thing about the dress. It is a mix of a bright pink, green, blue and a deep purple set in a large floral design that runs over the entire dress. It is so pretty. Truly a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. And it is just so good on the body. A masterpiece. Excellent condition.
Unlined through the bodice and lined in a black silk through the skirt. All the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It closes with a back zipper and two buttons at the back of the neck. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Each cuff has a hand set hidden set zipper to close. Light padding in each shoulder as described above. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. The grosgrain ribbon is not original to the dress but will be sent with it.
Sleeves: 22" and 13.75" around the upper arm
Slightly wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Total length: 38" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4642
Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway. / (5-7) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Advance Preview. / (8) Womens Wear Daily, February 1983.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
oscar de la renta
c 1970 Oscar de la Renta Black Silk Taffeta Backless Halter Neck Dress w Extensive Ruffle Detailing
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I love when I find these earlier examples of Oscar de la Renta's work. He would heave been more personally involved in them and they really showcase the designer he was to become. The label on this dress tells us that it's probably late 60s maybe the first couple years of the 1970s and it seems similar to some of the pieces I've seen from the 1970 season. The dress beautifully showcases the the genius of his work and attention to detail. This is a favourite from him that I've had in the shop
The dress is gorgeous and is made from a beautiful black silk taffeta that holds the shape and volume that this dress has perfectly. The fabric choice also keeps the dress fairly light in weight while giving the dress some structure and shape. The front bodice is stunning. Two shaped triangles cover the front of the bodice, and there is a deep V for the neckline. The triangles extend all the way to the top of the neck and they are finished with a ruffle in the same fabric. This makes that V be a little less apparent and is a pretty detailing as it goes up and around your neck. Ties extend from just behind the peak of each triangle to tie behind the neck. It wraps around the waist and scoops low there. This leaves your entire back open and bare above that. I love this unexpected bare skin moment that is in stark contrast to the coverage at the front. The waist nips in and we have added a wide grosgrain ribbon to add a little more shape. The skirt deserves it own moment. It is made out of the same silk taffeta as the bodice. It explodes out from the waist to become incredibly full by the time it reaches the hem. Tiers of silk allow this expansion and there are five tiers in total. Each tier is finished with that same ruffled detail that you see around the halter neck and this really makes the dress special. Inside there is a silk lining and then another netted lining sits between the outer skirt and that inner layer. This helps to hold the volume that you see and it is spectacular. The photos on the dress form do not come close to doing it justice. This is a dress that needs an actual body in it and then it really comes to life. When you walk the taffeta rustles and the skirt swoops around to create this stunning billowing effect. Then when you turn to leave you have that flash of bare skin at the back. It is utterly amazing. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a layer of silk taffeta and the skirt is lined as described above. The dress closes with a low set zipper at the back. Hand finished throughout. The ribbon at the waist is not original to the dress but will be sent with it
Bust: each triangle covers 8 inches plus there's an inch and a half a ruffle on each side. There's no true side scene.
Waist: 12.5-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 59" from neck to hem and can be adjusted a bit depending on were you tie the neck
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4633
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Exquisite 1990s Valentino Heavily Beaded Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Draped Neckline & Bare Back
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This is an incredible dress and it has the added provenance of having been worn by poet Rupi Kaur to the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event for the 2024 Oscars season. I love that this gives you the chance to see the dress on the body and how beautifully it falls. The dress was made for the shops and dates to the 1998-2002 era based on similar cuts that I have had in the shop and what was on the runways. he dress is exceptional and you only have to take one look at Rupi in the dress to see just how fabulous this is on an actual body
This is a gorgeous dress. I love its bareness at the top with the full open back and the low draped neckline. It is a little sexier then some of his work tends so be but it still manages to feel elegant and refined. It is a dress that really comes alive on the body. It is very light and easy to wear despite its extensive bead work and sequins. It is cut to perfectly fit and skim over the body. It is made from a lightweight bias cut silk chiffon and a silk net that is then covered in thousands of little black sequins and various shaped beads. The bodice is cut into a halter with tiny little beaded straps that curve up and over the shoulders. At the back the straps cross over your bare back which then dips into a low curve across the small of your back. This leaves the back almost completely bare. The front also has a bare feel. The halter covers the breasts and then drapes low in between. There is no seam at the waist to break the line of the eye. The combination of wide bands of the sequin and beads highlight the curves and shape of the dress and those are separated by expanses of the black silk chiffon. The bias cut of the fabric simply curves it in and over you to create shape. The skirt flows to the floor and widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. I love the way that the skirt is cut a little longer at the back to give the feel of a slight train there. Mixed into the beaded pattern are little bits of black silk netting that add an extra bit of texture to the dress. It is a beautiful example of Mr Valentino's work with the added bonus of its recent red carpet provenance. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a black silk chiffon and closes with a back hidden zipper at the base of the scoop at the back. Hand finishes. There are some missing beads and some inner repairs / tiny beginnings of stress openings on the fabric near the ends of some of the lines of bead work on the train and bottom of the skirt. It was worn on the red carpet exactly as it is so these small flaws obviously have no impact when worn
Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 63" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4632
Reference Photos: Rupi Kaur in this dress for the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event, 2024.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Prettiest Cruise 2010 Christian Dior by John Galliano Deep Raspberry Pink Silk Chiffon Crossed Bodice Dress
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During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and chiffon dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. This is an amazing example of his work from the Cruise 2010 collection and it is gorgeous. "For Resort, Galliano had a series of softly draping floor-length evening dresses." said Vogue's review and that "Galliano's light touch...made the retro shapes look modern". A near twin of the dress in beige was a part of the presentation and then this is a dress was made for the shops in this stunning colour. It is so classically Galliano for Dior in its shape and cut. It is a real beauty.
The dress is made out of the prettiest deep pink raspberry coloured silk chiffon that has a touch of texture running through it. It is all cut on the bias which is one of his key signatures. The bodice is killer. Twisted silk chiffon straps made of the same fabric curve up and over each shoulder and then they extend into the panels that go over the bodice. The panels are created by that fabric untwisting and then being brought across each other at the front to be attached into the sides. This creates that beautiful crossover effect that you see at the front and gives it a plunge as well. At the back he makes it look like these extend all the way around to the band that runs across the back. It is cut to fall softly over the bodice and have that slightly more bare feel. It then falls from just below the bust to drape down and over the body to the floor. The dress skims and drapes over you as it widens out to the hem. From about the knee down the dress opens up and it is very full. This is created by the addition of long, triangular shaped panels sewn into the lower skirts to open it up and give that the volume that you see. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures. The panels help the dress hold its volume through the lower skirt and the lightness and incredible amount of fabric through the skirt gives you so much movement when you walk or move. It is stunning. This is a dress that when you see it on and you see the movement created in the lower skirt, you just have to gasp. His signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side for that perfect finishing Galliano touch. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how the dress moves once on the body. This is the type of dress that only truly comes to life when worn. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a matching silk and closes at the side with a hidden set zipper with a series of decorative silk covered buttons at the opposite side. There is an extra 5 inches of the straps inside the back so you can adjust them to the perfect fit if needed. Tagged a vintage Dior F38, GB10, IT42, US6
Bust: 15-17" flat across with no true side seams
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 8" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 62" from top of the shoulder to the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4627
Reference Photos: 2010 Cruise Christian Dior Collection.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
gucci
Incredible Fall 2003 Gucci by Tom Ford Look 40 Runway Dress in Pale Dusty Pink Silk w Grommet Detailing
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This dress is not 100% perfect and that is why it is not double or triple the listed price. It is without a doubt one of the most iconic pieces ever created during Tom Ford's tenure at Gucci. I love it. Its twin was Look 40 on the runway and we have included runway photos and video for you to see how beautifully this moves once on the body. In Vogue's review of the show they said that "This season every major designer is talking about creating a "beauty" strong enough to defy our anxious times. Backstage that was the word Tom Ford used to characterize his Fall collection for Gucci—a collection in which beauty was personified as a power vixen extravagantly armoured to face down a troubled world" The evening pieces were mentioned specifically "For evening, there were gowns constructed with cutout zones of sparkling mesh and frilled bra tops; others snaked to the floor, held in place with complex asymmetric straps crossing the torso and shoulders. If Ford is treading the territory mapped out by Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaïa in the ’80s, it’s no surprise. Much of fashion is heading in that direction >anyway, and Ford, after all, bases Gucci’s entire brand proposition on finding new ways of upping the ante on sex season after season." This is a dress from one of the most incredible eras of Gucci.
The dress is made out of a pastel dusty pink silk with a matte satin finish. It is instantly recognizable as being a Gucci from this era. The bodice is heavily detailed. It has been top stitched across the corseted bodice and I love how this is all set on angles in between the grommet detailed edges that sit in between the top-stitched portions. It curves across the top of the bust and then there is boning and shaping and a built-in cupped corset inside to hold you in place. At the sides you have two wide panels of the silk that extend out and wrap around the neck and then crisscross over the bare upper back. The waist curves in and all of the shaping is created by the curved seaming that you see. A wide partial strap sits on each side of the waist and snaps into place to give the illusion of being buckled in even further. The grommets are all brass coloured and add the perfect contrast to that dusty pastel pink. The corset angles down deep in the front and back in that signature Tom Ford sexiness. From there the silk skims over the hips and then falls to the floor where it widens out beautifully. The back is cut longer than the front for a slight train effect at the back. The seaming that runs along the skirt picks up on the seaming of the bodice and again grommets detail all of that. All of the seams are set on curves that help to add to the curving of the body. It is astonishingly beautiful. It presents as great condition but does have some minor flaws. Please see the notes below.
The bodice is fully lined in the same silk fabric as the exterior with an added built-in wired cup piece at the inner front. It closes with the exposed zipper that you see at the back. The pieces that wrap around your shoulders slip on when you put the dress on. The skirt is unlined. The side pieces at the waist each snap into place at the back. I see grubbiness and marks on the interior edge of the bodice and a mark on the inner cup. The inner stuffing of the bodice has degraded so it feels like loose pieces inside the cups. I see a repair on the skirt at about mid thigh on the centre front, one on the side of the back at about the very top of the thigh and another invisible tape repair below the one on the front. There are some slight scuff and marks on the skirt here and there and I have photoed the ones that show the most. There is a mark near the arm on the bodice. It presents extremely well once on but does have these small flaws. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a Gucci 42. The fabric of the skirt has some stretch and the dress is in its original uncut length.
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 14.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 68" from top of bodice to front hem, 75" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4626
Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2003 Gucci Runway, Look 40 (Adina Fohlin)
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Rarest Spring 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Final Collection Black Silk Chiffon Dress
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"I have chosen today to say goodbye to the craft that I have loved so much. The next show to which I invite you, on Tuesday, 22nd January at 6 PM, at the centre of George's Pompano, will predominantly be a retrospective of my work… Some designs from the currencies will also be shown." This was how Yves the announced his intention to retire and leave the world of Haute Couture. That final show was over an hour long and was presented to a room of 1500 hand picked guests. To tell the story of his decades long career there was a total of 371 garments shown that day. The presentation began at the beginning of his career and the show was a full retrospective of his work that showed a highlight of all of his creations through the decades. There were also a small group of 11 new items for the 2002 season included about 2/3rds of the way into the show created as the Spring 2002 couture collection. All were pieces that were based on dresses from the past but done in new colours. They were all made of weightless chiffons and were in a variety of colours. This blending of past and present further evoked the idea of his journey and how his designs are truly timeless no matter when they were made. The twin of this black dress was included in that grouping and it is based on the green dress we have included a reference photo of for you here from the Spring 1991 collection. I love it even more in its black version. The dress has its own special couture tag that commemorates it as being a part of this final show. It is an extremely rare and wonderful piece.
