richilene
1980s Richilene Strapless Blue Net Dress w Sequin & Beaded Bodice & Removable Pouf Sleeves
I Have a Question
- The Richilene label was launched around 1970 and lasted to about 1990 or so.
- It was a New York based label and was designed by Ilene Pacun and her husband Richard. The name came by combining their two first names which I only found out recently, and I thought was a cute little detail. They focused on party dresses for the most part and had a pretty wide range of options price wise.
- By the mid-1980s their prices ranged from about $200-$2000 and the higher and pieces were very well made.
- I can't help but think that this is a more attainable version of the famous 1986 Chanel with its removable sleeves.
- The dress is made out of a beautiful deep blue netting that has little dots worked through the tulle. The choice of this particular fabric gives it the structure to hold the shape but still keeps it fairly light in weight once on the body.
- The bodice is strapless and there is inner boning for support. The boning continues down the sides on either side to help hold the dress in place. The waist curves in a bit and then the skirt is set in just at the top of the hip. I love how this gives the illusion of extra length through the body.
- The entire bodice has been heavily detailed with iridescent deep blue sequins that are set in a curving swirling pattern. They have been densely applied so that they overlap each other. This allows them to catch the light in different ways to create a really pretty effect.
- Onto this are embroidered and beaded flowers that have petals set up and off the dress for a slight 3-D effect. These go all the way around the upper bodice.
- The skirt is very long and full. It flows to the floor in a cascade of that beautiful dotted netting and there are five layers making up the skirt. The top two layers are the blue netting and then there is a organza layer under that that has a shimmering finish to it. Under that is a black layer of stiffen netting and then there is a final blue layer inside and under that.
- The very top layer has an edging of stiffened netting all the way around it, and that helps hold the shape and give it a pretty finish. All of the volume you see in these photos are from the skirt and all of these built in under skirts.
- The final perfect touch are the incredible removable half sleeves that you just slip on to wear. They have stiffened tulle inside which helps to give them that puff. An elastic sits at each end of each sleeve for an easy fit. I have pushed them up on the arms of the dress form so they are very full but you could also wear them a little more stretched out if you wished.
- The dress has a bit of a fantasy princess feel that I love.
- The bodice is lined in a deep blue muslin and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper. The sleeves have a stiffened tulle interior and elastic on each end so they just slip onto the arm.
- There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition.
Sleeves: each sleeve is up to 14" long and can be worn to be up to half that size in length. The elastic at each end stretches up to approximately 20"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist:12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of bodice: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: to 24"flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12.5" from top of the bodice to the seam at the bottom of the bodice
Total length: 53" from top of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5586
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.
nina ricci
1990s Nina Ricci by Gerard Pipart Haute Couture Black Off Shoulder Dress w Hand Quilted Floral Skirt
I Have a Question
- This dress best matches the look of the collections that were being done in and around the late 1980s to the early-mid 1990s.
- It was made under the creative direction of Gerard Pipart.
- The Nina Ricci brand was founded in 1932 at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris. In 1964 Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant, as head of the brand. Pipart, who had previously worked for Balmain, Fath, and Patou, brought a wide range of experience in all aspects of fashion to the brand.
- Over the following three decades, Pipart's couture vision 'celebrated a flamboyant woman and his ready-to-wear found a loyal following among the most stylish women of the day.' He headed the Couture division until 1998.
- This is an incredible and very beautiful piece of Haute Couture and would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier.
- This dress is a masterpiece and really showcases how beautiful a piece of true couture can be. Everything about its construction goes above and beyond.
- It is made out of a black silk for the bodice with a black silk netting used for the sleeves. This is combined with top stitched silk on a dotted netting for the the top layer of the skirt.
- The bodice curves and dips across the front and then wraps around to the back. There is inner built-in structure to hold the dress in place and add shape so that it is fitted around you. The silk has been gathered into a seam running vertically down the front and then it does the same thing at each side and the back. A panel wraps over the top of that across the breasts with no seam down the sides. A clever way to subtly add some extra shape and curves. It is fitted to the waist where it nips in.
- The sleeves are spectacular. I have set them slightly on top of the shoulders on my dress form but they can be worn fully off of the shoulders. There is an elastic that is tacked on their insides to help hold them in the spot that you choose to wear them. I love that you can wear them higher up or wear them completely off the shoulders so that you get that gorgeous expanse of bare skin across the top. They are made from layers of silk netting that have been gathered tightly and stacked on top of each other to form the gorgeous bit of fluff and volume that you see.
- The skirt is just extraordinary. It is very full and voluminous as it curves outward and down to the floor. To achieve that shape there is elaborate layers of built-in underskirts that is all hidden. The very top layer is made out of a black dotted net. Onto that are beautiful sprays of flowers and leaves.
- These have been created by a hand cut outs of silk in pink, purple and white that were hand applied to the netting. Top stitching in a black thread is done onto each piece to create the illusion of flowers and leafs. All of the top stitching is entirely done by hand and I cannot even imagine the hours this would have taken to complete.
- That very top layer has an attached inner layer of silk organza and the way that it is attached gives it a bit of volume and air between the top layer and that underlying organza.
- Underneath that are six layers of tulle stacked on top of each other. All of those layers are what gives the skirt the support needed to hold its volume and shape. We have not added any crinolines under the skirt. All of the volume is created because of the brilliant infrastructure underneath. If you had the underskirts lightly starched when pressed in the future it would give an added boost and you could create even more fullness.
- As good as it looks here in the photos it is even better in person.
- The dress is fully lined in a handset cotton muslin through the bodice and closes with a back set zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. There is hidden boning and support through the bodice. I see two small repairs along the edge of the hem. It is minor but mentioned for accuracy.
- The proper Haute Couture label is present.
- There is no size tag since it is a couture piece. Please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 54" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5584
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Fall 1988 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Look 79 Strapless Dress w Bows & Matching Cape
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress with a brown cape walked the Haute Couture YSL runway for Fall 1998 for Look 79.
- It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
- The press declared "The youthful influence has faded what remains is the enthusiasm and the desire to raise Couture to the height of art." The collection symbolized the recognition of the sacred power of the feminine. "No one is better than Yves Saint Laurent at making observations of his time."
- Both pieces have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier and I have included a snap of the original sketch from my YSL folio.
- The dress is made out of a rich brown silk and all of the seams have been covered with hand set panels of a brown velvet. This emphasizes the structure and cut of the dress.
- At the front there are two large bows made of a green silk faille that are attached to the dress by brown velvet loops. On top of the loops are two oversized handmade buttons covered with tiny handset metallic gold finished brown sequins.
- The cape is made out of a heavy green silk faille and slips over the shoulders to wear with a little straps along the top shoulder
- The cape has a good weight because of the sheer amount of fabric in it. Bows are set all the way around the edges of the entire cape.
- The dress has a cupped and boned inner corset that closes with its own zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. A hidden set zipper is set under one of the side velvet panels to close the dress over the inner corset. There are some small nicks and scuffs on the silk of the lower portion of the dress starting just under the bottom bow. Please see the photos provided.
- The cape has a fair amount of marks and discolouration. This is seen primarily along the bottom of the front where many of the bows and some of the cape's fabrics have a pink stain on them. There is also a watermark that runs faintly around almost all of the cape and some yellowing here and there. One bow is missing from the bottom to the left of the centre seam but you could easily just move the bow opposite to it towards the centre and it would look fine. Some of the seams show strain and the start of splitting from hanging and the weight of the cape. Please see the photos provided.
- The overall value of the price is based primarily on the dress and the cape is just taken into account for its historical importance as part of the set.
- Both pieces have their appropriate Haute Couture tags
- The dress is in great condition with the small flaws as noted above and shown in photos and the cape is in wearable condition with its flaws noted and shown in photos.
Dress
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of bodice to hem
Cape
Total length approx 42" from neck to ends of the bows and should fit any size
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5579
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Fall 2008 Christian Dior by John Galliano Runway Look 37 Emerald Green Suit w Glass & Sequin Details
I Have a Question
- The twin of this suit walked the Fall 2008 runway as Look 37
- It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- The show celebrated the 1960s with the opening music Simon & Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson'. The models were styled with a nod to the 60s but in a highly exaggerated way.
- Galliano said of the show "I am always looking for heroines who make me dream"
- The suit is made from a brilliant green silk and cotton mix which keeps it light in weight but has enough structure to allow it to hold its intended shape perfectly.
- The collar is wide and exaggerated and the suit closes with matching silk covered buttons and hidden set snaps down the front.
- A little bow sits at the centre of the front and little flap pockets still have their tacking in place on each hip. The hips are shaped to curve outwards.
- The end of the sleeves and the around the entire hem is heavily embellished with big round silver discs, glass or stone polished pieces, mixed with little gold sequins.
- The skirt is cut in a little bit of a flare and will sit just above the knee depending on your height.
- Both pieces are lined in a green silk. The jacket snaps and buttons to close down the front and the skirt closes with a hidden set side zipper. I see a teeny darkened mark on the skirt near a seam and a teeny faint spot on the back that is very minor but mention for accuracy. There are some missing embellishments here and there.
- The jacket is tagged at FR42, GB14, IT46, US10. The skirt is tagged FR36, GB8, IT40, US4.
- Excellent condition with the notes above.
Jacket
Sleeves: approx 20" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true seam
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom of jacket: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 21.5" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 19.5" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5580
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.
jean patou
1940s Jean Patou Haute Couture Strapless Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Tiered Full Skirt
I Have a Question
- This is an exceptionally beautiful Jean Patou silk chiffon dress that is an absolute masterpiece. It is an important and early representation of both the house of Patou and the level of Haute Couture being produced during this time period.
- Jean Patou once said "Certain dressmakers desire to pass for an artist. I have one ambition: that is to have good taste." and this dress is the very epitome of that statement.
- The dress is made entirely by hand and represents countless hours of dedicated hand work within the atelier.
- It is one of the most beautiful dresses that I have had come through my hands and the photos cannot begin to convey the detail and fine work that has gone into the creation of this piece.
- It is constructed from a fine black silk chiffon and the bust is fitted with a boned and shaped interior to hold the dress around you. The upper edge of the bust has a little silk chiffon ruffle that folds over for a pretty detail.
- It cinches in at the waist and the skirt flows down on a gentle curve. The waist seam curves upwards at the centre front and then curves downward towards the hip. The back seam continues curving downwards to to create a dip at the back.
- Under this the skirt falls in a cascade of silk chiffon tiered panels. There are three in total and each one overlaps the one underneath. Hidden in between the ruffles are panels of silk organza which helps to give the dress its volume. An extra panel sits under the very lowest tier. Inside the skirt is a layer of stiffened netting.
- The skirt follows the same curve the waist seam has with the front coming up a touch and the back sweeping out behind you.
- We have not added anything under the skirts. There is room to go fuller if you wanted to add a crinoline underneath you can go as full as you wish.
- A spray of pink silk flowers and black velvet leaves run down one side of the skirt.
- This is really an extraordinary piece of early golden era Haute Couture.
- The bodice has a hand set silk lining and is boned. It closes with hand set back metal zipper. The skirt is lined as described above. I see some minor grubbiness around the hem of the interior lining. The tulle lining under the skirt is raw cut and there may be occasional little break near the hem here and there. There is light stress near the seams on the bodice around the waist area that indicate there was a belt or ribbon attached at some point. You could easily add a belt or ribbon and you would never see these. The flowers do not feel fresh. They are just tacked in place and they could be removed or replaced.
- There is no size tag present because it is Couture. Please see the measurements below.
- Excellent condition with the notes above.
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 12" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 53" from top of bodice to front hem, 62" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5578
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.
nina ricci
Exceptional c.1990 Nina Ricci by Gerard Pipart Haute Couture Strapless Red & Black Silk Dress
I Have a Question
- This dress best matches the look of the collections that were being done around the 1990 time period.
- It was made under the creative direction of Gerard Pipart.
- The Nina Ricci brand was founded in 1932 at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris. In 1964 Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant, as head of the brand. Pipart, who had previously worked for Balmain, Fath, and Patou, brought a wide range of experience in all aspects of fashion to the brand.
- Over the following three decades, Pipart's couture vision 'celebrated a flamboyant woman and his ready-to-wear found a loyal following among the most stylish women of the day.' He headed the Couture division until 1998.
- This is an incredible and very beautiful piece of Haute Couture and would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier.
- This dress is a masterpiece and really showcases how beautiful a piece of true couture can be. Everything about its construction goes above and beyond.
- The bodice and hem are made out of a red silk that has a bit of very fine ribbing through the fabric. That same fabric in a black is used for the main part of the skirt and then the band around the top of the bodice and the band around the waist are detailed with a wide black velvet ribbon.
- The bodice is strapless and curves across the front and around to the back. There is a built-in inner structure to hold the dress in place and it is fitted to the waist where it nips in.
- The way that the skirt falls is just extraordinary. It is so full and voluminous as it curves outward and down to the floor. To achieve that shape there is an elaborate built-in underskirt that is all hidden. It is made out of a stiffened net that is hidden between the outer layer and the inner silk lining.
- The silk of the skirt is set in beautiful rounded pleats in the hidden structure underneath is what gives the support needed to hold the shapes. I have not added any crinolines under the skirt - all of the shape and volume is there because of the brilliant hidden structure underneath.
- The back of the skirt is cut slightly longer then the front for a beautiful sweeping feel behind you.
- A final band of black velvet circles its way around the lower skirt, topping a wide panel made from the same red silk as the bodice.
- The contrast between the red and black is absolutely stunning. It is an exceptional piece of Couture.
