The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' This dress to me also harkened back to  the earlier Galliano era and in particular the Resort 2008 collection where a yellow dress that is very similar to this one was shown.

This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little romantic feeling ruffle. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then they fall into a deep V at the back. The panels sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The skirt is made of multiple has layers of silk. The top layer is that silk chiffon that has that touch of texture to it. Then there are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all these layers have once it is on moving is fantastic. I love having the reference photos and footage so you can see how fabulous it is on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR40, UK12, IT40, US8. There are two tiny repairs near the zipper that get lost in the fabric once on. It otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. Please see the photos after the label shot

Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7" across
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4329

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor.  /  (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.

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

This is a fabulous fall 1970 dress from the Valentino boutique label. Valentino launched his ready to wear label in 1962, two years after opening his first salon in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. The New York boutique launched in the fall of 1970 and it caused a sensation. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and he often brought in the designs that he created for his main couture label into the boutique work. In these early days especially the were remarkably close in quality and the line between the two labels was often blurred. On this dress you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. This one is extra fabulous because it is so well documented.

Marisa Berenson wore the twin of this dress for a Vogue editorial that season and Naomi Simms wore one to that opening of that first New York Valentino boutique. Which gives it a significant place in Valentino's history.

The dress is gorgeous and it is made of a black silk chiffon that has a ribbon weave fused directly into the silk. In between the ribbon weave the silk is semi-transparent and the play between the two is stunning in person. The dress has a black silk chiffon lining and that gives the more transparent parts a backdrop so that the silk feels like it has depth. Then onto that is that gorgeous print made up of a pink and purple and gold coloured threads that run over the entire dress. I love how the pattern is heavier at the bottom and then slowly makes its way up to scattered across the top of the dress. The collar is small and neat and the sleeves are cut to pouf out above the buttoned cuffs. The sleeves are unlined so you get a bit of transparency. The dress is cut in a simple sheath that skims over your bust, waist and hips and then it flares out slightly to the hem. There is no seam to break the line at the waist, instead he has placed two square pockets on each hip. The pockets are amazing. Each zips to close from corner to corner and the zipper pull is a long knotted and fringed tassel. A third tassel acts as the pull on the zipper that closes the front of the dress. In both the reference photos a sash was wrapped around the waist for added shape and you could easily add a belt to cinch it in. I think it looks equally as well worn straight and sleek. It is nice to have both options because the dress looks dramatically different each way. It is gorgeous and very well made. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk and zippers to close up the front. Each cuff buttons to close with two silk covered buttons and each pocket zips to close. There is an extra button in the lining of the dress. Hand finishes throughout. Tagged a size 8

Sleeves: 14"
Shoulders: 23.5"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4205

Reference Photos: (1) Marisa wearing Valentino, photo by Elisabetta Catalano in Rome, Vogue September 1970.  /  (2-3) Naomi Sims attends the grand opening of Valentino Boutique on October 12, 1970 in New York City.

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

The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 2012 show. On the runway it was styled with a very heavy and extremely dramatic beaded necklace that covered most of the front of the dress but once you take that off and see the dress on its own you realize just how light and pretty the dress is. Oscar showed the collection in his new showroom on 42nd street. The space had yet to be fully renovated and this gave the atmosphere a raw edginess and the styling reflected that. Vogue called the evening dresses 'entrance making' and the show felt fresh and new from his work of the past few seasons proceeding this one. This dress is wonderful and it was never worn. It has original hang tag still attached.

The dress is made from multiple layers of a lightweight slightly iridescent chiffon in the most stunning bright coral pink colour. The bodice is gathered in an elaborate ruching of silk that meets off to the one side. The neckline is cut into a rounded curve that is very flattering. On one side a panel of the chiffon extends out from the bodice and becomes a strap that curves up and over one shoulder for a pretty and feminine detail. The bodice is fitted and cinches in at the waist with a full interior boned and cupped corset to help hold the shape. The skirt cascades to the floor and is cut slightly longer at the back so that you get sweeping feel as you walk away. The skirt is made up of two layers of the almost weightless chiffon on top and this lets the skirt float over and around the body to give it the feel of airiness and lightness. The lightness of the silk gives it a gorgeous movement when you move and walk. The fabric wraps around you and falls open on that one side where the bod is gathered to the side. Another two layers of a slightly darker silk is set under the two top chiffon layers. The silk layers also are wrapped over each other so when you walk or sit you see a bit of leg where all the layers meet. The use of all those layers gives it the lightness it needs to pick up the air as you move so that it will float and billow around you as you move. It is fabulous. It was never worn and has its original tags. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined in silk and the bodice has a built in cupped and boned corset that closes with its own zipper. The dress closes with a back set zipper over that. Original hang tag still attached. Tagged a modern ODLR 8

Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 61" from top of the bodice to shortest part of the front hem, 69" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4443

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2012 Oscar de la Renta Runway, Look 53. Model Karmen Pedaru.

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

This from the Spring 2017 collection which was an important and interesting show for two reason. First it was the first solo show for PierPaolo Piccioli and second he brought in Zandra Rhodes to make prints for the fabrics shown in the collection. The twin of this dress walked the runway as Look 12 in the show. The show was a huge success and the Vogue review for this collection stated in part; 'They (the models) were wearing a collection he’d based on looking at a lot of medieval art, but particularly at Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights—not that the clothes read as historicist at all. “I like to know my history, and then forget it,” Piccioli said.... He’d also become fascinated by the work of Zandra Rhodes, the great British fashion designer of the ’70s and ’80s, known for her hand-drawn prints and floaty, haute hippy dresses, so he got on a plane to London to see her. “He was wonderful,” exclaimed the pink-haired designer, who was sitting in the front row today. “He and an assistant came to my studio for two days, I showed them everything in my archive, and he asked me what I could do to make prints from the Bosch painting. It’s just incredible to see what they did with them." In short, he aced it, not only meeting expectations but surpassing them too.'

I love this dress. It feels thoroughly Valentino but it also nods at the work and cut of Zandra. Then you add in that spectacular Rhodes print that covers its surface and it's just a joy. The dress is made from a fine light weight silk that is cut on the bias. Think scarf weight. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk, the fabric of the skirt and that fabulous handkerchief hem catch the air and billows out around you. The colour is a beautiful dusty pink and the print layers pink tones and black on top of the silk. The neckline is a shallow scoop and he has inserted a soft velvet panel in a deep rich burgundy pink at the front for a bit of contrast and to add some unexpected texture. The sleeves are long and simple. Just under the panel there is a seam and a band that sits above the waist seam for a little structure. The skirt falls from there, skimming over the hips Depending on your height, the skirt falls to just above the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. This is a signature length for him and it allows your shoes to peek out from under the skirt. The skirt is cut beautifully and the points on the hem allow it to fall at different lengths around you. That and the bias cut of it is what gives it the floating effect it has when you move. There are many yards of that feather light silk in the skirt and it is just wonderful. The precision in cut to have this all fall and move so beautifully should not be underestimated. This was never worn and still has its original hang tag. Excellent condition

Lined through part of the front bust and the skirt has an inner pink lining. closes with a back zipper. Tagged a Valentino 42 and still has its original tag with its original price of 5500 euros from 2017. It is a bit softer pink in person and better then how it photoed.

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under front panel: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam under band: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to seam under front panel
Skirt: 46" from seam under front panel to longest point of the hem. Includes the 4" band at waist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4439

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2017 Valentino Runway, Look 12. Model Lorena Marasch.

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

The twin of this dress was Look 50 on the Spring 2012 runway and it was part of the closing group of evening pieces in the show. In 2012 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. Vogue raved about this collection ins their review saying in part; 'Too ladylike, too precious, too little-girlish, too vulgar. Any of those outcomes could've befallen a show as laden with lace and flowers and embroideries as was Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri's latest for Valentino. But they didn't, not for a second. The designers turned out their best collection yet—one dress more seductively, calmly lovely than the next, many of them walking out on flat sandals or lace espadrilles that helped give the outing its fresh feel. "Fashion is a dream, and in this moment we need dreams," Piccioli said beforehand. The only thing that could poke a hole in the duo's fantasy is the fact that us girls don't have enough real-life occasions to wear these frocks.' This velvet flower applique dress was mentioned specifically and Vogue stated that it had "a slight folkloric feeling, but it wasn't overpowering.... "Beautiful" is the word we heard over and over as we left the show." The closer you look closer at this dress it is hard not to say the same as it is simply beautiful.