This dress is stunning. It has a strapless bodice that is fitted perfectly to hold the dress on the body and then it falls from there to the floor in layers of weightless black silk chiffon. The silk of the bodice is gathered and set vertically and inside the bodice there is a full inner built-in corset that is shaped and seamed so the dress stays perfectly in place once on. A wide band of silk wraps underneath the breasts to the waist and there is a sash that ties in a soft bow off to one side. The ends of the sash trail all the way down the side to the floor and this helps to add to the beautiful movement this dress has once on. Below the beautiful shape through the bodice the skirt falls to the floor in a soft cascade of silk chiffon. The. side of the skirt that opens is slightly longer than the other and this is a clever way to give that side of the skirt even more movement. These are the tiny details in Couture that make a dress move the exact perfect way. The innermost layer of silk chiffon is set all the way around you and then the other layers of the skirt are set over this and slit right up to where the waistband meets the top of the skirt on that side. So when you walk and move you are covered by that single layer of silk chiffon underneath but you are still bare underneath the transparency of the chiffon. You can see this clearly in the video as the model walks. It is very sexy. The layers and open side of the skirt combined with the trailing ties from the waist are then what allow the dress to move so beautifully around you when you move. It is absolutely perfect in every way. The workmanship is beautiful and the dress appears to have never been worn or worn very little. What a joy to have such an important dress from Yves very last collection. Excellent condition.
Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup
Seam under the bust: 14.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 4.75" from top of bodice to seam under the bodice
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to shortest part of the hem, 54" to the longest
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4624
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Couture, Look 240. / (4) From the book “Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: CATWALK” / (5-6) Spring 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Spectacular Christian Dior by John Galliano Spring 2003 Black Silk Chiffon Lace Up Skirt & Top Set
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This fantastic Christian Dior by John Galliano set was recently worn by Alix Earle and I love that I have photos and video of it on so that you can see just how amazing it is on the body. These laced up pieces were integral to the Dior look during this time period and we included pics of Elizabeth Hurley in another piece that has the same lacing detail on the skirt and back from the same collection for you to see. This is an exceptional set. It is amazing on the body as you can see in the photos here of Alix wearing it. I also have a video on my instagram that shows Alix getting ready in this that night.
I love that this is made up of the two separate pieces. It gives it that added versatility of being able to be worn together so that it feels like you are wearing a dress, or to be able to mix and match the pieces with other existing things in your wardrobe. Both the top and the skirt are made from two layers of a bias cut black silk chiffon that have been stacked on top of each other to make it opaque enough to wear. The top slips on to wear and then you adjust the lacing at the front and the back for the perfect fit on you. It falls from the halter neckline, and I love the little silk chiffon ruffle that follows the edge of that neckline. The actual border of the neckline is a cotton strap that has metal grommets worked into it and then the laces all go through the grommets to adjust and tighten the fit on you. Both the strap edging and the laces have a slight faded feel that is purposeful. It is cut so that it flares out slightly at the bottom and over the top of the skirt below. You could also tuck it into the skirt and belt it if you wished. The skirt is meant to sit a little lower on the hip and the bias cut allows it to swirl around you. On the skirt the laces start at the back and wrap around the hips and then curve down the front. Long ties dangle from the bottom of where they lace up and there is that same ruffled silk chiffon detail that follows the design. Once past where the paces stop the lower skirt opens up and those ruffles run to the very bottom of the skirt. The skirt is meant to curve around the hips and then flares out dramatically for the lower portion of the skirt. This creates incredible movement as you move and is truly fantastic. It is a really exceptional set extremely sexy on the body. I love it. Excellent condition
Both pieces are a double layer of the same black bias cut silk chiffon. The top adjusts with the laces and the skirt closes with a zipper that is hidden along the edge of the angled seam towards one side at the back. The top is tagged a US10, GB14, FR42 and the skirt has no size tag. The bias cut gives it lots of movement and will allow it to fit a range of sizes. We have given the comfortable range of the pieces below.
Top
Bust: Approx 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam and you can go up or down a bit from there by adjusting the laces
Bottom hem: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4623
Reference Photos: (1-4) Alix Earle, in this set, at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl Party, February 2024. / (5-6) Elizabeth Hurley in Dior at "Fashion Rocks", October 2003.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Incredible Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen Draped Strapless Silk Dress w Elaborate Beading
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McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and you can see a similar swooping cut that the final pieces of this show had in its design. It is stunning.
The dress is made out of a beautiful rich black silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line combined with that bias cut draping. The combination is fantastic. The dress has a more fitted inner dress and then the silk drapes over that. The bodice is strapless and there is a full built-in cupped corset that holds the dress in place and gives you support through the bust. One side of the inner more fitted dress is exposed and this gives a suggestion of the shape of the body underneath. You see the inner dress from the top of the strapless bodice, around its side, and then down to about the hip. That inner portion of the dress has been been elaborately embroidered and beaded in a stunning floral design. It is beautiful. On the other side of the bodice, a silk panel is attached all the way around the top of the neckline and then it drapes down and around to frame that exposed inner dress. It creates this beautiful curved draping effect that gives the dress a bit of a Grecian goddess feel and picks up on those drapes that he used for the final few dresses on the runway. The silk panel continues all the way around the back and then the entire thing drapes to the floor. The hem is set on a slight angle with the side that drapes down sitting longer than the other side. This creates a very classic and signature McQueen feel. It is a beautiful mix of exposing just enough of the shape of the body while still showcasing the exceptional draping that he excelled at. I love how the draping slightly exaggerates the shape of the body and add curves even though the dress is not tight tot he body in any way. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting drape or an elaborate beaded detail. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition
An inner black silk lining goes to just above the knee and there is a built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. The corset has its own back zipper that fully opens and then the dress zips to close over that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a McQueen 44
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with B to maybe small C cups
Inner waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to shortest point of hem, 58" to the longest point
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4622
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
bob mackie
Dreamiest Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway Silk Chiffon w Metallic Leaf Print Underlay Strapless Dress
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This is the second of this dress I have had in the shop and I was surprised to find another so soon after having the first. Its twin walked the Fall 1989 show and I love that we have the reference photo for you to see how it looks on the body. The runway look was styled with a metal belt and I love that it shows you that with a simple switch of what you choose to wear around the waist you can give the dress a different feel. Bob Mackie became a household name when he started dressing Cher. He started off his career freelancing for costumers Edith Head and Jean Louis and it was while there that he sketched the design for Marilyn Monroe's famous 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress. He met fellow costume designer Ray Aghayan who eventually became his life partner. Together they designed costumes for Hollywood and created a made to order line of RTW. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years and the launch of his own label. His work helped to define an entire era of high glamour on the small screen and beyond.
The dress is made out of a stunning ombre deep dusky pink and taupe silk chiffon. Then under the top layer of the silk is a second layer of silk chiffon that has these incredible gold and silver thread leafs worked through the silk. These shimmer through under the top layer and create a beautiful depth and unexpected glimmer when you move and as they catch the light. It is a combination that is stunning to see together. The bodice is strapless and it has an inner shaped corset that is boned and shaped for support and to stay perfectly in place. The top of the bodice is peaked at the sides and then it is slightly rounded as it dips down and into the centre. Onto the bodice the silk chiffon has been gathered and softly draped so that it follows the curve of the bust and then slightly overlaps at the front. It does the same at the back where it meets at the centre set zipper. The waist cinches in and the dress comes with its original matching silk sash that you can tie and style around the waist or the neck. The skirt flows out from under there and it is made up of yards and yards of feather light silk chiffon. There are two layers of the bias cut silk stacked on top of each other and then an inner silk layer that sits next to the body. The top two layers of chiffon are feather light and the movement they create as they float over each other as you move is just incredible. It is incredible to see in person and the colour has a touch softer feel to it then how it photoed. That little bit of added glamour and drama from the gold and silver under that top layer of chiffon elevates the dress that much more. I love it. Excellent condition
The bodice of the dress is fully lined in a copper brown silk. The skirt has an inner nude layer of silk under the top two layers of bias cut silk chiffon as described above. The bodice is shaped and boned inside and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. A tiny touch of wear at the top off each peak and a small darkening to the skirt that gets lost int he folds of the skirt. Please see the photo after the label shot. It closes with a back zipper. Hand finishes.
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for at least a C cup at the front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of the tallest point of the bodice to waist
Total length: 56" from tallest point of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4612
Reference Photos: Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Phenomenal 1960s Gina Fratini Printed Tiered Baby Doll Maxi Dress w Poufed Cap Sleeves & Feather Details
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Gina Fratini created some of the most sought after evening wear in the 1970s and into the 80s. Elizabeth Taylor chose to wear one of her dresses for her second marriage to Richard Burton in 1975 and Princess Diana made several appearances wearing her work. Fratini was a British fashion and costume designer whose label existed from 1964 into the eighties. She was also known for dressing Princess Anne, who wore a Fratini gown for her 21st birthday portrait. She did freelance work for Normal Norell and designed the Ossie Clark lingerie line. She won the Dress of the Year award in 1974. She as known for her use of natural fabrics and her dresses were complicated affairs that were not easy to reproduce, which gave her designs an edge in exclusivity.
More than anything I love the feather detailing on this dress and that gorgeous print. They take the dress to the next level and the details on this dress are truly spectacular. The dress is made out of a beautiful silk organza that has been treated so that it has a slight stiffened effect. Printed onto the silk is a gorgeous design that combines flowers, birds, hands and faces. The backdrop is the softest blush nude pink and the print is done in soft pastels. It is so pretty. The top of the dress is stunning. It has a high scooped neck that is finished with a ruffled collar. It skims over the bust and then is seamed right under the breasts for a baby doll feel. The sleeves are shaped into a puffed cap. They are set so that they curve over the top your arm and puff out around the shoulder. The skirt falls to the floor from under the high set empire wast and it is phenomenal in its cut. It falls in three tiers of silk and each tier expands outwards getting wider and fuller as the dress falls to the floor. This floats over and inner pale peach lining that is also set in tiers and it is absolutely gorgeous. I love the silhouette this creates. It is spectacular. The final touch are the feathers that are scattered over the entire dress. Each feather has been hand dyed to a pastel pink, blue or green and they are each attached to the end of a piped ribbons of the same fabric that is attached to the dress. They are set a different lengths so that they dangle off of the dress from the seams where each tier is attached at a seam. This creates incredible movement as the dress moves around you and then the feathers attached to the strips of fabric move as well. Each sleeve has a longer panel of the silk tied into a bow with a feather at each end The organza keeps it light and easy to wear while the cut and design are phenomenal. This is a truly amazing vintage piece. Excellent overall condition wit a note below
The bodice and skirt are lined in a peach silky rayon and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. There is the tiniest of discoloration under the arms and I see that has been reinforced around the inner arm edges with invisible mending tape from the back. Presents perfectly once on
Sleeves: 12" around the arm opening
Inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from neck to empire seam under the bust
Total length: 56.5" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4613
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james galanos
Superb Late 1970s James Galanos Multi Layer Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Removeble Ruffled Collar
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James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this dress is a stunning example of his work. It is one of those dresses that really needs to be on an actual body to come to life but once it is on a body it is even better than what you see here. These black chiffon dresses that are all bias cut are almost impossible to photo properly on a dress form and only come to life once on.