- The dress is fully lined in a handset black silk and closes with a handset back zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. There is hidden boning through the bodice and structure through the hips as described above. I see that the zipper was let out a bit at some point and there is some grubbiness and tiny breaks along the edge of the hem. All minor but mentioned for accuracy.
- The proper Haute Couture label is present.
- There is no size tag since it is a couture piece. Please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition with the minor note abovewith the minor note above
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 52" from top of bodice to front hem, 60" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5575
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.
Rodarte
Dreamy Fall 2016 Rodarte Runway Look 40 White Lace, Silk & Net Bias Cut Dress w Hand Done Detailing
I Have a Question
- The twin of the dress was presented as Look 40 for the Fall 2016 Rodarte collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Kate and Laura Mulleavy.
- 2016 marked the 10th anniversary of the label and in Vogue's coverage of the show they noted that "The best Rodarte collections - and this was surely one - come across like manifested daydreams. Lots of designers like to talk about tapping into the fantasy element of fashion, but Kate and Laura are perhaps the only ones whose clothes summon the ludic sensibility of kids playing dress up. The demented level of embellishment which here included ruffled leather, hand, cut floral paillettes, and mesh, and lace sequined and watery patterns, recalls a child's take on glamour with every available fancy piled on. That the Mulleavys manage the muchness with such grace is something of a miracle.... the hand craftsmanship, the romance, the touch of the macabre - those qualities were present in Rodarte a decade ago, and they are communicated as clearly now as they ever were."
- There is a lot of hand work in the dress and it is a part of the collections where they were doing a lot of the work in-house and the pieces were not so mass produced as they are now. The pricing for pieces during this era were also extraordinarily higher than what they currently can be, with the then pricing being up to and over the 20k mark.
- I love how heavily influenced by the 1930s and 1940s that this dress is. It has a decidedly vintage feel to its cut.
- The dress combines bias cut silk and netting with a fine lace that is laid out softly over the body but in a way that still gives soft structure. There are lot so beautiful added hand cut details, beads and appliqué.
- As good as it looks on the dress form, I am glad that we have so many reference photos so you can see how beautiful it is once it transforms onto an actual body.
- A ruffle of lace and netting highlight the wide set neckline. Small panels of netting drape softly down from each shoulder and are set more towards the back. These are detailed with hand cut outs and beads. At the back there is a small V for a touch of skin to show.
- I love how the inner dress creates that dramatic cut out effect that sits underneath the top layer of lace at the front. It really makes the dress feel dynamic and special and adds a subtle bit of sexiness.
- The dress glides over the waist and then curves back over the hips. There are more hand applied, hand done cut out appliques and netted beading details on one hip for added detail.
- The skirt is phenomenal. The skirt is split on one side right up to the flower at the hip. The inner part of the skirt is made out of a matching ivory silk that has a layer of soft tulle underneath so you get all of these layers around the slit that help to cover how high it is but still allowing it to open.
- A hand made rosette sits at top of the slit and then on the other hip there is another matching rosette. An inset panel made of netting that has two more handmade handset flower cuts added to it as it trails from under that rosette down to the hem.
- The topmost layer over all of this is a beautiful soft ivory lace that is just magical. I love how the ivory of the lace is offset by the more white leaf cut outs that are on the little cap sleeves and at the waist.
- The final perfect touch is a band of tightly gathered ruffled lace that goes all the way around the hem. There are yards and yards of fabric in the lower skirt.
- I think this is one of the most beautiful dresses that the duo have made throughout their entire career.
- The dress is fully lined in a combination of the netting and the ivory silk and nylon netting. It closes with a hidden setback zipper. It was never worn and all of the applique work is done by hand and set onto the dress by hand. There is an amazing amount of hand work in the dress. There is one small break in the netting on the innermost layer that does not show. It was never worn and is otherwise pristine. The colour is perhaps the tiniest bit more ivory than how it photographed.
- Tagged a modern Rodarte 6
- Excellent condition
Bust: 15-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to hem and the slit is 42" up from the hem.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5572
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.
dolce and gabbana
1993 Dolce & Gabbana Three Piece White Silk & Tulle Wedding Dress Overskirt & Veil Full Set
I Have a Question
- This is a fantastically beautiful set from 1993.
- It was made under the creative direction of Domenico Solce and Stefano Gabbana.
- It has its three original pieces. There is a corset topped inner dress that ends at or just below the knee depending on your height. Over that is a white tulle over-skirt that falls to the floor and then there is a matching huge rectangle of white tulle that can be used as a full cathedral length veil.
- The inner dress has a slightly off-white silk corset style silk top. The sweetheart neckline is cut to highlight the bust and then it nips in to follow the body to the waist. All of the seaming is done vertically and pieced together all the way around you. Inside there is full boning and support to hold it perfectly around you.
- The corset curves to just over the top of the hips and then under that there are two layers of a white tulle that tops a ribbon edged silky rayon layer and an inner-most white layer that feels slightly stiffened. This makes the lower skirt full and also acts as the support when you add the outer skirt over it.
- The outer skirt is banded around the waist with a 3 inch panel in the same silk used over the corset. It curves over the top of your hips for a touch of added shape. Under that are multiple layers of tulle that give it the tremendous volume that you see. The very bottom hem of the top layer is finished in a band of pretty lace.
- The dress comes with a huge rectangle of the same tulle that both skirts are made out of. I have draped it over the top of the dress form so you can just how much of the fabric there is. It easily extends down and past the hem of the dress. Once pinned into place, or draped over your head, it can be worn as a full cathedral length veil.
- I love the versatility of the two pieces since you can take the outer skirt off for dancing after the wedding. If you wanted it even more volume you could add another underskirt underneath.
- The inner dress is lined in the same silk as the outer corset and is boned and shaped. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. The skirt goes over that and closes with a button at the waistband a hidden sat back zipper under that. The veil is one large rectangle of matching tulle.
- Tagged a vintage D&G 42
- Excellent condition
Dress
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam and then it is open and full under that.
Bodice: 11.5" from top of bodice to seam just below natural waist
Total length: 35" from top of bodice to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 46" from waist to hem
Veil is just over 10 feet long x 9 feet wide
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5571
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.
emanuel ungaro
Documented Fall 1987 Emanuel Ungaro Runway Velvet & Lace Mini Dress w Peaked Bodice
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1987 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Emanuel Ungaro.
- An example of the dress is also held in the permanent archives of the China National Silk Museum Collection.
- Ungaro launched his label in 1965 after stints at both Balenciaga and Courreges. He was a brilliant designer who was known for his extravagant fabrics and flamboyance. He often participated in the design and execution of new fabrics and for him the design process started there. His work always has a sense of exuberance and joy to it and he mixed fabric and prints with a master's eye.
- The dress is made out of a black velvet through the body to the top of the skirt and then the lower skirt combines lace, netting and stiffened finishing around the lower inner hems that help support and hold the volume.
- Both the fabric combination and cut of this dress are fantastic and no matter how great it looks in the photos you will love it even more in person.
- The strapless bodice is cut across the neckline and the bodice is meant to hug the body. It is elaborately gathered and fitted around the bust and body with a series of soft gathered folds that angle in towards the sides.
- The top of the bodice is cut with a curve on one side and a peak on the other. We have left the peak folded up for the photos but you could potentially fold it over more once it is on the body if you prefer that look.
- I love how the gathering is done to emphasize the cut of the bodice and then changes slightly through the waist and over the hips to a more horizontal line to give you added shape.
- These folds that emphasized the curves of the body were a signature of his and really made his pieces flattering once on.
- The seam where the skirting starts is set on a slight angle and then the skirt itself is a double layer of netting with bands of stiffened finishing along the hems. The layers are stacked on top of each other with a layer of black lace floating over that.
- There is an incredible amount of fabric in a skirt and it falls in swirls and folds all the way around you. I love the unusual shape with one side longer than the other. It is just phenomenal.
- Inside where the skirt attaches it has been gathered up and folded with padding put inside and this acts as a little bit of support to help hold the volume of the skirt.
- It is a gorgeous piece and it appears to have been worn very little if at all. An amazing piece of fashion history.
- The bodice is fully lined in a black silk and there is light boning through the inside dress for structure, including partway down the sides to give you support. The skirt is made of three layers as described above. I have taken a photo of the way the padding is constructed just inside the top of the inner skirt for you to see.
- Tagged a Ungaro 6
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 31" from top of the rounded side of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5565
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.
azzedine alaia
Important & Rare Fall 1993 Azzadine Alaia Black Ribed Knit Laser Cut Out & Fringe Dress
I Have a Question
- The dress is from the Fall 1993 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Azzedine Alaia.
- Azzedine Alaia pieces are always a delight to find. His knits were all self developed and are among the best out there. He started his career as a dressmakers assistant and copied couture gowns for wealthy Tunisian clients. In 1957 he moved to Paris and worked for Christian Dior for a grand total of five days. He then moved to Guy Laroche and quietly started to get private commissions on the side. By 1960 he was doing mainly private work and within a few years established a small salon on the Left Bank where he continued designing privately. He stayed at that salon until 1984.
- During this time period he also did private freelance work for other designers including Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler and even Yves Saint Laurent. It was not until 1981 that he launched his first official collection and by 1983 he had a boutique in Beverley Hills.
- The French Ministry of Culture honoured him with the Designer of the Year award in 1985. In 1993 he decided that the established fashion show schedule was not for him and he stopped producing a new collection every season. Instead he showed when his collections were ready and continued to do so until his death in 2017.
- This is a fantastic and well known a piece that is very desired by collectors. We have included reference photos of other pieces from the collection that have become important milestones of his earlier work.
- The dress is made out of a ribbed cable knit wool that has a small percentage of other components to help give it some stretch and support. This makes it sit beautifully over the body and hug your curves as his dresses are known for.
- The neck has a pretty ribbed finish and the shoulders are soft.
- From there the sleeves extend out over the arm and it is here that you see the first of the detailing that makes this dress such a standout.
- Starting at about the elbow the ribbing of the dress changes to a oval pattern that is open and bare in the middle of each oval so that the skin underneath is fully exposed. These gradually get larger in size as they fall to the wrist. The knit between the the oval pattern extends out to become the fringes that fall over your hands. This adds incredible movement and is just extraordinary.
- The body of the dress skims over the bust and waist and then curves back out over the hips. The skirt starts just under the top of the hips and is cut short as it flares out around you. Many of his pieces had that bit of a skater skirt feel to them and this is a fabulous example of that.
- The skirt has that same extraordinary open cut out detailing as the sleeves and even though it is not as short as some of his other pieces often were, having the cut outs expose your skin underneath makes it very sexy.
- I love that the cut outs through the skirt allow you to decide what to wear underneath and be as bare or covered as you choose to be.
- The skirt is then also finished with those same wide knit fringing so you get incredible movement around you when you move and walk.
- This is one of his best known collections and a very rare piece to find.
- The dress is unlined and closes with a hidden set back zipper. The knit does have some stretch and I have put the comfortable range when laying flat below.
- There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 27" and they are 11-13" around the upper arms
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 22" from top of shoulder to the point where the cut outs begin on the skirt
Total length: 37" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5566
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
1972 Yves Saint Laurent Red Floral Silk Chiffon & Red Silk Dress w Balloon Sleeves & Pleat Detailing
I Have a Question
- When dating this extraordinary Yves Saint Laurent dress, we found a photo of a piece with almost an identical cut bodice from 1972 along with several runway photos that show other pieces with that same cut to the bodice.
- It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent
- I have included the reference photos here for you and it is interesting to note that the pleating technique that is used around the upper hip of the skirt was also done in a more intricate fashion for the 1974 Couture show.
- Yves often use ideas from both collections. - Rive Gauche and Couture - to build and develop ideas and it is fascinating to see the progression of his work from garment to garment.
- The dress combines a floral silk chiffon with a muted red silk on the skirt.
- This combination of silks give the dress just enough weight and structure to be able to create the impressive lines and volume that you see but while still making it feel soft and romantic.
- The top is a printed silk chiffon and it has a floral pattern in red, purples and greens that float over the entire bodice and the sleeves.
- The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist nips in. It plunges at the front and crosses over itself. The neckline has been detailed with ruffles that begin at the back of the neck and circle around to follow the V at the front and then run down to the waist piping done in the same fabric detail.
- The skirt falls to the floor from there and it has yards and yards of fabric in it that creates the fullness and volume that you see.
- It is quite full by the time it reaches the hem and I love the volume that this type of fabric creates and how it billows around you as you move but at the same time it is as light as a feather.
- Under the waist are a series of tiny pleats that gradually open out to create the volume underneath. This intricate detail is a beautiful addition to the dress.
- The sleeves are outstanding and the perfect finishing detail. Each is a single layer of the silk chiffon and are wide and very full. They are caught up at the wrist with a circle full circle ruffle underneath. This creates a beautiful and dramatic finish to the top.
- The dress is fully lined in a red silk except for the sleeves which are unlined. It closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Attached ties at the waist and elastic in each cuff. Between the top silk and inner lining is a tulle ruffle that helps keep the volume of the skirt. I see some light marks around the hem of the skirt that are minor but mentioned for accuracy.
- Tagged a vintage YSL 38
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 24" and they are 14" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 62" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5561
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Spectacular Cruise 2009 Christian Dior by John Galliano Soft Pastel Blue-Green Ruffle Dress w Beading
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress was Look 52 from the Christian Dior Cruise 2009 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- The Vogue report on the collection noted that: "Galliano has been mining the good old U.S. of A. for raw material from which to spin his dreams....grandes dames like Barbara Hutton, Millicent Rogers, and Nan Kempner—women who weren't afraid to make a bold sartorial statement, one that preferably involved a whopping piece of jewelry. From a shimmering backdrop that conjured a Tony Duquette garden, there emerged a full wardrobe for their modern-day counterparts in Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, and Dallas.... What this season is really about is not so much breaking the mold as delivering a vision of the good life—and Galliano can do that in spades."