The dress is made from a black silk net layered over an inner layer of black tulle. The tulle on the bodice has a floral design worked into it that subtly peeks out and then the tulle under the body and skirt of the dress has a tinier floral pattern. This subtle change really adds to the depth and texture of the dress. Under those layers is a nude silk inner lining. Besides the visual effect this creates, this technique of multiple layering also gives the dress some of its structure so that it holds the shape around you once on. The bodice is strapless and cut on a soft curve across the neckline. There is a built in boned corset on the inside for shape and to hold the dress in place on you. It curves in just slightly to skim over the waist and then curves back out for the hips. The skirt is set in with a series of soft gathers and then from there it falls to the floor. It is divided in horizontal sections from the bust to hem and as it goes down and past the body each section of the skirt gets progressively wider so that it is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. Each section is highlighted and divided by a pretty band of black velvet. Over all that are soft and romantic washed velvet flowers and embroidery done purposefully to make them feel antiqued and aged. Their edges are raw and parts sit up and off the dress. Maria said in an interview that this was done so that you wanted to touch the garments as well. That it was important to Pierpaulo and herself that the viewer want to use all their senses. It is beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a nude silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Inside the bodice is a cupped and lightly boned corset that closes with its own zipper. Inner stay under the bust that hooks to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a Modern Valentino 6

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-small C cup built into the front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 8" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 49" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4432

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2012 Valentino Runway, Look 50. Model Zuzanna Bijoch.  /  (4) Spring 2012 Valentino Campaign photographed by Deborah Turbeville.

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

This dress is a version of the dress I just recently sold in the shop with just a slight change in the design. Yves sent a series of these dresses down the runway that year including a shorter version to this one where the smaller bands on the dress were done in multi-colors and an all black long one that was used in the 1987 ad campaign. I have included these reference photos for you so that you can see just how great this dress is on the body. In person and even on the dress form it just does not present as well as it will once on a girl who properly fits it and brings it to life. The 1987 collection is one of my all time favorites and I am very pleased to have this wonderful example from it in the shop for you so soon after the last one.

The dress is made from a black silk faille base with a layer of dotted black netting applied over the bodice in horizontal bands. This choice in fabric gives the dress its structure and shape so that it holds the shape around you once on. The bodice is strapless and cut on a soft curve across the neckline. It is lightly boned on the inside for a built in shape that molds your form to it. It curves in just slightly to skim over the waist and then curves back out for the hips. From there it falls past the hips and the lower skirts flare outwards to the hem. The lower skirt is quite full and makes an incredible statement. The bands between the lace of the bodice are made from wide black silk grosgrain ribbon and they are beautiful and rich feeling. I love the contrast between the texture of the grosgrain and the dotted silk netting. At the back, each ribbon warps around and ends in a large flat bow for five of them in total running down the center of your back. Bows were a prominent part of the theme for this show and this dress displays that wonderfully. That combination of the grosgrain ribbon, the dotted lace, the bows, and that stunning full lower skirt is just gorgeous to see and it is even better on the body. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a crisp black cotton and closes with a side set zipper. The inner bodice is lightly boned and shaped. Inner waist stay that hooks to close with a flat hook & eye. Tagged a 42. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-small C cup built into the front
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4431

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Ad Campaign (2-4) Spring 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Runway /  (5) Spring 1987 editorial photo source unknown

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

I have only ever seen one other version of this dress that was done without sleeves and that was many, many years ago.  I love this dress so much and it is just ridiculously good. It is one of the most special Galanos I have ever had or seen. James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old.  By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this dress is an exquisite and very special example of his work.

The label on this dress is the one that dates from 1963-1977 and this is my personal favorite time period of his work. The fabric is a beautiful light weight silk chiffon that is striped with a mix of different shades of green and pinks. Mixed between the stripes are bands of a pale gold metallic thread that is woven directly into the silk. The colours are spectacular and that added metallic thread makes the dress glimmer softly from every angle. The cut of the dress is incredible. The bodice comes down at a V at the front and it is meant to skim over you to the waist. The waist is seamed and you could add a belt if you wanted more shape. The back of the dress is set in a scoop so that you have a bit of skin showing there as well. The bodice is incredible. The stripes in the silk been set on an angle in towards the center of the dress to follow the shape of the neckline. It has been densely and elaborately beaded and embellished in rows to follow the stripes underneath. On some of the stripes there is a combination of handset faux pearls, colored prong set glass rhinestones and crystal rhinestones. Then on other stripes there are those amazing dangling beads that are strung on beaded strands that each end in a gold toned metal open bead mixed with pearls. Because the bead work is all set on strands that dangle off of the dress, the dress has incredible movement when you move. The very edge of the neckline has been hand beaded with tiny gold spiral beads intercepted with green embroidery. It is just incredible to see and it is all done to the level of work that you are only going to find in vintage anymore. The work is all done by hand and the workmanship is fantastic. The bodice has an inner nude lining so that this top layer of embellished chiffon can sit easily over you. It's incredible. The sleeves are equally as fabulous in each is made out of a single layer of the silk and are cut to be very full so that they balloon out over their elastic cuffs. The skirt falls from under there and is gathered in tiny delicate pleats all the way around the waist. This allows the skirt to flare and open out. There is an incredible amount of fabric in it. It's lined with a nude silk that's covered with a green silk chiffon. The workmanship in this dress is incredible and it's just an extremely special piece. It really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a silk as described above. It closes with a back painted metal zipper. Elastic at each cuff. There is a teeny bit of separation to the metallic thread on the top of one shoulder. It gets covered with the beads and is stable. The skirt looks like it was let down at some point and there's a very slight bit of a mark where it was previously hemmed. The bottom edge is still hemmed properly so I left it as it could easily be shortened again if you wished but this gives you the full length. Please see the photos after the label shot. Otherwise in remarkable condition and one of the best of his dress as I've ever seen

Sleeves: 24"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 54" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4436

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

This is an exceptionally pretty two piece set from the Marc Bohan for Christian Dior years. It is a gorgeous example of his work during this time period. The cut is very simple for both pieces but together they really create an impact. The top is made from a very fine and high end silk chiffon that has a gold lame thread woven through it. This makes it almost completely opaque yet it is still feather light and drapes beautifully. The skirt is made from a a heavier silk that also has gold thread woven through it. This mix of fabrics gives a beautiful contrast between the two pieces. Both pieces are covered in a bright pop art feeling floral print that uses a mix of happy primary colors. No matter how much you like it on the dress form you have to trust me when I tell you that it is even better in real life and on an actual body.  The base color is a jet black and then the combination of colors and the gold thread just make it exceptional. The two pieces are slightly different in the density of the print's coverage and there is more gold used on the top then the skirt. These slight differences also add to the contrast between the two pieces. The neckline of the top is finished with a soft ruffled flounce and then the cut through the bodice is loose and easy under that so that it skims over the body. There is a notch at the base of each side seam so that it tuck in perfectly or can be worn over the skirt and belted. The sleeves are cut straight and full and have the same ruffled treatment for the cuffs. The cut of the skirt is kept to very simple lines with a banded waist for shape and then it falls in a simple column of silk to the floor, gradually widening out as it nears the hem. There are pockets along each hip. The label on the set is numbered and when you see that in a Dior Boutique label it most often meant that the piece was a special order or was a custom made order for a client in the atelier but fitted at the boutique store rather then in Paris. You can see the hand work throughout and it is beautifully made. Excellent condition.

The skirt is fully lined in a black silk and the top is lined in a black silk chiffon. The top closes with a hand set back painted metal zipper. The waist of the top and each sleeve has an elastic finish for comfort. The skirt closes with a combination of a flat hook at the waist band and a fine painted metal zipper. Hand finishes throughout. The tag is numbered 1361/001 on both tags.

