Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. The dress is from his main label and these were made to couture standards. It is incredible to see in person and it will really come to life once on an actual body. We found a very similar dress held at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and it lets you see just how wonderful the dress will be once on. 

The dress is a showstopper. It is made out of a deep red coloured lace that is then detailed with cording that wraps around the edges of the floral design on the lace. Then he added tiny little rhinestones that are fused to the fabric of the larger flower patterns to give the dress an subtle bit of added glitz. The bodice is cut to skim over you with an inner silk lining in the same shade of red. The sleeves and neckline at both the back and the front are not lined so you get a little glimpse of the skin underneath the lace. The waist is not seamed so there is no line to break the eye. It simply comes in to suggest shape and then flares out to the skirt underneath. The skirt skims over the hips and then widens out as it nears the floor. I love the high low effect that the skirt has. It is cut to be shorter at the front and then the hem curves back and around you where it extends out to a trained effect at the back. All of the edges are scalloped to follow the pattern and shape of the designs in the lace. The inner construction of this dress is as good as the exterior. It is fully lined in a red silk and then the back of the skirt has an added layer of stiffened net tulle to help hold the shape and volume. The inside is exquisitely constructed and it is all hand finished. This is a stunning dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a fine deep red silk. The skirt is finished with attached inner tulle skirting. It closes with a hand set back metal zipper. At some point a repair was done to the edge of the inner tulle of the skirt ad there is an area missing in the tulle just above the hem. This does not affect the dress in anyway. Otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from neck to front hem, 64" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3813

Reference Photos: Fall 1986 Arnold Scaasi dress from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston collection.

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

This is an extraordinary example of the Haute Couture work that the Versace Atelier is capable of. A statement on their website reads ‘With exceptional attention to detail, every Atelier Versace garment is handmade by skilled Sarte—dressmakers—for a finish that is superbly intricate and bespoke to the wearer.’ And that quickly sums up the ideal that is the foundation of this dress. After much research, I believe it to be from in or around 1995. The detailing on the bust is extremely similar to the iconic pieces that he did for the Spring 1995 show and after showing it to several people that feels like the general consensus. This dress is almost certainly a one off and that would make it the only one in existence. Every inch of the dress is completely made by hand and the beading alone would have taken hundreds and hundreds of hours. It is very beautiful and a work of art. It is the type of thing something that you would rarely see outside of a museum if you were not an existing Haute Couture client.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful dress. The workmanship and detail on this surpasses almost every pieces that I have seen in person to date. The dress is suspended from two silk satin piped straps that curve over each shoulder. The bust is detailed with silk satin cups that have slight inner padding and are topstitched to create the shape that you see. These are set so that they look like a bralette that is  peeking out from under the lace but they are integral and a part of the dress. Inside the bodice there is a hand made corset that has wired and hand padded cups, light boning and is made form a fine stretch lingerie netting. This sits independently inside the bodice and is attached by hand around the inner upper edge. This holds the dress perfectly in place on the body and gives you support while not restricting the movement of the silk as it cascades over you. The exterior silk has a touch of transparency to it and then the detailing on the dress is cleverly used to give it some opaqueness in spots. The cut of the dress is meant to skim over the body. It shows your curves but not in a way that constrained at any spot once you are past the insets at the bust. The waist is brought in by hidden vertical seaming and then it glides over the hips. From there it falls to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. It is longer at the back than the front and I love that the back hem is finished in the same pattern that runs over the dress. This gives it this jagged flame-like finish that is stunning and unusual. This edging detail is carried around to the front to a lesser degree for added detail there as well. You also see this finish at the upper back. The fabric is amazing in it’s own right. It is completely hand beaded with hundreds of thousands of the tiniest black seed beads. Onto the base fabric are hand cut pieces of silk that are layered two and three deep in some places. These are also beaded and the beading changes in density to add to and highlight the design created. It is incredible. Even more incredible is that even on areas laying under those added cut out in all the spots that are hidden as a result and that you would never see... even there the fabric has been beaded. On one of the detail photos I lifted up the layers so that you can see this. It shows you how in Haute Couture even the smallest details are thought out and no expense has been spared. The beading and layering of the silk and the way it is laid out over the dress also cleverly adds shape and length. And because it is Versace, there is a high slit on one side, so that when you walk or sit you get a flash of bare skin. I cannot convey my love for this piece enough. It really is a spectacular example of Italian Haute Couture. A modern couture gown down with bead work to this degree would easily be well into 6 figures and in some cases close to seven. It is spectacular.  It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