- This is the actual address that worn by Caitlin Thompson to the 2024 Emmys.
- Emmy Rossum also appeared in its twin in 2009 and I love that the reference photos show just how wonderful this dress is once on the body.
- The dress is made out of a pale pastel silk chiffon that is in the beautiful pastel shade of a turquoise / seafoam green. It is an absolutely beautiful colour and even better in person.
- The bodice is cut slightly wider across the neck and it is meant skim lightly over you to the waist.
- The waist is defined by a wide beaded band that highlights and adds shape.
- From there curves back out over the hips and then cascades to the floor gently widening out as it near the hem.
- The entire dress is finished with silk chiffon ruffles that are stacked and set to slightly overlap the ruffle sitting underneath all the way down to the hem, with the only break being the detailing around the waist for added shape.
- The ruffles add a lovely soft bit of movement as you move, and I love how he has played with the width of the ruffles as they work their way down to the floor. It makes it more visually interesting and also allows the dress more movement than if he had kept the ruffles all the same size.
- Extensive bead work wraps all the way around the band of the waist. The work has been completely done by hand and the beads are set out in a complex pattern with pale ivory beads mixed with beads of various sizes and finished in romantic pinks and soft greens.
- This is a phenomenal runway piece by John Galliano for Dior and is one of the prettiest dresses that he ever created.
- The dress is fully lined in a matching colour silk. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the side and there are hidden hooks on the top of one shoulder. I see one bead missing at the back of the waist. The bead work has all been added by hand.
- There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5559
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Important Fall 2006 Christian Dior by John Galliano Pale Silver Grey Version of Runway Look 41 Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress in red was Look 41 on the Fall 2006 Dior runway.
- It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- He 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 bias cut pieces 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.
- The red version was used for the ad campaign that year and was worn by Kate Moss. It has become one of his most iconic dresses.
- We have had this dress in red in the past and it flew. I love having another in this soft pale grey colour. It is just dreamy.
- The dress takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 1920s and 1930s. The seam work and simplicity of this dress is stunning to see and it is even better on an actual body.
- It is made from a beautiful silk velvet in a pale silver grey. A design that includes the Christian Dior name has been pressed into the velvet over the entire dress. This gives it this incredible added texture that you see in the photos.
- The dress is completely cut on the bias so that it flows over the body and skims its way over the bust, waist and hips as it falls to the floor.
- The neckline drapes down and there is a panel of silk chiffon tucked just inside the neckline at both the back and the front. This creates a bit of a swooping plunge that is slightly set to the side. Thin bands of a silver grey grosgrain ribbon run up the sides of the dress and around the waist. The velvet is gathered into the ribbon in various spots to create the asymmetrical draping.
- The skirt flows down to the floor from there, skimming over the hips and then flaring out as it reaches the hem. This gives you a ton of movement around the lower skirt when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape that the dress has.
- This is an amazing example of his work from Dior and it is gorgeous.
- The bodice is lined in a pale grey silk chiffon and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a hidden set zipper down one side. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. There is a small mark on the inner silk chiffon and a couple tiny marks on the velvet near the hem. Please see the photo after the label shot. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It is in its original unaltered length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes
- Tagged a Galliano FR38, GB10, US6
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 16.5" from neck to dropped seam
Total length: 62" from neck to front hem, 64" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5549
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Fall 1995 Valentino by the Original Mr Valentino Runway Black Velvet Dress w Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
- The twin of this incredible dress walked the runway for the Fall 1995 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of the original Mr. Valentino.
- I love that we have runway reference photos so that you can see how phenomenal this is once on the body.
- This is a fantastically rare dress by the original Mr. Valentino and it is extraordinarily beautiful.
- The dress combines an inky black velvet with portions covered in glossy black sequins that are densely applied. Little bits of lace give it that touch of Valentino femininity.
- Black piping outlines the neckline and the neckline scoops in a soft V down the front. The piping continues up and over the shoulders and then crosses over the bare and exposed back. Lace has been added along the length of the entire piping for the prettiest finishing detail.
- The bodice is shaped and comes in at the waist to a low seam that sits just below the natural waist. The entire bodice has been finished with tiny little black sequins that are densely applied so that they slightly overlap.
- I love how the rows that they are set in are slightly angled. This is all a clever way to give illusion of more shape through the body. The sequins sit inside four vertical panels across the front and the direction of the sequins changes so you get this incredible hitting of the light on the sequins from every angle.
- The skirt is made out of rich black velvet and I love the combination of the velvet and sequins together. The richness of each textile perfectly compliments the other.
- As the skirt falls to the floor it flares out dramatically and is extremely wide. When I lay it out flat the bottom is a full circle around. This has been achieved by long triangles of sequins set in around the entire hem of the skirt.
- The triangles have a black net backing so if the light hits them in the right way they have a sense of transparency contrasting further to the velvet and adding to the beauty of the dress once it is on the body.
- The sequin triangles have been laid out with the same technique as the rows on the bodice. They are set on angles that meet at a middle point. This allows them to catch the maximum amount of light from every angle.
- Each triangle is finished with the same lace edging that you see on the bodice. Inside the inner edge of the hem there is a band of stiffened netting that helps to hold the shape and volume around you. When you move the skirt moves around you and it is absolutely incredible.
- It is really an outstanding example of his work during this time period.
- The dress is fully lined in a silky black silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The bias cut should allow it to work on a range of sizes and frames.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under natural waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from top of shoulder to seam under natural waist
Total length: 61.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5546
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.
tiziani
Documented 1960s Tiziani Couture by Karl Lagerfeld Peach Silk Plunge Dress w Matching Feather Cape
I Have a Question
- Note that due to new customs regulations this piece can only ship to a Canadian address. If you need assistance with this please touch base.
- This is a fantastically well documented piece Tiziani couture set that dates to the 1960s.
- It would have been made under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld and is a very rare example of his work there especially with the amount of documentation on it.
- We have included the digital copy of the original sketch done by Karl along with photos of the dress on a model with Tiziani when it was originally produced. I do have modern photos of the dress on someone and will share those upon request.
- The inner tag on the dress is numbered and handwritten and then it has its Tiziana tag on the cape. I was told that this is the actual original sample dress and came from the archives.
- I posted a video of the dress on my Instagram back in 2023 when it was still in my personal archives. You can see that here and it speaks more about its history and you can see the dress on video.
- The dress is made out of a peach silk chiffon that is heavily embellished around the V neckline. The coat is made out of a slightly deeper coral peach silk that is completely covered in hand dyed soft peach feathers.
- The dress has a V at the front and the neckline has a band of embellishment that mixes silver tube beads, peach embroidery, sequins and seed beads, with prong set rhinestones. This follows the neckline at the front and then runs across the top of each shoulder. At the back it creates a wide band across the upper shoulders.
- It skims over the bust to a higher set waist seam. From there it skims over the hips and the skirt falls to the floor widening out slightly as it goes.
- The dress is fully lined in a matching peach silk and it is entirely made by hand with all of the inner stitches finished by hand. This would be considered Alta Moda couture with its level of finishes
- The cape sits over that and comes down to just past the waist at the front and then falls around you on the sides and back in this incredible sweep of hand dyed soft peach feathers.
- The feathers are all set onto a silk organza backdrop by hand and they overlap each other all the way down the length of the cape. The collar of the cape is finished with the same hand beading you see on the dress.
- Both the dress and cape are a touch paler in colour than how they shot. They are more like the colour shots added here.
- The dress is fully lined in a peach hand-finished silk and zips to close at the side. The outer layer of the bodice snaps to close over that. The cape is a single layer of silk organza with the feathers attached directly to it. The cape is also completely finished by hand. It hooks to close at the collar. There is perhaps the tiniest bit of grubbiness to the hem of the dress. Some small areas of missing embroidery / beads. Some of the organza has shattered near the top of the cape on the interior side. I have included photos here after the label shot. It can be worn as is but if you want me to have some reinforcement added you can touch base with me before I ship it and I will have my seamstress add that for you. Please see the photos after the label shot.
- There are no size tags so please go by the listed measurements below.
- Excellent condition with the note on the cape lining above.
Dress
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 59.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Cape
Neck: 15.5" around
Total length: it falls to approximately 17" at the shortest point of the front and the back falls to approximately 61"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5544
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Fall 2023 Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Mens Runway Look 13 Long Super Soft Knit Coat
I Have a Question
- The twin of this coat was shown on the Fall 2023 menswear runway for Look 13.
- It was made under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello.
- The Vogue review opened with four words "Long, tall, lean, chic." And that aptly describes the coats for this collection. They were so wanted by everyone that when they were released to the shops they were sent out as a unisex piece available to women as well as men.
- This one is in pristine condition and is new with its original tags.
- The cut is simple and classic and yet the length and sleek cut makes it feel very avante garde and unique.
- It is made from an extra soft black knit that borders on a deep charcoal. The knit combines mohair and wool and this keeps it light in weight but with enough structure to hold the shape.
- The light weight makes it a lot easier to wear then you would initially think given all of the fabric.
- The collar is very full and borders on being able to be used as a hood. I think that most would be able to bring it up and on their head if they wished. Because the fabric is so light in weight it sits very well around the neckline without being bulky.
- The sleeves are long. They start out wider near the shoulder and narrow to a very lightly ribbed cuffs. Rounded padding, sits in each shoulder to help hold the shape.
- It is cut to skim and flow down past the bust, waist and hips. The lower part of the coat continues from there to fall to the floor, gently widening out as it nears the hem.
- There are no front closures. You simply use the matching knit belt to wrap around the waist to add shape. It has a touch of a men's bathrobe/robe feel that is fantastic.
- The coat is unlined and slips on to wear. It comes with its original matching belt and is in its original supermodel length. Its original hang tag is still attached. It's easy and open shape. Should allow it to fit a full range sizes. It will just drape more and feel more oversized on smaller frames.
- Tagged a YSL XL
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: approximately 27.5" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approximately 19" including the shoulder pads and meant to slightly sit off the edge of the shoulder.
Bust-hips: to 28" flat across from side seam to side seam. The knit will stretch beyond that but this is the measurement flat across when laying flat and not stretching the knit.
Total length: 65.5" from neck to hem and the collar is 20" wide at its widest point at the back.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-XL
Item# DD5538
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.
jacques fath
Incredible 1953 Jacques Fath Haute Couture Leopard Printed Silk Strapless Dress w Full Skirt
I Have a Question
- This is an incredible and rare true Haute Couture dress whose pattern remarkably resembles a sketch we found from his 1953 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of couturier Jaques Fath.
- Jacques Fath showed his first collection of just twenty garments in the spring of 1937. It was well received and he steadily built a strong clientele to become of of the busiest ateliers in Paris.
- Fath is considered to be part of the 'big three' post-war Parisian designers, along with Dior and Balmain. The Fath label was shuttered in 1957 after Fath's death three years earlier. One of his signature looks was a strapless hourglass silhouette. The dress is gorgeous and a beautiful and rare example of his work during this time period.
- It would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
- The fabric is a stunning silk that has a pattern suggested of an animal print running over its entire surface. This has been done in an ivory with shades of charcoal grey. Worked into the pattern is a subtle muted gold metallic thread.
- The dress is strapless and curves up on the bodice. There is a black silk inner panel that is set behind the front panels that you see here. This let those front panels sit slightly off of the body and create the illusion of more bust.
- The fabric is gathered in along an angled seam under that to a wide band that defines the waist. I love how there is a bit of the same black silk that peeks out along one edge to tie all of the elements of the bodice together.
- The waist is cinched in and to achieve that beautiful hour glass silhouette there is a full built-in boned couture corset attached to the inside of the bodice. I have taken photos so you can see how beautifully and intricately this is constructed.
- From there the skirt expands outward over the hips and curves beautifully down to the floor. The front has a slightly more sleek feel to it and then the back has added fabric built into it down the centre so that you get a beautiful soft fullness there. It is cut slightly longer at the back to help to add to that feel of more fullness there. If you really wanted the skirt to be very full you could add an underskirt. There is more than enough room.
- It is an absolute extraordinarily beautiful early Couture peace from the most magical era of Couture.
- The skirt is backed with a netting and there is a built-in boned corset. It closes with a back zipper and an inner waist stay hooks to close. There is light discolouration to the inner corset. At some point, someone added fabric tape over some small holes in the netting of the interior skirt and I see some tiny ones without tape. None of this shows on the exterior. There is light fraying on part of the front hem. Please see the photos after the label shot. All of the interior work is done completely by hand to Couture standards.
- No size tag is present so please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent overall condition
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top of bodice to bottom seam of the 3.25" waist band
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to front hem and the back hand extends another 6" past that
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5531
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.
nina ricci
Exceptional Spring 1997 Nina Ricci by Gerard Pipart Haute Couture Runway Black & White Strapless w Beaded Details
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the Spring 1997 Haute Couture collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Gerard Pipart.
- The Nina Ricci brand was founded in 1932 at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris. In 1964 Gérard Pipart succeeded Jules-François Crahay, Nina Ricci's former designer assistant, as head of the brand. Pipart, who had previously worked for Balmain, Fath, and Patou, brought a wide range of experience in all aspects of fashion to the brand.
- Over the following three decades, Pipart's couture vision 'celebrated a flamboyant woman and his ready-to-wear found a loyal following among the most stylish women of the day.' He headed the Couture division until 1998.