This dress is spectacular and it is in its original uncut length. The dress is made out of four full layers of silk chiffon through the skirt that are perfectly stacked on top of each. The sleeves are made of two layers of the same silk chiffon and then the bodice is backed in a black silk to make it opaque. This dress is also interesting, because the way that the skirt is set into the back uses the same technique as this 1957 dress I that I have had in the shop before and whose version resides in the Met's collection. You can click through the link in the previous sentence to see that for reference and it gives you a bit of an idea of how this dress will look on the body but backwards. In the Vogue's description at the time the skirt was described as being; 'narrow in outline, but with beautiful easy folds from the waist, falling in self contained spirals' which is a lovely way to describe the way that it is set into the dress. I love that he referenced his own work in this way. The fabric is a beautiful light weight black silk chiffon that floats over the body. The skirt is cut so that it gathers up and into the middle of the dress at the back. This gives it that lovely draping down the back and it extends out a little longer at the hem. A high slit is also hidden in the draping so when you walk you get a flash of your legs. At the front the skirt has a very minimal feel that I love. The bodice above that is cut to skim and blouse over the body to the waist and the waist is cut with a more generous feel. You could add a belt if you wanted to cinch that in more and give it more shape. Adding a belt would also bring the waist line up a bit and give you even more of a blousing feel unless you put the belt a little lower at the top of the hip. The neck is high and then at the back it buttons down to close across the top of the back shoulders. I think that you could actually wear the dress either way and just have the hem fall a little longer at the front if you wished because it is that well-made. It has a more oversized feel through the top that is intentional and then the skirt is more narrow. The sleeves are spectacular and each one is cut wide and extremely full above the ruffled wrist. They are set deep into the bodice with a little bit of pleating around the top. so you get a touch of a capped feeling sleeve. The dress came with its original matching neck ruffle that hooks into place around the neck. I love how this in essence gives you two different dresses. If you choose not to wear the ruffle, it feels minimalist and stark from the front and when you add the ruffle it adds that extra bit of glamour and movement around the neck. It is a fabulous addition to the dress and it really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition
Both pieces are fully lined in a black silk chiffon as described above. It closes with a low painted metal zipper at the waist and then has a row of buttons above that. Hand finishes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Sleeves: 27"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 19-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 20" from neck to waist
Total length: 69" from neck to front hem, 73" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4611
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james galanos
Gorgeous 1960s James Galanos Meticulously Pleated Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Elaborate Belt
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This is a spectacular example of Galanos and the evening dresses that he did so very well. James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this dress is fantastic.
The belt alone on this dress is what vintage dreams are made of. It is tacked all the way around the waist and it is this thick braided black cord that has rose of rhinestones attached to it. The belt has then been tied into big knots that are perfectly spaced from each other and then it ends in this elaborate silk fabric tassel that is unlike any tassel I have seen. It snaps into place at the front or you could wrap and tie it if you wished. It has such impact and it elevates the entire dress even more. The label on this dress is the one that dates from 1963-1977 and this is my personal favourite time period of his work. The fabric is a beautiful light weight black silk chiffon for the bodice and sleeves and then the skirt is a black silk jersey. The cut of the dress is incredible. The neckline is a slight scoop and then the dress skims over you to the waist. The waist is slightly dropped and seamed but a little more on the generous side and then the belt adds a touch of shape. The bodice is incredible. The entire thing has been done in tiny little knife pleats that are meticulously spaced and lined up. These run vertically down the front and the back. The very edge of the neckline has been piped with a tiny bit of silk for a finished look. It is just incredible to see and it is all done to the level of work that you are only going to find in vintage. The work is all done by hand. The sleeves are equally as fabulous. Each is made out of a single layer of the silk chiffon and are cut to be very full so that they balloon out over their cuffs. The sleeves are also pleated but in a wider pleat than the ones on the bodice. This gives some contrast to the pleating on the bodice and also allows the sleeves to fully open up and have the billowing fullness that you see. Even the cuffs are pleated and the pleating on each cuff perfectly matches the size of the pleats on the bodice. The skirt falls from the waist and is gathered in tiny delicate pleats all the way around the waist. This allows the skirt to flare and open out as it nears the floor. There is an incredible amount of fabric in it. The workmanship in this dress is fabulous It really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition with a note below
Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and closes with a back zipper. Each cuff button to close with little embroidered dome buttons. I see a repair near the hem of the skirt and I feel like the zipper sticks slightly. Please see the photo after the label shot. Hand finishes throughout and beautifully made
Sleeves: 22.5"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17.5" from neck to waist
Total length: 56" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4609
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valentino
Dreamiest Spring 2007 Valentino Pleated & Bias Cut Pink Silk Chiffon Dress w Open Tie Back
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When hunting for the provenance of this dress we found its twin attributed as being from Spring 2007 but I feel like it could be from somewhere between that the 2004 collection where he used ties like this one has to hold the dresses onto the body. I know I have seen this one somewhere at some point so one day on the future I am sure I will send its new owner a reference photo. It is one of the pieces that would have been made in limited quantities and it is utterly spectacular. It also has the significance of being from the final few years that Mr. Valentino was still designing before he retired. It is incredibly beautiful and it might even make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event.
This soft romantic pink silk chiffon dress is stunning on the body. The layers of chiffon float over each other to allow it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve in a very flattering way. The bodice has a soft and romantic feel to it and it is finished with his signature tiny pleat work that follows the way the silk has been laid out. A panel wraps around the top of the bodice and then under that more panels are set on angles that cross each other. At the side it splits and extends into two long ties that open out into silk chiffon panels that you then wrap and tie across the back. Panels of chiffon extend out from the top of the bodice to tie behind the neck and then there is a final little tie at the small of your back. This leaves bits of your back exposed and bare. Despite the romantic feel the dress has this gives it a very sexy feel at the same time. It is just tremendously beautiful. The way that all of the panels and ties are set are done to perfectly emphasize your curves and add that signature Valentino femininity. The workmanship is exquisite. Under the bodice there is a little panel of chiffon that floats around the hips. The skirt skims over the hips under that and then falls to the floor in a beautiful drape of chiffon. The front centre of the skirt is split. This lets you see a mile of leg as you walk or sit and it also gives you a sense of the three layers of silk chiffon that make up the skirt. The split allows the air to catch the layers and float around you as you walk. The skirt extends down slightly longer at the back so that you get a pretty sweeping feel as you walk. The fabric is feather light. It is incredible and I love it. No matter how good it looks in the photos when this is on and moving it is even better. Excellent condition.
Fully lined with pink silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set zipper at the low back waist and ties in place above that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8. The ties make it adjustable, so this should fit a range of sizes
Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam and adjustable an inch or two from there with the back ties
Waist: adjustable with tie
Seam at the top of the hip/ low waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19 flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from neck to front hem, 75" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4602
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Romantic Spring 1974 Valentino Documented Pink Silk Chiffon Dress w the Iconic Shell Print
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This is the second piece from this collection I have had in the shop and both have been spectacular. For the lead up to the Spring 1974 collection the Daily Express said "It's Valentino's Day.... Tonight the Roman fashion designer, whom Jackie Onassis calls from New York to say -make me a dress for dinner a week on Thursday anything you like- will put on a gala show of 200 of his creations in London." That show was to celebrate the opening of his first British RTW shop there which was a huge step forward for his business. Women's Wear Daily reported that Mr. Valentino said that the theme of the show was 'feminine, relaxed, simple and sexy.' I was also happy that we found a reference photo of a dress in the same print that was shot for Italian Vogue that year. I love having this reference photo for you because it gives you an idea of just how elegant and gorgeous this is on the body. Though personally I think this one is even better then the one we have the shot of.
There are Valentino prints and then there are the really iconic Valentino prints. This is one of those iconic house prints and it is instantly recognizable as being his. It is so iconic that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli touched upon it once again for their 2015 collection for the label. This is of course one of the original versions and to have such a well documented print from this time period is just heaven for the vintage collector. The dress is absolutely amazing. The fabric is a soft pink silk chiffon with a crepe finish. This has then been screened with that perfect little shell print. I love how the size of the shells vary as it goes across the dress. This cleverly helps to draw the eye over the dress and emphasize the cut. The ones on the bodice are a touch smaller and then as they travel down the skirt they get bigger and more prominent. The silk is feather light in weight and just floats beautifully over the body once on. The neckline is scooped across the collar bone and finished with a padded piping in the same silk. At the top of each shoulder is a little tie for a pretty a romantic touch. Each side scoops down almost to the waist. The bodice has been tightly pleated into perfect little knife pleats to add texture and a softness to the bodice. There is a hook at the back of the neck and then the back is an open slit to the zipper at the waist. The softness of the pleats keep it from being very apparent that it is bare but when you move, you do get that glimpse of bare skin. The waist nips in and is banded in the same silk and then the skirt falls to the floor under that. The skirt is made of two layers. There is an inner solid pink silk layer and then the top printed silk chiffon floats beautifully over that. As it nears the hem is widens out beautifully to create a soft floating feel around you when you walk or move. It a just gorgeous and even better in person. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in a pink silk crepe through the bodice and a pink silk through the skirt. It closes with a hook and eye at the back of the neck and a zipper that starts at the waist tag a vintage Valentino 8. I see one tiny mark on the side of a pleat on the front bodice. Please see the photo after the label shot.
Bust: the sides are open & the bust covers 13-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to top pf the band at the waist
Total length: 61" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4600
Reference Photo: Model in Valentino, Vogue Italia, July 1974.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
john galliano
Spectacular Fall 2003 John Galliano Bias Cut Mauve Purple Silk Dress w Draped Arm Panels
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This dress is from John Galliano's own label and is an incredible example of his work from this time period. This is a production piece that was not shown on the runway but would have been made in limited quantities for the shops. For this season he had emphasized a glamorous hourglass shape mixed with nods to pinup girl lingerie style dressing. These bias cut dresses always harken back to his love of the 1930s and 1940s and you can see that influence in them. This dress with its cut out detailing and that fantastic draping of fabric across the shoulders is absolutely beautiful. This is classic Galliano and is extremely flattering once on the body.
