• This is a more modern piece by Giambattista Valli that I believe is from circa 2015.
• It was made under the creative direction of Giambattista Valli
• This is a fantastic day dress that is appropriate for the office but also can be worn to dinner or a cocktail events.
• The base of the dress is made from a stretch mix of silk and wool in a black that has a touch of charcoal feel to it. The stretch allows it to really form around the body but still feel extremely comfortable to wear.
• It is sleeveless and skims over the bodice. The waist nips in and is highlighted with a wide black grosgrain ribbon. From there it curves back over the hips.
• The skirt is cut in a chic pencil shape. A back vent lets you walk easily when wearing it.
• An attached panel runs down the front of the dress. This is made out of a wool that has a nubby thatched texture to it with little silver metallic lurex threads run through the fabric. It is subtle but really elevates the dress and is a beautiful added detail.
  
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a black hidden set zipper.
• Tagged a modern Valli 44
• Excellent condition

Bust: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from the top of the shoulder to the top of the 2" band at the waist
Total length: 39" from top of shoulder to hem with approx 1.5" turned under the ham

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5200

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 beautiful dress that was made for the shops in 2022.
• The dress was made under the creative direction of Sarah Burton.
• It is made from layers of an off-white ivory silk chiffon that float beautifully over the body. It is very loose and easy as it falls over you making it is easy to wear and very flattering.
• Tiny silk straps curve up and over your shoulder to connect at the sides of the bodice and back. I think with this one you also have the option that you could tuck the straps in and wear this as a strapless dress.
• The bodice is cupped and inside there are molded and wired inner cups attached to hold the shape and give you structure and support.
• Onto that is a beautiful and elaborate design that is made out of a braided silver thread, silver tube, beads, and prong set rhinestones and beads in various sizes. These are set over the bodice to form a design of leafs and vines that swirl across you. It is quite stunning.
• The silk chiffon falls under there and flows all the way down to the floor. The dress is in its original length and the movement the silk chiffon has is incredible. The fabric is so light that when you move it swirls around you. There are extra panels of the silk chiffon that are attached along the upper edge of the back and around slightly to the sides. These fall over the inner dress to the floor to give a beautiful caped feel to the back. 
• The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper. There is a built-in inner corset that is boned and cupped. I see a tiny repair near the hem of the skirt and there is a little bit of very minor pulling on the back silk chiffon panel where it has caught on the applique work at some point. Please see the photo after the label shot. The dress was never worn and is in its original length. It has its original hang tag attached.
• Tagged a McQueen 42
• Excellent condition

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with B-C cups built in
Seam under the bust: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of the shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 64" from the top of the shoulder to hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5196

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 superb Christian Dior dress made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan
• It is a wonderful example of the work being done during this time period and shows how well the label could be when it delved into a more minimal cut combined with that full out glamour.
• The dress has classic feel of the best of Old Hollywood and the closer you get to it the more you see the incredible and elaborate amount of detail that has been put into this fabric.
• The dress is made from a black silk net with a floral pattern worked through the lace. The flowers are edged in black silk cord and then it is beaded with an elaborate beading that follows the pattern
• The top beaded layer sits over a black silk chiffon layer. Under those is a nude silk chiffon inner layer that is backed in a black silk. Adding that nude layer gives the dress a bit of an illusion of wearing nothing underneath.
• The dress is suspended from two beaded straps that curve over each shoulder. The front neckline dips into a slight V and the back is a simple scoop.
• It is cut to skim over the body from bust to hips with no seaming to break the eye or the design created by the bead work. The shape of the dress is created by vertical seaming on the inner layers and then the top layer is shaped to follow. The skirt widens out a touch as it nears the hem.
• The lace netting is covered with an elaborate design made of glossy black beads in various sized along with black sequins. The design is heavier around the top the bodice, lightens in coverage as it goes over the hips and then becomes dense and heavy again at the hem.
• The sequins have been applied so that they are stacked and layered over each other to give a slight 3D feel.
• Small faceted beads follow other parts of the pattern and these are the same beads that are used to cover the straps. Tiny little seed beads are thrown into the mix and then there are square pailettes and oval faceted beads on a much larger scale to really create impact.
• The beads are all applied by hand and catch the light from every angle.
• The label on the dress is numbered and when you see that in a Dior Boutique label it most often meant that the piece was a special order or was a custom made order for a client in the atelier but fitted at the boutique store rather then in Paris.
• Fully lined as per the description above. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. Numbered tag. Perhaps the occasional bead missing but you would never tell because of the extent of the pattern. The slight bias cut will allow for a bit of movement in the measurements.
• There is no size tag so I have put the comfortable range of measurements below
• Excellent condition.