- This is an incredible and very beautiful piece of Haute Couture and would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier.
- The upper portion of the dress is a strapless and structured ivory that is made out of a beautiful silk that has a slight texture.
- At the waist it changes to a black silk to create that gorgeous skirt. The silk there also has a slight texture and enough weight to hold the intended draping but without being heavy.
- Deep silver beads are placed by hand to run up from the waist over the bodice and then more beading runs down from the waist with some parts ending just past the hips. It adds the perfect amount of glitz to the dress.
- The skirt curves outward over the hips and then widens out as it nears the hem. On one side of the skirt an added panel drapes down past the hem and appears to be caught up with the handset bow that sits there. This adds a beautiful little bit of extra movement and curving line to the dress. It is a design detail that is just brilliantly executed.
- It is fully lined in a white silk through the bodice with light boning for support. Through the skirt it is lined in a black silk. It closes with a side set zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. I see the very slightest bit of grubbiness around the upper edge of the bodice that is mentioned for accuracy.
- The proper Haute Couture label is present.
- There is no size tag so please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.25" from the top of the bodice to the waist
Total length: 52.5" from the top of the bodice to the shortest point of the hem, 57" to the longest
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5532
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.
dolce and gabbana
Extraordinary Rare Fall 2016 Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Couture Gold Tweed & Lace Covered Jacket & Skirt Suit Set
I Have a Question
- This is a private custom order suit from the Fall 2016 Alta Moda "Naples" collection and was acquired directly from the Couture client. Alta Moda runway footage and Look Books are only available for those invited to the spectacular 3-day events held in different locations each season.
- It was made under the creative direction of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
- This suit was a special order custom piece by my client and the original price was just over 45,000 euros.
- This collection was inspired by Sophia Loren who was also the guest of honour at the show.
- Both pieces are made out of a hand woven tweed that has gold metallic thread woven through it in a thatched weave. The goal is more apparent when you see this in person. As you get closer, you realize that over top of the tweed there is a layer of a floral lace that floats over and creates a beautiful pattern on pattern effect.
- The lace pieces were all hand made individually to fit the part of the pattern that they were to be applied over top of. Inside the inner edges of the jacket there is a another panel of handmade lace that is done with a more dense weave so that it has a darker feel to it. It is all just extraordinary.
- The jacket has soft shoulders that have a slight peak at their tops. The sleeves are long and the lace covering them is their only detail. The body of the jacket is shaped around you with the waist nipped in for shape. A double row of handmade buttons runs down the front with hidden hand covered silk snaps set underneath to close the jacket. Each hip has a double flap to suggest pockets but these are decorative only and their purpose is to help shape the hip and add detail. The collar is soft with an extra band of the handmade lace applied around it to give it a touch of definition.
- The skirt has a wide grosgrain ribbon to cinch it in and it skims over the top of the hips. The lower skirt is added with and exposed top set seam attaching it to the upper part of the skirt. This lower piece is pleated so it opens up into a beautiful shape and a bit of a swing feel while still maintaining its structure.
- It is truly a work of art and showcases the very best of Dolce's craftsmanship.
- Both pieces are unlined and are entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. The jacket closes at the front as described above and the skirt has a back zipper. They have their appropriate Couture tags in place with a hand written tag behind. Both pieces appear to have been worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present since it is a couture piece so please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition
Jacket
Sleeves: 25.5" and are 12" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 24" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 24.5" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5510
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
Outstanding Fall 2001 John Galliano Runway Look 41 Bias Cut Silk Chiffon Dress w Romantic Floral Print
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the Fall 2001 runway for a Look 41 and was worn by supermodel Stella Tenant in the show.
- It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- This is the actual dress worn by Caitlin Thompson to the 2024 Emmys
- Madison Headrick privately acquired the first example of this dress that we had in our archives and wore it as part of her wedding celebrations.
- Besides the runway photos, we have included photos of both Madison and Caitlin so you can see how spectacular this is on the body.
- The dress is made out of a floral printed ivory silk chiffon that is feather light in weight.
- Soft pastel flowers done in shades of pale, pink and soft greens run over the entire dress and add to the ultra romantic feel that it has.
- Ruffled cap sleeves curve over the shoulders and they are set wide so that they sit at the very edge of your shoulder. This allows the chiffon to cascade over the top of each arm.
- The bodice is extensively gathered around the bust to the sides and into a seam that curves down just above the waist. All of the seam work on the dress is a heavy nod to the Couture pieces of the 1920s and 1930s. John Galliano often use those dresses as inspiration and you can clearly see that in this piece.
- Gathered ties extend out from the sides of the bodice to wrap and tie around you. They are very long so you can get creative in how they are tied. They add a touch of whimsy to the dress and are also a clever way to add shape through the waist.
- The dress curves back out and over the hips and then narrow down slightly to about the knee.
- The lower skirt is set into a curved seam and the volume below that is amazing. There is a tremendous amount of silk in the lower skirting so that it moves and floats fabulously around you when you move.
- Little added tiered ruffles of silk have been added along parts of the patterned seams for yet another extra romantic touch.
- The dress is completely cut on the bias so moves beautifully over the body. It makes it easy to fit and comfortable to wear.
- This is a spectacular example of his work and one of the most romantic prints from him that I have ever seen. This is an important early piece that is highly collectible.
- The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk chiffon and slips on with no closures. The easy cut and movement in the fabric should allow it to fit a range of sizes. The dress is in its original uncut length. It appears to have been worn very little if at all
- There is no size tag present so please go buy the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 65" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5509
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
john anthony
Minimalist Fall 1981 John Anthony Couture Hand Beaded Silk Chiffon Two Piece Top & Skirt Set
I Have a Question
- This dress is from the Fall 1981 Jpohn Anthony collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of John Anthony.
- Each piece that John Anthony made was on a made-to-order basis, which means that each piece is the only one that exists, or in the very occasional circumstance that there are similar pieces made, only a very limited amount of pieces were done.
- All of the pieces I have (and have had in the last couple of years) in the shop come directly from John's archive.
- John is one of the great American couturiers and he was known for his sharp tailoring and striking evening wear. He launched his atelier in 1971 and he quickly rose to fame, winning a Coty award in 1972 and then again in 1976.
- This is the original sample of this piece from his archives. We found a series of photos of pieces with the same bead work so you can get an idea of how beautiful they are on the body.
- The dress is made out of a feather light deep brown silk chiffon. Glass tube beads are set in vertical rows over both pieces and all of the beads have been applied by hand in perfect little rows onto the silk. I love how they catch the light from every angle.
- Both pieces have a simple and easy cut so that they are easy to wear and are very flattering on the body. The neckline is scooped and closes with a hook and eye at the back of the neck above a keyhole. The sleeves have the same bead detailing and then they fall in a straight cut to the wrist for a touch of fullness.
- The bodice is cut to skim loosely over you to the waist. The waist is finished with elastic which lets the silk pouf under a touch.
- The skirt has a banded waist and falls to the floor under that. It flares out a touch as it nears the hem. It has a high slit on one side for a flash of leg to show.
- They are gorgeous when worn together but have the versatility of being able to be mixed and matched with things you already have.
- The work has all been done by hand and the workmanship is fantastic. They fall like a dream once on the body.
- Fully lined in a second layer of nude silk chiffon. The top closes with a hook and eye above a keyhole at the back of the neck and has elastic at the bottom seam. The skirt closes with hook and eye at the waist and a zipper under that. A tiny area of missing beads here and there but nothing major. Please see the photo after the label shot. The sample tag is stitched inside the cuff of one sleeve.
- There is no size tag present because it is a sample piece so please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition with the minor note above.
Top
Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: 14-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from waist to hem
Slit: 27" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5503
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Outstanding Fall 2009 Christian Dior by John Galliano Bias Cut Metallic Silver Floral Print Dress
I Have a Question
- The dress is from the Fall 2009 collection and the same fabric was seen on the runway in other pieces.
- It was created under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- The show was inspired by 1920s and the 1920s Orientalism of couturier Paul Poiret and you can see that in the fabric of this dress and its nod to the metallic silk lames that were seen so prominently during that era.
- The dress is made from the most striking metallic silver & black fabric that has a subtle silver shimmer from head to toe. The photos capture the colour well, but it has a slightly more metallic feel in person that is really outstandingly beautiful.
- It is completely cut on the bias so that it falls and drapes beautifully over the body.
- The neck line is cut wide across and the shoulders extend slightly over the top of the arm. The bodice has angled darts that come out from the centre of the waist and it is cut to skim over you down to the waist area.
- The waist is shaped by a combination of the seam work there and the gathering at the front. After curving in around the waist it curves back out and over the hips.
- The skirt falls from there to the floor and I love how the bias cut narrows it in around the legs slightly and then the lower portion of skirt flares out dramatically. The back of the skirt is cut slightly longer than the front so you get this phenomenal sweeping feel behind you along with added movement as you walk and move.
- The way it is gathered in around the hips is a strong nod to pieces from the 1930s and 1940s. These are eras that John touched on quite often and that is showcased beautifully in this particular piece. There is a centre seam where all of the fabric has been gathered in towards to create shape and interest around the waist and the of the top of hips.
- The dress is in its original uncut length and just an incredible example of his work from time period.
- It is fully lined in black silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper. I see some faded marks to the interior lining around the hem. I think this is from storage. The exterior is pristine. When the dress is off the body, the inner lining hangs a bit past the hem but once it was on the dress form, it falls right. This is because of the bias cut of the inner lining - it doesn't shorten to match the exterior hem until there is a body in it.
- There is no size tag present so please go buy the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition.
Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 64" from shoulder to front hem in the back extends another 2" past that.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5491
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.
adolfo
Incredible 1960s Adolfo Black Silk Chiffon One Shoulder Dress w Extensive Hand Bead & Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
- This incredibally detailed dress dates to the 1960s.
- It was made under the creative direction of Adolfo Faustino Sardiña, who professionally known as Adolfo.
- Adolfo started his career under Balenciaga and, like Halston, he was a successful milliner before opening his own fashion house. He became know for his Chanel inspired suiting and beaded pieces.
- Adolfo often did custom work for his clients who ranged from the Duchess of Windsor to Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Gloria Vanderbilt and Nancy Reagan. He even won a Coty Award in 1969.
- The base fabric is a fine black silk chiffon over a black silk and then it is lined in a silk and then onto that are thousands of beads and sequins.
- The extensive bead and sequin work is set onto the silk in a gorgeous design that runs over the dress from top to bottom. The designs are clustered and the work sits up and off the silk for a slight 3D effect. All of the work is done by hand.
- It drapes and sits on the body in a very balanced way despite the elaborate work on it.
- The cut of this dress is a very flattering one shoulder silhouette. The one side curves up and over the shoulder and then from there it curves gracefully across the back. The shoulder strap is an extension of all of the design, so there is no break to the eye.
- The edges of the neck, down and around the one arm opening, and all the way around the hem are all finished with tightly, spaced bead work that is incredible.
- It skims over the bust and there is no seam at the waist. Instead, it is shaped to curve in slightly for shape and then it curves back out and over the hips.
- The dress falls to the floor from there and the skirt widens out a touch as it nears the floor. The hem is on a slight angle and as it curves up to the one side, there is a slit runs up one side for a flash of leg to show as you move or sit.
- I love the contrast of the silver white beads against the black. They catch the light with your slightest movement and from every angle. It is just a spectacular dress.
- The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a side zipper. Hand finishes throughout. There is a tiny bare area between the beading on the shoulder and two small areas around the arm. Please see the photos after the label shot. Otherwise it looks as if it was worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition.
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of the shoulder to hem and the slit is 22" from the hem up.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5489
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.
roberto cavalli
Sexiest 2003 Roberto Cavalli Laced Back Corset Leopard Print Silk Chiffon Dress w Stitched Panels
I Have a Question
- This dress is from the Fall 2003 Cavalli collection and is a variation of Look 30
- It was made under the creative direction of Roberto Cavalli
- Leopard prints were predominant through the runway presentation and the backdrop of the catwalk was a giant wall of video screens. The runway equivalent to this dress was deeply plunged at the front but this production piece with its corset front is far more wearable and easy to fit in my opinion. We have included runway video and stills to show you the similar fit through the body and how it will move
- The dress is made of a leopard print bias cut silk chiffon that is phenomenal. Within the leopard print there are printed gold chains that run over the dress and accentuate the curves of the body underneath. They also build on the cut of the dress itself.
- The dress is suspended from two tiny straps in the same silk that curved up and over the shoulders. The straps have a touch of elastic inside to help it fit perfectly once on. At the back they curve slightly inwards and attach. The entire upper back is left bare and exposed.
- There is a built-in inner underwired bra that holds everything in place. This gives you the structure you need while still keeping the feel of a bias cut dress over that.
- The dress curves in at the waist with a combination of long curving vertical seams and ones set in peaked angles that curved downwards. It curves back out over the hips from there. Everything is cut on the bias and there are no horizontal seams to break the print or lines of the dress.
- The lower skirt flares out with quite a bit of fabric used for its construction. The back has extra fabric and is cut a little longer than the front so that you have a beautiful bit of fabric behind you as you move. The extra fabric also gives you wonderful movement as you walk.
- I love how all of the seams around the bodice are pieced together with an obvious brown thread stitching them together. The way this is done allows for a little bit of bare skin to show between the stitches. It is a subtle detail but a fantastic one.
- The final perfect finishing touch is the laced back. This allows you to adjust the fit perfectly to you and it gives the dress the perfect signature Cavalli sexiness.
