• A gorgeous one-of-a-kind dress from a small Atelier in New York from the 1950s.
• The dress is made to Demi-couture levels with extensive hand work.
• An ivory silk base has been heavily hand beaded to cover the entire dress.
• At the front the dress has a scooped neck. I love how the edge of neck line follows the shape and pattern of the embellishments. At the back it scoops low so you get a bare expanse of skin showing. This is that classic old Hollywood kind of shape that stars like Marilyn Monroe would wear.
• The waist nips from there and then the dress curves back out and over the hips.
• From the hips it falls and narrows slightly in to the hem. The skirt has a slit up the back so you can walk and move comfortably. There is some extra fabric turned under the hem if you need more length. The fabric that is turned under is not beaded and it could be let down to gain another 3.5" to form a pretty edge.
• The dress is fully lined in a hand set ivory silk with hand stitching throughout. It closes with a back zipper. There is slight wear under each arm and very minor discolouration along the inner edge of the neckline. Please see the photos after the label shot.
• 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
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 50" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5195

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

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

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

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5170

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

• This is a very rare Haute Couture dress set by Madame Gres.
• While researching the dress we found that the 1958 and 1959 collections in particular were ones that featured braided details and cape elements like this dress has and this timeline matches when the original owner would have worn this set.
• 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 dress is exceptional. It comes to me directly from the family. Her son told me that 'Madame Grès would let her (his mother) wear many dresses as she was size model and those she really liked she purchased afterwards.' This was one of those that she kept.
• We have included some examples of other dresses by Gres that share some of those common elements to this one from those years for you to see.
• The dress is made from a bias cut silk chiffon with a small abstract print on it. From a distance it gives you that beautiful mottled red / pink effect. Then as you look closer at the fabric you see that there is a deeper red, coral, soft green and a blue that all work together to form a pretty abstract floral print.
• The cut is simple and minimalist.
• On the dress, wide straps have made from hand twisting and stitching the silk chiffon and then it curves over the shoulders.  It extends from there to detail the neckline at the back and front.
• The body of the dress falls from under that in a swoop of bias cut silk that widens out as it nears the hem. The dress is lined in a layer of bias cut ivory silk and this gives the top patterned layer more depth. The silk is as light as air.
• Every seam on the dress has been finished by hand. Working with a silk chiffon as fine as this makes that an incredible achievement that would have taken countless hours of handwork.
• It comes with a matching caped piece that has an unusual design. Two wide single layer panels are attached at the top and then they hook together at the front. The panels fall over each shoulder to the floor and just past the hem of the dress. They are incredibly light in weight. This allows the slightest bit of air to pick them up so that they waft and float around you as you move.
• The cape is topped by an oversized hood that is cut extra long at the back and in such a way that its end twirls. I have taken a photo of this for you because it is just such an incredible detail.
• When the hood is up it falls gently around the face to frame it
• It is a work of art and very rare. It very well may be the only one that exists.
• The dress is lined in a fine ivory silk. A handmade soft inner corset is set inside and under the ivory layer and it closes with its own zipper. The ivory silk lining closes over that with its own zipper and then the outer layer of the dress closes with hidden set tiny snaps. The cape hooks to close at the front. An inner waist stay hooks to close with metal couture hooks. I see a couple of small holes near the hem of the one panel that were left as they are stable. There is a very tiny and finely done seam at the base of where it snaps to close at the front and I'm not sure if it is there deliberately or if it was a repair at one time but it's invisible when the dress is on. Please see the photo after the label shot.
• The dress is finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand. The proper Haute Couture label is present.
• No size tag is present. The bias cut of the dress should work for a range of measurements and I have listed the comfortable range laying flat where that applies.
  
• No matter how good you think it looks in the photos it is better in person.
• Excellent condition and appears to have been worn very little.

Bust: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist stay: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem
Cape: 65" from neck to hem and will come up a touch when on the shoulders

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4254

Reference Photos: (1) 1958 Madame Gres Evening Dress in The MET Collection. /  (2) Madame Gres evening dress, L'officiel de la mode, 1958.  /  (3) 1959 Madame Gres Evening Dress in the Chicago History Museum Collection.

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

This is a stunning and extremely rare example of the Haute Couture work being done by the house of Lanvin during the years that Antonio Castillo headed the atelier. Castillo started off his career at the houses of Paquin and Piquet. He also did a stint designing accessories for Chanel. He quickly became known as one of the most promising designers to emerge after WWII and that reputation was part of why he was chosen in 1950 to become the head designer at the House of Lanvin. The press at the time lauded him, along with Balmain, Dior and Balenciaga, as the new generation of the Paris Couture designers. During his time at Lanvin the house was known for the simple and elegant lines. This is a very rare and early Haute Couture coat and we found a reference photo of its near twin that was styled with a belt, dramatic gloves and matching hat added. It is very beautiful and the colour is exceptional.

This coat is beautifully tailored. The double row of buttons at the front and curving cut makes it feel as chic and wearable now as it was when first made. It is entirely finished by hand and has its numbered couture tape under the label. It is so chic and a very important and rare piece. This is truly a vintage gem. It has a deceptively simple cut that hides the precise seams and masterfully tailored cut. It is constructed with the absolute minimal seam work to create the curves of the coat that you see. It is more fitted through the upper bodice and then skims over the waist and flares out slightly as it nears the hem. The collar is neat with a notched front and each sleeve ends in a turned up cuff. A half belt is attached at the back and you could add a belt over it to emphasize the shape even more. The fabric is amazing with a soft finish to it. I believe it is an Alpaca or perhaps a type of cashmere and it is extremely luxurious. The fact that it is dyed that amazing blue makes it that much more brilliant. It is even better in person and the fabric has to be seen and felt to truly be appreciated. This fabric choice allowed Castillo to be able to sculpt the exact shape that he desired. The front has detailed seaming that becomes part of the actual design and inside that is a double row of blue buttons that run down the front to the waist. You can wear this one open or do it up right to the neck like the reference photo. I love the sculptural effect the coat has once on and that beautifully full lower skirting. No shortcut was taken in the construction of this lovely coat and it is an outstanding piece of fashion history in every possible way. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set black silk taffeta and closes with the button down the front. Finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely done by hand. The Haute Couture numbered tape label is present under the main label and is numbered 15.418. This is a medium to heavy weight coat 

Sleeves: 22" and 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 45" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4489

Reference Photo: Model in Lanvin, 1952.

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.