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5168

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

• This is original dress from the 1950s that is completely made by hand.
• It is an absolutely incredible example of the high level of hand work being done during that time period and you would be hard pressed to find anything modern done to this degree outside of true Couture pieces.
• The dress has hundreds of thousands of sequins and beads hand applied over every inch of its surface. The sequins are incredibly dense in the way that they have been applied. They are set so that they overlap each other to the point where they stand up and off the dress slightly. The black sequins were done in a swirling burst design and this lets it catch the light differently and creates the most amazing effect.
• Added to that is a floral design in pale pink, gold and greens that is also done in sequins. This wraps around the bodice and then runs down the entire skirt of the dress with the density of the design getting heavier as it near the hem.
• Added over that are coloured over-sized faceted beads have been applied by hand to add an extra bit of detail and sparkle to the dress. They are all jewel tones mixed with gold and copper and it is just incredible to see.
• The dress does have weight to it but it is perfectly balanced once it is on the body. 
• It has straps but can also be worn strapless. Inside there is a full built-in boned and cupped corset that holds the dress in place and adds shape. The waist is brought in by this corset and then the dress skims over the hips. As it falls to the floor it narrows down. There is an overlapping curved slit at the back that allows you to be able to walk in it.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silky rayon. The dress has an inner corset that hooks into place with a double row of metal lingerie hooks. The inner corset is boned and cupped. It is lightly tacked into the dress. I see some slight minor wear on the inside of the corset here and there. The dress zips to close over that. It is completely made by hand. My favourite detail is a handwritten tag with the name Edith that sits inside the hem. This is almost certainly the name of the burlesque dancer or showgirl dancer that would have worn the dress.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements below
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 53" from top of bodice to hem
Back slit: 26" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5170

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.

Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from neck to hem with the length adjustable by how tight or loose you tie it behind the neck

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5157

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

• Note that due to new customs regulations this dress can only ship to a Canadian address 
• The twin of the dress walk the runway for the Resort 2018 Prada runway as Look 19.
• It was made under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada.
• The dress is made from an inner silk chiffon, lace edged dress that you wear a silk organza and feather dress over top of that. The two dresses laying over each other is what creates the depth and airiness that you see.
• The inner dress is a pale ivory and the outer dress is a pale grey. The two together are absolutely beautiful.
• A nude pink silk edges the top of the outer dress and there is a layer of gold connected metal discs set under that.
• The fit is full and open through the body much like a 1920s flapper dress.
• There is a pleated organza that detail the hip area above the feathers. I love how she always adds these tiny details.
• Hand dyed feathers circle around the entire lower skirt and give it incredible volume. They move beautifully as you move.
• The inner dress slips onto to wear with a single button at the side of the bodice and the outer dress closes down the side with hidden set snaps
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition and it appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Inner Slip
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of the shoulder to hem

Outer dress
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 34" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5156

Reference Photo/Video: Resort 2018 Prada, Look 19. Model Aira Ferreira.

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 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.

• This is the second time that I have had this dress in the shop and I still love it as much now as I did then.
• The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 41 for the Spring 2013 collection.
• Vogue said of the Collection; "When Peter Dundas inherited this historic Florentine house—famous since the 1960s for its kaleidoscopic prints—he made reworked archival patterns a major part of his story line. Last season and this one, though, he's started inching away from them. These days, the label is just as well known for Dundas' confident, louche brand of glamour as it once was for its founder's graphic swirls and geometries." 
• It was one of three white dresses that close the show before the final red look. 
• The dress is made out of a light silk that is light in weight but just heavy enough to keep the structure. It is very close to a true white.
• The front neckline is done in a halter style with the upper part above the bust line finished an a white netting that has a secondary abstract print work through it. This allows you to see the skin underneath. The front is gathered over the breasts almost like a bandeau and seamed in the centre.
• Under that is an open cut out for a bit more skin to show.
• The dress curves in to follow the waist under that and and skims over the hips.
• The skirt falls to the floor and widens out quite a bit as it nears the hem. This gives the dress incredible movement when you walk and you get a sense of that in the runway video.
• I love the loose slightly draped pockets that sit on each hip.
• The back is mostly open with a criss cross of straps and an open cut out between the waist and the back strap.
• Decorative frog knots sit at the low waist for added detail.
• The dress is fully lined through the bodice and the skirt is unlined. It closes at the side with a hidden set zipper. Light boning and padding through the bodice.
• Because the upper body is lined and padded when it is off the body it feels like the fabric is a touch darker as it is completely opaque. Once on its fine and the lining is needed
• Tagged a modern Pucci IT42, FR38, US8, UK10.
• Excellent condition with some faint marks here and there around the hem.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from top of neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5127