Top
Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-bottom: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21" from neck to hem

Skirt:
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from top of bodice to waist with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4437

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

This wonderful little black dress is from the time period that Sophie Gimbel was designing the Saks in-house ready-to-wear line. Her pieces were very expensive and she was known as being one of the best designers in America. Most were as close to demi-couture as one could get at this time and like this one, had extraordinary little details and were extremely well made. Sophie worked at Saks from 1931 through to 1969 and the label on this one dates it to her work of the 1950s.

Is a wonderful 1950s dress. It's made out of a black silk that has this really interesting raised detail on it that makes it look heavily pleated or ribbed and gives the dress texture. It is cut to fit and highlight the body. It has a little cap sleeves and the neck scoops at the front. The bodice is shaped with seaming and it nips in at the waist. The waist is seamed and you could add a belt for more definition if you wanted. It curves out and over the hips and then goes straight down to the hem. I love how she has taken a vertical panel of the same fabric and run it all the way down the front and then down the side of each hip and again down the back of a skirt. This helps to give extra detailing and to really defined the shape and curves of the skirt. It is beautifully made with lots of hand finishes and a fine silk interior lining. This is the epitome of that perfectly made little black dress that can go from day to cocktails. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Fully lined in a black silk and the lining is set by hand. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and I love the care that's been put into lining up the texture of the fabric along the zipper and seams. Hand finishes throughout. A tiny bit of stress to the top seam at one shoulder and it appears to have had a small repair done on the seam at some point

Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 24" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4435

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

This stunning dress is the twin of the one that Jessica Chastain wore on the red carpet for the 2013 SAG awards. She looked incredible in it and I love that we have reference photos of her so you can see how spectacular this dress is on the body. The dress is from Sarah's Pre-Fall 2013 collection. In the presentation Sarah showed it belted which you could easily emulate but I do love how Jessica wore it on the red carpet without. Sarah Burton has just recently announced her departure from the McQueen label and it is a joy to have such a well documented piece of her work with an amazing red carpet provenance behind it. The dress is stunning.

The dress is made out of a deep coral red silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line. The bodice is strapless and it is shaped to curve over the body to create an hour-glass shape. There are added panels of a silk tulle added to the bodice that have been dyed to the exact same colour. These sit underneath silk panels that are crossed and shaped over the bust to give the dress a bit of an Old Hollywood 1950s feel. It curves around the bust and then vertical seams angle down to the seam around the waist at the front. The waist is nipped in and then more seams angle back out and around the hips to create a very classic and signature McQueen type of seaming. The hips are rounded and slightly exaggerated for shape. At the back of the bodice there is another inset panel whose seams continue down the full length of the dress. I love the gold toned exposed zipper at the back that almost feels like a piece of jewelry. The dress skims over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem for one final beautiful curve. There is extra fabric set into the back and sides of the skirt and these flare out to create a stunning shape. The back skirt is cut a touch longer then the front skirt for a slight trained effect. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting angle, curve or flare to show all of your curves off beautifully. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition with a teeny note below 

Fully lined in a matching coral silk and closes with a back set zipper. Built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. I see a tiny pinhead faded spot near the back zipper and if I am being picky a touch of grubbiness along the edge of the hem here and there. Tagged a McQueen 46

Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of the bodice to waist
Skirt" 45" from the waist to front hem and 47.5" to the back hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4430

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Pre-Fall 2013 Alexander McQueen. Model Esther Heesch.  /  (2) Jessica Chastain in McQueen at the 2013 SAG Awards.

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

The twin of this dress was Look 60 of the Spring 2017 collection and it was a part of the closing series of evening looks for the show. This was the first solo show for Pierpaolo Piccioli which makes it a significant collection in the history of the label. I also think it is a dress where you can really start to see his signature look for the house in terms of volume and use of shape. The show was a huge success. On the runway the dress was shown without any lining so that you could clearly see the body and bare legs underneath the tulle. For retail when it was produced, it was sold with a nude lining added. If you preferred the look of the runway it would be easy to have your seamstress remove the nude lining and set it aside to keep in case you wish to add it in again in the future. Whether you choose to wear it as it was produced for the shops, or go for the full on runway look, it is an absolutely stunningly beautiful dress and shows the near couture quality that even ready-to-wear has with the modern Valentina label.

I love this dress. It is basically an elaborate tulle piece that sits over an inner nude silk lining. This gives the illusion that you are completely bare underneath while still keeping the dress easily wearable. The sleeves are incredibly full and voluminous. Each is set wide into the top of the arm and poufs out above their button cuffs. I love the little embroidered detailing that sits on the outside of each cuff. The bodice is meant to skim over you and the neck is high. The front is covered with embroidered medallions that contrast off the nude lining underneath. The waist is detailed with ruching and seaming. It is gathered in and up towards the bodice to detail the waist area. The waist is cut wide and generous and the entire dress falls and widens out as it nears the floor. The skirt has yards and yards of tulle set in two separate layers over the inner nude lining. Another layer of tulle is attached to the actual lining so you get this wonderful texture and depth from all the layers stacked on top of each other. The volume of this dress is fantastic. It also makes it an easy dress to wear because it just slips over you and almost has a touch of a caftan feel once it is on the body. The back has a row of tightly spaced buttons down the back and then more of the embroidery work around them. That ruching from the front of the waist comes around and increases in width for added detail at the back. It is incredibly beautiful and the pictures do not convey how light and airy and wonderful it is in person. It feels like wearing a magical cloud of Valentino tulle. Pierpaulo is incredibly gifted and this dress really shows the extent of his talent. It was one of my favourite dresses at the show. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a nude silk and closes at the back with silk covered buttons  and a hidden side zipper under that. Each cuff buttons to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern Valentino 46

Sleeves: 27"
Slightly inset shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4425

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2017 Valentino Collection, Look 60. Model Lexi Boling.  /  (4) Net-a-porter photos.

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

This collection marked Dior's 60th birthday celebration. Sting was in the audience and his song 'Englishman in New York' set the theme. The show also marked John Galiano's tenth year with the label and he celebrated that by creating pieces based on some of his signature looks through the past decade. The result was a collection that was surprisingly wearable for a Galliano runway collection. It was filled with beautiful, pretty things that women instantly wanted in their closets. The near twin of this dress was worn by Caroline Trentini for Look 50 of the show. I have seeing this dress shown in other colours then what was presented on the runway and rarely in the perfect condition that this dress is in. I am very pleased to have such an exceptional example of his work and it's always extra special when you have a such a close piece to the runway piece in the shop. You just need to see the runway reference photos and video to see how amazing this one is.

The dress is made out of the deepest possible blue silk chiffon that has a slight bit of texture to it. It is completely cut on the bias which of course is one of his signatures that we all love. The dress falls from one shoulder and then drapes down and over the body to the floor. It is very beautiful. The signature bias cut that he often did allows the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures. The fabric has been pieced together with low dropped angled panels all through that skirt especially to create the widening of the lower skirt that you see. The dress is suspended from  that one single shoulder panel that curve over your shoulder and drapes across the bus to the other side. There's a large half bow and two wide panels that fall over each side of the shoulder. All of this has an intricate beading in black jet beads and sequins and these catch the light beautifully. The bodice under that extraordinary detailing is simple and soft with a slightly dropped waist seam. It glides over the body and then flares out as it reaches the hem. The widening of the hem is created by the way angled silk chiffon panels are inset all the way around. It is an incredible feat of patterning. The skirt falls longer at the back for a bit of a sweeping trained feel. There is an incredible amount of fabric through the skirt which gives you so much movement when you walk. It's stunning. His signature row of tightly spaced buttons run up one side. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how a bias cut dress moves. They only truly come to life when worn. It is an incredible example of his work and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in the same deep blue silk chiffon and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. Tagged a FR38, GB8, IT40, US4. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4422

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2008 Christian Dior Runway, Look 50. Model Caroline Trentini.

