• This is a very glamorous Versace dress that dates to the early 2000s.
• The dress is made out of a deep bronze coloured silk that is flattering on almost all skin tones. 
• It is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling yet you are still very covered. it has a bit of a nod to the Loris Azzaro rung dresses and you have to wonder if that was its inspiration.
• The silk is just heavy enough to give the dress an amazing drape so that it falls perfectly over the body.
• From the top of the hips to the top of  the bodice the silk has been gathered into soft little horizontal folds. These are all gathered into the beaded bands that curves vertically down the front to form three cut outs. The bands extend out to form the straps that curve around the neck and hook into place.
• The waist is shaped to come in slightly and the silk curves back outward over the top of the hips.
• Below that the skirt falls to the floor in a cascade of copper coloured silk. It.skims over the hips and then the lower skirt flares out all the way around you. This gives a tremendous movement when you move.
• I love that the back is cut longer than the front for a beautiful sweep of fabric behind you.
• The dress is fully lined in a matching silk and closes with a hidden set zipper. The neck hooks into place at the back of the neck.
• Tagged a vintage Versace 38
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60.5" from neck to front hem, 68" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5249

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

• The dress is from the Spring 2010 wedding dress collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Oscar de la Renta.
• The twin of the dress was used for the ad campaign that season.
• The gown is made out of a pale ivory that combines silk organza and silk chiffon with a silk netting. The colour is very soft and flattering. The fabric itself is very light in weight and it is only the tremendous amount of fabric in the dress that adds any weight. The lightness of all of those layers allow it to move beautifully around you once on. 
  
• The bodice is strapless with a slight curve over the bust. A pretty double layer ruffle made of silk chiffon starts at the very top and then layers of ruffles continue all the way down the entire dress. Inside the bodice there is a full built-in cupped, wired and lightly boned stretch corset to hold everything in place.
• The layers run horizontally over the bust and waist in beautiful bands of silk chiffon that all overlap each other. The edges of each band are left raw so that it adds a touch of texture. It continues down and around the waist. By the top of the hip panels of silk organza that are caught wider start to be interest first in to the bands.
• The ruffles of the skirt start all the way up at the top of the hip and they continue down horizontally all the way to the hem. As you get lower down the skirt, the bands become wider and they start to mix a silk chiffon with a silk organza. This widening of the ruffles coincides with the widening of the lower skirt.
• I love how the volume increases as you go down the dress to give the lower skirts their massive volume and pretty romantic sweep.
• For the very lowest ruffles there is a white netting done in ruffles underneath circling the very bottom hem. Inside there are wide, weighted hymns with stiffening and this is all a clever way to help. Hold the shape around you when you stand and move.
• The back and sides extend out longer than the front so that the entire dress sweeps around and behind you beautifully.
• As beautiful as it looks in the photos this is a dress that is even better in person once moving and on an actual body.
• I love that they have made the little straps that you hang the dress on a hanger with out of a wite ribbon with the ODLR in a beautiful soft pale blue that instantly gives you a "something blue" already built into the dress.
• There is a full built-in corset that zips with its own zipper and has a inner waist stay that hooks to close. The dress is lined in a silk under that and there is an inner skirt supporting the volume of the skirt. The inner layer of the skirt is finished with stiffening around its hem to help hold the shape and volume. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. I see a bit of grubbiness along the very edge of the inner hem here and there. I think that is just from hitting the floor as it was hung in the past. It is very minor but mentioned for accuracy.The colour is slightly more ivory in person.
• Tagged and ODLR 8
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 54" from top of bodice to front hem in the back extends another 15" beyond that

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5244

Reference Photos: Spring 2010 Oscar de la Renta Bridal. 

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.

• We believe the dress to be from the Spring of 1983 based on the reference photo that we found with a similar design especially given the cut of the lower skirt of that dress.
• It was made under the creative direction of Thierry Mugler 
• The fabric of the dress is a black raw silk which helps to hold the design and intended shape.
• The construction of the dress is quite brilliant. Long vertical panels of the fabric have been pieced together side-by-side from the top of the strapless bodice to the hem of the skirt. The long lines created by piecing the panels together like this become a part of the design and the entire dress has been shaped by the manipulation of the sizing and placement of the strips.
• The bodice is strapless and the tops of the ribbons are set at different heights all around the neck line. Where they rise above the top edge they are not sewn together so you get a very distinctive ribbon feel. I love the added detail this creates.
• It is meant to fit the bodice and then curves in at the waist. Inside there is for built-in corset that is lightly boned and holds the dress in place around you.
• From there it curves out and over the hips, comes in slightly just below the knee, and then flares outward again for the lower skirts.
• Just under the knee the panels open up and are no longer stitched together. This is what gives it the added volume there and creates a 'car wash' feel around you. Behind the panels are three layers of stacked black silk chiffon When you walk you get that bit of transparency between the the panels and it feel very interesting and unexpected. You get a sense of what that will be like in the runway reference photo.
• The dress is not 100% perfect but is wearable as is. Please make sure to read the condition notes below in full before purchasing.
• The inner nude silk corset acts as the lining behind the bodice. It is lightly boned and closes with its own side zipper. And attached waist hooks to close. Under that into the top of where the panels open on the skirt, it is lined in a black silk. Three layers of silk chiffon are attached behind the lower portion of the skirt as described above. The dress closes with a hidden set zipper placed over the inner corset zipper. I see fading on the fabric most notably around the the bodice and around the waist. Please see the photos after the label shot. It may be possible to dye the dress to a true black once again. It is wearable as is but the fading is present.  All of the fabric is sound.
• Tagged a vintage Mugler 42
• Excellent overall condition 

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

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5232

Reference Photos: Spring 1983 Thierry Mugler.