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2013 Emilio Pucci Runway Look 41. Model Kasia Struss.

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

• From the Fall 2015 collection with references to its design on both the RTW Couture show.
• In 2015 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and PierPaolo Piccioli.
  
• The fabric is a silk that is heavy and has an almost fine wool suiting feel to it. The weight of the fabric is what holds the dress in place over you.
• The front is cut straight across the neckline and then it is brought starkly down the sides and set to sit just over the seam at the waist. This is repeated at the back with an addition of a long open keyhole that displays a slice of bare skin from neck to waist.
• This creates a rectangular cut out on either side from your shoulder to the waist. 
• You can wear it bare or you can lay this over top of something.
• The waist nips in and and the skirt falls to the floor or ankle depending on your height.
• There is an amazing amount of fabric used for the skirt. It is flat pleated all the way around your waist and then each of those pleats open up at about 3 1/2 inches under the waist line to the hem.
• Inside each the open pleat are four more top stitched knife pleats that gradually open as they reach the hem. The detail that this creates all the way around the skirt when you move is amazing. When you stand still everything falls like a normal pleated skirt but when you move and they start to open and you see all those top stitched inner pleats the entire thing just comes to life.
• It beautifully executed and even better in person.
• Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a button and loop at the back of the neck and a hidden set zipper that starts at the waist.
• Tagged a modern Valentino 40.
• It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
  
• Excellent condition

Bust: the sides are open and the bust covers 11.25" flat across
Slightly dropped waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4769

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 2014 Valentino Couture, Look 8. Model Malaika Firth.  /  (2) Fall 2015 Valentino, Look 40. Model Irina Djuranovic.

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.

• George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of silk done on a bias cut. He focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns 'seemed to float on air'.
• He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. The majority of his gowns are almost entirely made by hand and to couture standards. 
• The dress is made out of a feather light black silk that has tiny little red lines that highlight the cut and line of the dress. 
• The neckline is cut straight across and the dress is suspended from tiny straps that curve up and over the shoulders. 
• The bodice is more fitted and the waist nips in. 
• From there the skirt falls in this extravagant swoosh of bias cut silk to the floor. It skims over the hips and then widens out substantially by the hem.
• The striping is set on angles over the dress and helps to add shape. I love the unexpected red lining through the skirt that picks up on that red stripe. When you sit or move you get these little flashes of it that is fantastic. 
• There is a slight elastic around the top of the dress and I think you could wear this as a strapless piece and just tuck the little straps in if you wished.
• Fully lined in a red silk and it closes with a side set zipper. 
• Excellent condition and appears unworn.

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from the top of the shoulder to the waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem, with the inner lining extending slightly past the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5089

Reference Photo: Fall 1978 Stavropoulos 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.

• This is a signature bias cut dress from the Spring 2002 collection by John Galliano
• Made under the creative direction of John Galliano
• There are no closures on the dress. It is completely cut bias and you just slip it over the head to wear and it just falls into place skimming over the body from head to toe.
• The cut of the dress has a strong nod to Couture pieces of the 1930s and 1940s decades that he continuously referenced in his collections.
• The fabric has a silk like finish and is a deep black. Various Galliano logos have been woven directly into the fabric in a different finish thread so as you move these catch the light. The effect is fantastic once it is on the body.
• The fabric obviously would have been custom designed by Galliano and made specifically for this dress
• It scoops down into a V at the front and the back with a band highlighting the entire neckline. It skims over the waist and hips from there and flares out at the lower hem. 
  