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

Todd Oldham showed his first collection in 1981 and officially launched his label in 1989. In 1991 he won the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. By 1995 when the twin of this dress was shown on the runway and worn by Brandi Quinones. At thois point in his fashion career he was the darling of the media, models, and everyone who anyone wore his clothing. His shows were extravagant and full of the reigning supermodels and his clothes beautiful. Nothign was being produced in great quantities and the more extravagant dresses are extremely hard to find. This is a rare piece and the twin of the runway one. It is exceptional

This is the most unusual dresses I have ever had in the shop when it comes to the fabric that it is made out of. The entire dress is made out of to ribbons. which is unusual in itself and speaks to his creativity. One ribbon is a more metallic gold lame that has a true gold feel to it, and then the other ribbon used is a more muted almost matte, deeper gold. These been basketball been to create the top layer of the dress. This back-and-forth between the two and a check pattern has this incredible way of catching the light and making the entire dress feel like liquid gold. The straps or made out of the more muted ribbon and then he has three stripes hanging from the base of the front. I have left them hanging down for these photos but you can see on the runway that they were tied behind the models backs. The draft itself is meant to skim over the body and has an hourglass shape built into it through the vertical seaming on it. It's the front and back and then flies over the body from the bus to the hips. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and there is a defined flareout at the bottom skirts that hold and gives the shape that you see. There's a slight bit more fabric worked into the back panel so you get this gorgeous little bit of volume at the back as well. It is exceptional dress on and it is an even more exceptional piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined in a gold silk satin and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. I see the tiniest little bit of wear to the back past of the straps near the base. It looks like they were pinned in place on someone at some point and you can see a touch of the pin marks. perhaps a touch of scuffing to a ribbon here and there but I am being pretty picky. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. It is amazing. There is no give in the fabric

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4427

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 1995 Todd Oldham Runway. Model: Brandi Quinones.

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

Vogue declared that for this collection 'Chanel did ancient Greece'. The audience was taken to a reproduction of a Greek ruin in Paris. Press notes for the show referenced Coco Chanel’s own 1st-century Venus statue that remains in her apartment on Rue Cambon and took reference from her contribution as costume designer to Jean Cocteau’s 1922 Antigone. It was a rare look back by Karl and key looks of the show included many versions of knits, like this one, that were finished in a pottery relief. Karl stated in the notes that 'The criteria of beauty in Ancient then Classical Greece still holds true. There have never been more beautiful representations of women. Or more beautiful columns. The entire Renaissance, in fact, was based on antiquity.' The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 13 and I love that we have the reference photos and video for you so that you can see how fantastic this dress is on. This collection is of added note because of Karl's passing the following year making this one of his last few collections.

The dress is so easy and simple to wear. You just step into it and you tie the shoulders and go. Depending on how tight you tie them you can adjust where the bodice sits on you which is amazing. The ties are also super long so they become this design feature in themselves as they trail down your sides. The knit fabric is a light in weight with a slight stretch to it. It is part a synthetic and part paper. Which is an incredible achievement because you would never guess that it is part paper in a million years feeling it. Karl was known for his relentless innovation of fabrics and this is one of his achievements in that area. The dress has a slight texture to it and the texture highlights the print that runs over the entire dress. As stated in the show notes, the prints were all inspired from ancient pottery and the raised pattern just makes those prints stand out more. The fabric has a bit of stretch to it so it feels extremely easy on the body. Inside there is an rubber strip that runs all the way around the inside top edge of the dress to help hold it in place. It skims over your bust, waist and hips and then falls in a sleek sheath to past the knees or mid-calf depending on your height. That simple silhouette has this easy and chic feel to it while the shoulders and print give it impact. There is a small slit up one side and this lets a little extra leg show when you walk or sit. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on with a hidden set zipper at the side. Tagged a Chanel 36. The fabric will stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range laying flat

Bust: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 47" from top of the shoulders to hem but you can tie and adjust the shoulders up and down as you need
Slit: 12" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4417

Reference Photos/Video: Cruise 2018 Chanel Runway, Look 13. Model Camile Hurel.

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

In the Chanel Catwalk book they note that this collection was "presented on a large scale set with no less than four cat walks - two electric blue and two bright pink - stretching to almost the length of a football field.... The collection focused on floral prints and bright colours of luminous blue, yellow, red, and green shades that would be echoed in Lagerfeld's next Couture collection. The star of the show with Chanel's trademark quilting famously used on the iconic 2.55 handbag. Here it was reinvented in a larger-scale and squarer versions, almost like a chocolate bar, and transported onto sleeveless tops, shorts, jackets, mini dresses and most strikingly, voluminous gloves with matching handbags." The twin of this chic black jersey dress was one of the star looks of the show. On the catwalk it was paired with a yellow underskirt and those big squared off quilted gloves and handbag. It is extremely easy to wear and as you can see in the runway photos it is a dress that by adding great or unusual accessories you can easily give it instant impact. I love it

The dress is so easy and simple to wear. You just slip it over your head, button the back of the neck and go. The black jersey fabric is a light in weight with a slight stretch to it. This gives it an incredible drape and ease as it glides over the body. The fabric also has a bit of stretch to it which just adds to that extremely easy feel once on the body. The neck is scooped at the front and the button at the back of the neck tops an open keyhole. It skims over your bust, waist and hips and then widens out quite a bit to the hem. There are panels inf the jersey running down each side and this adds to its movement as you move. You can see in the video the incredible movement the dress has. The front has a high slit and you can see on the runway photos how he added that pop of colour by layering the dress over an inner skirt piece. If you wear it as is without anything under it you would get more a flash of leg. There is another slit at the back and the back hem falls in points that are cut longer then the front skirt. I love how the sides are cut extra low and square. It  is incredible sexy to see this unexpected bit of skin. That simple silhouette has this easy and chic feel to it while the incredible movement the dress has gives it impact. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

 Unlined and slip on to wear with a Chanel logo button over hook & eye at the back of the neck. Tagged a Chanel 40. The fabric does have stretch so I've given the comfortable range of movement below while laying flat.

Waist: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of shoulder to shortest point of front center hem, 64" to the longest point of the back hem
Front slit: 29" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4418

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 2000 Chanel Runway.  /  (6-7) From the book "Chanel: Catwalk".

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

The Cruise 2000 show was held as a full scale show Paris and it is significant because it is the first Chanel cruise show that was presented as a full and independent show. Prior to this show, the cruise collection was always shown in a more intimate setting at the Rue Cambon salons or the place du marche St Honore. Women's Wear Daily said it was 'fresh breezy and charming' and pieces shown were relaxed and easy. Karl re-invented the classic Chanel dress to be worn in a easier jet-set kind of way. This dress with its added sequins is a stunning example of that.

This dress is easy to wear and yet still feels elegant and chic at the same time. The fabric is a mix of silk and a synthetic and it is purposely made to have a heavy texture that runs through the fabric. Adding the synthetic in with the silk is what helps to keep the texture in a more permanent way and really gives it the body that you see. The fabric is extremely light and easy so despite its more evening feel with the sequins it is as light as a day dress would be. Wide straps curve up and over each shoulder and then extend over the dress the full length to the hem. The bodice is cut straight across at the front and then it skims over bust and is easy through the waist. Long attached ties extended from those vertical panels so you can cinch in the shape of the waist. It widens out from there over the hips and is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. The back is cut slightly longer then the front and that combined with the fullness of the skirt gives it incredible movement around you when you move. At the back he has left the space between the back straps completely bare for a bit of skin to show. The perfect finishing detail are those tiny square sequins that cover the entire length of each of the vertical panels. These cover the panels from the back at the waist, over the shoulders and all the way down to the front. They catch the light from every angle and add yet another stunning dimension to the dress. It is so gorgeous and easy to wear. Excellent condition.

Lined in the same fabric through the bust and then the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes at the back with a hidden set zipper along an offset seam. Tagged a Chanel 40. Perhaps the occasional sequin missing but no bare areas. It appears to I've been worn very little if at all

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and you cinch it in with the attached ties
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from top of the shoulder too the front hem, 63" to the beck hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4420

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

This dress is from the archive of the couture house Tiziani. The Tiziani atelier was founded in 1963 by Evans Richards an American who moved to Rome to pursue his fashion dreams. Elizabeth Taylor quickly became a regular client along with Doris Duke, Gina Lollobrigida and Principessa Borghese to name a few. The label is also famous because of the fact that as a young designer Karl Lagerfeld accepted a job there. Lagerfeld worked at Tiziani from 1963 to 1969. This is from that era and is a stunning examples of Karl's early design years. My client originally bought it at an auction several years ago directly from the current owner of the archive. This is an incredible dress and an incredible piece of fashion history.