The dress is made out of a deep mauve purple silk that has a slight bit of texture to it. It is completely cut on the bias in that signature cut he does so well and that we all love. The dress falls from a delicate strap that curves up and behind the neck and then it drapes down and over the body to the floor. It is very beautiful. The bias cut of it allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that it shows every curve but is not overly fitted. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties. The fabric has been pieced together with dropped and angled panels throughout to create the beautiful shape that you see here. The dress is suspended from tiny straps that curve up and around the neck. The strap meets and then drops down the centre of the back and panels are suspended from it. These curving panels are fascinating. They can hang down and under the arms at the side or you can drape your arms through them to create that beautiful curving panel at the back that you see in some of the photos. We tried to style and show it in the various ways it can be worn and I love the versatility of it. I think that on a real body you might even be able to get clever and do some other styling tricks with them as well. The dress glides over the body past the bust, waist and hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. On one side of the dress it buttons to close with a row of his signature tightly spaced buttons covered in the same silk and then on the other side the fabric is gathered in and up into a wired circle. The circle is open in the centre and the panels that gather into the circle have been cut out and opened so that it forms the shape of a flower trailing over one hip. The dress is lined in a crepe silk but you could choose to remove that lining and have that side be completely bare so that your skin showed through if you wished. I have seen this dress in another colour where someone did that and it made it that much more sexy. It is an incredible feat of patterning. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how a bias cut dress moves. They only truly come to life when worn. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in a slightly deeper purple silk crepe and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. I see perhaps a tiny pull in the fabric here and there which happens with this fabric and a bit of shininess here and there from pressing near seams. All minor and mentioned for accuracy. Tagged a FR42, GB14, US8. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes with it just draping more in a smaller frame
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 63" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG
Item# DD4599
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Gorgeous 2000s Valentino Roma Mauve Purple Silk Chiffon Dress w Sequin & Lace Detailing
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The Valentino Roma label launched in 2000 to take the place of the Miss V line. It was sold at a price point that was a bit more accessible then their main line and was meant to be available in more shops then the main line would be. The pieces were still very well made. This one caught my eye simply because of how gorgeous and sexy it is. It is a stunning dress with a beautiful amount of detailing on it.
The dress is made out of a combination of a feather light deep mauve purple silk chiffon and a matching lace that is detailed with sequins. It is a combination that is instantly striking and sexy. The top is cut in a halter with lightly padded triangles over each breast. Silk straps in a matching colour curve up and over each shoulder and then cross over each other at the back. The back dips low for a bare expanse of skin to show. At the front the bodice is detailed with a panel of lace that runs down the centre and then a wider panel circles the waist all the way around. The lace down the front has no backing so you get a glimpse of skin underneath. I love that. All of the lace is detailed with glossy purple sequins and beads. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and there are many yards of fabric in it. At just about the knee it opens and flares out so you have tons of movement around you when you move. It is gorgeous and very sexy. Great condition with notes below
Fully lined in a matching silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Tagged a size 40/4. There is very minor marks along the edge of the seam near the arms and a couple light marks on the dress and one strap. Please see the photos after the label shot. All minor.
Bust: 16" flat across the front from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 15" from top of bodice to top seam at the waist
Skirt: 62" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4597
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Pre-Fall 2020 Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli Runway Look 3 Blue & White Silk Organza Dress
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This dress is the twin of Look 3 for the Pre-Fall 2020 collection. For this collection Pierpaolo paid homage to the Fall 1968 Haute Couture collection and I have included the reference photos of those original pieces here. This famous print was originally done by Mr Valentino and were inspired by the blue and white in Chinese Delft print vases. It is also very close in style to the 2013 Valentino dress that was a part of the in the Met Museums 2015 "China: Through the Looking Glass" exhibit. When speaking of this collection to Vogue Piccioli said; “I want to maintain couture’s values even in the pre-fall collection. I like the idea of breaking its rules and translating them into a modern, spontaneous wardrobe, making something historical become contemporary.” and they went on to mention this print in particular saying that 'he picked from the archives... a beautiful print of Delft blue vases from a sophisticated 1968 couture collection. “I want Valentino to be lively and joyous,” enthused Piccioli. “For me, beauty means life, emotion, something that vibrates and is full of energy—not something removed that you look at from afar, as if on a pedestal.” Mary Holland wore its twin to a premier that season as well. It is beautiful and very special.
The dress is pristine and utterly beautiful. It is made of a feather light silk organza that has been printed with that beautiful blue and white design that gives a nod do the 1968 couture collection as described above. It is magical. The colour combines the soft ivory backdrop with that dreamy blue floral print. The print is beautiful and intricate. I love how he has placed the print over the bodice and skirt to accentuate the design and flow of the dress. The silk is feather light in weight and just floats beautifully over the body once on. It will softly move with the slightest breeze or movement on your part. The dress has a second layer of organza through the bodice and skirt which gives it just a touch less transparency and also helps to add to the airy and light feel that it has. The sleeves are a single layer of silk so you see your arm through the pattern. The neckline has a small neat collar and it buttons to close done the bodice with hidden set buttons. Note how careful the patterns has been lined up across the panel there. The bodice lightly skims over you to the nipped in waist. Each sleeve ends in a beautiful ruffles cuff. The skirt is spectacular. It is lazy gathered through the waist scene and then opens up to be very full to the floor. Because of the layering of the organza with the outer layer in the inner layer, it just floats and moves around you spectacularly when you move. It a just gorgeous and even better in person as you get more of a sense of the lightness of that stunning printed silk. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined in silk organza as described above. I buttons down the front with hidden set buttons under that front panel and zines to close with a hidden set zipper down the back. Tagged a modern Valentino 40
Sleeves: 21.5"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12,5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total Length: 65" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4588
Reference Photos: (1) Pre-Fall 2020 Valentino, Look 3. / (2) Models in Valentino, British Vogue, September 1968. / (3) Valentino dresses at the MET Exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass", 2015. / (4) Model in Valentino Autumn 1968 Gown, photographed by Steven Meisel, 2015. / (5) Mary Holland in Valentino at the premiere of "Happiest Season", November 2020.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
luisa beccaria
Most Romantic Resort 2020 Luisa Beccaria Runway Look 24 Blue & Ivory Silk Chiffon Dress
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The twin of this dress was Look 24 for the Resort 2020 presentation and I love having that reference photo for you to show how amazing it is on the body. The Luisa Beccaria label is out of Italy and is run by the mother-daughter team of Luisa and Lucilla Beccaria. They are known for their incredibly feminine pieces that have an almost story book feel to them. The cost of their pieces run into the thousands and their clothing is very well made. This season was a coup for the label as they were fresh from designing the wedding dress Lady Gabriella Windsor. And well deserved. The label's pieces always have a sense of romance to them. Vogue said of the collection that; 'Beccaria’s style is at its most resplendent when she’s designing for elegant soirées and receptions with a sense of occasion. Resort offered plenty of choices in embroidered lace, layered tulle, macramé, and wispy organza.'
This is everything you look for in a piece by the Beccaria label. It has a stunning floral design print screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. The entire dress has been printed with that gorgeous and romantic flower design in pale shades of blue and I love it. The neckline is set in a higher collar around the neck with a long tie that you can let trail down the back as they did in the collection photos or wrap and tie it into a beautiful soft bow at the front like I did for most of these shots. The silk has been gathered into the collar for pretty detail on the bodice and this adds a pretty softness there. From the neckline it skims to the waist and it comes with a matching tie belt in the same fabric that has a cut out flower that matches the print on the belt. I love this extra little thought into the design and how this gives you the option of wearing it more cinched in through the waist. The skirt falls to the floor under that, and the silk is all biased cut and there is a ton of fabric in the skirt. It is so light and there is so much fabric that your slightest movement causes the skirt to float around you as you move. It is beautiful to see. It is also in its original uncut length so it is very long. The sleeves are fantastic. Each is an incredibly full balloon sleeve made out of a single layer of the silk chiffon. They pouf out dramatically above the cuff and each cuff ends in a split ruffle that is angled down longer on one side. The movement and drama the entire dress has is extraordinary. This is a dress that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning and very romantic example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. It comes with its original hang tags and was never worn. Excellent condition
The outer dress is unlined and it comes with a matching ivory bias cut silk chiffon slip to wear underneath. It closes with hook and eye at the back of the neck and a hidden set side zipper. Elastic through the waist and at the end of each cuff. The original tie belt is included. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. It will just drape more on a smaller frame and be more fitted on a larger frame. In its original uncut length, and appears to have never been worn. Tagged a modern 46 and has its original hangtags.
Outer Dress
Sleeves: approx 29" but meant to come up once on and 18" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: 67" from top of shoulder to hem
Inner Separate Slip
Bust: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 67" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4590
Reference Photo: Resort 2020 Luisa Beccaria, Look 24.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Dreamiest 2005 Blumarine Sposa Ivory Sulk & Tulle Ruffled Wedding Dress w Lace & Beading
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Anna Molinari and husband Gianpaolo Tarabini launched the Blumarine label in 1977 out of Capri and had their first catwalk show in 1980. By the 1990s they had opened their first stand alone shop. This is from the 2005 Sposa wedding collection and its just a beautiful dress
This dress is so pretty and romantic feeling. It is slightly more ivory than how it photoed and it is an even prettier colour in person. It has little netted cap sleeves that you can wear expanded out so they go over the edge of your shoulder or you can wear them up on top of your shoulders or sitting off of the shoulders altogether. I love that you have that versatility with them. The bodice is more fitted and then the dress skims over the waist and hips. It widens out as it hears the hem. The entire dress is made out of a silk organza and then it has bands of a pretty lace that is detailed with the tiniest little sequins and iridescent seed beads. These bands start at the top of the bodice and then run down the dress, carefully spaced out all the way to the hem. Tulle is set between the top two bands and the tulle there is gathered and sewn into place into those top two bands. Starting at the band just under the bust the tulle is only sewn into the band above it. The bottom edge of the tulle is left free and easy so that it forms these pretty little ruffles all the way down the dress. The dress gets wider and filler as each band progresses down the dress so that by the time you are at the hem the dress is quite full. The back is cut longer than the front so that it trails out behind you a bit and gives you that beautiful sweeping skirt. This is an amazing dress and I love how the tiny little beads and sequins catch the light so it has just a tiny glimmer as you move. It is absolutely gorgeous. Excellent condition.
Bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam with up to a B cup at the front
Seam under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to the bottom of the band at the waist
Total Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, approx 68" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4584
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
thea porter
Exquisite 1960s Thea Porter Couture Rare Printed Silk Chiffon Dress w Gold Metal Thread & Sequin Detailing
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I have had this tucked away in my archives for quite some time and it is spectacular. This is it gorgeous little dress that is easy to wear and an extremely beautiful example of her work. It has a touch of a caftan feel to it and that combined with those spectacular sleeves makes it very special piece. Of all of Thea's pieces, her caftans and the dresses that had that caftan like feel, have come to represent Thea's work like no other pieces of her clothing that she designed. Everyone who was anyone wore her work back in the day, including the great Elizabeth Taylor who was a huge fan and collector. This dress is just spectacular and a very special piece.