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

• This amazing dress is from the Spring 1985 Haute Couture collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• On the runway the dress was shown in a brilliant pink. I am sure that this green colour was a special order by a Couture client.
• Jerry Hall was photographed in one that season and we have included other references for it as well so you can see how fabulous this sits on the body
• The dress has a very Old Hollywood / 1940s feel that I love. This is an era that Yves often touched upon in his work.
• It is made out of a pale grass green silk crepe that drapes beautifully once on.
  
• The shoulders are shaped with handmade padding inside and the sleeves are more generous through the upper part and then narrow as they reach the cuff. Each sleeve has a little handset zipper at the wrist.
• The front comes down in a V and I love how the silk has been draped and brought over from the sides to extend into ties that sit at the base of the V at the waist. This is an extremely clever way to hide all of the closures for the dress. Underneath the tie and extending down a few inches under the waist are hidden snaps and hooks that close the dress around you all while giving the illusion that you have simply tied the dress in place.
• The skirt is gathered in under that to fall to the floor. As it reaches the hem it widens out quite a bit so that when you move it has beautiful movement around you. The back also extends a little longer than the front hand for a sweep of extra movement behind you. Yves was a master at manipulating fabric to fall perfectly over the body.
• The dress is not perfect but is wearable if you do not mind that it does have some small flaws. Please make sure to read the full description below carefully. This is still an outstanding example of his work during this time period.
• The dress is fully lined in a green silk and closes with a series of snaps and hooks at the front waist. Zipper sits at each wrist. The dress has fading across the top of each shoulder and some slight fading throughout. The hem has fallen down in places and there is a touch of grubbiness and fading around the edge of the hem. There is a series of little dots near the seam at the back. The actual silk is sound and stable. The dress could potentially be dyed if you preferred not to wear it as is. Sold as found and priced accordingly.
  
• There is no size tag present since it is a Couture piece. Please check the measurements below.
  
• Great overall condition.

Sleeves: 29" and are 15" around the upper arm
Slightly extended shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to front hem and the back extends another 6" 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5209

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.  /  (3) Jerry Hall in YSL for Harper's Bazaar France, 1985.  /  (4) Jours de France Collections Haute Couture Soir S/S 1985.  /  (5) Spring 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Couture. Photo by David Seidner.  /  (6-8) Spring 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Sketches.

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.

• I purchased this many years ago and was told this was a dress made under the creative direction of Olivier Theyskens.
• Theyskens debuted at Rochas in 2003 at the age of 25 and stayed at the brand until Spring 2015.
• The dress has a beautiful Victorian feel to it and the fabric is gorgeous. It is very light in weight and feels like a fine silk organza mix. Onto it is a stunning washed watercolour feeling floral print that covers the entire dress. It is very pretty.
• A pretty ruffle circles the collar and ruffles continue down the front on either side of the buttons. The bodice is detailed with stripes of black flat pile cotton velvet and the buttons are covered in that same fabric. The seams are exposed and deliberately top stitched with a embroidered feeling thread. The sleeves are long and each ends in a wide cuff that has a little bit of velvet detail.
• It skims over the bust and waist and is cut to be more full and easy through the body. The bodice extends down past the waist to a seam that sits on the top of the hip. The skirt is attached above the seam with an exposed serging all the way around you.
• The skirt falls from there to the floor and it is wonderfully full. It is gathered in around the seam at the hip and then opens out as it near the hem. The lower portion of the skirt is covered in the same detailing that we see on the bodice, combining the velvet ribbon, exposed seams and ruffles, but on the skirt it is flipped horizontally to wrap around you. Underneath the skirt is lined in a black woven netting that helps to hold the shape.
• It is beautifully detailed and the design is properly and carefully thought out and executed. Its loose easy cut through the body make it an easy to fit dress. I think you could even belt this to create a completely different feel to the dress and add more shape.
• They bodice is unlined and has a touch of transparency to it. The skirt is lined in black netting as described above. It closes at the front with the black velvet buttons. Each cuff closes with a series of five hidden hook and eye. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 26.5" and are 11" around the upper arm
Inset shoulders: 12"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: open
Bodice: 19" from top and shoulder to waist
Total length: 61" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5189

