This is a stunning Christian Dior dress by Raf Simons from the Fall 2014 collection. Its twin walk the runway for Look 21 in the show. It is also one of the most photographed pieces from that show. You will often see a more simplified version of this dress for sale but this is the twin of the actual runway dress and is a rare and special find. In the book Dior: Catwalk the write-up on the show states: "This season I wanted to propose a new woman" said Raf Simons, "A woman with power and energy in a very definitive way. I wanted to pursue powerful tailoring, to offer another reality, another function. This season is less about the leisure of the garden and more about the pace of the city. I am attracted to the reality of the urban world and environment." They also noted that these dresses were meant to be a modern play on the classic 'Bar' shape established by the original Mr. Dior. Vogue noted that it was impossible for Raf to design anything that didn't come straight from the heart and I love that sentiment. It is extremely beautiful and perfectly representative of Raf's time at the label and what his vision for Dior looked like. 

This was one of a series of dresses that were composed of two pieces. Each had a simple shift like under-dress with a more elaborate top layer that was deliberately cut so that it needs its contrasting under-dress to really makes sense. Both could potentially be worn individually but they are better and feel complete when worn together. The dresses were done in a variety of colours and this bright blue and vivid orange combination was one of my favourites. It was a favourite of the fashion crowd and was also used in the Dior campaign and shot for the Dior magazine that season. 

The silk under-dress is a simple shift shape with a scooped neckline and no sleeves. There is darting around the chest area and it comes in just slightly at the waist and then flares out a touch as near the hem. It is backed in a matching silk and the entire thing has the feel of exceptional quality. Its bright orange colour is in sharp contrast to that electric blue top layer. The over-dress that slips on over the orange shift dress is made from a combination of wool and angora. This gives it a lovely soft texture. The front curves down into a deep V that allows the under-dress to show. The waist is highlighted with a softly gathered band of the same blue. The skirt under that is incredible. It is made out of long vertical panels of the fabric and they are split or have open seams all the way around the skirt. When you walk and move the orange under-dress shows in sharp contrast against the blue. I love how the dress closes down one side at the back so you get this beautiful unbroken line above and below the waist line. At the front to one side there is a spray of coloured glass crystals and bead work that run across the front of the main split. I have taken several shots of this and you can see how it is perfectly matched on either side of the split. Phenomenal. It is an amazing example of his time at the label. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The inner dress closes with a hidden set seam at the back and it is lined in a matching orange silk. The inner hem has ribbon seamed edges. I see perhaps a tiny touch of grubbiness around the edge of the arm hole but I am being very picky. There is a tiny spot on the front. The over-dress hooks to close at the back side waist and this piece slips over the head to wear. It is lined through the bodice in a matching blue silk and the skirt is unlined. I see slight wear to the fabric around the edges of the arm holes and perhaps the tiniest bit of change of colour along the very edge. Again, I am being very picky and both pieces present perfectly once on. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a FR38, GB10, IT42, US6

Inner Dress
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 31.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 3" turned under the hem

Outer Dress
Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 46.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4940

Reference Photos/Video: (1-7) Fall 2014 Christian Dior, Look 21. Model Lexi Boling.  /  (8) Fall 2014 Dior Campaign by Willy Vanderperre.  /  (9) Hanne Gaby-Odiele for Dior Magazine.  /  (10) Alessandra Ambrosio for Vogue Spain, photographed by Alexi Lubomirski, November 2014.  /  (11) Olivia Palermo for HELLO! Fashion Magazine, October 2014.

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

The twin of this dress was Look 27 on the Spring 2011 Prada runway. It was the first of three variations of dresses that featured extensive and whimsical embroidery over them along with the beadwork around the hem. The dress was an instant hit. You saw it in editorials, on celebrities and it was used in the ad campaign that season. It is also featured in the book Prada:Catwalk. This dress is noted in particular in that book where it says "a beachy feel came through in those prints again, and in Mexican embroideries across the front of a white sundress. There were shades of Josephine Baker also here, emphasize by the model slick pin curled hair – just the lightest touch of history in case anyone might forget where they were and the deep understanding of culture that entailed. Bar the furs and jangling plastic beads at hems, the clothes in this collection were entirely made from a cotton – sensible, hearty, humble. The collection was extraordinarily bold: an immaculately executed fashion statement that couldn't have been more confident, clear or right for its time." Muiccia herself called it "minimal baroque". 