The dress is made from a very pretty pale yellow silk chiffon that is as light as air and gives the dress its incredible movement. The silk is used for the sleeves and skirt and then the bodice has been heavily and densely beaded. It is incredible to see in person and this is the level of workmanship that you were only find in a vintage piece anymore. The pattern is created in several layers. The silk base has a honeycomb design created by hand with a real metal wire sewn onto the silk. Prong set glass rhinestones are scattered over that. The bead work is set in round intricate medallions that cover the entire bodice at the front and the back. Each medallion is made from beads sequence and large shaped pailettes. In the center of each is an intricate 3-D flower and these are done in different colours of silver and pink. The bead work is extremely fine. The very top edge of the bodice is finished in a row of dangling beads that match the beads in the center of the medallions. These have just a touch of movement when you move. The bead work wraps over the shoulders and continues across the full back. Along the sides he has left part of the pale yellow silk which I found very interesting. It almost makes it feel like a breast plate or armoured vest over the silk chiffon and this is an idea that he continue to use throughout his career. The sleeves are very full and cascade out from a softly pleated shoulder. This gives them extreme fullness and they pouf out fantastically above the cuffed wrists. They are not lined so you get this fabulous touch of transparency through them. The skirt has many many yards of chiffon in its construction so that it feels like it is floating around you when you move. I have included some photos of myself sitting in the dress and you can see how many yards of silk are around me. It is tremendously wonderful to move in. The very bottom of the skirt is finished with a thin strip of stiffening fabric that has been hand rolled inside a tiny hem. This creates a ruffled ribbon effect and the hem curves and swirls beautifully. The work on this dress is meticulous and by hand. It is an amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition with a minor note to review below

Fully lined in a hand set yellow silk through bodice and the skirt has an inner skirt that is made of silk and then covered in silk chiffon. It closes with a hand set back zipper. Each cuff buttons to close. Hand work throughout and hand finished inner seams. Unlabeled. There is just the start of some fraying to the inner edge of the top at the shoulders and a tiny bit of darkening under the arms inside the bodice. Please see the final two detail photos. There is couple of really faint darkened areas in the silk here and there but you really have to look for them. Perhaps a touch of grubbiness here and there to the very edges of the hem.

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: approx 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3499

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

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

This is from the Spring 2005 season. It does not have its date tag but at some point I saw a similar dress in a deeper ivory that did have its date tag. Like the other 2005 season dress in pink that I have in the shop right now the dress is exceptional and it would make a fabulous wedding dress for a bride, or be worn as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any glamorous event. No matter how good it looks in these photos it looks a million times better in real life. The photos do not fully capture the feather light fabric of the dress and how it moves. In the review of the show that season Vogue noted that Karl's runway was decked out with a red carpet. The show launched with a parade of super models walking the red carpet 'while men ran alongside them popping flashbulbs. The message was clear, in an era when celebrity dressing has become so over exposed, it's only exciting when an actress has exceptional talent in style'. This was in acknowledgement to the fact that Nicole Kidman was there with Baz Luhrmann and they had just starred in Chanel's new advertising campaign for Chanel No. 5. It was a spectacular collection

This is such a stunning dress. The first thing that you will notice when you slip this dress on is how light it is and how incredible it moves. It is a dream to wear. That panel of tulle that falls from the shoulder gives it the most amazing movement and the slightest bit of air will pick it up and make it float around you. The front is set low and has a slight V. Because my dress form has no bust it sits a little lower then it will on an actual body but once on an actual person it will pull up a bit more. Silver toned ribbon straps curve over each shoulder and attached to the back of one of those straps is a loop of silver ribbons that cascade down that side. On the other side is that fantastic panel of tulle that sits at the base of the ribbon where it attaches to the bodice at the front. That panel is extremely long and full and you can wear it over your shoulder for a slight caped feel or behind. It extends longer than the hem of the dress for a pretty trailing effect. The bodice is completely covered in two patterns of sequins. Over the bust area they are more scattered and densely applied and attached with a fine silver metal thread. Rhinestones and clear iridescent beads are scattered among them. From the seam underneath the bust to the dropped waist are vertical rows of sequins. These are set on a silk netting and have a silver thread in behind them. He then had tiny beads scattered here and there amongst the pattern. Around the dropped waist is a wide silver satin ribbon and there is a little ivory Chanel logo sitting at the side of the waist. The waist is open and easy and the dress has a bit of a flapper feel to it in shape. Under that the skirt flows out from a series of closes panels set all the way around the hips. These open up just past that so that the lower part of the skirt is full. Just above the bottom of the skirt there is a horizontal detailing done in the same bead work that is on the body of the bodice. These are set in rows spaced a bit farther apart than they are on the bodice and this add the perfect bit of detailing there. As you walk you get this sweeping feel created by the panel draping down from the shoulder that floats and trails behind you. The netting keeps it as light as a feather but also has enough structure to hold the shape and volume you see. I love the row of domed pearl buttons that close the back. It is absolutely beautiful. None of the photos here give it full justice. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk and it buttons to close at the back with a zipper set and hidden under the waist. The waist ribbon snaps and buttons into place at the back. A tiny bit of the colour has come off one button at the back and otherwise it appears to have been worn very little if at all. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at top of hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 20" from top of bodice to seam at top of hips
Skirt: 37" from seam at top of hips to hem
Length: 57" from the top of shoulder to hem, 66" to the longest point of the attached tulle panel

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4413

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

John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have the last of the five dresses he sent from his archives. This is a runway piece from 1993. The bead work on it was done by hand by Madame Gandini who did beading for many of the Couture houses of the day including Norell, Givenchy, Chanel and many others. John is one of my favorite American designers. He won two Coty Awards for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one would be an amazing wedding dress for a bride or could be worn as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could be worn to any glamorous event. It is a work of art and incredibly beautiful.

This dress is absolutely stunning. The fabric is an fine ivory coloured silk chiffon that is cut on the bias. It is lined in a nude silk chiffon and then the upper bodice is finished with a fine silk netting. The dress is detailed with  thousands of teeny tiny silver sequins and iridescent clear beads. The silk is feather light and the placement of the beads help it to hold the intended flow that John wanted it to have. The dress is suspended from the silk netting that starts at the neckline and then goes up and over the shoulders and down the back. The netting has just a touch of a green tint to it to give it a little bit of contrast against the skin. I love how the beading is intensified over the front bust area. The iridescent quality of the beads mixed with those tiny silver sequins catch the light and sparkle from every angle. The dress flows over the waist and hips from there. The bias cut lets it drape perfectly over you and shows off the body without being excessively tight. The front is set into a low V. It sits a little lower on my dress form then it will on an actual body so keep that in mind as you look at it. Two triangles curve in towards each other to meet at the center and then it wraps down and around the waist to the back. The back has the illusion of being left completely open under that single layer of netting. The skirt falls to the floor and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The back is cut longer then the front so you get a bit of a trained effect behind you as you walk. From the bust to the lower skirt you have a scattering of the beads and sequins over the silk. Around the hem these are set in a dense panel which not only adds detail and ties in the extensive detailing on the bust but it also gives the lower skirt a touch of weight to hold the shape and volume as you walk and stand. The colour is perhaps a touch brighter in person. It has this lovely feeling of being an heirloom piece and it is fantastically beautiful to see in person. It is a very special piece. Excellent overall condition with a note below.

Fully lined in a nude silk chiffon and slips over the head to wear. It hooks to close along the top of one shoulder. There are two areas where the netting has torn. One on the back shoulder and a tiny one near the shoulder seam. I also see a repair at the top of the shoulder. These could be repaired or it would be very easy to remove the netting completely and add tiny silk straps. Some of the bead work has loosened here and here and there are some small areas where they have fallen off. I have priced the dress taking these small flaws in mind. Please see the photos after the label shot. This is the original runway sample. Handwork throughout. Completely bias cut.