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

• The twin of this dress walk the runway for the Fall 2001 collection and both this purple and a black version were shown on the runway.
• The dress was made under the creative direction of Thierry Mugler.
• Mugler was a masterpiece of draping and cut and this is a fantastic example of that. It is cut with Mugler's masterful eye and attention to detail.
• The dress is extremely difficult to show on a dress form because of the cut through the upper body and arms so please refer to the runway photos for reference. It is spectacular on the body.
• The dress is made out of a purple silk crepe mix that has a slight texture to it. 
• A high collar wraps around the neck and the collar is detailed with a silver metal mesh. Onto the mesh are various sized rhinestones set in silver bases. All of them are stitched on one top spot only so they have this incredible little bit of movement.
• A long keyhole at the front open in a V all the way to an empire set seam at the waist. At the back there is an open slit down to the waist seam so you get a flash of skin there as well.
• The waist is defined with a wide band of the same purple fabric and I love how it curves upward at the front to meet the bottom of the keyhole there.
• The skirt flows over the hips and gently widens out as it nears the hem. There is a high slit up the centre front seam which lets a bit of a leg to show when you walk.
• The sleeves are spectacular. They are split on an angle coming out from the collar. The open split runs all the way down to just above the elbow and then they narrow down to the cuff from there. This gives them an incredible amount of movement around your arms.
• Each cuff ends in the same highly detailed mesh and rhinestone combination that you see on the collar of the dress and I love how this ties everything together. The cuffs are set on an angle where they fall past the hymn of the sleeve with the mesh ending in a point so that it goes down and over the top of your hand.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set back zipper under the slit. It hooks to close at the back of the neck and each cuff has a zipper closure.
• Tagged a vintage Mugler 42
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approx 26" and the metal mesh falls another 4.5" past that. The upper arm is open because of the open slits. The neck is 14" from end to end
Bust: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from neck to seam under the keyhole
Total length: 62" from neck to hem
Slit: 25" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5165

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2001 Thierry Mugler.

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• The twin of this dress walk the runway for the Spring 1993 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld
• He did an entire series of dresses in several variations for this collection. We have also added some other shots from the collection for you to see since this particular group of dresses were integral to the collection that year. 
• Examples of Karl's work during this time period are held in museums around the world and are rare finds. This is an important piece of his fashion history. 
• The cut of the dress is simple but it is very sexy with its long silhouette and see through lower skirts.
• The dress is made out of a black crepe that has a slight bias cut to it that allows it to drape well over the body once on.
• The strap detailing that crosses over the body, edges the bust area, and is used for the straps that go up and around the neck, are all made from a wide cotton weave looking ribbon that is applied directly onto the dress.
• Black seed beads were applied onto that ribbon and they catch the light beautifully when you move. The bodice is extensively beaded, sequinned and embroidered. The colours are bright and brilliant and I love how they give the dress a fantastic pop of colour.
• The work completely covers each triangle of the front bust and then wraps all the way around the back. The straps are intricate and hook behind the neck and become a design detail in themselves. 
•  The dress skims over the body and then flares out with that inset of silk chiffon for the very lower part of the skirt.
• Fully lined in a black silk. The lower chiffon part of the skirt is unlined. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and hooks to close at the back of the neck. Hand finishes and beautifully constructed.
• Tagged a vintage Lagerfeld 40
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4901

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 1993 Karl Lagerfeld Runway.  /  (6-7) Kristen McMenamy for Spring 1993 Karl Lagerfeld Ready to Wear Advance.  /  (8) Helena Christensen for Spring 1993 Karl Lagerfeld Ad Campaign.

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

• The twin of this dress was a part of the Spring 2002 final Haute Couture collection by Yves Saint Laurent.
• "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.
• A total of 371 garments were shown that day with pieces from the beginning of his career to the final collection.
• Recreations of some of his most famous dresses were made available and each has the special label that you see in this dress with both the original date of the labels inception and the 2002 date.
• This is one is a recreation of the famous Fall 1984 dress. We have included references of both the original and the twin of this one in the show.
• It is an extremely rare and wonderful piece of YSL history.
• It would have been entirely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The neckline sits wide across and the shoulders are soft. The sleeves narrow to their ends and all of the upper bodice is done in a fine black light in weight wool that has a slight texture.
• The waist is defined by two wide panels. They attached and are gathered in along each side and this gives the shape you see. The top panel is a purple and the bottom a deep pink.
• The dress skims over the hips and then falls to the floor flaring outward as it reaches the hem. The back is cut slightly longer than the front and you can see the extra fabric built in there to create a sweeping feel behind you.
• Every line is meticulously thought out and the technique to create the lines of this dress showcase his decades as one of the premier modern Couturiers in the world.
• The dress is fully lined in a hand set black silk and closes with a side set zipper. An inner waist hooks to close and the dress buttons above a small keyhole at the back. Each end of the sleeve closes with zipper. All of the inner seams are done by hand and the entire dress is made to modern Couture standards. Its proper numbered Couture tag is present.
• There is no size tag present so please go buy the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition and appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Sleeves: 21" and are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to top of the 10" band at the waist 
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to front hem and the back extends another 5.5" past that with just under 2" turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5140

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2002 YSL Couture, Look 229.  /  (4) Fall 1984 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.  /  (5) Vogue, November 1984.