This is a fantastically rare dress and it is exceptional and important part of Prada's history. As noted above, the dress is made of a crisp white cotton. It is adorned with a heavy finish of embroidery to create that print that you see going across the dress is all the way around you. It is suspended from the shoulders by straps made of the same fabric. The dress itself is the simplest of cuts. The front has darts to create a bit of shape around the breast and then it has a touch of a barrel shape through the body. The waist and hips curve outwards and then the hem comes in slightly. The back dips down for an expanse of bare skin to show. A dancer is in full stride with a huge headdress and skirt are a nod to the great Josephine Baker. Bright bold colours swirl across you and around to the back of the dress and the embroidery work is fantastic to see. It has a slight 3D texture as it sits slightly up and off the dress. The hem of the dress is equally as fantastic and has a finish of braided silk cord and large beads that dangle and jangle all the way around the hem. It is just phenomenal. Excellent condition with a small note below.

The dress is fully lined in a white silk chiffon and zips to close at the back. I see one round bead missing at the back and a smudge of a mark near on the lining near the label. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. The open cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. It will just fit more over-sized on a smaller frame.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36" from top of shoulders to actual hem, 39" to the bottom of the bead work

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4939

Reference Photos: (1-5) Spring 2011 Prada, Look 27. Model Daphne Groeneveld.  /  (6) Spring 2011 Prada Ad Campaign.  /  (7-8) Bruno Mars and Joan Smalls Photographed by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue, June 2011.  /  (9) Miroslava Duma in Prada, 2011.  /  (10) From the book "Prada Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Susannah Frankel.

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

This dress is from the Spring 1984 collection and it's twin walk the runway that season. It is a dress that I have had in the shop before and I am always so happy to find one of these because it's just exceptional. Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of  the American designers. He was one of the forerunners in being able to mix simple styles with luxurious materials. His evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a gorgeous example of his work from this time period.

The dress is made from a purple silk that has a vivid pink ruffle that runs all the way down one side. The way that the pink is attached to the dress t is fantastic. It makes it feel like it has been wrapped around you and tied into a dramatic bow at the shoulder with the ties left to trail down to the floor. The pink is gathered all the around the bust area and then swoops up to the bow at one side. A tiny pink strap is hidden underneath the bow so that the dress stays perfectly in place. This leaves the other shoulder bare. The silk runs down the side of the dress from there in an attached ruffle of silk all the way to the hem. Under the bodice the dress is cut to feel more generous and easy and it widens out it falls to the floor. I love it. It appears to have been worn a very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a deep purple silk. The inner bodice closes with its own zipper and then the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Lightly boned through the inner bodice.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the outer waist goes to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder strap to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML or a small busted MED

Item# DD4109

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1984 Bill Blass Runway, Model Dalma Callado.  /  (3-4) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

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

The twin of this dress was shown in a more colourful mix for the look book collection presentation. You can also see the same black, white and gold sequin pattern that you see on this dress used in other pieces of that same collection. When the collection was produced for the shops they decided to make that pastel colour dress in this colour way as well and it is equally as phenomenal. Pierpaolo shot the collection himself and all of the pieces were worn by his longtime friend Mariacarla Boscono. This was due to the timing of this collection, which was during the lockdowns. The focus was on workmanship and craft. So much so that Vogue noted that 'He has imbued the rarefied world of couture with emotional values—exposing and revealing its craft and handmade processes, and shining a light on his team of seamstresses and artisans as essential players behind his fabulous creations.' Piccoli said of the collection that 'It’s a radical simplicity though, I wanted to be even more radical, in that the simplicity I’ve tried to achieve in shapes, volumes, and construction comes at the end of a process of resolved complexities. It’s a study and a project on cut, proportions, balance. Reducing and subtracting to reach the core, something essential and pure—but not more banal. Simple, not simplified.” .' This is one of my favourite Valentino dresses of this collection. It is exquisite.