- The dress is unlined and closes with the laces at the back. The straps have slight elastic in them and there is a built-in underwire bra to create a corset effect. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a modern Cavalli Small
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam when it is tightly laced up. Loosening the laces would give you whatever extra room you needed around.
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: the very front centre is 60" from top of shoulder and then it starts to curve around to end up being 67" at the back.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5479
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.
jean louis scherrer
Gorgeous Spring 2007 Jean Louis Scherrer by Stephane Rolland Leopard Print Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the Spring 2007 runway and it is an absolute stunner.
- It was made under the creative direction of Stephane Rolland.
- The dress is made of a beautifully printed feather light silk chiffon and the bow details are a brown silk.
- Wide straps extend up from the two front triangles and wrap and button at the back of the neck. This leaves a plunge right to the wide band that circles around the waist. The result is a low plunge, but because of the way the halter is cut and the width of each side, everything is held perfectly in place once on.
- The waist is defined by a wide band of the same fabric. It starts high up above the waist and is gathered horizontally around you ending at the top of the hip.
- All of the gathering through that area has all been hand tacked into place. I love the shape that it adds to the dress.
- The back is equally spectacular. It is completely bare and exposed from the strap that curves around the neck down to the top edge of the band that details and add shape to the waist.
- The skirt is spectacular. At the front there is a draped panel that falls down the centre and then is caught up with a deep brown bow underneath where is flounces. The lower tier of the skirt widens and flows out from there with extra fabric gathered in.
- The back of the skirt is cut so that it falls a little longer than the front. This creates a really pretty sweeping movement behind you as you walk.
- I love that the print is soft. All of the browns are more on the tawny feeling side to create this pretty softness over the dress. I think in person it feels even less of a contrast in the print than how it photos. It is very pretty.
- The dress has its original tag with its price of €4250 or just under €6500 in modern dollars.
- The dress is lined in a nude colour silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set back zipper. There are three buttons at the neck. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a vintage Scherrer 42
- Excellent condition
Bust: each triangle covers approximately 7" flat across from side to side
Band under the bust: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 13" from neck to top of the 8.5" band at the waist
Total length: approx 68" from neck to front hem and the back ham extends another 5" beyond that
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5477
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
givenchy
Incredible 1980s Hubert de Givenchy Haute Couture Strapless Blue Matte Silk Dress w Velvet Bow Detailing
I Have a Question
- This is an original Givenchy Haute Couture gown whose number tag dates it to approximatelywho's number tag dates it to approximately 1985 to 1987.
- It was made under the creative direction of Hubert de Givenchy
- The dress would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
- If not for the tag inside and the number that seems to best place it in that time period we have assigned it to based on other Givenchy Couture pieces we've had in the shop, we would have absolutely thought this was a piece from the 1950s at first glance. It has all the beautiful lines you see in that golden era of Old Hollywood.
- It is made out of a deep blue matte silk that has a bit of a moire design running over its surface. It is a very unique fabric and because the dress is a couture piece it could very well have been specifically produced for this dress.
- The dress is strapless with a handmade built-in interior boned corset to hold it in place around you. It has a stay just under the bust and around the waist to hold it in place and it is lightly boned. I love the extensive hand work that you see inside that shows the high amount of detail that goes into a couture piece.
- The top of the bodice has a slate fullness to it with an added panel of fabric that wraps around the bodice that is gathered and stitched in place by hand to form soft curves and puffs.
- At the front of the bodice there is a large blue velvet bow that has been hand placed. Slightly smaller bows have been attached all the way around the skirt. The bows add a pretty and feminine detail and the contrast of the deeper blue of the velvet is the perfect highlight against the silk backdrop.
- The dress curves in at the waist and then flares out to be very full through the skirt as it falls to the floor.
- The shape through the upper portion of the dress has all been made from the immaculate piecing together of vertical panels. There are eight of them in total and each is shaped to create the curving feel over the bust and waist that you see.
- From there, the skirt curves back out over the hips to meet the first of two wide panels that make up the lower portion of the skirt and give it the volume that you see.
- Each of those panels is set into a seam attached to the panel above, and they are slightly gathered all the way around you. This ties in the feel that the very top of the bodice has and also adds to the volume of the skirt.
- Underneath that gorgeous top layer is a built-in silk underskirt. It has multiple layers of panels built-in around the hem area and more built-in just past the knee. These fall softly under the exterior skirt to help to hold its shape. The inner construction of this underscored is quite extensive and again is a nod to the meticulous detailing that you find in a true Couture piece.
- It is incredibly well made as one would expect for a piece of Couture.
- The dress has weight to it because of all the internal layers but it is balanced perfectly once on the body.
- A full built in bodice closes with its own zipper and the inner stays hook to close. Handmade light padding cups are built in at the bust. The rest of the dress is lined in layers of silk. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper. All the work is by hand and to Haute Couture standards. The dress has its proper couture label and handwritten tape underneath in place. It looks to have been worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition
Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 50.5" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5470
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Outstanding Spring 2003 Christian Dior by John Galliano Bias Cut Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Lace Details & Sequin Halter
I Have a Question
- This dress is from the Spring 2003 Dior collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of John Galliano.
- The twin of this dress was worn by Jennifer Aniston to accept her award at the 2003 Golden Globes.
- This is a dress that was made for the shops on a limited basis. A version with no sequins or lace, was also made that season, but this one with the extra detailing was only produced for a very limited amount of shops or special order.
- The dress is made from a bias cut black silk that has a slight texture to it. This is mixed with a black lace and then the dress has additional sequin and bead detailing.
- The front curves over you and then dips low at the back. You can see in the try on photos that when this is on an actual body it dips lower down the back and on more of a curve. This leaves your entire upper back bare and exposed.
- Two straps extended out from the centre of the bodice and hook into place behind the neck. There is a heavy detailing of beads and sequins that follow the neckline of the dress and then scatter over and down the bodice. Both the straps are finished with a heavy detailing of beads and little black prong set black glass rhinestones. Where the straps attached at the front there is a panel of silk shaped to feel like the ends of a tie. This is made from one piece of silk that has been folded over onto itself and then cut into angles at its ends. It is heavily detailed with a beautiful scalloped pattern created by shiny black sequins and tiny little glass beads.
- The top blouses over the waist and then there is a wide 11" panel of gathered black lace that starts at the waist seam and curves over the top of the hips. The fabric has some stretch so that you can adjust where it sits on you.
- The skirt falls to the floor in a beautiful line. It is cut to curve over your hips and then flares out dramatically for the lower portion of the skirt. A slit runs up the front centre for some leg to show and this combined with the flaring cut creates incredible movement as you move.
- It is a really exceptional dress and is extremely sexy once on the body.
- The bodice is fully lined in a black silk chiffon and the skirt is unlined. It slips on to wear with no closures. In its original length. The bias cut and slight stretch of the fabric gives it some movement. I have given the comfortable range of the measurements while laying flat below. It appears to have worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a vintage Dior US4, GB8, FR36.
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam. The smaller you are through the bust the more the back will drape since the halter holds it in place at the front.
Waist: 12.5-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 25" from neck to waist but once on the top drapes over the waist seam and it is approximately 15 to 16" from the neck
Total length: 73.5" from neck to hem but once on and the top drapes over it is approximately 63.5" long. There is some play with the length depending on how high you hike the area around the hips.
Slit: 27"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5467
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.
Alexandre Vauthier
Phenomenal Fall 2011 Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture Runway Look Hand Beaded Red Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of this extraordinary dress walked the Fall 2011 Vauthier Haute Couture runway.
- It was made under the creative direction of Alexandre Vauthier
- Alexandre Vauthier launched his label in 2009. He started his fashion career in 1993 working for Thierry Mugler as an intern and working his way up to assistant designer to Mugler himself. In 1997 he joined Jean Paul Gaultier where he in charge of the Couture collections for the following eight years.
- He left in 2008 to open his own couture atelier showing his first collection in 2009. From 2011 to 2014 the label was a designated guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de haute couture and since December 2014 he has been a full Couture member. Vauthier departed the label in 2025 it was acquired by Revolve marking the end of the Couture division.
- This is the actual piece that was shown on the runway and may very well be the only one in existence. I love that we have both the runway reference photos and video. You can see how fantastically it moves and looks once on the body.
- The dress is made from a red silk chiffon that has an extensive and very dense application of red bead work hand applied onto it.
- Every line of the dress has been precisely cut and patterned so that it falls perfectly in the lines that he intended it to be shaped in.
- The shoulders are soft and extend into long cut sleeves that are also completely and densely beaded to match the body of the dress. In the runway photo the shoulders look slightly more shaped than the dress in person to me and I think that they may have added temporary padding to style it for the show. Adding your own is a decision that could be made once you have it in hand and try it on.
- The dress is cut to skim over the body and highlight it everywhere. The sleeves are cut a little extra long so that once on the arm they bunch up a touch. There is a cut out. opening that is left under each arm. I have photoed that so that you can see. This was probably done not only as a design choice but to allow movement and not have to worry about the bead work being constricted.
- The neckline is scooped and the dress is shaped to come in at the waist and then curves back out and around the hips so that it skims perfectly over the body.
- The beadwork that sits over the sleeves and body of the dress has been done and a little sections that curve around each other and catch the light differently as you move. You can see in the video how this creates an almost flame like feel over you.
- The skirt is absolutely amazing. As the beads run down over the hips to join into the skirt they become these long flame like ribbons of bead work that extend into varying lengths down and into the skirt. The effect is absolutely beautiful and perfectly picks up on the way the beads were executed through the body of the dress.
- Under the beadwork, the skirt is made out of a red silk chiffon that is very light and weight. It curves slightly up at the front and then extends out into two angled points at the back which again feels like an extension of the flame motif that the dress has.
- You can see on the runway that once very bright lights hit the skirt, it has a sense of transparency to it. That is quite extraordinary and done to highlight the bead work and add a bit of sexiness to the dress despite it full coverage. At the back it trails out past the hem to float around you as you walk.
- The dress is amazing on the body and it is just a beautiful and very sexy dress and an extraordinary little piece of true Haute Couture fashion history.
- The upper portion of the dress is lined in a silk chiffon through the body and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and each cuff closes with a hidden set zipper. This is the actual dress that was worn on the runway and is completely made by hand. It is the original runway sample dress. The beads have been hand sewn so closely to the edges of the zipper that you do have to take care when zipping and unzipping the dress as they can catch and you can see a little bit of catching of thread and perhaps the very occasional missing bead here and there along that edge. I am being pretty picky. This was done to give the illusion that the dress has no opening. Inside the silk chiffon that was used to line the dress is very delicate and there have been some repairs made. This was probably done after the runway show to strengthen parts of the inner lining and can be typical of runway samples. I also see a touch of a mark on one arm on the inner lining, a small tear and some repairs to the silk of the lining. None of this shows through but is mentioned for accuracy and is photoed after the label shot. Some of the seam work is handed basted and this adds to the feel that this is the original sample because that is often how you see runway samples finished.
- There is no size tag present because it is Haute couture sample so please go by the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 28" and they are 9.5" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16-16.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 90" from neck to the very longest point at the back hem and the shortest point at the front fall to 49"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5463
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.
fabrice
Rare Fall 1981 Fabrice Simon Couture Hand Painted Red & Gold Skirt & Top Dress Set
I Have a Question
- This stunning and rare dress set is from the Fall 1981 Fabrice collection.
- It was made by Haitian born designer Fabrice Simon.
- Simons launched his label in 1976 making this an extremely early example of his work and showcases how his early work especially was centred around hand, painted fabrics. He trained as a textile designer originally and pieces like this showcase his love of textiles beautifully.
- Fabrice was a Coty award recipient and one of the preeminent black designers during this time period and pieces by him are extremely difficult to find. Especially at the level that this one is at. It is a very important and collectible piece of Black fashion history.
- The dress is especially iconic because it has two remarkable tie-ins. One with supermodel Pat Cleveland, who wore the twin of the top, and the second with Cicely Tyson who was photographed wearing a version of this set.
- His clothes were worn by some of entertainments most famous names - Kathleen Turner, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, who wore one of his dresses to the 1988 Grammy's. The top supermodels of the time like Iman, Beverly Johnson, Christy Brinkley and Jerry Hall were all fans.
- When worn together it does look like a dress but it is a set of two pieces.
- Both pieces are made out of a beautiful light in weight red silk that has a metallic gold design covering its surface. The the gold portion of the fabric have all been painted on by hand and this is where we see Fabrice background as a trained textile designer.
- The top is a remarkable piece of fashion that transcends into art
- Both the front and the back dipped into a V and it buttons down the front with a series of round gold metal ball buttons that slip through red silk loops. There was a little gap left between each button with how it's laid out so you would get a tiny glimpse of skin between each button.
- The top is edged in a metallic gold cord that has a black band twisted around it. This little pop of black and gold contrasts beautifully with the painted fabric and adds a little extra bit of detail.
- The front dips down into a point, and while it has seamed to follow the curve of the body it is soft without boning so very comfortable to wear
- Curving up and around the the shoulders are three rows of silk that has been gathered to form the phenomenal volume and detail that you see. These are stacked beside each other with silk between each row, so they cover the full sides of the top on both the back in front. They are finished in hand edged jagged points and the way they have been set onto the top creates the incredible volume and density that you see in the photos. They add an exuberance to the outfit that is hard to describe until you see it in person. It is just extraordinary.
- The skirt is as fabulous as the top. It is banded around the waist so that you have shape and then it falls very full around you to the hem.
- There is an incredible amount of fabric in the skirt and it's sheer amount of fabric allows that gorgeous hand painted print to be shown off to the maximum. To achieve the fullness that it has all of the silk has been tightly gathered in and around the waist and then expands outward.