The dress has a built in inner corset made by hand from a stretch lingerie netting that has lightly padded hand made cups and is lightly boned. The corset closes with its own zipper. The dress is lined in black silk chiffon. It closes with a hidden set zipper and the inner corset has a hook and eye waist stay. The dress is finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand. The proper Haute Couture label is present. The bias cut of the dress does allow for a bit of a range range of measurements and I have listed those below to the comfortable range laying flat where that applies. Note that due to the value of this dress returns will not be accepted so that it ships only one time.

Click here to see a video unpacking of this dress & click here to see a full video of this dress on the form.

Bust: 16.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem and 75” to longest point of back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4256

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 Haute Couture dress that came to me from the niece of the original couture client and is unlabeled. In our hunt for more information on it we found the runway photos from the 1979 Yves Saint Laurent dress and you instantly see that it is its twin in all ways except for the length. It is always the prerogative of the couture client to change some elements of the dress to suit their needs and in this case, this woman attended many functions where a full length dress was required. She frequented the Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro ateliers. She often removed the labels to avoid customs and it is fantastic to be able to verify which designer and collection this one is from as many of the records she kept were lost. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is incredible. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body.

The dress is made from a crisp black silk and this fabric choice allows it to hold those beautiful lines that you see. It's beautiful shape is a testament to the level of workmanship that you only see in true couture pieces. At the front the neckline dips into a V and the dress is vertically seamed to follow the curves of the body. The sleeves are amazing. Each is cut on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of making a sleeve. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. They puff out slightly around the upper arm and then narrow down at their ends. At the back the dress scoops low to give you a bare expanse of skin. The back has a low set seam under the open scoop and this allows the top of the back skirt to lift slightly off and away from the body. A tiny detail that feels very sensual on the body. That same seam curves around the hips and angles up towards the waist at the front and then the skirt at the front is cut on a stunning curve that widens out as it reaches the hem. The back is fuller and it also falls a touch longer to give it the feel of it sweeping out behind you. Built in underneath the skirt is a ruffled black silk net underskirt and when you move or sit you see just a peek of the ruffle around the inner hem. Built inside the top of the inner skirt are layers of silk net that help to hold the fullness around the hips. The dress is detailed with hand applied sequins to form little varying sized circles that run over the entire bodice, the waist and the top part of the skirt. Two types of sequins have been used, tiny silver sequins one and others that are an iridescent pale blue. The blue ones catch the light and range in colour from silver to an ice blue. It is incredible. Mixed into that are some circles that are made from little glass crystal beads. All are hand applied and the entire dress is completely hand made to couture standards. I have taken some detail shots of the interior seams for you to see the fine Haute Couture workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and just beautifully made. Excellent condition with a small note below

The bodice is unlined and the skirt is fully lined with a built in underskirt in a black silk net and taffeta. Built in panniers around the hip area that I have photoed. It closes with a hand set back zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over that. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. There is the occasional sequin or crystal missing on the dots here and there and I have photoed one area for you to see as an example. Please see the last detail photo for that. Unlabeled. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction.