This dress is such an extraordinarily special piece and it feels thoroughly Valentino. Spectacular sequin work covers the entire dress and it is just a joy to see. This may not be couture, but it certainly feels like it should be. The dress is made from a double layer of a pale ballet blush coloured nude pink netting. Inside it is lined in a slightly deeper colour chiffon. The two fabrics layered over each other, gives this wildly airy feel and keeps the dress light in weight. The netting has a touch of transparency to it between the sequin pattern, but the underlying chiffon keeps it opaque enough to wear. I love that Valentino goes to these lengths to choose the most beautiful fabrics to bring a dress to life. It is part of what makes the exceptional beauty of the pieces from the Pierpaulo era. The lightness of the netting combined with how much of it there is, is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk, the fabric of the skirt and those fantastic caped sleeves catch the air and billow out around you. The entire dress has been finished with a stunning pattern of flowers and curving, flowing designs that are completely done in sequins. The sequins range in size and are done in only three colours - a dark white, a gold, and a black. The contrast of those stark colours against that soft blush background is absolutely beautiful. The neckline is scooped and the shoulders are soft. It skims over the bust and has a very simple cut so that the sequins that completely cover the front and back can take centre stage. The waist is brought in, but with a slightly generous cut, so that it skims perfectly over you. The skirt falls from under there to the floor in a sweeping expanse of netting. It widens out as it nears the hem and by the time it reaches the bottom of the skirt is extremely full. There are yards of fabric in the skirt and this gives it a floating effect as it moves around you. On the skirt the sequins are over that expanse of netting and it is like wearing a piece of art. The sleeves are wonderful. Each is almost a full circle around and they fall over your shoulders with a touch of a caped feel. They are also covered with sequins. There is a second layer of tulle underneath that helps to support and hold the shape. They are so pretty and feminine. The precision in cut and vision of how the pattern should sit over the entire dress to have this all fall and move so beautifully should not be underestimated. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The dress is backed in a second layer of the netting and it is lined in chiffon as described above. It closes with a hidden set back zipper. The netting has a bit of a bias cut to it and I have put the comfortable range of measurements below when laying flat. The bottom hem of the tulle is intentionally left raw. Tagged a modern 40. The original price tag would have been well over $20,000. It is spectacular in person.

Sleeves: 14" and are approx 19" around the upper arm.
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:  SML-MED

Item# DD4925

Reference Photos: (1-3) Resort 2021 Valentino.  /  (4) Janet Gretzky wearing Valentino at Paulina Gretzky's wedding, April 2022.  /  (5-6) credits unknown.

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

This is a dress that did not make the official lookbook photos released, although you can clearly see a glimpse of it in the video produced for resort that season. I love that they chose to make this in the ivory and gold and it influenced Look 63 for the Spring collection that was done in a vivid yellow. The dress is more soft and romantic in this colour. Vogue said that 'Pierpaolo Piccioli had his Resort collection photographed in Rome’s Orto Botanico, a green oasis in the center of the city with giant bamboo stands and towering palm trees.' This is one of my favourite Valentino dresses of all time and it is exquisite.