- I love that the skirt has pockets. It is the perfect bit of unexpected ease on such a dramatic piece.
- Having two pieces makes it extremely versatile because you can mix a match either piece with things you already have in your wardrobe. It is beautifully dramatic one worn together and then you also have endless styling possibilities when paired with other things.
- Both pieces have an additional handwritten museum tag from being deaccessioned. One has to wonder if that is a regretted decision.
- The top is fully lined in a black silk and buttons down the front as described above. The skirt is unlined and closes at the waist with hook and eye and then a zipper below that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- The top is tagged a size Small and the skirt has no size tag.
- Excellent condition
Top
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom edge: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 17" from top of shoulder to bottom edge, not including the added 2.5" extended angle at the front
Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 47" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5462
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Ady Couture
1982 Ady for Givenchy Haute Couture Deep Copper Gold Silk Dress w Hand Done Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
- The dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland
- Ady 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 couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway.
- This incredible Haute Couture dress came to me from the niece of the original couture client.
- The dress is an authorized copy of the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture fdress that we have included reference photos of here. 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 deep copper gold silk. It is very light in weight but has enough structure to hold the stunning lines and volume of the dress. The colour of the silk is even better in person.
- The neckline is a simple scoop and the bodice skims over your curves. The sleeves are incredible. Each one is set on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of dressmaking. 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.
- The waist is seamed but with a more generous feel. You can use the ribbon belt to cinch it in and add shape.
- The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. A seam brings the top part of the skirt inwards and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there.
- The lower portion of the skirt is made from several yards of silk so that it flares out beautifully as it falls.
- Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and ties into a bow at the side. Which beautifully picks up on the bow around the waist. The silk of the skirts are lined in a silk organza to help give support but it is really the genius of the cut itself that creates the shape.
- An elaborate and intricate floral design runs across the front and back of the bodice and down each sleeve. Hand done embroidery work is combined with tiny black sequins and hand applied beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen.
- The skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is.
- Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam finished by hand. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absolutely beautifully made.
- The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a soft gold toned silk organza. 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. The velvet ribbon belt is not original to the piece but is included. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is a slightly softer gold copper in person then how it photoed. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 26" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of the shoulder to waist
Length: 58" from top of the shoulder to front hem, 61" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5461
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Spring 1980 Christian Dior by Marc Bohan Haute Couture One Shoulder Coral Red Silk Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of the dress in white walked the runway for the Spring 1980 Haute Couture presentation
- It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
- The Spring 1980 collection was called "Return to Classism". The book Dior:Catwalk noted that the collection "focused on paired back silhouettes with defined shoulders, subtle and belted waists... "My look is one of softness and neatness." Bohan told Vogue. Vogue also noted the one shoulder necklines that were integral to the collection and that is shown so beautifully in this dress.
- This dress would have been made entirely in the Paris atelier.
- During this time period dresses with this black with white text Couture label usually denoted a custom order that was different from the presented piece on the runway. Being that the dress was shown in white on the runway this makes perfect sense.
- The dress is made out of a red silk crepe that is a colour that is flattering on most skin tones, especially with its touch of a coral undertone.
- I love the nod to classic minimalism that the dress displays.
- A single wide shoulder curves up and over your shoulder and the opening that your arm slips through begins and is set slightly off the top of the shoulder so you have just the suggestion of a sleeve. It angles down across you on both the front and the back. The opening dips slightly low on the other side leaving that entire opposite side and shoulder bare and exposed.
- It skims over the bust and blouses slightly over the seam at the waist. The silk is gathered in slightly at the waist and done so that it falls perfectly around you. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt.
- The skirt falls from there and is constructed so that it wraps over itself to one side at the front and secured in place around the waist. A deliberate gap is left open near the hem and when you walk, move or sit, you get a flash of leg. You can see how this sits so beautifully on the body from the runway reference photos.
- It is a dress that appears to be so simple in shape but every seam and line of the dress was purposefully and masterfully executed and planned.
- The dress comes with a huge rectangle of finished silk in a matching colour that can be used as a shawl or partial cape piece. It is not photoed but will be sent with the dress.
- This is an extraordinary example of his work during this time period and it is an absolutely stunning dress.
- The dress is fully lined in a matching red silk chiffon and closes at the side with a hand set zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. All of the work is done by hand to Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
- There is no size tag present because it is Couture so please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition
Dress
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from top of shoulder to waist but does blouse over a bit once on
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under the ham
Shawl (not pictured)
6.8 feet wide x 9.75 feet wide
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5454
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
madame gres
Exceptional Spring 1974 Madame Gres Haute Couture Unlabeled Documented Blue Silk Jersey Skirt & Top
I Have a Question
- This is a very rare Haute Couture Gres skirt and top hat from Spring 1974.
- It was made under the creative direction of Madame Gres.
- The documented to Spring 1974 was done through the sketch of it that we have added here.
- This is the exact set that was worn by Annabelle Wallis. I love that the photos of her show how beautiful this is once it is on. The movement even through the static photographs is phenomenal.
- Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques, and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work.
- She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find.
- This Haute Couture set is exceptional. Both pieces are made from a bias cut silk jersey done in a perfect tropical sea blue that has a touch of turquoise to it. Silk jersey was one of her signature fabrics. The pleating detailing on the bodice of this set is one of her signature techniques.
- As with many of her pieces the cut and design of both pieces are simple and minimalist but with maximum impact.
- Tiny straps made from the same jersey curve over the shoulders. Under that is the incredible hand-pleated bandeau bodice. Two panels of pleated silk jersey curve around each and wrap behind you creating a curving pattern with openings between the curves all the way around.
- The silk jersey on the bands has been pleated entirely by hand with tiny little hand stitches hidden in the folds.
- It is lightly boned inside and completely made by hand. You can see all the hand work in the photos where I have shown the back. It wraps and curves over itself at the back and closes with two hidden sets of hook and eye.
- An expanse of bare skin sits between the top and the skirt. Depending on your height, the amount of skin shown between the skirt and top will vary.
- The skirt falls from the waist in a swoop of bias cut silk jersey that widens out as it nears the hem. There are yards and yards of jersey in the skirt. You really get an idea of that in the photos of Annabelle. It is quite exceptional.
- Every seam on the dress has been finished by hand. Working with a bias cut silk jersey in this manner is an incredible achievement that would have taken countless hours of handwork to complete.
- It is a work of art and very rare. It very well may be the only one that exists.
- The top is lined in a matching silk with all of the hand were clearly seen. It is lightly boned and hooks to close. The skirt hooks to close at the waist and then snaps under that. I see a bit of grubbiness on the inner lining of the top and on some of the edges of the top and the waistband of the skirt. There is the occasional tiny pull in the jersey. The straps have been reinforced. The hem of the skirt is deliberately raw. I see a couple tiny pinhead holes in the jersey of the skirt near the hem. There is so much fabric in the skirt that you would never see them but it is mentioned for accuracy. The dress is unlabelled. Both pieces are finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand.
- There is no size tag is present because it is true Haute Couture so please go by the measurements below.
- Excellent condition
Bandeau top
Bust: best fits a 32A or 32smallB or smaller
Bottom hem: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 13" from top of shoulder to bottom
Skirt
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 43" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD5425
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.
giorgio armani
Fantastic Fall 1998 Giorgio Armani Runway, Ad Campaign & Exhibit Silk Skirt w Fall 2001 Sequin Top Set
I Have a Question
- The skirt from this set is from the Fall 1998 runway and then sequin top was shown on the runway for Fall 2001.
- It was made under the creative direction of Giorgio Armani.
- The twin of the skirt walk the runway with a fitted long sleeved matching top. That version of the set was used in the ad campaign. It is also featured in their new Archivo online section, worn on the red carpet and featured in an Armani exhibit.
- My client wore it with this sequin top instead that is also from the Armani main line and its twin was in the runway collection.
- The base of the top is a blue chiffon that is a slightly different shade than the skirt. Because of the heavy application of sequins it works well together.
- The top is a simple tank with a scooped front and back and a more generous cut through the body that makes it very easy to wear.
- It is fully covered in blue iridescent sequins that are laid flat outside by side horizontally. Mixed into that are little tiny, silver, sequins and beads rose of tiny seed, beads and little shots of white sequins and red bead work. It's very pretty and the entire top has the sequence coverage on both the front and the back.
- I love how at the back of the top it's left with no closures for the little bit of the bottom. This is a very Armani signature where he lets part of the closure stay open, so you have that little peak of the skirt underneath it and that little bit of extra movement.
- The skirt is stunning. It's made out of a deep blue silk mix, and it is all cut on the bias. It has a flat front with an inner band that helps to hold it and give structure around the waist.
- From there, it curves out over the hips and expands outward to the floor. The front is cut shorter, and then the back herbs around to become a sweeping train of silk behind you. There is a slit that runs up one side so that when you walk, you get a flash of leg.
- I love that because it is two separate pieces. You can wear these together or mix a match either piece with existing things in your wardrobe.
- The top is fully lined in a blue chiffon and closes with hidden set snaps at the back. The skirt is online and closes with a hidden set side zipper.
- The skirt is tagged a vintage Armani 42 and the top has no size tag present.
- Excellent condition
Top
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 21.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13 to 13.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 40.5" from top of waist to the shortest part of the front hem. The back extends another 26.5" and the slit is just under 22" from the front hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5412
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Spring 1986 Yves Saint Laurent Numbered Haute Couture Strapless Black Handmade Lace Dress
I Have a Question
- This amazing dress is from the Spring 1986 Haute Couture collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
- The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
- The dress is made from a hand made black French corded lace and this choice in fabric gives the dress its structure and shape. This is mixed with silk satin details across the top of the bottom, around the hip, and finishing the hem.
- The bodice is strapless and is cut to curve across the front. Inside there is a full separate couture level corset that is boned and shaped to hold the dress perfectly in place around you.
- It curves in to skim over the waist and then it curves back out and over the hips. Just under the hips is an attached black silk ribbon that wraps around you and ties in a bow at the front.
- The skirt falls underneath the ribbon detailing and down to the floor. It widens out quite a bit around you for lovely movement when you move. The skirt is cut slightly longer at the back and has extra fabric for a bit of a sweeping feel behind you.
- I love how there is a matching dip at the back of the bodice that picks up on the shape of the extended back skirt. This is all done to add the illusion of length.
- As with all couture pieces, and Yves' especially, they only truly come to life once on the body. This dress looks so simple and easy but it is really a bit of an understated masterpiece in person.
- The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a side set zipper. The inner corset closes with its own zipper. The corset is lightly boned through the bodice and shaped. An inner waist stay hooks to close.
- There is no size tag present since it is Haute Couture so please go by the measurements list listed below.
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 15-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 12.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 50" from top of bodice to front hem, 54" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5405
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
gucci
Fall 2003 Gucci by Tom Ford Runway Look 10 Stretch Silk Dress + Black Corset Waist Cincher Belt
I Have a Question
- The twin of this set was Look 10 on the Fall 2003 runway.
- It was made under the creative direction of Tom Ford.
- We have included runway photos and video for you to see how beautifully this moves once on the body. In Vogue's review of the show they said that "This season every major designer is talking about creating a "beauty" strong enough to defy our anxious times. Backstage that was the word Tom Ford used to characterize his Fall collection for Gucci—a collection in which beauty was personified as a power vixen extravagantly armoured to face down a troubled world" The evening pieces were mentioned specifically "For evening, there were gowns constructed with cutout zones of sparkling mesh and frilled bra tops; others snaked to the floor, held in place with complex asymmetric straps crossing the torso and shoulders. If Ford is treading the territory mapped out by Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaïa in the ’80s, it’s no surprise. Much of fashion is heading in that direction >anyway, and Ford, after all, bases Gucci’s entire brand proposition on finding new ways of upping the ante on sex season after season."
- This is a dress from one of the most incredible eras of Gucci.
- I love that this dress is the twin of the colour chosen to walk the runway and that it has it's corset belt. The belts were sold separately but this listing is for both pieces together.
- My client who is the original owner, verified that this colour of dress was only sold in a limited amount of Gucci shops and that they were produced in lower quantities, making it a more rare find. These usually do not have the matching corset belt since it was sold separately or they are in the all black colour that was sold and produced in greater quantities for retail.
- The dress is made out of a silk blend that allows the silk to stretch and give.
- The fabric is as light as air and that incredible stretch allows it to conform to your every curve and helps to create curves.
- The neckline is meant to sit lower on the chest and it sits wide across the front. You can see that on the runway.
- The sleeves are long and simple so that the seaming detail on the dress can stand out. The silk is gathered up and over the edge of the neckline in soft folds and then below that is the incredible seaming that shapes the dress around the body.
- The seam work that he did for his time at Gucci was an integral part of his design philosophy. The seaming acted like embellishments, shaping the pieces and giving them added detailing.
- The waist is seamed and it curves down and over the hips with insets there to hold and emphasize the shape.
- The skirt falls under that, following the curve of the body with just a slight flare out at the back hem. At the back the seaming curves around from that waist area and curves underneath your bottom. The silk is gathered in along those curved seams to create ruching and there is a panel built inside where they meet just above the hem to give added structure and support.
- The corset goes over top of that and it is made out of a thick stretch fabric that has an almost neoprene feel to it. It velcros into place at the front and then straps wrap around you and buckle into place to cinch you in.
- This is a true stand out piece from Tom Ford's reign at Gucci and it is also incredibly sexy.
- Unlined and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. The belt has Velcro at the front and then buckles to close over that. Both pieces appear to have been worn very little if at all. The dress has its inner fabric tag with the Gucci name on it only. The fabric does have stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range laying flat.