The dress is very beautiful and is made from a printed silk chiffon. The fabric has a swirling paisley feeling design with a black backdrop and then the print is done in a greens mixed with pops of blue. The print runs over the entire dress. The bodice has an empire cut and the front scoops low and wide. Detailing the edge of the neck and down the front is an added antique gold metal cord embellishment. This goes all the way around the neckline to the back and then runs part way down the front where it closes with hand made frog knots made of the same cording. The cording also details the seam where the sleeves are set in and more of it sit above the scalloping detail of the skirt. Thea was known to hunt antique stores and markets during her extensive travels and use what she found in her designs and this is certainly a found antique textile. The dress buttons down the front to just past the waist. There is a seam set under the bust and then the dress falls from there in a loose and easy feel. The sleeves are magnificent. They are slim through the upper arm and then from just above the elbow to the cuff they balloon out to be spectacularly full. They are not lined for the lower balloon part of each sleeve and I love the touch of transparency this creates. The rest of the dress is lined in a black silk and the chiffon over it is semi-transparent like the sleeves. This see-through quality gives the fabric depth and a floating feel over the inner lining. The final detail is that little scalloped panel that runs around the skirt above the bottom hem. It adds just a tiny touch of movement, and added detail that is lovely. This is very special and rare piece of Thea's work and it is also very beautiful. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a hand set black silk lining. It closes down the front with gold antique cord loops and knots. Each cuff hooks to close. Tagged a vintage UK 12. Finished by hand throughout. There is some patina to the cording that is a natural occurrence of its age. A tiny bit of grubbiness to the seam under each arm on the inner lining. It is spectacular
Sleeves: 26" and 11" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from the top of the shoulder to the seam under the bust
Total length: 56" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4570
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
givenchy
Fall 1978 Givenchy Haute Couture Original Runway Sample Black Silk & Velvet Dress w Beaded Sleeves
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The House of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy. He has always been strongly associated with the work that he did dressing Audrey Hepburn but his range was incredible as a designer behind that relationship with her. Some of my personal favourite vintage pieces over the years have been from his work. His Haute Couture pieces are always amazing to find and this wonderful dress is an extraordinary example of his couture work during this time period. It is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and the workmanship and craft out into this dress is extraordinary. This is also the actual runway sample and you can see its near twin in the reference photos that we have added here that would have been in the same grouping as this one, which makes its place in fashion history even more special. As good as the dress is on the dress form you can see how it transforms even further on an actual body. This is true Couture and it is fabulous. I love it.
What a beautiful piece of couture. The bodice of the dress is made from a black silk with a slight sheen to the finish and the fabric has a touch of weight that allows it to hold the shape that you see. For the skirt he used a black velvet with a thick pile finish and this fabric choice also really allows it to hold those beautiful lines that you see in the photos. Its beautiful shape is almost sculptural and it is a testament to the level of workmanship that you only see in true couture pieces. The bodice buttons to close down the front and the buttons run all the way up to the neckline. Each button is a thick circle of black with a glass rhinestone set inside. The neckline has no collar and it is just a simple, elegant swoop around your neck. The bodice has vertical darts so that it follows and accentuates the curves of the body. It narrows in slightly at the waist and then curves out and over to the top of the hip below the natural waist. A ribbon is tacked at the back and then ties on the front to give the dress the same look as how it was shown on the runway. The sleeves are amazing. Each is cut on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of making a sleeve. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. There is stiffened tulle just inside the edge of the shoulder for shape and this lets them puff out slightly around the upper arm and then it narrows down to their ends.The skirt has some built-in fullness around the inside of the upper hip that allows it to lift slightly off and away from the body. There are also weights that are set all around the inner hip so that it sits perfectly on the body once on. The skirt curves down and inwards from there. The skirt at the front is cut on a curve that swoops up at the centre so that you see a flash of leg as you walk or sit. The back is fuller and it also falls a touch longer so you get a beautiful curving line from the side. The sleeves are works of art. Each is detailed with hand applied prong set glass rhinestones in red green and clear to form a stunning red flower with trailing leaves that run over and down the outer edge of each sleeve. Little hand cut velvet bits are hand applied in and around the flowers to give them depth. The rhinestones catch the light beautifully. It is incredible. These have all been added one by one by hand and the entire dress is completely hand made to couture standards. I have taken some detail shots of the interior seams for you to see the fine Haute Couture workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and beautifully made. Excellent condition with a small note below
The bodice is unlined and the skirt is fully lined in a black silk organza. Built in panniers around the hip area with weights that I have photoed. It closes down the front with the buttons as shown and the skirt snaps into place under that. A little hidden set snap is set on each cuff. Hand finished throughout. The proper runway sample tag is present. One rhinestone is broken but it is the button that lies under the ribbon when it is tied. Please see the photo after the sample tag. Some of the seams show minor stress. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction.
Sleeves: 25" and 14" aroid the upper arm. 6.5" around the wrist
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and meant be cinched with the ribbon
Seam across top of hips: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: open
Bodice: 20" from the neck to the seam at top of hips
Total length: 41" from neck to shortest part of the front hem, 58.5" to the back hem with 2" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Modern Sizing Equivalent:
Item# DD4562
Reference Photos: Givenchy Fall 1978 Haute Couture Advance.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
john anthony
Spectacular Fall 1988 John Anthony Bias Cut Taupe Silk Chiffon Wrap Dress w Hand Made Lace Detailing
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John Anthony's business was all done on a made-to-order basis. That means that each piece is the only one that exists or in the very occasional circumstance that there are similar pieces only a very limited amount of pieces were made. And to make things even a little more special.... the pieces I have in the shop come directly from John's archive. He is one of the great American couturiers and he was known for his sharp tailoring and striking evening wear. He launched his atelier in 1971 and he quickly rose to fame, winning a Coty award in 1972 and then again in 1976. This dress is from his Fall 1988 collection and is the original sample from his archives. We found a photo of a dress on the runway from this same collection with the same cut through the top so you can get an idea of how this will sit on the body. John told me that this dress was made for the runway as well and was edited out once the final line up was done. I love this dress and am so happy to let it have its full moment now. His work is amazing on the body and transforms once it is on and moving.
This dress is absolutely stunning and it is among my favourites from the pieces he has sent to us so far. It is very light in weight once on the body. It is made from the most beautiful feather light silk chiffon. Bias cut silk chiffon is incredibly hard to work with and for this dress he has layered it with each layer falling perfectly over each other. The dress is made of three layers of the chiffon. The two innermost layers are unadorned and then the top layer has the black lace detailing added to it. It slips on and zips up at the front and this is all cleverly hidden with a panel that wraps and snaps into place to one side. The snaps continue down under the lace detail on the skirt. The snaps only close it part of the way and a thigh high slit is left so that when you walk you will see a mile of bare leg. The front plunges into a V and there is a caped feeling panel of hand made black French lace that drapes over the shoulders for the prettiest romantic touch. This wraps all the way around the back and I love how it drapes there. The lace at the front curves down and to the side and then trails all the way down the skirt to the hem. A wide order of it is placed all the way around the hem. I love the way the lace is all perfectly and meticulously set onto the silk with thousands of tiny precise stitched done to hold it in place and follow the pattern in the lace. This is couture level detailing. At the back, the skirt extends out a bit past the hem to sweep behind you as you walk. The silk is so light that your slightest movement causes it to float around you. It is very beautiful. Excellent condition.
Made of three layers of silk chiffon as described above and closes with a hidden set front zipper and then hidden set snaps down the side. Hand finished throughout.
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to front hem, 76" to the longest point of the back hem
Slit: 34" from front hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4555
Reference Photo: Fall 1988 John Anthony Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Spectacular Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Look 47 Runway Dot & Embroidered Floral Pouf Dress
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This is a very rare dress that is the twin of the dress that walked the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 1992 Haute Couture runway. It is extremely well documented and I have included photos of the original sketch and swatches that I have here from the Saint Laurent couture archive book set that I own in addition to runway reference photos of it that we found. You can see just how fantastic it is on the body. This was Look 47 and part of the short evening segment of the collection.
This collection marked Yves' 30 year anniversary and it was presented on January 29 to coincide exactly with his first collection presented January 29, 1962. The book, Yves Saint Laurent Catwalk, notes that at the time people were expecting a retrospective but Yves actually surprised everyone by producing a full 91 piece collection. There was a definitive tribute aspect to his first 1962 collection. Flowers were a main motif and ran throughout the collection as did polka dots and stripes. Puff sleeve tops with balloons skirts were integral and dresses like this one were a key look. It is an exceptional to have such beautiful documentation on this stunning dress. Every piece of Saint Laurent Couture is a treasure but when it's as highly documented in from such an important collection as this, it is just that much more special.
The dress is exquisite. It is made from a combination of a white silk that has been hand embroidered with roses and leaves across the entire bodice. This is then combined with a silk faille skirt that has dots that appear to be hand painted onto the fabric. A silk organza bow is wrapped around the waist and I love the deeper mustard yellow tone of it. It perfectly offsets the black and white palette. The neckline is scooped across the front and the bodice is meant to skim over the body to the waist. The sleeves are fantastic and each insets into the bodice in a series of pleats across the top of the shoulders. This is what gives them the volume that you see. The edges of the neckline are finished with a black cord and this runs around the cuffs as well. Each cuff is brought into the arm with a button and loop and this bringing in at the arm also helps to exaggerate the puff above. The entire silk of the top is embroidered in this magical, dreamy, black rose embroidery that pops against the white of the silk. The embroidery is done onto the silk directly in some places and then in other places the leaves or roses have been cut out and hand stitched in place. The waist is seamed but it is more generously cut and the organza ribbon that circles it adds the perfect pop of color. Under that the skirt is fantastically full and the fulness is created by the pleats that are set into the waist and the way it has been wrapped in and under at the hem to attach to the skirt underneath. Between the those two layers of the skirt you can feel that there is tulle and some structure inside that helps hold that exaggerated shape. It is a fantastic magical piece of Haute Couture and an important piece from an important collection. Excellent condition with a note below.
The bodice is lined in an ivory silk and the sleeves are unlined. The belt at the waist is attached and wrapped and hooked into place. The skirt is lined in the same fabric as the outer skirt and there is stiffening between the layers as described above. It closes at the back with a button at the top of the neck and then there is a hidden set side zipper too close. The dress is unlabeled, but I have seen the original label that came with the dress. The dress had been let out at some point and my client had it brought back in and unfortunately when she had it altered back to its original size, the tailor lost the tag. I see some very minor evidence of that alteration on the bodice. There are some areas of stress near the embroidery and some minor reinforcements underneath the arms. I see slight dustiness on the fabric at the top the shoulders and there is a tiny chip on the button on one sleeve. Perhaps a slight grubbiness along the inner edge of the lining under the arm. The outside presents as clean and fresh and once on it looks immaculate.
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 18" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4509
Reference Photos: (1-3) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture. / (4-6) From the book "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: L'oeuvre Integral 1962-2002".
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
andre laug
Dreamy Late 1960s Andre Laug Roma Alta Moda Couture Pale Turquoise Applied Dot Strapless Dress
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The Andre Laug label launched in 1968 in Rome. Laug was one of the grand Italian Couturiers who would now be considered to have designed "Alta Moda" the Italian equivalent of Haute Couture. He apprenticed under Nina Ricci and was the designer behind the first "Mademoiselle Ricci" collection in the summer of 1961. From there he freelanced, working for both Philip Venet and Andre Courreges. His clients included Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Diana Ross and countless others.This dress is all done by hand couture tags and based on its style most likely dates to those first early years. It is gorgeous.