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

• The twin of the dress walked the Spring 2009 runway for Look 62 
• Under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld
• This is the actual dress that was worn by Catriona Balfe for the Season 5 premiere of Outlander in 2020. 
• In the book "Chanel Catwalk" the notes on this collection tell us that for this show they rebuilt the facade of 31 rue de Cambron inside of the Grand Palais. The collection played homage to classic Chanel style. The palette of the show was mainly black, white, pink and grey. Many of the pieces had a touch of a lingerie inspiration in them, including this gorgeous dress. It was one of the outstanding pieces in the show and it is even more beautiful in person. My photos don't come close to doing it justice. 
• The upper bodice and shoulders of the dress are made of a fine silk netting that has a touch of transparency to it. It breaks at the back to leave a bare expanse of skin down the centre. 
• A muted silk satin, with a more matte finish, is used to create a tiny little bodice piece that wraps around you.  A little bow sits at the centre front for a pretty and feminine touch.
• The skirt falls from that empire cut and flows outward to the floor, expanding by quite a bit as it nears the hem.
• It is made of four layers, a top black silk net layer, a more ivory layer under that, and then two inner black silk organza layers that sit next to the skin.
• Fully lined in silk behind the bust area and the inner two layers of the skirt are a black silk organza.
• The bodice buttons to close  with two pewter coloured silver metal buttons at the back and the dress zips to close under that.
• Tagged a Chanel 38.
• I see a couple of very tiny and little minor pulls and breaks in the skirt near the hem that don't affect it at all but are mentioned for accuracy and a repair near the edge of the arm opening. Overall excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from top of shoulders to waist
Total length: 62.5" from top of shoulders to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5050

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 2009 Chanel Runway, Look 62. Model Kim Noorda.  /  (5-6) Catriona Balfe, in this dress, at the season 5 premiere of Outlander, February 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.

This beautiful dress was Look 49 on the Spring 2015 runway for Ralph Lauren. At the time it was released there was a editorial that noted that the bead work alone on this dress took over 900 hours. Princess Charlene of Monaco wore one in 2016 and Sarah Jessica Parker wore one in 2023. I ove that this gives you a fantastic idea of how this looks like on the body. The Purple Label from Ralph Lauren are the high-end demi-couture pieces the label creates. Ralph Lauren launched it in 1994 and the label was meant to be the pinnacle line for the brand. The dress is beautifully made. 

The dress is made from multiple layers of silk tulle over an inner silk. The colour is a earthy deep golden colour. Onto the top netted layer is the extensive and elaborate bead and prong set glass crystals that are mentioned above that took over 900 hours to apply by hand. The design completely covers the bodice and sleeves and then runs down on panels on the skirt. The front  neckline is scooped across and rhinestones have been prong set in an elaborate and dense design just under the neck line. These taper down and change to these to very fine beaded curving lines that run down to the waist seam. The sleeves are long and they are also entirely covered with more delicately done bead work. At the back you have an open V that plunges down the back and exposes a bare expanse of skin. The skirt is magnificent. It has multiple layers of the tulle with individual panels attached around the skirt. These panels have the same elaborate hand beading as the sleeves. The entire skirt is made from multiple layers of panels set vertically and separated from each other from the hem to about 23" up, so when you sit or walk a certain way you get a bit of flash of leg from underneath. This gives you incredible volume as well. I loved the dropped waist and you can see that the dress can be worn with a belt as they showed it on the runway, or without for a more 1930s feel. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a matching coloured silk and closes with a low set hidden back zipper. Each sleeve buttons to close at the wrist. The skirts are made of multiple layers of tulle with an inner silk panel. Tagged a modern RL 4

Sleeves: 24.5" and are 10" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13.5-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 19" from top of shoulder to the seam at the top of the hips
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to longest points of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5018

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 2015 Ralph Lauren, Look 49. Model Bruna Tenorio.  /  (5-6) Princess Charlene at the reception for Television Festival, Jun 2016.  /  (7-8) Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York premiere of And Just Like That Season 2, June 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.

Hubert de Givenchy moved to Paris in 1942 where he worked for Jacques Fath, then Elsa Schiaparelli, and eventually Cristobal Balenciaga. Givenchy often attributed much of his later success to the years with to Mr Balenciaga and what he learned while there. In 1952, Givenchy founded his namesake house in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the great couturiers of our time. I am always pleased to find any of his Haute Couture work as it is so rare. This particular dress is exceptional with every detail on it finished to Haute Couture standards.