Bust: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 68" from top of shoulder to front hem, 75" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $20,000 and more during this time period. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.

Item# DD4414

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

John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have two more of the dresses he sent for us with one last one to come after this. This is a runway piece from 2006. The bead work on it was done by hand by one of the same European ateliers who did beading for many of the Couture houses for this time period. John is one of my favorite American designers and right out of the gate he won the Coty Award for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. His work veers towards minimalism with sharp tailoring. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one is absolutely extraordinary and so very sensual. It is incredible to see it in person with all of that extensive bead work on it.

John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $20,000 and more during this time period. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.

This dress takes your breathe away when you first see it. The fabric is completely covered in thousand of tiny black seed beads on a black netted base. Like the others this gives the dress a bit of weight but in this case its balanced by the almost weightless netting - we weighed it and even with the light netting it was still about 3 pounds. It is so beautifully made that it balances and glides over the body perfectly. The front is cut in an almost squared off feel with a high neck that is cut across the width of the front. It glides right into the length of the skirt with no break at the waist at the front. Straps extend out from the top of the bodice and glide done either side of the back. The sides and back are left completely bare and open and it is incredibly sexy. When you turn all you see is bare skin. The waist is seamed at the back for a bit of definition. The skirt to the floor and gently widens out as it reaches the hem. On one side there is an incredibly high slit that shows a mile of leg when you walk or sit. And then there is the fabric itself. The beads fully cover every square inch of the dress but the coverage is done in two different degrees of density. This creates these fantastic vertical rows that run over the entire dress. The rows very with one being completely and densely covered and then the next is a row where the beads have a more scattered feel. These than go back-and-forth between the two to cover the whole dress. The more dense areas also create a border across the top of the dress and are what covers the straps. Because the backing is the netting Rose that have only scattered feeling are slightly transparent. This is absolutely incredible and is a almost shocking feel when you are in the light. You of course have control of how see through the dress is depending on what you decide to wear underneath it but that play with the transparencies in the stripes is incredible to see. It is a very special and rare piece. Excellent condition.

There are two attached layers of the netting underneath the top beaded layer. It closes with a low set side zipper at the back and a snap and hook at the waist band. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Waist: 12-12.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 65" from top of shoulder to hem
Slit: 34" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

Item# DD4405

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

This Spring 2014 dress is one of the most photographed and best know of all of the Chanel pieces that Karl ever created. It has a spectacular provenance there are probably even more examples of it being photoed and worn that season that we have yet to find. It's twin was Look 84 on the runway and it was instantly snapped up to be photoed on Keira Knightley for the Harper's Bazaar cover. It, and variations in this print, also appeared on Bogue China, Czechia, Netherlands and Korea editions, InStyle magazine and many, many other publications. The range of models and celebrities who wore this dress is as vast ranging from Sarah Jessica Parker, to Rita Ora and Karolina Kurkova to name just a few. 

Vogue's review of the piece stated that 'The Grand Palais was transformed into a gigantic white-walled hangar of paintings and sculptures—quintessential Basel or Frieze—all seventy-five of them made by Lagerfeld during his Summer of Prodigious Creativity. He didn't actually create them himself—that feat would be too Olympian even for Karl—but he drew the pieces or made maquettes so his studio could realize the finished product. The coming together of concept and design was clearly responsible for the way Lagerfeld's theme infected his collection to a greater degree than usual.... Deconstruction, trompe l'oeil, collage, bricolage—this Chanel collection was a fest of art processes. You never get the sense that Lagerfeld is pushing himself; he makes everything look much too easy for that. Nevertheless, in the ninety-ish looks he showed today, there were more stories than he would usually be bothered to tell.' They mention the serties of dress that used thisprive specifically saying; 'a paint chart from the 1900s yielded a whole group of primally Pantone-ed pieces.' There were 14 pieces presented, the final 14 actually, that had variations of this print on them this dress that was the one that was photoed the most and pulled by all the editors and sold out worldwide. It was without a doubt the dress of the collection.

This dress has never been worn and it is in perfect condition. It even has its original stamped hang tag, price tags and its resealable bag with extra fabric. The dress combines a stunning light scarf weight silk that has that beautiful Pantone palette in all the colours of the rainbow in a print that travels horizontally over its surface. The dress is suspended from the shoulders by tiny silk straps. The bust has been covered in a painted white lace. This stiffens the lace underneath and gives it an unusual texture that is quite beautiful. This is then backed by a nude silk netting. The rainbow silk under that skims over you to a dropped waist seam that sits just over the hips. This seam is set loose and easy so that the dress skims over you rather than cling. Under that the skirt falls and widens out as it nears the hem. Another wide band of lace is set around the entire lower part of the hem. This not only picks up the lace detailing on the bodice but is also a clever way to add a bit of weight to the dress so that it falls perfectly once on the body. The skirt is cut to be shorter at the front and longer at the back with it it all done on a beautiful curve. You can see in the runway video how beautifully this allows the dress to move when you walk. On the runway Karl belted it above that dropped seam for added shape. For many of the editorial shots it was worn without a belt and I love that it gives you the option to wear it either way because it really changes the look at the dress from fitted to more loose and easy. It is stunningly beautiful dress and of course it has all of the amazing details you would expect from a Chanel piece. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined through the bodice in a nude silk behind the bust area and an ivory silk to the waist. The skirt is unlined. The lower lace part has a backing of two layers of silk tulle. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and snaps above that. All original tags and extra fabric. Tagged a 34 and has a generous cut

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Dropped seam: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 21" from top of straps to dropped seam
Full Length: 39" from top of straps to shortest point of the front hem, 49" longest point of the back ham

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4402

Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Spring 2014 Chanel Runway, Look 84. Model Binx Walton.  /  (7) Keira Knightley for Harpers Bazaar, February 2014.  /  (8) Fei Fei Sun for Neiman Marcus, February 2014.  /  (9) Vlada Roslyakova by Ellen Von Unwerth for Numero Tokyo, April 2014.  /  (10) Photo by Mario Testino for Vogue China, March 2014.  /  (11) Robin Holzken for Telva Magazine, April 2014.  /  (12) Vogue Czechia, July 2014.  /  (13) Vogue Girl Korea, April 2014.  /  (14) Myself Germany, April 2014.  /  (15) Phoebe Tonkin in Chanel at the Humane Society Gala, March 2014.  /  (16) Sarah Jessica Parker for InStyle UK, May 2014.  /  (17) Karolina Kurkova for Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia February 2014.  /  (18) Rita Ora in Chanel at BET Studios, May 2014.  /  (19) Vogue Netherlands March 2014.

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

Matthew Williams was appointed Creative Director at Givenchy in June 2020 and this was his debut collection for the house. Vogue noted that; 'Williams is a 34-year-old American urban-wear designer joining a luxury house in a new age of creative director stardom. Givenchy relies on his personal image to make this union a bankable one. And his debut proposal reflected that in so many ways. His Givenchy debut read entirely like a morph between those codes (texture and hardware) and the black-clad elegance of the house he now inhabits. Suspended between the formal and the super casual, the devil was in the fabric treatments. ...There’s a twisted expensiveness about Williams’s clothes that feels clinical and dirty all at once... “I’m not a person who designs in themes. It’s very much product-focused. A lot of it is what I would wear personally,” he explained. He also noted that his vision for the Givenchy woman was “very elegant and powerful and chic”. And that actually perfectly sums up this dress. It was an instant hit and was seen on the runway photo, Kim Kardashian and Rooney Mara. Which I think is where the power lies in this piece... that is can work so well on these very different women.