Sleeves: 24"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 60" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3677

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 stunning Dior dress from the Raf Simons era and I believe that it is the production / retail version of Look 22 that he created for the Spring 2014 Haute Couture show. I have included a photo of the couture dress from the runway here so you can see. The fabric of the two pieces are very different but the same shape is there. You can see the similarities in the cut and that high squared off cut out at the front of the skirt. I love this one with its startling flash of that pale pink silk inside the skirt. It is extremely beautiful and perfectly representative of Raf's time at the label and what his vision for Dior looked like.

This dress is just magical. It is made out of a black silk that is completely and densely covered with thousands and thousands of the tiniest black sequins. They are densely applied and spaced to butt up against each other to cover every square inch of the dress. Because they are so tiny it almost makes the dress looks like it is covered in rock crystals or something of that effect. No matter what angle you see the dress from it will catch and glint in the light. The shoulders are softly rounded and they come slightly off the top of your shoulders. The opening for your arms curves back just a touch inwards towards the dress and I love how this is all shaped. It is all very subtle but it gives you this really pretty shape at the top. From under that the dress falls in one long column. The simplicity of the cut is offset by the thousands of sequins that cover it. The skirt widens out a touch as it nears the hem. At the front you have that incredible cut out. When you lay the dress out flat you realize that this cut out is created by splitting it up one side at the front to just above the knee and then he slit it across horizontally to a point a few inches from the other side. Where most would have removed that panel Raf allowed it to simply hang down. This created this stunning ruffled effect down the one side that has incredible movement. To highlight this unusual design even more he lined the whole thing in a pale pink silk crepe. This unexpected contrast between the black sequins and pale pink is just fantastic. This was an extremely hard dress to show properly on a dress form but once on the body it is 10X better because of the movement that lower skirt creates and the way it will fall over an actual body. It is this long elegant sheath with that unexpected twist. Very very Raf. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale pink silk crepe. It slips over the head to wear with a button closure at the back of the neck. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Pockets along each hip. Original uncut length. Meant to be oversized on a smaller frame and will sit more like a sheath on a larger. Tagged a Dior FR36, GB8, IT40, US4

Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 65" from top of bodice to waist
Front cut out: 31" from the hem up

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4419

Reference Photo: Spring 2014 Christian Dior Couture Collection, Look 22. Model Georgia Taylor.

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

True Haute Couture pieces by Chanel are an extraordinary find as they are so very rare and hard to come by. This one, like several other of the Haute Couture pieces in the shop at the moment, are from one of my clients whose mother purchased the majority of her Couture pieces between 1973 to the mid and late seventies. This dress is absolutely stunningly beautiful and very special. Versions of it were photoed on actresses Sylvia Kristel and Claudine Auger. It is an incredibly beautiful example and historically important example of the work that the Chanel ateliers were doing during this time period. 

This dress is heaven. The lines of it are beautiful and as good as it looks on the dress form it will be even better once on an actual body. It is one of the most romantic dresses I have ever had in the shop and I feel that this would make an extraordinary wedding piece for a bride looking for something not as traditional. It would work for any event really where you want to feel like a goddess. The bodice of the dress is stunning. It is cut in a modified halter and at the front there are two triangles of silk chiffon that gather and drape over each breast. These softly curve up and around the neck to hook into place at the nape of your neck. At the back there is a panel attached at the top of the neck that drape down your back and wrap part way around the waist on either side. A long slim slit is left open down the centre of the back. I love how the sides wrap over the front of the dress. It is such an unusual way to have set the fabric and so very couture feeling in the way that it has been executed. At the front the middle part of the bodice is detailed in an extremely intricate manner. The silk chiffon has been gathered and stitched by hand to form those little repeating diamond patterns that you see. This is all done by hand and the work to do this and have it all lie flat and perfect like it does is mind boggling. This pin tick finish runs to meet the base of the halter and also curves down the waist seam and wraps all the way around to the back. This beautifully highlights and cinches in the waits but in the softest possible way. I love that this detailing is bordered by a little piping of the silk that has been meticulously placed by hand. This painstaking pin-tucking and gathering technique would have taken hours and hours to accomplish. From under the waist the skirt flares out to the floor and is made up of many yards of that beautiful pale turquoise bias cut silk chiffon. The fabric is feather light so that your slightest movement will cause the silk to flow around you. Under the top layer of the skirt is a second layer of the same turquoise silk and then there is a nude silk chiffon inner skirt that is fully lined underneath. The interior of the dress is made to couture standards and it is an absolutely work of art to see. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. Excellent condition with one note below