This is an amazing true Haute Couture Givenchy dress that is a very rare and special find. Two things of immediate note for this dress. First is the absolutely beautiful fabric combination. The bodice and sleeves are an inky black silk velvet and then the ruffles on the neckline, end of each sleeve, and the entire top layer of the skirt is a starched cotton and silk mix netting that has beautiful little gold metal thread flowers hand embroidered over the netting. I took closeups of both the front of these flowers and also their backs so that you can see the beautiful workmanship put into each individual flower. I also included close ups of the hand finished seams on the interior of the dress. The time and technique to complete this dress would have been astounding and I cannot even imagine how many hours this would have taken. The second thing of note is that stunning cut through the neckline. It is tremendously flattering to have that bare expanse of skin across the top of the shoulder like that. It feels a little bit sexy with the way the top sits off the shoulder to leave that expanse of bare skin. You could also wear it on the shoulder but I chose to show it off. I love that you have the versatility of the two different ways to wear it. A ruffle goes all the way around the neckline and around the end of each sleeve. It is shaped to come in at the waist and then curves out over the hips. The skirt is set into a seam that sits at the top of the hips and the netting is softly gathered into that seam so you get a touch of fullness. As the skirt flows down to the hem it expands outwards to give you pretty movement as you walk. There is a full black silk organza inner skirt under the top layer of the skirt so that it is opaque enough to wear. It is spectacular. This is a very beautiful example of Givenchy from this time period and an amazing example of the technical skills that can be achieved in Haute Couture. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined in a matching hand set black silk. It zips to close and an inner waist stay hooks to close. Completely made by hand throughout to Haute Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Proper couture tag and numbered tape present. 

Sleeves: 26" and are 11.5" around the upper arm
The opening across the neckline is 18" flat across from side to side
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hip: 16.5" flat across from side to side
Hips: open
Bodice: 19" from top of natural shoulder to seam at the top of the hip
Total length: 61.5" from top of natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4975

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

• The dress is from the Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal collection.
•  It was made under the creative direction of Oscar de la Renta.
• His wedding pieces range from about $10-$20,000USD with the more elaborate ones like this tending to be in the upper range of that.
• Oscar launched his first bridal collection in October of 2002 and his wedding pieces have been worn by some of the most famous women in the world. He once said 'In the same manner that she fell in love with that man, I hope she's going to fall in love with that dress.'
• The skirt on this dress is just magical. It is made from multiple yards of multiple layers of white tulle silk netting.
• The strapless bodice above the skirt is slightly more ivory in colour so that you get just a tiny bit of contrast between the two.
• The bodice is completely covered with delicate little scallops of a silk chiffon with embroidered edges. These sit on top of a lace fabric underneath. Following the top edge of each layer are tiny rows of ivory iridescent sequins. Little prong set rhinestones are also scattered over the bodice in little vertical rows so you get a subtle little glitter in the light.
• The front curves in a pretty sweetheart neckline and it has a full built in hidden corset inside the bodice. It nips in at the waist and is detailed with an elaborate applique design that wraps all the way around you.
• The runway dress only had a ribbon at the waist and I much prefer this more elaborate design that is made from faux pearls, silver tube beads and glass cut rhinestones in different shapes.
• The skirt is extremely full. There are 12 layers of tulle in the skirt and then an inner silk skirt. Under the top two layers of tulle some of the tulle layers have been gathered up in little drapes.
• I did not add any additional crinolines to the dress for these photos. It has enough built in layers in the  skirt already that it falls on its own perfectly.
• Every angle that you look at this dress from gives you drama and gorgeousness. It is cut longer at the back so that it flows out behind you when you walk. It is a very stunning dress.
• The bodice is boned with padded inner cups for structure and support. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Multiple layers of built in tulle and skirting as described above. Minor grubbiness/marks to the inner hem and the tiniest bit of darkening to the colour of a couple of the scallops near the top edge at one side.
• Tagged an ODLR 8
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam if inner hook is closed 13" if left unhooked or the hooks moved
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to front hem, 50" to inner back hem and 5*" to the ends of the tulle at the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4943

Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal Collection, Look 5.  /  (5-7) Solea in this dress for PBS 50 Years of Broadway Event, 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.

The Spring 1982 collection marked the 20th anniversary of Yves' Couture house. In the book Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk they note that the historical importance of his collection made him feel very anxious. He was quoted as saying "I am frightened of this collection. I am far more anxious than I was for my first collection. It is a reassessment of 20 years… It is the end of adolescence, the beginning of maturity. I really feel like a beginner." But of course, it was a masterpiece of a collection and raved about.

The collection was extravagant and was heavily influenced by India and the beautiful work done by Indian artisans. There was a play on proportions with wide shoulders and a narrowing at the hips. This tunic was one of the more simple pieces in the collection but it still has the touch of an oversized shoulder and the ease and elegance of a beautiful silk in its making.

