This late 1940s topper is very chic and dramatic. Elmar Designs was a small millinery shop that operated out of New York from the 1940s to the 1960s. One of their hats is held in the Indianapolis Museum of Art's permanent collection and they seem to have centered primarily around making hats with veils. This example of their work is quite charming. The top portion is a flat disc that has deep charcoal grey and black feathers placed around an center midpoint. Detailing the midpoint is a little spay of feathers placed to hide the ends of the ones that extend out and around the head. Under this is a little silk net veil that dips down to just past the cheeks. There is a little black velvet bow that scoops the netting up at one side and you can really play with the placement of it to create different looks. It is very chic and film noir. Excellent condition

The veil is 27" around and about 8" deep from the crown. 

Item# A390

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

This is a spectacular little embroidered silk Chinese export shawl from the twenties or even a little earlier. The floral design on it is particularly bright and vivid. It has the most brilliant pops of color that are perfectly offset by the black silk backdrop. The design that runs over it is a spectacular explosion of flowers and trailing vines that follow the curve of the shawl. The colors are as vibrant as the day it was done. Very dramatic and so wearable. Its curved shape allows you to drape it over the shoulders and wear it as an evening cape or use it in your home as a show-stopping accessory. I love the fringed edges and the way the back is flipped over and held in place by that huge tassel made of black cording. The stitching appears to be primarily machine stitch with some finishes done by hand. Excellent condition

It is edged all the way around with a 6" inch hand knotted silk fringe border. The fringe is in great condition with minor wear/tangles to the ends which is normal for these. It measures 72" from end to end including the fringes and is 26" high at the center point.

This was lovingly stored properly and is in excellent condition despite being almost 100 years old now. Any wear is natural patina and only adds to the beauty of this fabric.

Item# C575

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 Chanel hat is from the Fall of 1996 and it is gorgeous. I found a editorial shot of Stella Tenant wearing a version of it that was shot by Karl himself. The hat is so dramatic and easy to wear. It is meant to sit lightly on the top of the head and then you can play with which direction you want the feathers to face. It can be worn with the feathers towards the front, either side, or to the back and sit as high or low as you want. This gives it so much versatility in styling it and the feel of it completely changes depends on how you place it on your head. It has its original attached comb in place. The feathers are full and glossy. It is stunning. Excellent condition

Secures to the head with a comb. The base is a black felt wool. Because of the half hat / cap design is should fit any size head. Each side of the triangle shape measures about 8" long.

Item# A339

Reference Photo: Stella Tennant by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Fall 1996.

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

Philip Treacy was discovered by Isabella Blow in 1989. She was fundamental to introducing him to the fashion houses and Treacy quickly became known world wide. Vogue declared him as "perhaps the greatest living milliner", he was the first milliner in 80 years to be asked to exhibit during the Paris shows and his work is held in major museums worldwide. His work has graced the runways of Givenchy, Chanel and Valentino and earned him an OBE in 2007. I have three hats from my client who had each one made for her during the time period of 2001 -2006. Each comes with its original box and each is in perfect condition

This amazing hat one is a pale ivory color and it is made out of parasisal straw which is a fine natural straw woven from the fibres of the sisal plant, a type of agave. This straw is used in haute couture millinery because of its high quality and smooth weave and ability to take on color. Here he has hand blocked it onto a high crown that slants towards the front. The brim is wide and flat for extra drama. Wrapped around the base of the crown is a hand made wide ivory silk band. At one side towards the back there is a fluff of soft white feathers and then a spray of long ivory stiffened feathers that jaunt up and back. It is very hard to photo this color and the hat in person is even better than how it photoed. It is gorgeous in person. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a bespoke piece from one of the preeminent hat designers of this century. Excellent condition

Has an ivory silk inner band with a strip of ivory velvet at the inner front for comfort when wearing. Has its original box with its hat form inside. The hat appears to have never been worn. The box was what it was shipped in so it has some scuffs and two of the corners of the lid have been taped.