• The back is cut longer than the front so you get this fantastic sweeping feel behind you. It is in its original uncut length.
• A high slit runs up one side for a flash of leg when you walk.
• Unlined and slips on to wear with no closures.
  
• The measurements have a lot of range because of the bias cut and no closure so I have given the comfortable range for all below when laying out flat. There is probably a little extra room beyond my measurements, but I do not like to over pull when measuring.
• Tagged a FR42, GB14, US8
• Excellent condition and it appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 16–19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14–17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18–21 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem and then it extends another 8" past that at the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5080

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.

• Circa late 1990s
• Under the creative direction of Gianni Versace
• A muted pastel salmon colour that is more pastel feeling in real life than how it photoed here
• The dress has a wide gathered band around the waist and a piece that is attached and loops in and behind one of the panels that form the top
• The panels are one piece of fabric that loops around the neck and the down to attach into the waist. You cross it over itself so that it goes behind the neck. You can then wear them high up on the shoulder or have it cape and fall over the upper arm.
• This leaves your entire back open and exposed
• The skirt has an inner piece that acts a partial lining. The outer skirt drapes over that and forms those interesting pocket like pieces on each hip. It then drapes inwards and down to the hem with a centre slit up both the front and back of the skirt
• It is a very interesting and an avant garde design
• The bodice is made of two layers of the same fabric and the skirt has a partial lining through the hips and the rest of the skirt is unlined.
• Tag a vintage Versace 42
• Excellent condition

Bust: each panel is 11" flat across from side to side
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: adjust depending on how you twist to wear it
Total length: approx 62" from neck to hem
Slits: approx 25" from the longest point of the hem to the top of the slit

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5037

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 using ornate beading, sequins, daring cut-outs 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. This is a stunning example of his work during the early seventies. We have had several examples of dresses from in and around 1973 that combined the same jagged 'flame' cuts with sequins. I have included some of those for you to see here. 

This is an amazing Azzaro. The skirt is made out of a black silk jersey that is cut on the bias and and falls to the floor. It widens out a touch as it near the hem. Topping this is the most amazing bodice. It is made from curving panels of sequins and the panels have been stitched and overlapped to create the shape that you see. When you realize that this all had to be pieced together in an exact way to create this, it seems that much more amazing. Panels covered in gold sequins extend up to wrap around the back of the neck. Those are covered by two panels of black sequins  at the front and then there is another black sequin panel on each side. The panels are stitched together to the waist so that they are one solid piece forming the bodice but where they hit the waist seam they fall freely beside each other. This is what gives the suggestion of the 'flame' feel. They extend past the waist seam by between eight and 9 inches adding some movement. The back scoops down so your entire upper back is left bare and exposed. Lots of hand finishes inside. It is a fantastic example of his work. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in black silky rayon through the bodice and a second layer of jersey through the skirt. A slit up one side. Closes with a back zipper and hooks behind the neck. Hand finishes throughout. 

Bust: each side of the bust covers 7" flat across from side to side
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: approx 60" from neck to hem
Slit: 17" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5014

Reference Photos: Reference Photos: (1-2) Marisa Berenson in a Loris Azzaro. October 1973. Photo: Michael Holtz.   /   (3) 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.  /  (4) Image from the book "Azzaro: Fifty Sparkling Years"  /  (5) Magazine spread featuring a model in Azzaro, 1973. / (6) Spring 1973 Loris Azzaro 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.

Note that due to new regulations this can only be shipped to a Canadian address

This is the twin of Look 27 from the runway and it is an exceptional piece of Gucci history. It was featured in Vogue that season on Natalia Vodianova and I love that these show you how great this is on the body. The Vogue review said 'The Gucci girl’s got legs—long, tan, flawless ones striding along on silver peep-toe sling-back pumps. Follow them all the way up, and around two weeks later, they eventually meet the hem of the minutest piece of clothing that was ever called a skirt or dress. For spring, in a word, Tom Ford says short. Using lustrous fabrics in subtle makeup colors from blush to tawny brown, pearly gray and silver, Ford draped and wrapped his gorgeous girls in clothes that navigated that dangerous Gucci line between innovation and vulgarity. The tousled hair, the jackets and tops poised to fall off shoulders—the whole presentation stirred sensations that fashion hasn’t felt since the last days of the great supermodels. Still, don’t think tacky. Ford’s obsession now is integrating fine workmanship into abbreviated silhouettes." The feather dresses were mentioned specifically; "He brought couture finesse to racer-back feathered dresses with the merest flip of a skirt....it was a confident statement in the power of glamour. And fashion needs that.' To this day this is one of the most recognizable of his pieces. 