I love that you can wear this as a tunic over something else. It was shown over a skirt and a modern girl could easily wear it on its own as a dress. It was shown belted with a silk sash in the advance photos for the collection and you could easily add a belt or ribbon if you wanted to have more shape. The shoulders are padded and set a little wide. The sleeves are cut wide through the upper arm and even as they narrow to the wrist, they are still wide set by the cuff. The cuffs and collar are done in a black silk and I love the contrast to the ivory of the body. It is meant to be worn fairly loose and easy to skim over your bust, waist and hips. It falls to about the knee or just above depending on your height. A slit runs up each side and you can see that he has lined the entire inside of the piece in that same black silk as the collar and cuffs. When you walk and move the slits let you to see that flash of black which ties the whole piece together perfectly. The silk is a rich and heavy weight that drapes beautifully over the body. This is a dress that really needs to come to life with a body in it and my dress form photos are nowhere near to doing it justice. It is completely made by hand and an absolutely beautiful, refined and easy piece of true Couture. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Fully lined in a handset black silk and closes at the back with a hand set zipper. Handmade padding in each shoulder. It is completely made by hand to Couture standards. Has it proper YSL numbered Couture label. There is one small mark near the elbow of one sleeve. Please see the photo after the label shot. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. On a smaller frame, it will just feel more oversized.

Sleeves: 22.5" and each is 20" around the upper arm
Exaggerated shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 39" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 11.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4913

Reference Photos: Spring 1982 Yves Saint Laurent  Couture Advance Preview. Model Kirat Young.

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 launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by his avant garde way of defining the body. His work was shockingly sexy for the times. 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. The label 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 the mid-seventies. When researching we found several examples of dresses from 1973 that combined the same jagged flame cuts with sequins. I have included some of those so you can get an idea of how great this looks on the body. 

This is a gorgeous dress and it is a dress that will really come to life once on an actual body. The body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins. They make the dress shimmer beautifully as they catch the light. The sequins start at the shoulder run down the sleeves, over the bodice, waist and hips and then stop about mid-thigh depending on your height. The skirt is set into the sequins in pointed angled that reflects the points of the hem. The skirt part is made from 12 individual panels that are set side by side all the way around. Each panel is a single layer of black silk chiffon that is incredibly light in weight. When you move they move around you. Each panel has only been attached at the top so you also get glimpses of your legs between each panel as you move. It is incredibly sexy. The same silk chiffon is set into the upper bodice and then the back has a huge cut out that is filled with the silk chiffon that dips into a low scoop. It buttons down the back can you see a hint of skin between each button. I love the pointed finished all around the scoop at the back. It is fantastic once on. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body in a black silk. It closes with buttons down the back and each sleeve has a zipper at the wrist. One of his signature strapless bras is attached inside the bodice which could be easily removed if you wish.

Sleeves: 23" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to the longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4347

Reference Photos: (1-3) Marisa Berenson in a Loris Azzaro. October 1973. Photo: Michael Holtz.   /   (4) The cover of the book "Azzaro" for Assouline - Marisa Berenson and Loris Azzaro photographed in 1973, for issue 604 of L'Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris, by Roland Bianchini.  /  (5) Image from the book "Azzaro: Fifty Sparkling Years"  /  (6) Magazine spread featuring a model in Azzaro, 1973.

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

This is a very recognizable Alexander McQueen piece. While there are many of his pieces out there that only die-hard collectors would know at first glance, this is one of the dresses that you instantly know is McQueen. Lee had only recently joined the Gucci Group at this point and his shows were becoming bigger and more commercial. The Fall 2003 collection was titled 'Scanners' and he went to the frozen arctic tundra for the show set. The runway was a wasteland set against an icy mountain. Models walked among rubble and rocks on the runway and and a dusting of snow covered everything. The name of the show came from the invitation that had scans of McQueen's actual brain on them. In the book "Alexander McQueen" by Abrams, they noted that "the collection engaged McQueen's interest in Eurasian culture and was presented as a journey of displaced travellers from west to east, from dark to light across the harsh planes of Siberia through Tibet, and into Japan, the land of the rising sun." The looks touched on both Russia and Japanese themes as well as mixing in a little bit of his signature punk. This is the twin of the dress that walked the runway for Look 55 and it is outstanding. It also has a strong tie-in with red carpets and we have included photos of some of the people that have worn one here including Eve and Naomi Campbell. This is an exceptional, very rare and extraordinary piece of his work for the collector. It might even make an amazing choice for a bride looking a non-traditional choice or alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration.

This dress is beautiful and rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready-to-wear. The fabric is a feather light white silk chiffon that moves with the barest breathe of air. The cut is classic McQueen with a low cut squared off neckline at the front that is meant to hold and push the breasts upwards. Underneath the bodice sits a band of silk to add some shape and structure. This tiny little detail adds the perfect bit of shape and gives the bodice its empire cut. The back is scooped to show a bare expanse of skin. I love how the straps are meant to sit at the very outer edge of your shoulders. Inside it is lined in an ivory silk satin and has hidden set boning. The construction is beautiful and done to the high level that you expect from runway McQueen. The skirt falls from the band beneath the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt. At the front it is cut to just past the knee or just above mid-calf, depending on your height. It curves around the back where it drops in length at the centre and then there are two long panels on either side of you that fall to the floor. The effect this multi-length hem creates when you move is fantastic. As you walk it floats out behind and around you. You can see the movement in the runway video and it is extraordinary. If that was not enough, the entire dress was then hand, beaded and sequin with a combination of silver thread, tiny little silver beads and tiny silver sequins. They form an exquisite and highly detailed trailing flower design that is denser around the hem and then trails up the dress into the bodice. Attached ties extend out from the centre back of at the waist with extra extra long ties that can be wrapped around you or tied and left to trail out behind you. This is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a white silk satin through the bust and white silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a series of large hidden set hooks at the back. The hooks could be moved a quarter to half inch up or down to get more or less room. The interior bust is shaped and boned. Hand finishes throughout. No size tag present. 