The dress has a more fitted strapless bodice that tops a fuller skirt. Everything about this dress is dreamy. The fabric on this one is so pretty. The base fabric is an ivory silk chiffon that has pale turquoise dots applied and woven into the silk. These cover the dress from the dice to the hem. Each dot of the pattern looks like it was woven and also embroidered into the silk. The slight texture and dimension this adds is so pretty. The bodice is strapless and lightly boned inside. The dotted fabric is hand gathered horizontally across you and then a panel of ivory silk curved downing over the front and sweeps around to the back. At the back those ivory panels swoop inwards around the waist to meet at the small of the back. A little loop that snaps hold them together and then they trail all the way down the back of the skirt. Its incredible. The skirt itself is full and made of two layers of the dotted chiffon layered over each other. The inner layer falls slightly longer and at the back it curves up and under the panels. All the fullness that you see is created from the way it is set in soft folds around the waist. All the inner seams are down by hand to couture standards. This would make an amazing non traditional wedding dress for a bride or could be an alternative 'something blue' dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any fabulous and glamorous eventExcellent condition with a small note below
Fully lined in an ivory silk through the bodice and the two layers of fabric serve as the lining through the skirt. Light boning in the bodice and an inner waist stay that hooks to close. It closes with a back hidden set painted metal zipper. There is a shadow of a grubbiness along the seam under each arm and a faint mark on the attached ivory panel. Please see the photos after the label shot
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 40" from waist to hem and the sash extends past that another 3.5"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS- SML
Item# DD4514
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Stupendous Spring 2008 Valentino Runway One Shoulder Black Dress w Bow Details & Slit
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This gorgeous dress has the significance of being from Mr. Valentino's final show before he retired. Its twin in a pale green walked the runway for Look 75 and we have added some runway reference shots and video so that you can see just how fabulously the dress moves when on the body. Vogue said this last collection was; 'Crisply puncturing the potential for a predictable end-of-era wallow in sentiment, Valentino played it as an upbeat, fast-paced whirl of breezy, pretty, drop-dead gorgeousness that blew any lingering sense of ladylike stuffiness to the winds. If there's a problem, it's only being spoiled for choice. What to pick from the head-spinning plethora of dresses on offer?' ... and indeed the collection was full of stunning choices. This particular dress was one of my favourites of the show and I personally love it in black even more then the green it was presented on the runway. It is a beautiful example of his work.
I love the contrast between the black silk insets with its touch of a sheen finish against the matte back of the body on this dress. The dress falls from one shoulder and then drapes down and over the body to the floor. It is very beautiful. All of the shape created n the dress is by that clever seaming and insets that are part of the design. The silk parts are all bias cut and allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted. The seaming is intricate and beautifully done, showing what a master Mr Valentino really is. The dress is suspended from that one single shoulder panel that curves over your shoulder and runs across the bust to the other side. There is a large bow set at the front of that shoulder and a second bow below the hip on that same side. The bodice curves down into the side panel on the bow side and then under the bodice there is that gorgeous draped curved panel that cuts across the body. That silk insert extends down into the skirt. The waist is shaped by the insert and seaming. The dress glides over the body from there and then flares out as it reaches the hem. The skirt is quite wide by the time it reaches the hem but because it is a single layer of the silk it stays soft and flowing. It sweeps around you as you walk and even more movement is created with the high slit that runs up one side where it is topped by that bow. It is an incredible feat of patterning. The dress is even better in person and on the body as you can see in the video. It is an incredible example of his work and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
The bodice is lined in the same black fabric and then the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. In its original uncut length and looks too have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem
Slit: 25" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4493
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2008 Valentino, Look 75. Model Laura Blokhina.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
arnold scaasi
Striking 1980s Arnold Scaasi Couture Black Silk Strapless Dress w Pink Lined Half Bow & Shawl
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Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. 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 the 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. The dress is from his main label and these were extremely well made pieces. It is so dramatic and in being so also so very Scaasi. He himself once said 'I am not a minimalist designer! Clothes with some adornment are more interesting to look at and more fun to wear.'
You can easily see the influence of Arnold having worked for Charles James in this piece. The lines are dramatic and yet elegant. The silk is that incredibly rich feeling silk that drapes and sits beautifully. The dress is strapless and is gathered from there to the waist. The gathers are all held in place along the side and this brings in the cut so that it follows and highlights your curves. The skirt is set under that and it is done with an asymmetrical cut so that one side of the skirt is linger them the other. This was a signature cut for Scaasi and a detail you see in many of his pieces. The skirt is quite full and the shape and volume that you see is all created by the way the seams are done and the inner construction of the dress. The innermost layer closest to you goes to just past the hips and it is made out of a fine black silk. A layer of tulle sits between that and the outer skirt and this is how the shape is created. The outermost layers sits over all of that and even that top layer is self-lined in a black silk organza. The final perfect touch is that extraordinary half bow that is set along the one side of the bodice. This is lined in a brilliant pink for an unexpected pop of colour. I have placed it to one side but the dress is so well made that you could wear it almost anyway around and just change where the zipper sits and the back or sides. I think you might even be able to wear it with your arm slipped through and if you really wanted to create more drama you could add some wire inside to ensure it stays high and full no matter how you move as it may flop down when moving as out is now. This one also comes with its original high shawl that is black on one side and that same brilliant pink on the other. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a fine black tissue silk. The bodice is lightly boned and it closes with a side set zipper. The inner skirt construction is described above. Hand finished throughout.
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 10" from top of bodice to natural waist
Skirt: 24" from natural waist seam to shortest point of the hem and 52" to the longest part of the hem with 4" turned under
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4477
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Extraordinary Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen 'The Girl Who Lived in the Trees' Silk Chiffon Trained Dress
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McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. I have included two photos from the runway that year and you can see how the elements from these pieces were combined to create this dress. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress feels a bit like the embodiment of that centre piece they refer to above as you are wrapped and swathed in fabric once it is on. The way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body. This is an extraordinary example of his work.
This dress is beautiful and rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish texture to the silk. It is feather light and once the dress in on it is magical. The cut is classic McQueen with a low cut squared off neckline at the front. Underneath the bodice where a seam would normally be there is a barely visible line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds the perfect suggestion of shape and gives the bodice its empire cut. The silk has been lightly gathered over the bust with the inside structured and supported. The inner support has been done with couture level seam work and the way the fabric is placed and shaped rather than extensive boning. It is genius. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt and train. Just under the bust on one side the silk extends out into a panel that drapes down the full length of the dress and then loops back up and around to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. The effect this creates is fantastic and adds extra dimension to the dress. The skirts scoops up to floor length at the front so that you can walk and then starts to extend out at the sides to become the train that wafts out behind you at the back. The back skirts drop out from the upper seam of the back which creates a fantastic caped feel. As you walk this billows out behind you and it is extraordinary. This is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place and is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in black silk satin through the bust and black silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. The interior bust is shaped and lightly boned at the sides. Original tags attached. Tagged a McQueen 38.
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist-hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to shortest point of the front hem, approx 90" to the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD3473
Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Louis Mies
1970s Louis Mies Haute Couture Off Shoulder Silk Taffeta Dress w Hand Made Lace Detailing
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This dress comes to me from my same client whose aunt purchased from both the couture houses and Ady Couture while she was living in Switzerland during the eighties and into the nineties. Prior to that, during the late sixties and into the early 80s her aunt lived in both France and Brussels where she purchased pieces from Louis Mies along with the couture houses. Mies was a small independent couturier who did custom work for his clients to haute couture standards. He designed many pieces for the Queen of Belgium and like Ady, he had permission from several of the Haute Couture ateliers to produce their Haute Couture pieces and bought the fabric directly from them. I have some new information that he might have sold actual couture pieces through his salon as well. This dress bears a striking similarity to some of the 1977 Valentino couture collection pieces and I have included some of those iconic photographs here and if nothing else to show you how this dress will look on an actual body. It is absolutely unbelievable in person and one of my favourite personal pieces from her estate so far.
The level that this dress is made to is incredible. The fabric is a fine black silk taffeta and then parts of the design are edged in a beautiful French Chantilly lace. There are yards and yards of fabric used in the construction of this piece but once on the body it is all perfectly balanced. It sits off the shoulder to leave a bare expanse of skin showing that balances the volume of the dress below. I love the cut of the top. There is a six inch caped ruffle that wraps all the way around your shoulders and is edged with a 3.5" band of lace. Under that are extra extra wide sleeves. The width of the inner sleeves give the illusion of a layered caped detailing but they are actually true sleeves. Each sleeve is edged in that same lace to give the bodice a tiered effect from the side. The bodice is cut to skim over the body and then the waist is seamed to nip in for shape. I added a grosgrain ribbon to define the waist even more and this will be included. The skirt curves out from there and falls to the floor widening out to be very full as it nears the hem. The skirt is made up of three layers. The innermost layer is a full built-in black silk under-skirt that has wide bands of stiffened netting at the hem and then again part way up the skirt. These bands help to hold the volume. There are these little ruffled details that run along the seams where this inner layer is pieced together despite the fact that no one would ever see them. I love that. The second layer over that is made of black silk taffeta and it has two ruffled tiers at the hem that are both edged with black lace. The final top layer sits over both these and it curves up at the front to meet the seam at the waist. It is stunning. The dress is completely made by hand and I have included a couple of shots of one of the inner seams for you to see the amazing handwork. Excellent condition with a note below
Fully lined through the bodice in a black silk and the skirt is constructed as described above. It closes with a painted metal zipper at the back. Made by hand to couture standards. There are a couple small repairs / tiny holes on the ruffle on the neckline. There is so much fabric they get lost in the folds. Please see the final shot after the label. It otherwise looks unworn
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of natural shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3882
Reference photos: Valentino campaign 1977 shot by Deborah Turbeville
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
romeo gigli
Important 1990 Romeo Gigli One Off Haute Coutre Full Wedding Dress Set w Flower Filled Chiffon Coat & Accessories
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Every so often I am contacted by someone and entrusted with something very special and this wedding set by Romeo Gigli absolutely fits that bill. This incredible set is a one of a kind, Haute Couture made to measure piece that comes directly from its original owner and she has graciously given all of the original documentation on it to share with you along with a full write up on her experience with Romeo and a scan of the Elle article that was written a year after her wedding.
Romeo Gigli launched his label first in 1981 which failed. In 1983 he partnered with Carla Sozzani and in 1985 he presented a 25 piece collection in Milan. By 1986 he was an international sensation and his collections made world wide headlines. In 1989 he had his Paris debut. His work was romantic but dramatic. Hallmarks included shawl coats, which this set so perfectly displays, along with soft sloping shoulders and silhouettes that narrow as they come down the body. Historical references run through his work and his de-structured lines felt fresh and new.
This set has all of the original pieces that Marion wore on her wedding day and even includes the original boxes and silk bags that the set was delivered in. Every piece was made in studio by hand and when I tell you that my photos do not do the full set justice I have never been more honest as everything is more beautiful in person. This is a once in a life time opportunity to own this incredible and important piece of fashion history. The link to Marion's story is below and a short description of the pieces follows.
The wedding ensemble consists of a pale pink silk chiffon top, a gold lace hobble skirt and a deep gold silk jacket or top that was worn over those two pieces. An incredible silk chiffon coat that is filled with silk flowers and flows behind you in a knotted train was worn over that. The original pale taupe velvet shoes in their original box are present along with the hand made hair sticks and pins. The two original pink raw silk hand made bags that the skirt and tops were delivered in are included and the entire ensemble comes in its original raw silk covered box. The final piece included is the little hand held green silk bag that Marion carried that day.