The dress still has its original tags attached and was never worn. And I even have seen it on sale still. It was sold for 1820 GBP in the UK and in the US it was priced was just over $3000. It is made from a bandage like knit that has stretched to it but also enough weight to firmly hold your curves in place. And to give you curves where you need them. It is meant to fit onto the body like a second skin. The sleeves are long and the skirt falls to the floor in a long sleeve column. From the front it looks like a classic black fitted knitted dress. It is when you turn around that you get the full shock of the bare skin this dress reveals. The back is scooped open and low. You can see on the model how it sits to the low back in on someone who's shorter like Kim is it dips very low. Each elbow also has a oval cut out to reveal a touch of skin there and then there is a little slit opening near the end of the sleeve that you can slip your thumb through if you wish. If you look closely on the presentation photo you can see that the model did just that. The dress has its original price tag and hand tags still attached and has never been worn. Excellent condition

Online and slips over the head to where. There's a hidden set zipper across the top of one shoulder. Tagged a size small. Original hang tag and price tag attached. It has never been worn. The fabric does have some stretch and I've shown the comfortable range here and it probably could stretch a little more if needed

Sleeves: 27" and 10-14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 13.5-15.5"
Bust: 16.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-5-14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4396

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 2021 Givenchy Collection, Look 45.  /  (2-3) Kim Kardashian in Givenchy, as posted on her Instagram, October 2020.  /  (4) Rooney Mara for Givenchy L'Interdit Rogue.  /  (6) From Net-a-porter.

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

Donald Brooks launched his label in late 1963 with a collection for the Spring 1964 season after an already successful start as a costumier for Hollywood. He quickly became one of the most sought after of the American designers and his clients included Jaqueline Kennedy, Claudette Colbert and Faye Dunaway. The New York Times said that he was one of 'the three B's of fashion' alongside Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene. He helped to launch the American Council of Fashion Designers and won three Cody Awards over the course of his career. He launched a secondary boutique line 1971 all while also designing costumes for Movie and Television. He eventually closed his label to concentrate on costume work and only designed for the occasional private client. Finding documentation on his earlier pieces is rare and I am so happy to have a runway reference shot of this one for you so that you can see just how spectacular this dress is on the body.

This dress is just spectacular. This is the kind of dress that makes vintage so special. The workmanship on this dress is unbelievable. The fabric is beautiful to see and as you look at it closer you realize just how many small details have gone into it. It has the feel of lace as far as its pattern but it is made from an ultra soft black chenille cording that has been hand stitched into place over a metallic netted base to form the flowers and patterns that cover the entire dress. Onto that are glossy black sequins that have been hand sewn into place to follow parts of the design. The netting underneath the cording and sequins has a more open weave in places and he backed the dress in a nude lingerie netting to give a bit if coverage. It still gives you this feel that you are seeing through the dress here and there and this subtle detail is quite sexy. It dips into a low V at the front that goes right to the banding around the waist with a little bit of cording set across the base to hold it in place. It skims over the bust and the waist is seamed and set so that it has a slight empire feel. A black silk ribbon is attached around the waist to add a bit of detailing. On the runway they also added a flower off to one side and this would be easy to do if you loved the look of the runway. The skirt falls from under there and widens out as it nears the hem. It is cut to sit just over the ankle depending on your height so that you get a glimpse of shoe from under the skirt. The sleeves are the perfect finishing touch. They are cut wide and full at their ends and this perfectly picks up on the shape of the skirt. I love how all of the edges on the dress are finished with a scalloped detail for a soft and romantic touch. The metallic thread and sequin work let the entire dress catch the light when you move. It is extraordinary. Excellent condition

The bodice is lined in a nude lingerie netting and the skirt is lined in a nude silk. The sleeves are unlined. There are some tears and small repairs to the inner lining that I have left as it is still wearable as is. The inner skirt closes with a zipper and then the outer skirt snaps over that with silk covered snaps. The back buttons to close from the waist up with hand covered silk buttons and loops.

Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 37.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3724

Reference Photo: Fall 1970 Donald Brooks Collection.

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

This is the second dress from this collection that I have in the shop at the moment and for this one we have full documentation on it including the spectacular runway reference photos so you can see just how good it is on. Bill Blass worked for the Maurice Retner label for 10 years as the chief designer. In 1968 the Bill Blass Inc label became a subsidiary of the Retner label. Then in 1970 he fully bought out his partners at the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name as Bill Blass Ltd. 1970 was the same year that he won his third Coty American Fashion Critics' Award and with it, his lifetime membership in the Coty Hall of Fame. By 1980 the company was doing 20 million dollars in revenue. He was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. By the eighties his work was even more ornate and luxurious than what he had done in the past. Prices for dresses could be as high as $5000 (which would be about $15,000 today). He was once asked why his clothes were so expensive and he replied, 'I'm an avid believer that we have to have clothes made in this country. Therefore we pay more money. ... The cost of labor and fabrication is what makes the clothing expensive.'

This is an exceptional dress. These metallic pieces are among my favorites by him and I love that this one is so well documented. The fabric is beautiful as it mixes soft pinks, tones of silver and grey with ivory and gold. These are set over the entire dress in rows that run down the full length of the dress. Some of the pattern has a slight raised feel to it and it has been all been embroidered directly into the fabric. Silver, copper and gold thread have been used over the entire dress and this is what gives the fabric its metallic glitz and makes it gleam and glitter in the light. It covers the dress from head to toe. The neckline is a cut into a high V with a wide border of the same fabric in a solid pink. The bodice crosses over itself and skims over you. This is then is balanced beautifully by those spectacular sleeves. Each sleeve is cut to just past the elbow and is wide and straight. They curve out from a slightly dropped shoulder and this emphasizes the way it sits on the body a touch. It hooks into place at the side and the waist is seamed but left on the more generous side. You can see on the reference photos that they put a wide band of fabric around the waist and you could easily re-create this if you wished. That border from the neckline continues all the way down the front of the skirt for some added detail. The skirt falls to the floor from there and widens out as it nears the hem. I absolutely love it. It is beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a pink silk. You step into it and then it closes with a hidden part zipper at one side of the inner torso and then it has a series of hidden snaps and hooks. Hand finishes throughout and ribbon finished inner hem.

Sleeves: 19" from the dropped shoulder seam
Dropped shoulders: so no true defined seam
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from neck to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4394

Reference Photos: Fall 1970 Bill Blass Ready to Wear Advance.

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

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work from the 1970s and is fantastically beautiful. No matter how good it looks on my dress form, in person and on the body it transforms into even more of a bombshell. It is spectacular

This is a killer dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body because as mentioned above, this is a dress that in person it is even better. The first thing you see is that the entire body of the dress is covered in overlapping gold, silver and copper sequins and beads that catch the light from every angle. A pattern is made across the front that swoops down on a curve and adds to the feeling of curves for the person wearing it. This detailing alone takes your breath away when you see the dress in person. The dress falls from skinny straps that curve up and over the shoulder. They are completely covered in beads and sequins to stay perfectly in line with the rest of the dress and I love this. The bodice dips down at the front and there is a triangle piece to cover each breast. It skims over the body from there gliding over the waist and hips. There is some shape at the waist but it is with a more easy feeling which keeps the dress feeling long and lean. Under that the skirt falls to the floor in a sleek column. Set into the skirt on one side are a series of silk chiffon panels and these give the dress its beautiful and unexpected movement. They fall in different lengths and widen out as they near their hems. When you move even the slightest they move with you and its gorgeous to see. At the back it is slit up the center quite high so that you see a flash of leg as you walk away. Above that the entire back is also left bare and open and it is as incredible from the back as it is from the front. The dress is wonderfully made. It is a stunning dress and you will definitely turn heads in it when you walk into the room. This might make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any fabulous event. Excellent condition

Unlined with narrow silk panels covering the inner seams and hand stitched into place. It closes with a zipper at the back and hook and eye at the neck. It looks like someone extended the back neck at some point and stitched in a small overlap at the front. There are areas on the bodice and near the back edge where some sequins have started to loose their gold colouring. And on looks like those areas are catching the light differently but they could easily be replaced if you if it bothered you please see the photos after the label shot. Hand finished throughout.