- The belt is tagged a size 40.
- Excellent condition.
Dress
Sleeves: approx 28" and they are 12-15" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 15-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 40" from top of shoulder to front hem, 43" to the back hem
Corset Belt
6" high at its skinniest point and 9" at its widest. It is approx 26-30" end to end
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5399
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.
paco rabanne
Ultra Rare 1990s Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Metallic Silver & Coral Dress w Chainlink Top & Headpiece
I Have a Question
- This is a very rare Paco Rabanne Haute Couture set from the 1990s, maybe 2000s.
- It was made under the creative direction of the original Paco Rabanne.
- This is a very rare collector piece and is almost certainly the only one in existence. It most likely was a runway piece but it is very challenging to find runway documentation for his Couture shows from this time period. If we do come across it at some point, we will certainly send it to its new owner.
- The set is made up of three separate pieces and you can wear them individually or together.
- The inner dress is strapless and widens out substantially around the body as it falls, outward and down to the hem. The back is cut longer than the front so you get a fantastic swoop of fabric behind you as you walk.
- Inside, there is a built-in inner bodice to hold the dress in place. This is the only thing holding the dress in place since the fabric that lays over the inner bodice is cut to be extremely open and full as it falls down to the hem.
- The inner fabric of this piece is foiled silver fabric that has an black woven net with an orange woven applique set into the netting so that it that forms an organic pattern. This unique and innovative fabric is used for the entire dress part of the set. The fabric innovation that he was doing for his Couture shows really highlights how far he was pushing the envelope and how purely experimental his creations were.
- Slipping over the dress is a one of his signature chain-link pieces. It has a part cape / part top feel to it. It combines plastic silver links that have a rhinestone in each of their centres, with round circle loops that are hooked together, plus little orange plastic and gold pieces. All the pieces are hand linked together in a nod to his traditional metal chain link. The top drapes down over the bodice with an upwards curve at the front. At the back, it extends far longer to well past the small of the back, ending in a point that perfectly picks up on the shape of the back skirt.
- Each sleeve of the piece has been made to be very full and wide. They flare outwards at their ends and have an edging made out of with strands of the same pieces as the body of the top with an added little oval shape at their ends.
- The original hooded head piece complete the set. It is extremely rare to have the headpieces included. These were almost always made for the runway show only and is the biggest clue that this was most likely the actual sample piece. The little handwritten tag that says 49 that is attached under the label was probably the order number in the show, giving us the second clue.
- This incredible little headpiece simply slips over the head and is long enough that it covers the neck. All of the edges are finished with the same dangling embellishments you see edges of the on the top. An opening at the front allows your face to peak out but you are otherwise covered over your entire head. The beads are then all gathered into a 'knot" at the top. Once in place it gives the illusion that the headpiece and cap piece are all a singular piece of chain-link over you. It is incredible.
- The dress is completely made by hand and I believe that this is the original sample runway sample dress. Under the tag is a handmade tag that says 49 and I believe that is the Look number that would've been shown on the runway. The edges are all handed basted and this adds to the feel that this is the original sample because that is often how you see runway samples finished from this era.
-
The dress has a built-in inner corset and this is what holds the dress in place around you. This inner bodice is lightly boned and has built in cups and meant to be fitted. Because of the excessive drape of the exterior dress you would be able to add and increase the size of the inner corset and you would never see any changes on exterior nor would it have any effect. That inner piece zips to close at the back and there is an attached waist stay that hooks to close. The dress closes with a series of snaps over that. There are dappled markings on a silver interior that show through to and under the netting. I believe this is all intentional as it is evenly distributed over the fabric on the silver parts of the fabric. There are some small pulls and stressing to the netting here and there.
- There is no size tag present because it is Haute Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition
Inner bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 11.5-12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 54" from top of bodice to the front hem and the back extends another 8" past that, with 1" turned under the entire hem.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML based on the interior corset only. The rest of the pieces are more accommodating to a greater range of sizes. Please read the notes above.
Item# DD5394
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.
michael kors
Spring 2018 Michael Kors Runway Look 72 Silver Sequin Dress on Nude Stretch Net w Asymmetrical Hem
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 2018 show as Look 72.
- It was made under the creative direction of Michael Kors.
- The dress is fantastically documented and was one of the hit looks of the season. It was used in the ad campaign, was worn on the red carpet and appeared in editorials that season. The dress sold out worldwide and was waitlisted. In the shops this dress sold for just over $7000 USD.
- The dress is made out of a lingerie feeling stretch net as its base and it has a lining of the same fabric. That gives it just enough opaqueness to comfortably wear, but still has a feel of being nude from a distance.
- Onto that is an elaborate design done in thousands of tiny silver sequins. The sequins cover the entire dress so that it glitters in the light from every angle.
- The neck is scooped and the shoulders are soft. The sleeves are long and narrow in slightly at each cuff where they have a hidden set zipper to close.
- The stretch of the base material allows it to skim over you and feel fitted but at the same time you still have that movement in the fabric that makes it very comfortable to wear. The perfect combination of fit and comfort.
- It follows the body, coming in at the waist and then curving back out over the hips. It starts to widen under the hips and there is a seam that is set on a slanted angle.
- The skirt is set in along the slanted angle and follows the angle so that you get an amazing asymmetrical feel. There is a lot of fabric in the skirt so when you move it has fantastic movement around you. You can see this in the runway reference video.
- This is Michael Kors at his best and a phenomenally collectible dress.
- The dress is fully lined in a second layer of the stretch net through the body and skirt. The sleeves are unlined. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and each sleeve has a hidden set zipper at the cuff. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
- Tag a Michael Kors 0
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 25" and they are 10-11.5" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 48.5" from neck to the longest point of the hem, 40" to the shortest
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5392
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.
simone rocha
Spring 2017 Simone Rocha Runway Look 6 Transparent Raincoat w Embroidered Tulle Backing
I Have a Question
- The twin of this coat walked the runway for Look 6 on the Spring 2017 Simone Rocha runway.
- It was made under the creative direction of Simone Rocha.
- Vogue said of the collection "when it comes down to it, Rocha's work always consists of a limited set of templates: trenchcoats, loosely fitted, lacy, semi sheer dresses, frills and florals, clear plastic heed shoes, and bags. This time, she used her utilitarian theme to bring in wrapping and tying, often leaving one shoulder of raincoat and jackets hanging off, and adding soft Crossbody sling bags on top."
- This is one of the pieces where she left one sleeve hanging off the model. It was shown on the runway layered over a dress.
- The fabric of this is fascinating. It is made out of a clear plastic raincoat fabric that has an ivory net backing. To hold the two fabrics together it is rolled and stitched at the edges but it also has a floral pattern embroidered through both layers. The final effect is this whimsical embroidered raincoat fantasy piece.
- The cut is pure Simone in feel with all of the exaggerated volume and pomp that you expect from her work.
- The collar around the neck is rounded and the as it runs down the length of the front it can be flipped back on itself with buttonholes placed down the front so that you can secure it in place. I have kept it buttoned for all of these photos but you could also undo them and wear it unbuttoned. They can also act double duty as different ways to close and style the jacket.
- The body is loose and easy with slash huge pockets built in around the hip. From there it expands outwards to become extremely full and open.
- It can be worn with all of that volume on full display, or you can use its matching belt to cinch in the waist and add extra extraordinary shape so that you have volume above and below.
- The sleeves are phenomenal. They are more like a mini cape than a sleeve. They come out from where they are set into the body of the coat and are completely open underneath. The hem of each sleeve is gathered in so that you get a very full poof above. I love that each sleeve has ties attached. Those ties are used to wrap around the arm and tie in place to create further shape.
- The entire jacket has a feeling of transformation because of the belt and ties at the arm and the way the buttons run down the front. You really have several options in the way that you can wear it.
- This would also make a phenomenal piece, not just for the collector, but as a piece for a bride looking for a unique cover-up.
- The coat is unlined and has a some transparency. It buttons down the front if you wish and the belt can be buckled or tied into place. The plastic has retained a touch of the dry cleaning solvent smell. It is not overwhelming, but I do want to mention it for accuracy. Because of the textile it would be impossible to not have this happen. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present but its open and generous cut should fit most frames. It will just feel more oversized on a smaller frame.
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 25" and they are full and open through the upper arm
Shoulders: no true seam. They are meant to slightly drop on a smaller frame and can accommodate a larger one.
Bust: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Total length: 50" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG
Item# DD5391
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.
alex perry
Striking Resort 2019 Alex Perry "Abigail" Brilliant Orange Full Length Capes Sleeve Dress w Open Back
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress in black was presented for the Resort 2019 Alex Perry collection.
- It was made under the creative Direction of Alex Perry.
- Alexandros Pertsinidis is an Australian fashion designer who launched the Alex Perry label in 1992. His work has been featured on numerous the covers worldwide since then and is a favorite on the red carpet. It's been worn by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Lupita Nyong and countless others.
- The twin of this dress was seen on the red carpet on Britt Lower and Dina Amer.
- The dress does not have a single unnecessary seam. It really shows how sometimes absolute minimalism is best.
- The dress is made from a combination of a brilliant orange crepe through the body with a matte satin crepe for those incredible sleeves. The fabric choice has a beautiful drape. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on.
- It is constructed so that it drapes and skims over the body perfectly. The skirt falls to the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. When you stand still it looks more like a sleek column but when you move you realize how much fabric is in there as it billows out behind you.
- The bodice drapes softly over you at the front and the shoulders are padded inside so that they have a defined and shaped silhouette. Caped sleeves fall all the way to the floor to create this elegant and dramatic feeling over your arms.
- The fabric has enough weight that it stays in place when you are standing still but when you move you get a billowing effect around you.
- The waist has a touch of stretch so the dress is easy to fit and should work on a range of sizes.
- At the back there is a full cut out that leaves your entire back bare. This unexpected expanse of skin when you turn around is amazing.
- The inner part of the front bodice is lined in an orange matte satin with extra define seaming to help shape the bodice. The skirt has an inner underlay skirt in the same fabric and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back waist and buttons at the back of the neck. It comes with its original hang tag attached and was never worn.
- Tagged a modern Alex Perry 8
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 63" from neck to front hem and the back extends another 1" past that.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5387
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.
balmain
Beautiful Late 1980s Pierre Balmain Pastel Blue & Yellow Feather Light Strapless Silk Dress w Full Skirt
I Have a Question
- This is a phenomenal dress by Pierre Balmain from the late 1980s - early 1990s.
- At this point in history the Couture line was called simply Pierre Balmain and the main ready-to-wear line was called Ivoire de Balmain. Depending if it was late 1980s or early 90s, the creative Director would have been either Erik Mortensen (up 1989) or Alistair Blair (who joined in 1990 to over see the RTW line while Erik continued Couture).
- The dress is made from a beautiful silk that is extremely light in weight. When this is on it is almost like wearing nothing.
- Onto the silk is an over-sized check pattern that mixes pastel yellow with shades of soft blues. Some parts have an almost iridescent pale green finish to them and there are also muted deep golds and taupe.
- It is strapless and fitted at the waist. The lower skirt widens out considerably from there to the hem. There are yards and yards of silk making up the skirt.
- The back is cut longer than the front so you get this beautiful sweeping feel behind you. The silk that was used is so very light in weight and it is all cut on the bias which allows it to float and moves around you with your slightest movement.
- I love the way there is extra fabric built-in at the back. The fabric wraps over itself for a few inches to hook into the inside the waist and also on the outer part of the waist. This adds extra fabric to the gorgeous sweep of volume of the back skirt.
- Inside the bodice is a lightly boned and cupped inner corset that holds the dress in place. It is made out of the same fabric. The rest of the skirt is unlined. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set zipper and an inner waist stay hooks to close. The silk at the very back of the skirt hooks over itself as described above.
- It is tagged a vintage Balmain 36
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 55.5" from top of bodice to front hem and the back extends another 14" beyond that.
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5385
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.
nina ricci
Outstanding Spring 2009 Nina Ricci by Olivier Theyskens Runway Look 12 Floral Printed Silk Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 2009 Nina Ricci
- It was made the creative direction of Olivier Theyskens.
- In Vogue's review of the collection they said "Olivier Theyskens' collection for Nina Ricci was like watching the performance of a long piece of self-referential romantic poetry. It's a world of his own, and to fully appreciate it, you need to know what's gone before in his work: his love of Edwardiana and tailcoats; the fluttery, flyaway cutting; the delicate prints and the dusty, organic woodland-floor palettes he likes. Essentially, it was a single silhouette, with a high collar, leg-of-mutton sleeves, and skirts cut away to show long lengths of leg, clad in sheer black tights, walking on high-heeled pump"
- Theyskens said he was "inspired by dance and dresses that each evolved their own shape, short in the front and long in the back."
- Pieces from his time at the Nina Ricci label are an important piece of Theyskens history.
- The dress is made out if a hand dyed silk with a print that suggest flowers in soft pastels. It has a touch of a watercolour painting in feel.
- Under the top layer is a second pale pink tissue silk layer that is cut to follow the lines of the dress and it peeks out from behind the edges of the entire piece.
- The bodice is very feminine in feel. The pink tissue silk under layer is cut to give a touch of a ruffle feel all the way around the straps that curved up and over the shoulders.
- At the back there is a rounded soft scoop that leaves your entire back bare and exposed. The pink silk underlayer peaks out to create a touch of ruffle all around that scoop.
- Vertical seaming creates shape through the waist and then the dress curves back out and over the hips.
- The skirt is extraordinary. Depending on your height, it will sit just from mid thigh to above the knee. From there it is set so it has a slight ruffled feel all the way down the sides to the floor and then the back sweeps out behind you.