I love this dress. It really is one of my favourite Valentino pieces and it instantly recognizable. When you add in that spectacular array of feathers, rhinestones and gold bead work that covers the entire dress, it is just a joy. The dress is made from a fine and very light weight virgin wool and silk mix that gives it it's rich, luxurious feel. It has just enough weight to hold the shape and support all of the embellishment on it, but it is still light enough to wear comfortably. I love that Pierpaulo's Valentino always went to the extra lengths to source and use such beautiful fabrics. It is part of what makes up the exceptional quality of their pieces. Pale ivory ostrich feathers cover a large portion of the dress and this gives it such beautiful movement over the body once it is on. The neckline is simple and the bodice is cut to skim over you to the seam at the waist. The skirt is set into the waist in a series of soft gathers and has a more generous feel to it. The skirt falls to the floor from there, widening out gently as it nears the hem. The sleeves are set into the bodice with a slight capped feel to them. As they fall down the arm they widen out into an almost bell shape and then are brought back in at the cuff that snaps into place around the wrist. The entire dress has been covered in vertical rows of little gold tube beads. At the top of the dress they sit in neat little flat rows but then just around the bust area he started adding beads that actually sit up and off the fabric. I have taken some detailed shots so you can see what I mean. This adds to the incredible textile feel that the dress has. Scattered in in among the rows, are sequins and little rhinestone feeling beads that give the dress a little extra sparkle in the light. The entire bottom portion of the sleeves and the skirt are covered in a massive amount of ivory feathers to make it truly spectacular. The slightest movement causes the feathers to catch the air and move around you to give the dress this wonderful airy feel. The construction throughout is beautiful and meticulously done. An exceptional Valentino end it is a a dress that might make a spectacular piece for a bride who does not want to go the traditional route or as part of a wedding weekend. Of course it could be worn to any glamorous occasion and would be the highlight of a Valentino collection. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk and it closes with a back hidden set zipper. The feathers are in excellent condition with no shedding. Dress appears to be worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern Valentino 38.

Sleeves: 24" with the end of the feathers extending past the end of the sleeve by several inches beyond that measurement. They are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16.5-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to end of feathers at the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4919

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Screenshot from the Resort 2020 Valentino Video.  /  (2-3) Spring 2020 Valentino, Look 63.  /  (3-5) Caroline Daur at the Valentino Haute Couture Show for Paris Fashion Week, January 2020.  /  (6) Alessandra Mastronardi in Valentino at Valentino's Born in Roma Ball, 2019.  / (7) Credit unknown.

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

A long sleeve version of this dress walked the runway for Look 88 in the Spring 2016 runway. This is a dress that is truly a work of art. In 2016 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. The show was based on Africa as its inspiration and at this period of time the world was watching refugees attempting the journey to Italy. In the Vogue review for this collection Maria and Pierpaulo were quoted as saying; 'We probably feel that the greatest privilege in doing our work is that fashion can give a message,” said Chiuri. “We think every person coming here is an individual, and we can show that we can improve ourselves by understanding other cultures.'... 'The message,' added Piccioli, 'is tolerance. And the beauty that comes out of cross-cultural expression.' Many of the pieces fused both Italian and African traditions , 'They met in the textiles' they stated. This dress was one of the most stunning looks of the show and the combination of netting and ivory bead work it was made out of made it one of the most beautiful. 

The lines of this dress are wonderfully simple and yet it still feels glamorous with the head-to-toe bead work. It is a dress that it is even better in person and on an actual body. As with many Valentino pieces the dress has a bit of a bias cut to it through the body so draped wonderfully once on. The dress is made from a nude silk netting with another layer of that netting backing it. When it went to the shops it was sold with a matching nude silk chiffon slip and this lets you wear it either with the slip so that you are opaque through the body, or if you dare, you can wear it without and then you have that amazing transparency between the bead work. The dress is completely beaded from the top of the shoulders to the hem. It is very beautiful. The neckline is high and I love how he created a bit of a ruffled effect there with the netting and beads. It skims over your bust, past the waist and starts to widen out over the hips. From there it falls to the floor. The skirt gently widens out as it nears the hem. The dress is in its original uncut length. The bead work that covers the dress is stunning. It is set to highlight the lines of the dress and combines curves with more angular patterns. That front panel that starts just below the waist is done in tiers of the same little ruffled netting and bead work that you see around the neck. This falls all the way to just past the hem and it adds the perfect softness and added texture to the dress. The beads are a combination of tiny matte finished ivory seed beads and iridescent ivory tube beads. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would 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 big event. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

The dress is backed in a second layer of the nude netting and it comes with a separate silk chiffon slip. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and the slip slips over the head to wear. I see one tiny mark on the inner slip. It otherwise appears to have never been worn and has its original hang tags. The netting has a bit of a bias cut to it and I have put the comfortable range of measurements below when laying flat. Tagged a modern 40. The original price tag would have been well over $20,000 even then. It is spectacular in person.