The skirt and inner top are the base of the outfit. The top is slightly cropped and made from a pale dusty peach pink silk chiffon. The chiffon has been hand gathered into soft pleats and crosses itself over the front and back. It wraps around you and closes on one side, inside, with a series of silk covered buttons and then the other side wraps over that and closes at the back outside with buttons as well. The skirt is made out of fine gold lace and is banded around the waist for shape. It drapes softly over the body with volume through the hips created by the layers. It narrows down at the ankles for a touch of a hobble skirt in appearance with the ends curving up and under. It is an incredible design.
An oversized silk top goes over this that has a bit of volume through the body. It is made from a deep copper gold silk with a burnished finish. The sleeves are incredibly long and are meant to be gather along the arms and follow the cut and curve of them. The collar is very high and wired so that it stands and frames the face beautifully. One side is longer then the other and you can shape the wire to give it a quirky little curve in the direction and way that works best for you. I love the open cut out just under the collar. It hints at the silk chiffon top underneath and adds an unexpected flash of skin.
The coat is utterly remarkable. It is thoroughly Romeo Gigli in spirit and it is one of the most beautiful, magical things I have ever seen. It has those beautiful sloped shoulders he was known for and the front flips over into a deep shawl collar. It slips on over everything else with no front closures. It just falls over you in this exceptional drape of chiffon and flowers and then trails out behind you. The end has been knotted and I love this detail as it is absolutely Gigli at his best. The coat is made from a silk chiffon outer and inner layer that has a touch of transparency to it while inside and between the layers are thousands of silk flowers. Each would have been placed by hand one by one to form a solid layer of flowers that shows through the silk. It has weight yet it feels weightless. It has presence yet it feels ethereal. The top layer of the chiffon is a pale dusty pink and then the inner layer is a pale taupe. The flowers float between the two and it make this light rustling sound as it moves that it magical. It is one of the best things I have ever personally seen.
Finally are the accessories. Her original velvet shoes that slide on and then tie in place, the little green silk bag that is held by the tied straps and the various hand made hair and stick pins in their original box.
The entire set will be sent in it original box hand covered in a deep dusty pink raw silk as it came to Marion from the Gigli ateliers.
Everything is in superb condition. I see a teeny smudge of discoloration under the arms of the inner silk chiffon top and the wear to the soles of the shoes giving away the clue that it was worn that day. The silk on the large box it came in has more wear as seen in the photos
This is a once in a life time, absolutely remarkable piece of fashion history.
Inner top
Shoulders: no true seams
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 14" from top of shoulder to hem
Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 47" from waist to hem and including the 4" waist band
Outer top
Sleeves: 39" from the dropped shoulder seam and are around 11" arond after the dropped shoulder
Shoulders: 27" across and meant to drop significantly
Bust: 30" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 27" flat across from side seam to side seam and narrows to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam by the hem
Length: 41" from neck hem
Neck: 13" around
Coat
Is about 36" flat across the inner bust and it is about 120" long from the neck to end past the knot and not including the deep shawl collar. It is pretty much OSFA
Bag
Approx 9.5" tall and about 5-7" in diameter
Shoes
Approx a 40-41
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED for the inner outfit and the coat is OSFA
Item# DD4458
Reference Photos: Courtesy of Marion Hume. (1-2) Fitting with Romeo Gigli. / (3-7) On the wedding day.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
mr blackwell
Stunning 1968 Mr Blackwell Custom Deep Copper Gold Silk Dress w Hip Swag & Flower Pin
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Richard Blackwell launched his label in the late 1950s and even at that time his dresses sold for between $800 and $1000, which in modern dollars converts to up to $10,000 a dress. Huge numbers for this time period. He dressed many of the big stars of the day including Jane Russell, Dorothy Lamour and Jayne Mansfield. His 'custom' label were the pieces that were made-to-order and were one-of-a-kind pieces that were fitted to a specific client in the couture tradition. This dress came directly to me from the original client which is how I have its exact date. It is an extraordinary dress from this time period and very beautiful
This dress is absolutely incredible and it is stunning to see it in person. The fabric is amazing in its own right and it would not be something you could produce anymore in our modern world. It is a luxurious deep copper gold silk that hold the lines and shape of the dress perfectly. The cut is pure Old Hollywood. The bodice is fitted to your curves and it is suspended from the shoulders by two tiny straps in the same fabric. Vertical panels and seams create the shape of the bodice and these all lead into a sharply angled seam that starts at the waist on one side and dips down tot he hip on the other. The seams are all perfectly place to give shape around the waist without having a horizontal line to break the eye. The fabric is gathered and curves over to one side of the hip and then falls to the floor in a column of silk. A long wide panel is swagged over on one side and then extends around to the back. This panel extends out at the side and falls longer at that side of the hem for a killer sweeping flare. It is just spectacular. This is pure Old Hollywood in the best possible way. The dress came with its original spray of pale baby blue, blush pink and ivory silk flowers that you can pin at the front, side or back depending on where you want to emphasize the shape created. I love the way the back dips low to show some bare skin for the perfect finish to this beautiful dress. Excellent condition with a small note below
Fully lined in a copper silky rayon. It closes with a side painted metal zipper hidden under a seam. Light boning through the bodice. Hand work throughout. I see a tiny bit of colour run near the edge on the bodice and another small areas near the hem. There is a very small hole on the folds under the swag from the brooch. You don't see this once the flower is in place and its in the fold if you choose to wear it without the flower. Some minor grubbiness on the edge of the hem. The flower shows some storage marks and the petals have softened. Please the photos after the label shot
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room to at least a B cup at front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of the shoulder to longest point of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4457
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian lacroix
Fall 1990 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Silk Runway Backless Dress w Original Jewel Brooches
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The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the Fall 1990 runway and we have included the reference photos of that so that you can see just how fabulous this one is on the body. This dress also included the incredible and detailed brooches on both the front and back of the dress as it was presented on the runway. This dress is unlabeled but came to me directly from the original couture client from whom I have, and have had, several other Haute Couture pieces. She was fitted by Christian himself for the dress which makes it that much more special. It is a stunning example of his Haite Couture work during this time period.
The dress is made out of an iridescent silk taffeta that has a slight colour change to it depending on how the light hits it. It can go from a deep bronze to a more iridescent blue / purple tone. I love it. The sleeves are long and there is a row of five silk covered buttons at each wrist. The body of the dress is cut to skim over you. It is gathered at one side at the front with the first of two incredible jeweled brooches the dress came with. The brooch is hand made from a gold toned metal with large golden topaz glass crystals mixed with brilliant blue crystals. The neckline angles down and across your shoulder to leave one shoulder bare and exposed. At the back the neckline dips dramatically down into a deep open V that leaves your skin bare and exposed. The second huge jeweled brooch sits at the base of that. A panel of silk flares out dramatically to one side to create a half bow, half bustle feel. The interior of that panel has extra structure so that it stays perfectly in place. The skirt falls below that and depending in your height will sit at about the knee or just above. It is fabulous. Excellent condition with minor notes below
Fully lined in a black silk organza and closes with an elaborate mix of a zipper, snaps and hooks at the back. One panel loops through the other over that. There is fused strip of rubber ribbon along the inner neckline to hold it in place and this has degraded a touch here and there. One stone is missing at the bottom of the front brooch. The brooches are tacked into place at present but are removable and you can see little marks on the fabric under them where the pin has been pushed through in different places. There are a couple teeny pinhead snags on the fabric where the brooches have caught on the silk near the brooches. These are all very minor and mentioned for accuracy. Unlabeled. Sourced from the original couture client and Mr Lacroix has mentioned to me on insta that he remembers fitting her.
Sleeves: 19.5"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 36" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3602
Reference Photos: Fall/Winter 1990 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Beautiful 2007 Alexander McQueen Purple Bias Cut Liquid Silk Satin Dress w Amazing Sleeves
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This is an incredible dress. This was a dress produced for the shops and it is especially interesting because it is a dress that was produced again in 2011 and re-issued in an ivory for the wedding collection that year. I know this because I have that dress listed in the shop now and you can see it here. You will recall that I recently had a lace dress in that was also made under the same circumstances where a original dress done by Lee was re-issued at a later date for a wedding collection. I love having the original and as far as I am aware it was only produced in black and this purple in 2007. It has that same bias cut draped feel as the McQueen that Elle Fanning borrowed and wore recently so that will give you an idea of it on
This is a stunningly beautiful dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body and will only truly come to life when worn. It is a dress that definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. McQueen was a master tailor and the seam work and simplicity of this dress do not hide that fact. It is made from a beautifully weighted purple silk satin that has a slight texture running through it. It has that same liquid feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from this similar fabrics. Like those dresses of the thirties this is also cut on the bias but with a more shaped silhouette. I love that the fabric is heavy enough and that the dress is lined so that it will not highlight 'flaws' underneath like some bias cut pieces can. It is cut to flow over the body and skims over the bust, waist and hips to the floor. The neckline drops into a V at the front for a bit of skin to show. It glides over the bust and there is this interesting softly curved seam that starts at the bust and runs down into the side seam. This not only helps to add a little shape but it also becomes this interesting design feature and a subtle way for him to work in one of his signature angled seams. The skirt continues past and over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. At the back there is extra fabric worked around the center seam to give you a trained effect behind you. This flaring out at the bottom and the extra bit at the back give you fabulous movement when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. The sleeves are incredible. They are set in these soft loops around each arm. They leave the sides of the shoulders bare and really add to the thirties feel of the dress. They are spectacular. It is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a purple silk satin and closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a McQueen 40. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It is in its original supermodel length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. I see perhaps a touch of grubbiness and scuffing near the hem bit it is very minor and mentioned for accuracy only.
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem, 72" the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4461
Reference Photo: Elle Fanning in Spring 2008 Alexander McQueen, from our archives, at the Critics Choice After Party, January 2023.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Ady Couture
Fall 1987 Ady Couture Lausanne for Givenchy Iridescent Purple Metallic Dress w Velvet Bow
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This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway. This dress is from the Fall 1987 Haute Couture collection. Several variations of this dress where produced and we have included reference photos where you can see the strapless version from the runway. And a shorter version of this dress was also shown on the runway and one was worn by Audrey Hepburn as well.
The dress is made from the most incredible iridescent metallic fabric. It is purple first and foremost but when the light hits here it gets a highlight of a hint of the green that is just amazing to see. The fabric has enough weight to it to hold the shape that you see. The neckline is scooped and the sleeves are set into the shoulders so that you get a bit of a peak where they are gathered into the bodice. They are cut wider near the top of your arm and then taper down to the wrist. The bodice skims over you to the slightly dropped waist seam. Around the hip area is a wide band of gathered fabric that creates that incredible volume. A black velvet bow sits the front. The skirt is cut on a sharp angle that widens out to be quite full as it nears the floor. The cut is meant to feel sculptural and contrast the volume around the hips. The back of the skirt is fuller and set a little longer then the front. One version on the runway was belted and you could easily add a belt to add shape. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. It is beautifully made and appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and there are hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards
Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 58" to the longest part of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD3808
Reference Photos: (1) A/W 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Silver metallic lame brocade strapless gown dress with a black velvet chest and bow and 2-layer puffy skirt. L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987. / (2-4) Fall 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Runway. / (5) Audrey Hepburn, in Givenchy, at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City for the 17th Annual International Emmy Awards in 1989.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
james galanos
1970s Galanos Couture Custom Made Silk Chiffon Pant w Metallic Lace Detailed Dress Set
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James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this set is an exquisite and very special example of his work.