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Empire waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of shoulder to the top of the 1" band under the bust
Total length: 39" from top of shoulder to the front hem, 44" to the shortest pont of the back hem, 59" to the longest point of the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4744

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2003 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 55. Model Natalia Vodianova.  /  (4) Eve at the 2003 CFDA Awards.  /  (5) Naomi Campbell at a Party thrown in honor of McQueen, November 2004.  /  (6) Lily Donaldson on left at the 2006 Met Gala.  /  (7-8) Sienna Miller at the premiere of Cold Mountain, December 2003  /  (9) Julia Schlaepfer wearing this dress at the BAFTA Tea Party, 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.

• This dress is the silk version of the Fall 2000 final Look 54 shown in leather. 
• It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano
• This version was made in this silk for the shops. It is very rare and wonderful piece of his history.
• Where?This dress has the added modern provenance of being the actual dress worn by poet Rupi Kaur to the Vanity Fair and Elton John after parties for the 2024 Oscars.
• Amal Clooney recently wore a longer black version on the Cannes red carpet.
• The dress is made from an iridescent silk in a deep oxblood red. The iridescent quality of the fabric make it catch the light in the most incredible way. 
• Inside the dress there is a full built-in corset that has wired cups and extensive boning to hold you in place.
• The dress came to me with a thick, almost shoe lace like cord that was used to lace it up at the back and I love the contrast this gives. This is a detail however that is hidden from sight. The corset and its lace is all hidden inside the dress and then the dress zips to close over it.
• The dress is seamed vertically to create its beautiful lines.
• The shoulders are cut so they sit off the shoulder. The inner corset holds the dress tightly in place around the bodice and the breasts are pushed up from the internal cupping.
• It skims over the hips and then the skirt narrows inwards slightly before flaring back out.
• The lower skirt is set on an angled seam and has extra fabric to create that little fabulous flare that it has.
• The seaming at the back is incredible. On one side he has run a slightly curving seam sett on an angle from the top of one hip to the centre seam of the back. Attached along this seam is an extensive long curved panel that picks up the flare and curve of the skirt. This panel drapes lower down to past the hem.
• This is a rare opportunity for a beautiful piece of his early work that shows his love and devotion to corsetry and that Galliano flare we know and love.
• The inner corset is lined in the same silk and it is bone and cupped. It laces at the back. The rest of the dress is lined in a deep burgundy red silk. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. I see a couple of very tiny areas of darkening on the fabric but they are extremely minor. Please see the photos after the label shot.
• Tagged a vintage Galliano X
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup at the front
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 57" from top of the natural shoulder to hem and the panel extends another 7" past the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4693

Reference Photos/Videos: (1-10) Fall 2000 John Galliano, Look 54 (Final Look).  /  (11-12) Rupi Kaur in this dress for the Elton John Oscars Party, March 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.

• We have dated it to the Fall 1979 collection based on the reference and runway photos we found of pieces with similar fabric and cuts.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• I love that it feels like a throwback to the work of the original Mr. Dior and that it has such a beautiful feel of old world glamour to it.
• Bohan's work was integral to the labels development over the decades that he headed the atelier and this is a stunning example of his vision. Beyond that it is just an extraordinarily beautiful dress.
• I love the nod to the 1950s in this dress. It has that classic little New Look shape to it that we all love and associate with the house of Dior.
• At the front the neckline is squared off by how the sleeves are set into the dress combined with the straight across cut of the neckline. Across the front of the neckline it is detailed with a wide black silk ribbon that has a pretty bow at the front.
• The sleeves are a single layer of the silk netting are are covered with those pretty white sequins. They curve softly over the shoulders and fall just below the elbow. The transparency of the netting lets you see a glimpse of the skin underneath.
• At the back the netting angles down towards the centre of the back where they meet another wide black ribbon finish there as well.
• The bodice is gathered across and into a vertical strip of the fabric that is detailed with three rhinestone and crusted buttons.
• It skims over you to the waist with a boned and shaped interior.
• The skirt is gathered in all around the waist and there is a great amount of fabric in the skirt. This allows it to fall in those soft folds that you see but when you move it has incredible movement.
• The bottom is anchored by another wide finish of black silk satin ribbon that ties the entire dress together.
• I love that the entire dress is covered with hand sewn white sequins and there two secondary patterns worked through the netting that gives it added texture.
• It is incredibly beautiful and the photos don't truly convey the sense of texture the dress has in person. It is a stunning example of Dior from this time period that somehow manages to feel perfectly timeless.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk chiffon. It closes with a hidden set backer and a hook and eye at the inner waist stay. The interior of the bodice is lightly boned and shaped.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approx 17" and 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 18" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 50.5" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4686

Reference Photos: Fall 1979 Christian Dior.