The bodice is lined in various layers of silk chiffon as pictured. There is light metal boning but it is meant to be more soft then structured. A wide interior grosgrain ribbon hooks to close and then the dress zippers to close over that. The skirt is made up of three layers as described above. Finished to Haute Couture standards. Proper Haute Couture label present. There is one faint mark on the skirt on one side. It gets lost on the folds once the dress is on but you do see it if the dress is laid out flat and you look for it. Please see the photo after the label shots. 

Bust: approx 17" flat across from side to side but the actual sides are open so you have some leeway
Waist: 12-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3737

Reference Photos: (1) French Actress Claudine Auger. Photo by Christian Simonpietri.   /  (2-3) Sylvia Kristel in Chanel Couture, 1976. Photos by Jean-Claude Deutsch.

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 example of Karl Lagerfeld's Haute Couture work. I am so glad this was a runway piece because it was almost impossible to photo correctly on the dress form. The elaborate sleeves that you see coming out from under the jacket are actually separate pieces altogether. You can see on the runway shots how beautifully they sit on an actual arm. My client opted for a more sleek jacket that did not take her in it at the waist as much as the runway look did and a more classic trouser. If you preferred that cinched in waist look you could easily belt the jacket. The simpler silhouette of this jacket allows for more versatility and styling. Sarah Mower said on her review of the show that; ‘It was pure Chanel, crystallized to a point of perfection only witnessed in haute couture…. Karl Lagerfeld began this mostly black-and-white collection with a new treatment of the Chanel suit…. These were paired with flat white go-go boots, which were not referenced from the sixties, but from a pair Coco (always ahead of her time) was wearing in a photograph from the decade before. That allusion and others demonstrate just how deftly Lagerfeld—Chanel historian par excellence—marshals his knowledge. He sprinkles the camellias, the satin bows, the organdy collars, and the bound edges so lightly that they become playful thrills—not belabored underscorings of theme or "brand identity."…. Lagerfeld reinvents the house signatures to pique the fantasies of today's young woman—and that he does just beautifully.’ 

The lines of this suit are crisp and sharp and the tailoring is immaculate. This is sharply contrasted with the dandified collar and arm pieces. It is incredible to have the full suit. This set includes the jacket, pants, inner top, collar and both arm pieces. The suit is made from a fine black wool that is light in weight and has a slight texture. It is just heavy enough to hold the shape beautifully. The jacket is cut to have a slight oversize feel through the body. The shoulders are shaped and the sleeves fall to just past the elbow. There is no collar. The neckline comes down the front in a simple V and then it zips to close down the remainder of the front. Two sleek little pockets are stacked on top of each other on either side of the waist for some detailing. It is cut to be more straight through the body and then flares out slightly at the hem, falling to just past the hip. The pants are classic and simple in their cut. They are flat fronted and cut to taper down to the ankles. A sharp fold runs down the front and the back of each leg. The inside of the suit is as immaculate as the outside and it is entirely made by hand. Every stitch is perfection. Under that goes a little sleeveless ivory silk top with a small neat collar. The top is easy fitting through the body. The top three buttons are finished with rhinestones and enamel and then the rest of the buttons are hidden under a flap of silk. Three additional pieces come with the suit. The first is a detachable silk organdy collar that goes around the neck and adds a romantic flounce with a large soft bow and ties. This gives the suit an unexpected touch of drama. Next is a pair of detachable sleeves. The sleeves are also made out of the same silk organdy as the collar and slip on the lower arm. Both those and the collar have a nod to the regency era when this type of sleeve and collar were all the rage. The sleeves are finished with a row of those beautiful buttons and the ends are ruffled. Every piece has been entirely made by hand and all the proper Chanel couture labels and numbered tapes are present. I love that with this one set you have so many pieces to mix and match with other things you own. It allows you to be able to sprinkle a bit of vintage Haute Couture throughout your wardrobe. This is a rare opportunity to own a piece of true couture by one of the most important designers of our lifetime. Excellent condition with a minor note below. 