Item# A383

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

Philip Treacy was discovered by Isabella Blow in 1989. She was fundamental to introducing him to the fashion houses and Treacy quickly became known world wide. Vogue declared him as "perhaps the greatest living milliner", he was the first milliner in 80 years to be asked to exhibit during the Paris shows and his work is held in major museums worldwide. His work has graced the runways of Givenchy, Chanel and Valentino and earned him an OBE in 2007. I have three hats from my client who had each one made for her during the time period of 2001 -2006. Each comes with its original box and each is in perfect condition

This one is the softest possible pale pinkish color and it is made out of parasisal straw which is a fine natural straw woven from the fibres of the sisal plant, a type of agave. This straw is used in haute couture millinery because of its high quality and smooth weave and ability to take on color. Here he has hand blocked it into a high crown with a jaunty little curve and peak at the top. The brim is slightly asymmetrical and curved gently down to highlight the face. Wrapped around the base of the crown is a hand made straw band that has been hand dyed to a soft red. This wraps and then ties in a curling detail at the front. It is beautiful. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a bespoke piece from one of the preeminent hat designers of this century. Excellent condition

Lined in an ivory silk with a strip of ivory velvet at the inner front for comfort when wearing. Has its original box with its hat form inside. The hat appears to have never been worn. The box was what it was shipped in so has some marks from the packing tape, scuffs and a dent in a corner.

Item# A381

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

This is an incredible belt by Yves Saint Laurent and dates to the time period from when he was creating his famous Russian collection. You can see in the reference photos how this style of belt was used in a variety of colors and finishing details to perfectly set off the collection. This one is a wider cut, more dramatic version of the other two that I have in the shop right now. The main belt part of it is made out of a black canvas on a black leather base combination. It is trimmed with a gold metallic flat piping and gold metallic rick rack and then has a long black and gold braided ties. At the end of each tie is a 4" black tassel. The tie part is not attached to the belt so to wear you simply wrap it around yourself and then use the hooks at each end of the belt to hook and tie it at the front. It can top just about anything and its wider width really defines the waist. This is an important piece of fashion history and a rare find. Excellent condition

Marked a brand size 2 and measures 25.5" from end to end of the actual belt part and then the braided tie is 54" long. The belt itself is 3.25" wide. Perhaps a touch of grubbiness to the braiding but no true flaws

Item# A373

Reference Photos: (1) F/W 1976-77 Yves Saint Laurent evening ensembles from The MET Collection online.  /  (2) 1977 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Ad.  /  (3) 1976 Yves Saint Laurent Peasant collection for American Vogue.

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

This is an incredible belt by Yves Saint Laurent and dates to the time period from when he was creating his famous Russian collection. You can see in the reference photos how this style of belt was used in a variety of colors and finishing details to perfectly set off the collection. This one is a beautiful cool red canvas on a red leather base combination. It is trimmed with a red, white and blue braiding with long red and blue braided ties. At the end of each tie is a knot and a large glossy red bead. It simply wraps and ties at the front and can top just about anything. This is an important piece of fashion history and a rare find. Excellent condition

Marked a brand size 2 and measures 25" from end to end of the actual belt part and then the braided ties extend a 21" on either side. The total length including the ties is 67". The belt itself is 2.5" wide. Perhaps a touch of grubbiness to the braiding but no true flaws

Item# A372

Reference Photos: (1) F/W 1976-77 Yves Saint Laurent evening ensembles from The MET Collection online.  /  (2) 1977 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Ad.  /  (3) 1976 Yves Saint Laurent Peasant collection for American Vogue.