- The silk used is extremely light in weight so this moves fantastically. I love that we have reference runway stills and video for you to be able to see how beautifully it moves.
- This is an extraordinary example of his work during this time period.
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The dress is fully lined in a pale pink tissue silk as described above and closes with a hidden set back zipper. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.
- Tagged a Nina Ricci 36
- Excellent condition
Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of shoulder to front hem, 85" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5379
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
alexander mcqueen
Outstanding Fall 2010 Alexander McQueen Gray Scale Print Silk Dress w Caped Sleeves & Trained Skirt
I Have a Question
- This is an outstanding production dress from the Fall 2010 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Alexander McQueen.
- At first glance it feels very much in line with what he was doing for 2007 with his castle /fairy prints. For this collection he visited upon graphic black and grey-scale prints once again. We did find a photo from the 2010 look book that shows a shorter similar version of the dress. Just to give you an idea of how the top especially will fit once on the body.
- The dress is made out of a beautifully weighted silk that he loved to use because it gave him the drape and fluidity that he wanted his pieces to have.
- The shoulders of the dress are padded with thicker rounded pads hidden inside. Falling from there and extending around to the back is a beautiful caped panel that drapes over the top of your arms and then folds up and under itself to create the draping around and down the back. He used a double layer of the silk for this panel so that when you move you see the pattern underneath. It is these exacting small details that always make a McQueen piece stand out.
- The front neck line is set in a draping cowl that sits over an inner V. The dress skims over the bust and waist and then widens out to curve over the hips.
- Yards and yards of fabric have been used to construct the skirt. It is set into the body of the dress on a curving seam that is beautiful. He often use these curving and angled seams that are throwback to Couture pieces of the 1920s and 30s and here he has used it beautifully. The silk in the skirt is all cut on the bias. The back trails out longer behind you and all of this adds up to spectacular movement around you when you move.
- This is a truly outstanding McQueen dress.
- The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set partial mid-set zipper at the back whose placement is again a nod to the Couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. The shoulders are padded. It appears to have been worn very little if at all
- Tagged a vintage McQueen 38
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 68" from neck to front hem and the back hem extends another 10"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5370
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.
versace
Fantastic 1990s Gianni Versace Metallic Silver Stretch Jersey Dress w Front Plunge & Long Tie
I Have a Question
- The dress dates to the late 1990s-early 2000s time period of the Versace label.
- It was made under the creative direction of Gianni Versace.
- The dress is made out of of a fabulous metallic silver stretch lame that makes it incredibly easy to wear and fit.
- On the bodice wide panels curve up and over the shoulders. The shoulders are cut wide and sloped so that they sit slightly off the shoulder. There is a bit of padding underneath to hold the shape correctly on your shoulder.
- The front plunges all the way down to the waist. I love how the way the bodice is constructed. It looks like it has all been flung over your shoulders and ties into place at the waist. It looks effortless but this is actually all achieved by the way it is seamed and set.
- Where it meets at the front there is attached tie that loops over itself to create the suggestion of a knot and then that falls all the way down the front.
- The skirt curves out over the hips and the entire upper portion of the skirt at the front has been gathered into the centre seam. From the hem up to the base of all of the gathers is a high slit that allows a flash of leg when you walk or move.
- The silver catches the light from every angle to give it a liquid affect over the body and the stretch of the fabric makes it very comfortable, easy to wear and fit.
- The dress is unlined and slips on with an elastic waist. There is light padding in each shoulder. The stretch should allow it to fit ranger sizes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a vintage Versace 40
- Excellent condition
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 54" from top of shoulder to hem
Slit: 20" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5369
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.
Spring 2019 Monique Lhuillier Runway Strapless Bright Pink Net Tulle Dress w Full Multi Tier Skirt
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress was Look 15 in the Spring Monique Lhuillier presentation.
- It was made under the creative direction of Monique Lhuillier.
- We have included a photo of it on the Dee Hilfiger in between that and the presentation photo, you can see how spectacular this dress is on the body.
- The Lookbook was shot at a picturesque French château and Lhuillier said of the show that she "wanted the clothes to be seen in the place where they might be worn”.
- The bodice is strapless and cut to hug you and shape your curves. The peaks at the front are high and the netted tulle wraps over the bodice with variations in colour to add a bit of interest and depth. Inside it boned and shaped and the back scoops down and around.
- The waist is nipped in and then the skirt explodes out from under that. The skirt is spectacular. It is layers and layers of tulle set on top of each other and cut in different sections to get its elaborate shape.
- Underneath each layer is netting cut to follow the shape above and then that has a wide panel of stiffened netting that goes all the way around you and follows the pattern of the skirt. The back is cut a little longer so that you get a bit of a trailing effect behind you.
- The bodice has a built-in netted and lightly boned corset and the skirt is lined in a pink silk. Layers of netting underneath the tulle as described above. Retailed just over $10k and produced in limited quantities. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a modern Lhuillier 4.
- Excellent condition.
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with some room at the front cups to fit at least a B cup maybe a small C
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner lining at hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of the peaks at the front of the bodice to waist
Total length: approx 60" from top of the peaks at the front of the bodice to the front hem and aprox 75" to the back
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5363
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Exceptional Fall 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Black Silk Wrap Dress w Bow Detail
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1983 YSL Haute Couture collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
- The dress would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier
- In this collection Yves paid homage to Paris. He told French Vogue that the collection was dedicated to "the prestige of Paris, as I knew it when I first arrived… That is why it reflects many things from my youth, my first sensations when I arrived in Paris from Algeria.". The book Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk noted that the cuts were loose and offered room to breathe. Pink and black with the two primary colours used for this season and that "the black dresses were chic and cut to perfection".
- This dress is exceptional in person and I feel like the photos are not giving it full justice. The silk is light and weight, and it has far more drape and ease than I think the photos are conveying. It is an absolutely beautiful and chic dress that needs a body to truly come to life.
- The runway photos really give you a better idea of how this dress will look like once on the body.
- The dress is made out of a light weight black silk of exceptional quality.
- The shoulders are lightly shaped and the silk has been gathered up and into the shoulders. The sleeves are cut wider where they are set into the bodice and then narrow to a zippered wrist.
- The dress wraps and snaps at the side to close and there is a built-in inner waist stay to hold it perfectly in place. This is one of his signature designs and allows the drape that you see while letting the dress stay secure. It also allows the bodice to drape beautifully over you.
- The wrap of the dress creates a V neck line at both the front and the back.
- Where the dress closes at the waist the fabric has been gathered into a black silk bow to highlight the waist area. On one side of the dress the fabric is finished with a pleating detail that opens up to create the perfect drape over the body. On the other side, it is pulled up and under the bow which lets the hem at that side have a slight curve up from the bottom.
- The dress is so well-made that I think you could wear it either way around depending on how it works best on you.
- This is an extraordinary piece of true Haute Couture by one of the greatest designers of our lifetime.
- The dress is unlined and is completely hand finished inside to Haute Couture standards. It hooks and snaps to close at the waist and inside there is a hidden set zipper and inner built-in waist stay. Each sleeve zips to close at the wrist. Light padding at the top of each shoulder.
- There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 22.5" and are 15" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approx 14-15"
Bust: approx 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to longest point of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5356
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.
michael kors
Chic Resort 2018 Michael Kors Runway Look 44 Black Dress w Elaborate Gold & Black Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
- The twin of the dress was presented for the Resort 2018 Michael Kors presentation.
- It was made under the creative direction of Michael Kors
- The show was presented at the Whitney Museum and he said that he chose that space to remind people that they live on an island, calling the theme "Tropicalia a la Tomboy". The evening pieces he described as being the "super easy, super glamorous point of the whole collection."
- This is a fantastically easy dress to wear and has all the hallmarks of the amazing tailoring that Michael excels at with this particular silhouette of dress.
- The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are small caps. The neckline is slightly scooped and the bust skims over you with perfectly placed darts to help shape it around the body.
- The waist is seamed for shape and then it curves out over the hips. It falls in a chic pencil shape that will land just below the knee depending on your height.
- The base fabric is a fine black virgin wool with a bit of spandex added so that it has some stretch and feels insanely comfortable once on the body.
- Onto that is a lovely and intricate design that runs over the entire dress. It combines tiny gold sequins that are set to overlap and create the outline of a abstract design that is filled with a little teardrop and circle shaped glossy black paillette sequins. These are only attached at their very tips so they have the slightest bit of movement. They are so densely applied that they sit off of the dress slightly to create an amazing three dimensional texture.
- It is very chic, very easy and very Michael Kors.
- The dress is fully lined in black silky rayon and closes at the back with the hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a modern Michael Kors 0
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: 43" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD5349
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.
dolce and gabbana
Outstanding Fall 2016 Dolce & Gabbana Metallic Gold Brocade Playsuit w 3D Magic Mirror & Embroidered & Sequin Details
I Have a Question
- This is a limited edition piece from the Spring 2016 Dolce and Gabbana collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
- This amazing playsuit was only available as a special order piece. It was not a runway piece,but the embroidered magic mirror was a part of the runway show and we have included photos here for your reference.
- The level of detail on this piece is very in line with their Alta Moda work. All of the embroidered pieces were done separately and then hand applied to the dress. It is truly a work of art and showcases the very best of the DG workshops.
- The base fabric is a beautiful gold brocade that uses three different tones of gold applied in a slightly raised pattern on a mixed ivory and gold thread backdrop. The slight raising of the pattern gives it a beautiful tactile feel.
- Wide straps curve up and over each shoulder and the front bodice is cut and shaped in a nod to a corset. Seams curve down and into the waist and at the back there is an inset of a stretch corset fabric in black. This makes it easier to fit and offers a pretty contrast to the gold. Inside it is lightly boned and shaped for support around you.
- Embroidered black and gold cut out embellishments with gold sequin detailing have been applied onto and around the bodice. At the front they follow the dipping neckline and are set to extend off of the playsuit around the straps. At the sides they are set so that they actually sit up and off of the fabric as they curve around the sides. They continue around to the back towards the zipper at the centre.
- The waist is seamed and then the shorts curve out from there to skim over your hips. The legs are wide and each one is a full 28" around. I love that the way they are cut makes it feel like you are wearing an ultra mini at first glance but you have the security and ease of wearing shorts. Slant pockets sit at each hip.
- Set on an angle at the front is an embroidered and gold sequin mirror that says "who is the most beautiful" in script. This is the detail that was also seen on the runway for that season.
- The final perfect finishing detail is the little heart emblem at the neckline. It has a red velvet backdrop and DG in a metal font applied onto it.
- The playsuit is backed in a black silk through the bodice. It is lightly boned for shape and the shorts are lined in a black silk. It closes with a back zipper and the panel of black corset fabric across the back has a slight touch of stretch. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a Dolce and Gabbana 40
- Excellent condition
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Shorts: 16" from waist to hem with a 3" inseam and a 17" gusset from waist to inner seam
Total length: 32" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5329
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.
emanuel ungaro
Fantastic Spring 1984 Emanuel Ungaro Haute Couture Black Stripe Jacket & Skirt Suit + Pink Camisole
I Have a Question
- This is original Haute Couture whose near twin walk the runway for Spring 1984.
- The suit was made under the creative direction of Emanuel Ungaro.
- This would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
- This is a stunning three piece set done in a black on black striped woven into a fine wool/silk mix feeling fabric and it comes with a matching pink silk and lace camisole.
- The jacket is a classic cut of his from this time period. It features wider set strong shoulders and is meant to feel more oversized through the upper bodice. The waist is shaped to be cinched in with a single pink dome button that sit at the front and the there is a dramatic peplum set under that. This cut is what gives you that fantastic exaggerated hourglass feel that the best of his work has.
- The front closes with that single button at the waist. The collar is done in a pastel pink silk and it is very wide and pointed and set so that it covers almost the entire upper bodice. Under that the hips flared dramatically out all the way around you.
- The shape of the bottom peplum is achieved by having the panels of the jacket shaped and cut to widen out just under the waist. This gives you those brilliant little flares but without adding extra seams. It is the kind of detail you look for in a couture piece.
- The sleeves are full through the upper arm and they come down to a more narrow cuff detailed with four of the same pale pink domed buttons that are slightly smaller than the one at the front.
- Under the jacket is a little pink silk camisole that is just exquisite.
- The camisole is made out of a lingerie weight pink bias cut silk that has hand made lace set into. Each strap that wraps over the shoulder has silk that runs through a little lattice work of netting. The top is cut fairly boxy and so is very easy to fit and wear.
- The skirt has a band at the waist and then it is cut in a slim pencil shape to just past the knee depending on your height. Pockets sit on each hip and the pockets add a little bit of shape around the upper hip.
- The jacket and skirt are fully lined in a handset black silk. The jacket buttons to close with one button at the front. The button on the sleeves are decorative. The skirt closes at the back with a zipper and hooks at the waist. The shoulders have padding. The camisole is online and slips over the head to wear. I see a tiny indentation in the fabric in one spot and there's a bit of edging missing on one part of the strap. Please see the photos after the label shot. All of the hand work is to Haute Couture standards throughout.
- There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
- Excellent condition
Jacket
Sleeves: 24" and are full and open through the upper arm.
Exaggerated shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 23.5" from neck to hem
Top
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam:to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 24.5" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 26.5" from the waist to hem with 3" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD5321
Reference Photo: Spring 1984 Emanuel Ungaro Haute Couture.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Size SML

















