This dress is thought of as one of the top ten Gucci pieces that Tom Ford designed. The dress is meant to be worn very short and daring. It shows off miles of legs. The top plunges low at the front and the back curves in to create a racer-back leaving your back bare on either side. It skims over the waist and hips and then flares out at the skirt. The skirt has two tiers of feather detailed ruffles and this extra little flounce gives it movement when you move. It is made from two layers of weightless silk with a silk grosgrain ribbon edging. The feathers are a mix of a dyed soft pale yellow mixed with some soft light taupe natural feathers for depth and interest. I took a photo of the back of the silk of the skirt and you can see that each feather was hand placed onto the silk  Vogue referenced couture in the review I added above. It snaps to close under the ribbon at the side so there is no break anywhere with a zipper. It just looks like it somehow magically formed it on you. It is an incredible piece of Tom's history with the brand. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a pale taupe nude silk chiffon and has hidden set snaps at the  side to close. Tagged a YSL 42. Some of the ends of the feathers have separated a bit on the natural spots it curves but this is just part of aging for a piece like this. I don't consider this a flaw but its mentioned for accuracy.

Bust: approx 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with open sides. each halter is 6" wide at its widest point
Under-bust to waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hips: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from neck to hem but can be pulled up as short as you want

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4001

Reference Photos/Video: (1-8) Spring 2003 Gucci Runway Collection, Look 27. Model: Louise Pedersen.  /  (9) Natalia Vodianova, wearing Gucci, Vogue, February 2003. Photo by Steven Klein.

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 program notes told the audience of the Spring 2009 runway show that Mcqueen had been thinking of Charles Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest and 'the deleterious results of industrialization on the natural world'. The show was title 'Natural Dis-tinctions, Un-Natural Selection' and the McQueen book notes that 'the cat walk was filled with antique taxidermy, including an elephant giraffe tagger zebra and polar bear, in an art space that was formally of Paris morgue.' The twin of the dress was a part of the second portion of the show that was meant to 'continue to draw inspiration from natural forms, flowers, crystals and minerals, but here they were engineer with a hard as an enhanced to convey the synthetic qualities associated with modernity and human touch. Prints were angular and invoked crushed crystal, metallic structures such as the Eiffel tower and a granite mountain that was borrowed from a Dan Holdsworth triptych.' This collection was noted as being one of his most commercial to date during this time period and these print pieces especially had instant appeal.

This is a very recognizable piece that can instantly  identify as being a McQueen. The colours are amazing. The fabric is almost like a neoprene in the way it looks and feels and yet it is not a true neoprene. It is lighter and thinner with just enough weight to it to hold the shape but without it feeling restrictive on the body. The shape is built into the dress beginning at the shoulders. Each is lightly padded so that they sit up on top of the shoulders. It skims over the bust, nips in at the waist and then curves out at the hips. Even when laying flat you can see the shape built into the dress. At the neckline there is a keyhole that has a nude netting in behind it. I love the way that the seams at the hip curve in and over the waist to just under the bust. This precise seaming and cut are all done to give that exact shape that he wished the piece to have. When styled on the runway with the plastered hair around the face it had an almost alien feel to it that was fantastic. The dress looks to have never been worn and is in mint condition. It is an extraordinary piece of Alexander McQueen history and having a runaway pieces from him in the shop are always an exceptional thing. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a ivory tissue silk and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 38. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for an A-small B cut at the front
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 32" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4360

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2009 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 24. Model Alex Sandor.  /  (3) Page from the book 'Alexander McQueen' edited by Claire Wilcox.