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 belt is from the 1974 season and has the correct D stamp within a circle for that year. This is a classic and  very chic Hermes belt. It is made of a deep brown crocodile leather and has the signature H buckle. The skin is still very supple, soft and shows no signs of dryness or cracks. The buckle is a gold metal and these would have been gold plated during this time period. To close the belt it just hooks into please under the buckle. Belts from this time period are quite rare and this one is in excellent condition with just a hint of natural patina to the hardware and leather. This just adds to its vintage appeal. Excellent condition

The belt is just under 32" from end to end x 75" wide. The buckle is 1.5" x 1". The belt is currently set to fit a about a 28" waist and can be adjusted up or down accordingly. There is only one hole to hook the buckle into and the size is all done by adjusting the other end. All appropriate stamps and blind marks. Authentic and appears to have been worn very little. There is a bit of a bend to the leather that is turned under the buckle from being adjusted to different lengths over the years but the leather is not cracked.

Item# A351

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 the second collection of headpieces for Shrimpton Couture, designed and made by hand by the talented Lucia Echavarría of the Magnetic Midnight label. Both this collection and the first that we did together draws its inspiration from some of the most famous headpieces in fashion’s history. Each collection, along with each individual headpiece, is exclusive to Shrimpton Couture.

This collection has been named Egyptomania and Lucia drew her inspiration from ancient Egyptian art and its presence in our cultural imagination. Egyptomania was a term used for the fascination with all things Egyptian in the nineteenth century, a fascination that spread to architecture, art and literature. The movement culminated in the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922; after which, Egyptian motifs pervaded modern culture, art and fashion, becoming an integral part of the language of Art Deco. Cleopatra, its most famous queen, and her countless portrayals in art, literature and film throughout history, equally embodies this fascination with a magnificent past.

Each of the twelve pieces in the collection plays tribute to the dialogue between old and new in a palette combining rich black and gold velvet with gold sequins, mirrors and beads with hints of turquoise, coral and blue. Each is a one of a kind, made by hand masterpiece that feels modern yet evocative and like an incredible vintage find that is both timeless and unique.

The Sphinx headpiece features stacked wood and metal beads and a black velvet base. This piece is entirely handmade and a one off. As a result it may have slight imperfections, which only add to the uniqueness of the piece. To clean any mirrored surfaces, please gently and carefully wipe with a soft cotton cloth moistened with alcohol. In order to protect this piece, please store it in the hard-sided box that it will ship in.

Measures 9" total height from bottom of band to the top x 9" total width. The height from the center of the band to the top is 2.75". The size of the band can be adjusted to fit any size.

Item #MM2-4

Iradj Moini is a renowned designer of couture jewelry with work and/or exhibited in several museums around the world including, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre Museum. This is a particularly beautiful piece that blends fresh water pearls with citrine, semi-precious stones and mother of pearl. Eight full strands of pearls circle the neck and meet at the huge brass clasp. This is a Iradj signature and the clasp on this piece is especially beautiful. It is adorned with stones, crystals and mother of pearl to form a beautiful spray of large flowers. The clasp slides into itself to close and the necklace is signed. Excellent condition.

Measures 16" from end to end and the clasp is approx 2.5" x 1.75"

Item# A333

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

-- Yves Saint Laurent, 1977.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the most influential fashion designers of our time and his jewels have as much relevance as his clothing. He created exquisite jewellery to complement each of his collections and the creations that incorporate poured glass and the vivid colors of his collections are among the most coveted.

This is an exceptional piece with an over-sized fringe tassle that I believe is a Coppola e Torro detail that is also combined with poured glass. YSL has his jewellery created by many different sources and Torro did many pieces For The Haute Couture designers including Elsa Schiaparelli, Valentino, Pucci, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Ken Scott And Roberta Di Camerino. I believe this is one such piece. It is  large - the dangling pendant/brooch measures a full 6 inches long and 3 inches across the top portion. This pendant piece slips onto that a thick gold knot chain with a hook and once detached can be worn as a brooch. A very unusual combination. The round accent pieces are a mix of opaque and a more translucent poured glass, combining an opaque coral with blue and green. The tassel is feels like glass beads and are strands of green with each ending in a single red bead. It i s a beautiful piece of costume jewellery.

The pendant is 3" wide x 6" long and the chain is 16" with a slip closure. The logo plate can be found on the back of the pendant. The pendant has a large brooch closure as shown.

Item# A332

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