This set was custom made for, and is from the estate of, 1950s model Betsy Pickering Kaiser. Betsy appeared on several Vogue covers in the 1950s and it was during that time period time period that she met Galanos. They were friends for over 60 years. She collected and wore Galanos pieces her entire life and was his friend and muse. He once told her husband ‘I would rather have Betsy wear my clothes than any other woman’. She was a constant presence on the International Best Dressed List and and was added to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame in the early 1970s.
This is gorgeous. It is made from a beautiful printed light weight silk chiffon that is combined with a red lace that has a metallic finish. The entire set combined weighs ounces. Huge flowers cover the entire surface of the silk chiffon. The pants are made from two layers of the chiffon and they are cut long and wide. An elastic waist makes them very easy and comfortable to wear. You then slip on that long piece over the pants. It is also constructed from two layers of silk that fall from under the lace bodice. Each side is slit open right up to the lace top. This gives the top piece a ton of movement and creates this fabulous floating effect around you when you walk. The bodice part is made of two panels of a metallic red lace that is connected along each side with a bit of a angled plunge above where they connect. The lace has that fantastic metallic finish to it for contrast against the pattern in the silk chiffon. The bodice has an inner nude silk lining so that from a distance you look like you are wearing nothing underneath it. The top is suspended by four tiny silk straps that curve over the shoulders. This set is tremendously good in person and it really needs an actual body to come to life. Cut supermodel long in length. Excellent condition
The pants are made of two layers of silk chiffon and close with a back zipper and elastic through the waist. The outer layer is lined with a nude silk chiffon through the bodice and the skirt is made from two layers of the silk. The outer layer closes at the side with hidden fabric covered snaps. There are a couple of very minor repairs and light snags near the hem of the overlay. This is a one-off, unlabelled custom piece made for Betsy and came from her estate.
Over dress
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 62" from shoulder to hem
Pants
Elastic waist: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Pant: 45" from waist to hem
Inseam: 32" from inner seam to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD2278
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
hanae mori
Fabulous 1970s Hanae Mori Couture Printed Silk Jumpsuit w Floor Length Angel Sleeves
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Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature and elements of her homeland. I have two jumpsuits today that both have that very caftan feeling so desired with her work and these are so very hard to find. When I find pieces like this one that is such a stunningly beautify example of her work I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work. We also added a photo of a similar but slightly earlier piece from 1969 to give you an idea of how this is on the body. I think this one in silk chiffon is even better but it’s interesting from a historical perspective to see how she made it better but switching the fabric and exaggerating the lines even more. Genuius!
This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. The entire piece has one of her custom designed prints screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. It has all been printed with a really outstanding huge floral design and the colours are fantastic. That combination of turquoise and pink cannot be beat. The jumpsuit has a shallow V neck at both the back and front for just a little bit of skin to show there. The top skims over you and has one of the big pink flowers at the front. The waist is generous in cut the jumpsuit comes with its original silk ribbon belt. This belt is made from multiple pieces of silk piece together in rows and then the ends are all left as individual ribbons. When you tie this around your waist it helps to add to the drama of the overall set . The pants fall from under that and are cut to be very very wide and full so you get this incredible movement when you move. To make them opaque enough to wear each pant leg has an inner layer of silk twill with that same print on that inner layer. As with the best of Hanae's pieces the effect of having the same print on the top layer and the inner layer gives the design added dimension and depth as they float over each other. The added width of the pant also let them float and move at your slightest movement. The sleeves on this piece are spectacular. They are attached around the upper two thirds of the arm hole and each is made from two panels of fabric that float all the way down the length of the jumpsuit to just a little past the hem. They are open on each side so move independently from each other. Because each panel is a single layer of that bias cut silk chiffon this means that they catch the slightest bit of air and move and float dramatically around you. The beauty and drama that this creates is astonishing. The floral print that covers the jumpsuit is one of her best. The movement and beauty of this piece is extraordinary. This is a piece that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition
Fully lined through the bodice in a white silk and a printed silk twill for the pants. The sleeves are unlined. It zips to close at the back. The belt ties into place. All of the edges have been hand rolled and it is hand finished through out. Tagged a vintage 10. It appears to have been worn very little if at all
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Pants: 38.5" from waist to hem
Inseam: 25" from the inner seam to hem
Gusset: 32" from back of neck to inner seam
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4451
Reference Photos: Hanae Mori Ad in Vogue US, October 1, 1969.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
madame gres
1970s Madame Gres Haute Couture Wide Leg Pant Set w Metallic Gold Part Open Tie Top
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Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find. This set is from the early to mid-seventies and it is fabulous.
This is an amazing vintage set. I love the camel coloured wide legged jersey pants with their wide cut legs. The jersey they are made out of is the soft wool that she used extensively during this time period and it has a soft finish to it that looks and feels heavenly once on. The pants are banded at the top with a wide gathered sash of a pale yellow jersey for contrast to the camel colour below. This hooks to the one side and there is built-in boning at the sides to hold its shape around the waist. It is a touch wider on one side then the other to create a pretty curve. The pants fall to the floor and widen out to be 64" around at each hem. The top has a metallic finish to it and the contrast between the two fabrics is fantastic. The silk has actual metal thread woven through it and this gives it a subtle glint from all angles. A design runs through the silk and the metal thread is woven onto that in a floral design The neckline is scooped and it skims over you to the waist. The sleeves are long and simple. It ties into place at the back with ties made of the same fabric. These sit on an angle that starts at the neckline, run across to one side and then go straight down to the hem of the top. This leaves a little bare expanse of skin showing between the ties. I photoed the top un-tucked and tucked as it can be worn either way. Both pieces have a Haute Couture label in them and the top has an additional handwritten numbered tag inside. This is an incredible and rare opportunity to own a beautiful piece of her work and it is that much more versatile with the two pieces since you can mix and match with pieces from your exiting wardrobe. Excellent condition with a small note below.
Both pieces are unlined and have been completely finished by hand. The pants close with hook and eye at the band and a zipper under that. There's a small repair to the jersey inside the inner structure of the band and then one of the fold along one side. Neither is seen once on. The top ties to close at the back.
Top
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: approx 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 12" from shoulder to hem
Pants
Waist: 12" at top of band and narrows to 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam of true waist
Band: 3.5" high on the boned hook closure side and the other side will widen to approx 9"
Hips: open
Length: 40" from true waist to hem
Inseam: 29"
Rise: 15" from true waist to inner seam
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4182
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior by John Galliano Lookbook Mini Dress w Plunge Front & No Back
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The twin of this Dior dress was Look 5 in the Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2011 collection. This collection was shot as a look book that year. At the time Dior said this of John's collection: ”Dior’s Fall ready-to-wear collection takes its inspiration from the legendary love affair between Mrs. Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. English romanticism is channeled into Balmoral fringed tweeds and candy-coloured tartans with Prince of Wales checks. Ultimate luxury and expertise create evening glamour in elegant draped gowns and head to toe sequins to ensure that every head is turned.” Vogue commented that: "John Galliano galloped the Duchess of Windsor through This Is Your Life, with richly hued musings on what Wallis Simpson in her prime might've worn at specific times of day and across the decades." The Dior team styled the pieces in lavish settings to play on this theme. I think that this was one of the best pieces of the collection and I love having the photo reference so that you can see it on a body. This was John's second last collection for the house.
The dress is a play on a flapper dress with a soft oversized check pattern softened with more pastel coloured version of red and blue. It is printed on a silk chiffon to further soften the feel of the print and give it a bit of a vintage feel. The dress can be worn longer and more straight on the body or you can hike it up to be super short and have the top blouse over as I have done in most of these shots. The front plunges to the waist and then crossed over itself at the base where it meets the seam. It can also be worn long with the seam and the hips and I also shot it that way from the front, side and back. It ties behind the neck and the ties trail down your back. The back is completely bare and it is scooped open right to the waist. A band of the silk chiffon wraps around you at the top of the hips and this is what you use to hold the dress higher or lower on you. The skirt falls under that to the hem and the lightness of the fabric gives it tons of movement. His signature tightly spaced silk covered buttons run down one side of the dress and there is a little bow at the top of the skirt on each hip. These little details are always what makes a Galliano designed piece that much more special. The final detail is the green and red lace that edges the dress. The lace has been stiffened and has deliberate raw edges to further play on that feel of the dress being a piece from the past. It is laid out over a band of ivory velvet and this last little touch ties everything perfectly together. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a fine pink-salmon coloured silk. It closes with the buttons down the side and ties around the back of the neck. At some point someone added a snap under the front where it crosses to make it a little more secure. I have left it but it could easily be removed if you wished. I see a bit of residue on the lining on one side of the bust where a double sided tape was used to hold it in place. Tagged a Dior F 36, GB 8, IT 40, US 4. Note that this was very difficult to measure and depending on where you want the band to sit it should fit a range of sizes
Bust: no true side seam and each halter will easily cover a full range of cup sizes
Waist/top of hip at seam: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam and expanding to 17.5 at the bottom seam of the band
Bodice: to approx 21" from top of bodice to top seam of the waist/top of hip
Band: 4"
Skirt: 14" from waist to longest points of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4036
Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior, Look 5. Model: Alina Baikova.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
oscar de la renta
Romantic 1980s Oscar de la Renta Backless Black Silk & Lace Dress w Killer Pouf Sleeves
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Oscar was known for his beautiful and feminine designs and this dress really showcases that. With our modern day obsession with all things eighties and nineties this play on proportions and fabrics still feels extremely of this moment fashion wise. Oscar had an amazing sense of aesthetics and his genius was in making women look and feel beautiful. This is the type of dress you can easily imagine in an editorial of the day on one of the reigning supermodels. It is just gorgeous
There are actually three fabric used in the making of this dress. The sleeves are a perfectly light in weight silk taffeta, the bodice is a black lace and then the skirt is a fine soft black silk with a very fine thin ribbing. The play on those three fabrics together is very romantic feeling. The neckline is scooped low and set wide across the shoulders at the front. At the back it has an even lower scoop out so that you get this great expanse of bare skin there. The sleeves are spectacular. They have built in tulle to help hold their volume and they are cut to be extremely full so that they billow out to just about the elbow. They have elastic running through the edges nearest to the shoulders and you can wear them up and on the shoulder like I have shot them here or I think you can also let them cascade down to leave each shoulder bare. The bodice is covered ion the black lace all the way around and I love the little lace peplum that circles the waist and balances out those sleeves. The skirt fall from under there in a beautiful curve to the floor. The skirt is finished in a fine stripe that I love. Inside the interior of the skirt there is an additional underskirt of silk organza that has a wide ruffled bottom that helps to hold the shape of the outer skirt. When you move the skirt shows it volume and movement beautifully. Excellent condition
The bodice is lined in a black chiffon, The skirt in a black organza and the sleeves have tulle inside them to hold the shape. It closes with a back zipper. Tagged a vintage ODLR 6
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 17" from natural shoulder to slightly dropped seam under natural waist
Skirt: 44" from slightly dropped seam under natural waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4444
Reference Photo: 1982 Oscar de la Renta.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
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