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 began his own label in 1984 and he was instantly a bit of a 'boy wonder' in fashion. He was British Fashion Council Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1991 he made his Paris catwalk debut. In 1995 he was asked to head Givenchy and then went to Dior in October of 1996. His work, especially the bias cut pieces that he did, have a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and they are beautifully cut. They marry Old Hollywood with the minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and the results are stunning. This is an amazing example of his work from the Spring 2006 season and it is gorgeous. This dress was a piece made for production and is a more minimalist version of the dress that walked the runway for Look 40 that season. It has all the things we love about his work presented in a beautifully chic and minimalist package that still has that strong impact of colour that the runway version had.

The dress is made out of a feather light silk chiffon that moves beautifully over the body. It is all cut on the bias so is easy to wear. I love the cut of the bodice. Twisted silk chiffon straps extend out from a peak at the centre front. They curve up and around the neck and then they fall down each side of your back. The entire back is scooped low so you have this bare expanse of skin showing. It drapes over the bodice and skims over the waist with an easy more generous feel. A gathered band of the silk chiffon is wrapped around the top of the hips and a long tie extends down all the way to the hem from where that attached sash meets at the side. From there the dress drapes to the the floor and widens out a touch as it nears the hem. A slit runs up one side of the skirt and this allows the silk to catch the air and move easily around you as you walk. The seaming is a nod to the work you see from the twenties and thirties. The colour and the way that it changes as it moves down the dress is of course one of the most important elements of the piece. It starts out to be a soft taupe at the top and then gradually changes to a pale pink to a vivid pink around the lower skirt and ends in a deep dusty fuchsia. It is stunning to have this brilliant pop of colour. A signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side for the perfect finish. 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. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a matching taupe silk and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. The bias cut allows some movement in the fabric and I have put the comfortable range when laying flat below. Tagged a vintage Dior F40, GB12, IT44, US8

Bust: 16.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 63" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4953

Reference Photos/Video: (1-7) Spring 2006 Christian Dior, Look 40. Model Michelle Buswell.  /  (8) Monica Bellucci wearing Dior at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

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.

In 1952, Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season, he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman stores and was eventually available at other retailers as well. The line was high end and extremely well made. He launched this line to expand his customer base and it made to appeal specifically to his non-couture clients. This label continued until 1992. This dress is a gorgeous example from the time period. I love it. 

The dress is a fantastical confection of dotted silk organza tiers that run from the top of the dress to the hem. The bodice is suspended from the shoulder with straps made of the same silk. Each strap curves over the shoulder and then the first ruffle of silk starts from around the top edge of the top. The neckline is cut fairly straight across on both the front and back. The ruffles continue down the entire length of the dress and each one gets wider than the one above it. There are eight ruffles in total and it is just spectacular. The movement that the ruffles create as you move is fantastic. The dress underneath is made from the same dotted fabric and it also follows that widening line of the dress all the way to the hem. The skirt falls to the floor in a dramatic sweep that widens out as it near the floor. This cut is incredibly easy to wear and flattering. I love how the silk ruffles move around you beautifully with the slightest movement. There is a little silk flower attached at the base of one strap that gives the dress a little extra pop of colour for the perfect finishing touch. Tons of hand finishing throughout. It is truly magical. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a red silk and closes with a back set zipper and then each tier has tiny snaps to close each of the ruffles over the zipper to hide it. Tagged a vintage Givenchy 8. I see one tiny hole near the hem of one ruffle near the bottom. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finishes throughout. 

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner seam under the bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4935

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.

No matter how good you think that this dress looks like in photos it is even better in person and moving. The heavy copper / gold coloured metal wire and rhinestones that were used to create the pattern on the silk catch the light from every angle when you move. The dress is made out of the palest ballet pink silk. The dress is cut on the bias so it just glides over the body. It buttons down the back in a row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons and it is cut to just fall over you in a sweep of bias cut silk. The dress is suspended from the shoulders by two tiny silk straps and the front falls over the bust with a V neck plunge at the front and the back. The dress skims over the waist and hips with seams that are reminiscent of the couture dresses of the thirties. All are done so that the bias cut of the silk follows your curves and highlights the body underneath without it being too tight and fitted. Once past the hips the dress flares out as it nears the bottom and it is incredibly full. A wide panel circles all the way around the lower skirt and there is stiffened netting placed behind it so that it holds the fullness around you. When you walk or move the skirt kicks out to add beautiful movement and volume. The final perfect detail is that spectacular design made out of a combination of metal wire in a deep copper gold tone. This is set so that it curves up and off the silk for a 3D effect. Prong set rhinestones are scattered in and among the designs on the bust and around the hips. These catch the light beautifully as you move. It is just wonderful. Over all great condition with a note below