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.

• Sophia Loren wore a green version of this dress to Cannes in 1989. Hers had a different neckline that met at the front where this one comes out at the side ps of the bodice so you get a cleaner feel. Both are gorgeous and the photos of Sophia really give a sense of how gorgeous this is once on the body.
• 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, 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.
• The dress 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.
• 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. A cluster of flowers sits at one side of the waist for the final perfect romantic touch.
• 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.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition.

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 side seam at the waist 
Total length: 33" from top of the bodice to the shortest part where it curve up at the front hem, 58" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4644

Reference Photo: Sophia Loren in Loris Azzaro at Cannes, 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.

• The twin of the dress walked the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 1992 Haute Couture runway as Look 47. 
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• It would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier,
• The dress 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 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 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 colour.
• Under that the skirt is fantastically full and the fullness 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.
• 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. 
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition with a notes above.

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: (1-4) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.  /  (5-6) 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.

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. 

Click here to see the full photo set of Marion in the fittings with Romeo, on her wedding day, see the Elle editorial, and read Marion's story about the experience >

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.

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.

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.

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and his trademark look soon developed. He became know for his extravagant use of colour, beading, sequins and avant garde ways of defining the body. 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 eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new cutting edge fabrics. This is a wonderful example of his work during this time period. We found a reference photo of an Azzaro dress with a very similar shoulder treatment and I think this one is even better.

This dress is nothing short of a bold and dramatic statement piece. The bodice is hand draped into soft rounded gathers over the bust. They continue all the way down under the bust to follow the curve of the body all the way to just below the hips. For this part of the dress he used a black stretch jersey that gives the dress it's fitted shape but also keeps it comfortable to wear. Inside the dress is one of his signature strapless underwire bras and this has been sewn into the dress for added support and shape. The top edge is shaped into a low sweetheart curve and the gathers are set to run horizontally down the body. Hand set vertical seams are tacked into place at points all the way around you to give the gathers a slight scooped feel and add length to offset the horizontal lines. It also keeps the gathers from adding bulk. Under that the skirt is set low and i is made out of a black textured silk that has a metallic finish. This is set over several layers of built in under skirting to help give and hold the volume you see in the skirt. On each outer side the panels of the skirt slightly lift up and away from the dress. To tie this into the top, the same fabric and swooping line is used to create that sweep of fabric on the one side of the bodice. I love how this flares out up and over the front portion of the shoulder. It is fabulous. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk with a built in bra though the bodice that hooks to close separately. It closes at the back with a painted metal and nylon zipper. The interior bodice is boned. Layers of tulle and silk underskirts under the low set skirt. The flame/fan detailing on the bodice has wire inside to hold it up. It would be easy to add additional wire or stiffening inside if you wanted it to really hold even taller then it does now. Hand finished throughout

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the inner waist stay hooks slightly smaller then that
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3680

Reference Photo: Model in Loris Azzaro, L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.

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

The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1982 show and I love that we found photos of it for you so you can see just how spectacular it is one and how the sleeves sit once on a body. This silhouette with its dramatic sleeves and full skirts was an important element for that season. It is just a stunning example of one of his most recognized looks.

The dress is made from a combination of two of his favorite fabrics, silk taffeta and silk velvet. These became signatures of his and ran through his collections from the start of his career to the finish. It is a stunning piece. The top is cut to skim over the bust with a scooped neckline at the front. It is seamed at the waist and then extends down over the top of the hips. There is an attached silk taffeta sash that wraps around the waist and cinches you in for added shape and detail at the waist. The sleeves are full with a beautiful sweeping cut that starts at the shoulders and remains full to just past the elbow. At that point the fabric changes to to a velvet. Four glossy dome buttons  detail the lower part of the sleeve. These are meant to be pushed up slightly to exaggerate that pouf of the upper sleeve even more. The skirt falls from under the velvet and it is beautifully full. The photos do not really do the amount of fabric in the skirt full justice. I love that under the top purple layer of silk there is a lining finished in a coral red silk taffeta. You don't see that inner layer when you are standing, but when you sit or move just right, you get that extra flash of color. It's a small detail that I am obsessed with. The fabric choices helps keep the intended shape and volume. Pieces by Yves from this time period have become an important piece of fashion history and having documentation like this one has makes it that much better. Excellent condition.

Fully lined through the bodice in a black silk satin. The skirt is lined in a deep red silk taffeta and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the side with a metal and nylon zipper and each cuff buttons to close. The sash is attached at the back. Slight flattening to the velvet here and there along the waist seam that is covered by the belt once on. Tagged a vintage YSL 40.

Sleeves: 29"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2856

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (3) Alice Englert wearing this dress for Harper's Bazaar, 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.