The jacket and pants are hand lined in a fine black silk. The jacket closes with a hidden zipper under the front panel of fabric. The pockets appear to be functional and all four still have their original tacking in place. The pants zip to close with a hidden set side zipper. The toppings to close at the front. The collar snaps into place and the sleeves slip onto the arm with functional buttons running down the cuffs. The edges of the collar and cuffs have intentional raw edges. I see one small area of breakage in the silk on the edge of one cuff. Please see the photo after all of the label shots. I see one rhinestone missing off one button on each cuff and one on the top. All of the pieces are made and finished by hand to couture standards. Proper couture labels present with couture tape are present on all pieces but the sleeves. Sourced from the original couture client 

Jacket
Sleeves: 18"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 34.5" from neck to head 

Pant
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39" from waist to hem with 1.5" turned under
Inseam: 28.5" from inner seam to hem
Rise: 15.5" from back waist to inner seam

Top
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to head 

Collar
14" around and the snaps could be adjusted up or down a bit if needed

Cuffs
Length: 13" including the extended cuff, 9" without
10" around the upper edge and narrows to 7" around the wrist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4263

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2006 Chanel Couture Runway, Look 9. Model: Svetlana.

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

This is a very chic 1970s Christian Dior dress from the Marc Bohan years. It is a wonderful example of the work being done during this time period. The dress perfectly shows the restraint that the label could have when it delved into minimalism while still being able to make a statement through that stunning colour. The dress dates to the early - mid 1970s. It has an earlier rendition of the ready tp wear label in it but at this point in Dior's history that still meant a piece with many hand finishes. Which is what this one has. The jersey makes it a very easy and comfortable dress to wear. Don't let the simplicity of it fool you. This is a dream to wear and the simple lines are offset by the high quality silk jersey and the ease and beauty it has once on.

The dress is made from a the perfect yellow silk jersey that drapes beautifully over the body. The bodice has a scooped neckline at both the back and the front. It sits low on the bust at the front for a touch of sexuality to offset the simple lines. It is cut to skim over the bust and then the waist is seamed and set slightly dropped. I added a grosgrain ribbon tie belt in the same colour and  you can use this to make the top blouse over more, wear it without the belt and if it works on your body you could even wear it with the waist seam sitting lower so that the top does not blouse over at all and you get a more dropped waist even longer feel. At the back it stays as simple as the front dropping just a touch lower for a bare expanse to show across the upper back and shoulders. The skirt is set into the waist seam and then skims smoothly over the hips and then falls in a series of three tiers of jersey under that to the floor. These tiers give it the most incredible movement around you when you move. It is cut super model long and is in its original length. This is a dress that you just slip on and it is perfect for day or evening. You can also extend its life by layering under or over it for a full range of looks. Excellent condition with a note below

Unlined and it closes with a hand set back zipper. The ribbon at the waist is not original to the dress but will be included. I see a tiny bit of repair / fraying to the base of the zipper area and a pinhead size dot on the front that is hidden when it blouses over. There are some marks and a couple of pinholes on the lowest tier mainly at the back. The marks are covered by the tier above and the pinholes held up to cleaning and are stable. Please see the photos after the label shot. The yellow tends to photo with some shadow and in person the colour is even better

Bust: to 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 18" from top of shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: 46" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

Item# DD4327

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