Fully lined with a pale pink silk chiffon and closes with the buttons down the back. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. The bias cut of the dress should work on a range of sizes. On smaller frames it will drape more and be more fitted on larger frames. The very slightest yellowing to the silk here and there and around the waist area in particular. You can see it in the photos presented and I would say the photos make it look worse than it is in real life. I see a couple of loose threads and missing beads at the back. Very minor. Tagged a Cavalli XS

Bust: 14-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from top of shoulder to front hem, 70" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4825

Reference Photo: Jaime Tisch attends a preview gala dinner for the Metropolitan Museum's "Wild: Fashion Untamed" exhibition, hosted by fashion designer Robert Cavalli, on December 6, 2004.

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 Look 54 leather dress that Galliano sent down the runway for the final look of that show. This version was made in this silk taffeta for the shops. It is very rare and wonderful piece of his history. 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. This is a rare and early Galliano that is one of the best I have seen. 

The dress is made from an iridescent silk taffeta in a deep oxblood red. The iridescent quality of the fabric make it catch the light in the most incredible way that you could imagine. It doesn't need a single embellishment because of the fabric choice. This is one of John's classic corseted pieces. 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 so there is no horizontal seam to break the eye. 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. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The inner corset is lined in the same silk and it is bone and cupped. It laces at the back as described above and seen. 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. This is exactly how the dress was worn on the red carpet so they have no impact on the wearability of the dress at all. Please see the photos after the label shot. 

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 inches 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.

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. 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 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.

This dress is from the Fall 2014 collection and when Fausto did a series of these in every colour combination you could think of they sold out worldwide and seemed to be everywhere on all of the fashion people. His forst collection debuted in 2006 and Italian fashion editor Anna Dello Russo started to wear his pieces everywhere and is largely responsible for bringing his work to the spotlight. His style during this time period has been called Greco-Roman glitz which to me is the perfect way to describe pieces like this. This dress is fantastic and you can see how amazing it is on the body on the reference editorial shot that we found.

The dress is absolutely gorgeous. It's made out of a light wool that has a slight texture to it finished. It mixes the six different colours that makes it up with a masterful hand. The bodice is a pale purple, and it has lemon straps that are wide and curved up and over the shoulders to meet the back. Around the waist at the front, there's a wide panel of ivory that plays double duty to also not only anchor the shape of the dress, but provide a beautiful backdrop to that huge metal and rhinestone medallion that sits at the front. The band at the back is a beautiful spring green and then you have black panels that wrap around the hips to the back zipper on either side. The skirt is a deeper purple at the front and that same pretty yellow at The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made and that piece of jewellery at the front combined The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made, and that piece of jewellery at the front just gives it combined. with that masterful mix of colours, gives it fine but sexy feel. It's an incredible mix of sexiness glitz and a sense of lightness and fun. its gorgeous on the body and I love it. Excellent condition with one small note below 

The bodice is fully lined in an ivory silk, and there is light boning at the sides. It closes with a back hidden, set zipper and an inner waist stay snapped to close. A touch of a mark on the inner lining. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged modern a US6, UK10, IT42, FR38

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 31.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 5.25" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4629

Reference Photo: Model in Fausto Puglisi for En Vie Fashion Magazine, July 2014.

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 using ornate fabrics 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 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 utilized the same jagged flame pattern and sequins against silk chiffon. This one actually looks like a sleeveless version of the one shot on Marisa Berenson. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces from.

This is a gorgeous dress. It is really one that will come to life even more once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins and these catch the light from every angle. This covers you from that jagged design on the bodice down and over the hips. The sequins extend right from the flame design at the front and then are set in long vertical rows to the hem. The top of the bodice is a single layer of black silk chiffon. This bit of transparency  adds an incredibly sexy feel. He used that same silk chiffon down the back where it dips into a low scoop. I love the way that the jagged flame pattern defines the bust and that low scoop at the back. A high slit up one side lets you have the perfect flash of skin when you walk or sit. It is fabulous once on an actual body. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body in a black silk and it zips to close at the back.

Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under
Slit: 19.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD4403

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. / (7) Spring 1973 Loris Azzaro 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.