Bust: 15.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from top of the shoulder to hem with just over 2" turned under the hem
Back slit: 22.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4397

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

In the Vogue review from this collection they started off by stating that; 'The healing power of nature, the need for optimism, the importance of handcraft, the celebratory power of forward-looking fashion: All these things have been constant talking points in Paris for over a week now, but it took Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel to actually bring the vertiginous cliffs and coursing waterfalls of the Gorges du Verdon to the Grand Palais and wrap it all up in a final spectacular word on every point. The scenery—a facsimile of a beauty spot in the South of France—was so naturalistic that a breeze floated along the canyon, blowing off the girls’ clear plastic boaters and setting their extraordinary clothes flowing as they strode on in their thigh-high plastic boots.... “Did you feel it?” asked Karl Lagerfeld (rhetorically) afterward. “The molecules from the water, when you breathe them in, it’s very healthy for you! It’s why you feel good in places like this.” He had no need to check. We felt it, all right. Whether it was endorphin effects of the big outdoors scenario or the clothes, this walk in the country produced a fashion high that was shot through with relevance. The clothes were spectacular and the fabrics themselves where noted; 'the house tweeds fluttered with fringes or were reduced to almost transparent cages. Lurex threads and crystal jewelry glinted. The intricate balance between natural-looking textures and advanced technical skills was breathtakingly dynamic to behold.' when comparisons were made to the sixties Karl emphatically stated that; "They (the fabrics) were never like this! The fabrics then were terrible. There’s not a fabric here which you can buy elsewhere. They’re all made by Chanel, in-house.” and indeed the fabrication of this dress is remarkable. No matter how good it looks here you will be in awe to see it in hand.

As stated above the fabric of this dress was made in-house as a variation on the classic Chanel boucle and it is spectacular. The dress itself is chic and simple but the colour and fabric gives it maximum impact. The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 8 and I love having runway references for you to see how amazing it is on. It was styled on the runway for full over-the -top catwalk effect but really when you pull all away it is very classic but with an edge. This makes it very versatile on how you choose to wear it and I love that. The dress is a simple sheath with little capped sleeves to give it that chanel shoulder Karl loved. It skims over the bodice qand comes in at the waist amd then skims over the hips. The skirt is cut in a long penciul and comes in slightly at the hem. The vent for this one is at the front and that gives it another sharp little nagle that pics up on the incredible shoulders. I love how the shoulders have that inset of the boucle edged with that brilliant blue lace and then that same detailed boucle is used in triangles that wrap and curve around the waist to give shape. Clever and subtle seams shape the dress around you so that it's very flattering. It is lined in a pale pink silk. For the body of the dress the fabric is a combination of ivories, soft greys, pale pinks and pale blues. Mixed into that or strips of a clear plastic and on the border edges there are strips of a iridescent rainbow Lamy ribbon. This means the entire dress has this incredible glint in the light which adds a completely different dimension to the classic Chanel fabric. I tried to take lots of close-ups for you but it's really incredible to see this fabric in person. This is an exceptional Chanel piece that will never go out of style. It is meticulously made and it is a beautiful piece showcasing the work that the Chanel ateliers are capable of and of Karl's time there. It has never been worn and has its original hang tag attached then to find it as Chanel fantasy tweed. Inside the little envelope hangtag there is also an extra square of fabric. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a fine pink silk. The dress closes with a hidden set back zipper. Original hangtag present as described above. Tag a modern Chanel size 38

Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 30" from waist to hem with about 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

The Chanel boucle is created with their proprietary method of weaving that they themselves describe as "by weaving the warp and weft, using a variety of different kinds of threads which creates a unique and somewhat irregular appearance. The warp – vertically strung – is the background of the fabric, the base that will support the assembly of materials. There can be up to 12 different threads used for a single warp. The weft – woven horizontally – gives the fabric its unique character and can have an unlimited number of threads. Tight, perforated, textured, thick, with a relief, plaited, random, twill… the potential number of effects is endless". This technique gives you that classic Chanel look.

Item# DD4390

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2018 Chanel Collection, Look 8. Model Lexi Boling.

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

There is very little information of the cruise collections from the early 2000s but we were able to find runway photos of the jacket. On the runway it was paired with a casual trouser andI love that this helps to show you have versatile it is - you can wear the dress and jacket together or separate them to extend the life and times you will wear both pieces. This came from the estate of a woman who shopped a lot at Chanel. Her things were stunning and she took immaculate care of them. I absolutely love this set and it is just so pretty.

The jacket is a mix of the finest possible cashmere and silk and the dress feel more like a cotton and silk mix. Both pieces are absolutely beautiful. The jacket is so pretty in its won right. The base is a a pale yellow knit that has a wide ribbed texture through it set vertically. It is a hand knit border made of three rows of little knit pom poms spaced in tight rows. There are three layers of these. One is a pale pink and then that has a white and yellow row on either side. On the very inside there is a row of pink net lace for the perfect finish. These bordering detail runs down the front edges, around the hem and collar, and at the ends of the sleeves. The rest of the jacket is cut soft and easy so that it feel like a mix of a cardigan and jacket and just stays easy and simple. The dress is cut with a scooped front and another scooped at the back. The back scoop dips a bit lower. It is cut to skim over you with an easy waist and hip and then it has a pretty flare is it nears the hem. It has a very tennis country club feel to the way it is cut. The top part of the dress has a ribbed striped detail that runs horizontally across just under the bust area and then another at the top of the skirt. This striped detail is done in a yellow and deeper pink and I love it. The skirt has a more chevron ribbing and this adds a pretty detail to the dress and picks up on the horizontal striping on the jacket when you wear them together. There most likely would have been bought separately but I decided to keep it together because it felt like they belong together. A little rectangle is sewn onto one side of the jacket with Chanel engraved onto it and another on the dress just above the hip. This is a superb Chanel set that is just exceptional. Excellent condition.

Both the skirt and the jacket are unlined. Both the dress and jacket slip on to wear with no closures. Chanel logo sewn onto both pieces of the suit. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. I see a small area of darkening on the back of the skirt but only in certain lights and it was too light to photo. I am just being super picky. The color and texture are even better in person. The jacket is tagged a Chanel 40 and the dress has no size tag present. The colours are better in person

Jacket
Sleeve: 24" and 12-14" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam with no closures at the front
Waist: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 20" from neck to hem

Bust: 16.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20.5-23.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4389

Reference Photos: Cruise 2004 Chanel Collection.

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

This is an early set from Yves Saint Laurent and it is even more interesting because he repeated the top design for the very next spring collection and the skirt silhouette returned in many variations throughout the entire span of his career. This is also the collection shown before his scandalous Haute Couture collection for spring 1971 and those pieces are some of the most viable pieces of his work that you can find. It's interesting to see that he repeated this exact same dot in his couture collection as he used for this set. So there is a little extra historical tie and that this it has that has to is provenance outside of the other documentation we found. We found some great photos of the skirt and the top in both years so you have a great idea of how it looks once on. I love that having the two pieces makes it extra versatile. These early pieces are sometimes hard to document and it is extra special when we are able to date and document them.

These skirt and cropped top sets really showcase what the early seventies flower power hippie movement was all about. This set is especially fun with its textured weave cotton, dot print and mix of colours. The top is a simple bikini halter type top that wraps and ties into place. When off the body you see that it is two elongated triangles that attach at the point that would go around the neck and then one side on each triangle extends out into long ties. The last tie also extends out but ends in hook and eye. This let you tie it a few different ways and I photoed a couple that I thought of here for you and there are probably more. I also like that it lets you control how short or long it sits on the torso. You can wrap and roll the fabric so it's almost like a bikini top or you can leave it longer to meet the top of the skirt if you want more coverage. The skirt is equally as easy to wear. It has elastic at the waist and slips on. It widens out to the hem from there and is done in a series of tiers that are stacked on top of each other from waist to hem. The fabric is a cotton and it has a bit of a texture running through it and then there is an explosion of dots over both pieces. The colours are amazing on the skirt. Each tier is done in its own separate colour with a contrasting dot on it and then the top is the same colour as the final tier of the skirt. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition

Both the top and skirt are unlined. The top is as described above. The skirt has elastic at the waist and zips to close. The top is tagged a 36 but the easy cut of both and slight give of the fabric should work on a range of sizes

Top
It is flexible in size since it wraps and ties and has coverage across the front

Skirt
Elastic waist: 12-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4386

Reference Photos: (1-3) Spring 1971 Yves Saint Laurent.  /  (4) Spring 1972 Yves Saint Laurent.

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