Geoffrey Beene was one of the most awarded designers in the US. There is a currently an exhibit running of his work for the 2023 year titled MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene. I wanted to share the exhibit notes because they sum his career so well saying 'At his core, Beene was a fashion rebel who ignored trends, instead preferring to design garments that began as geometric shapes and evolved into silhouettes that moved naturally with the human form. His intuitive understanding of the body informed fashions that were unparalleled in their combination of luxury, thoughtful design, and comfort. Beene’s colorful, imaginative creations have been recognized with many accolades, including eight Coty American Fashion Critics Awards and three Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards. His work has also been celebrated through various exhibitions at institutions across the nation.'

This was a favoured silhouette of Geoffrey Beene that he was doing primarily through the late 1980s and into the very early 1990s. When looking through some of the images from the exhibit on his work there were dresses with very similar cuts from the 1990 season. It is a very pretty dress and very striking once on. The bodice is strapless and then it is completely covered in overlapping glossy black sequins at the front. At the back it is the same silk taffeta as the rest of the dress and I love how part of that extends and wraps around to the front just under the bust. This is all attached and adds a beautiful detail that really reflects his work from this time period. The bodice is meant to be fitted and has light boning inside to hold it in place. The top of it dips in the center and peaks slightly on either side to emphasize the bust. The waist is nipped in and then from there the skirt is cut beautifully full to the hem. The silk is all gathered into the waist and this is what helps give it that shape that you see. I love the oversized floral print that covers the silk and how there are these little woven dots running over the very top of the silk. These catch the light differently and are also a subtle nod to his love if dots in his work. Inside there is a black silk lining and the edge of that lining is finished with a sequin detailed lace. This peaks out from below the curving hem of the skirt  and ties all the elements of the dress together. The dress can be worn on its own or with the matching shawl piece that is original to the dress. This extra wide shawl is caught up at each end in an elaborate twisted fabric flower that anchors it and allows it to open between for the volume you see. It can be worn numerous ways and I have photoed some of those here. You could also wear it over the head for a very glamorous look. It is so pretty. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a fine black silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Ribbon finished hem. Light boning through the bodice. The shawl is unlined with no closures

Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top to waist
Skirt: 36" from waist to longest points of hem
Shawl: 100" x 46.5"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4353

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 am now on the second batch of very interesting pieces that are coming from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made. This dress was most likely made by 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. She also did buy Haute Couture pieces from the ateliers so this may be an actual Yves Saint Laurent. She tended to remove the labels from the actual couture pieces from the ateliers. Either way it is absolutely the twin of the Fall 1980 piece that we all know of. There are so many references to this particular dress it was almost hard to include them all. It has been exhibited, photoed and is in several books on Yves' work. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is beautiful. A truly iconic piece of couture 

The dress is made from a combination of that gorgeous patchwork appliqué for the skirt and a black silk velvet for the top. These fabric choices allow the dress to hold the beautiful lines that you see. The dress is absolutely stunning and a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. At the front the neckline is scooped and cut wide across. The sleeves extend out from the shoulders and taper down slightly as they reach each wrist. The bodice is made out of a silk velvet and is cut to skim over you. The waist is seamed and brought in further by the matching pink silk sash. This adds shape and I love the strong band of vibrant pink there. It compliments and allows the colours in the skirt to really pop The skirt is set into the waist in a series of soft gathered pleats that allow for the fullness that you see. The skirt curves gracefully away from the hips and widens out to be quite full as it nears the floor. It has an incredible amount of volume with several yards of the base black silk taffeta used in its construction. Onto the base fabric are those incredible patchworks. Each has been individually applied and they are fabrics that range from silks to velvets to crepes. It is incredible. All of the volume is created by the cut and the fabric alone. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. I took a detail shot for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and just beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

The bodice is fully lined in a black silk and the skirt is unlined. It 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. The pink silk sash belt is original to the dress. slight wear here an there to the bottom edge of the skirt. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. 

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 18" 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 bodice to waist
Skirt: 4" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3807

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 1980 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Collection. (Book photo from "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: Catwalk".   /  (3) F/W 1980 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Collection Board.  /  (4-6) Henri Matisse Homage in the Yves St. Laurent Style is Eternal Exhibition, Bowes Museum, 2015.

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