Dress
Sleeves: are 12" around the opening
Shoulders: 14.5-15"
Bust: 16-17.5" across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 61" from neck to hem and the front ruffled panel falls about an inch past that

Slip
Bust: to 19.5" across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 59.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4917

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 2016 Valentino, Look 88. Model Liza Ostanina.  /  (6) Franca Sozzani at the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, 2015.

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

The pair behind the La Mendola label met in Rome in 1960 and started their business making dresses and selling them one by one, piece by piece. In 1967 they opened a shop. They soon had a Hollywood following and mega stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth become regular clients who were buying and even wait-listing for pieces as they were produced. They made all of the pieces in their ateliers and designed their own prints. Clients would be sent swatches of the season's available prints and then they would place their orders. They were highly sought after by the jet set crowd. Their pieces travelled extremely well and the colours they used were beautiful. Their atelier closed in 1974.

In the past I had one of their dresses come into the shop and the original owner of that dress had kept the fabric swatch options for the 1972 season along with her correspondence with the atelier. They named all of their prints. I kept a digital copy of it so I know that this dress is a version of their Paridiso print. The fabric that they used for their pieces were very high end chiffons and jerseys and this dress is made from one of those silk jerseys. It is beautifully light in weight. This fabric was prized for its ability to take colour and print. The dress is as bright and vibrant as when it was first made. The pinks used in the print are gorgeous and it is even better in person then how it photoed. The dress has a high neck that extends out from the dress without any seam. I love this small detail because it shows the attention to detail this takes and the masterful cutting the dress has to achieve this without seam work. The sleeves are long and easy. The cut through the bodice is simple and it skims over you, past the waist and over the hips. The skirt widens out just a touch as it nears the hem but still keeps that long column feel it has. At the back it closes with a row of tightly spaced silk jersey covered buttons, a finish that was a signature of the house. The jersey has some stretch and is very light in weight so wearing this is a dream. It is stunning. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes at the back with that row of tightly spaced silk jersey covered buttons. The fabric the dress has stretch and this combined with the easy design of the dress should allow it to work on a variety of sizes. Hand finished throughout. The measurements given are the comfortable stretch when laid out flat. The photo of the swatches is from that previous dress. The actual swatch card is not included. 

Sleeves: 23.5"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 18-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 59" from neck to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4908

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 had this tucked away in my archives for quite some time and it is spectacular. This is a gorgeous little skirt and halter top set that is a fabulous example of how unique her work could be. Of all of Thea's pieces are so special. Many were one-offs or were made in very limited quantities. She often thrifted and sourced odd bits of fabric and seemed to design with things that caught her fancy rather than have a solid theme season to season. Everyone who was anyone wore her work back in the day, including Elizabeth Taylor who was a huge fan and collector. This set is just spectacular and it is a very special piece.

These skirt and cropped top sets really showcase what the seventies flower power / hippie movement was all about. This set is especially fascinating with its screened wildlife covering both pieces and then the corresponding text that feels like it is from an encyclopedia explaining the different animals shown. The top is a simple halter type top that hooks into place behind the neck and then the bottom wraps and ties around you. When off the body you see that it is one elongated triangle with a strap that goes around the neck and then on each side the fabric extends out into long ties. I shot it with the ties at the back so you could get the full impact of the print on both pieces but you could also choose to wrap the ties to the front. The ties also lets you control how short or long it sits on the torso. You can wrap and roll the fabric so it sits higher or you can leave it where you see it in these photos. The skirt is equally as easy to wear. It has no band at the waist so that the text and photos printed on it are not broken up in anyway. It widens out dramatically to the hem from there. I took a photo of it laying out flat so you can see how wide the bottom hem ends up being. The fabric is a cotton that is a decent weight so that the shape is held. The combination of text and what looks like hand painted animals, but are actually screened into the fabric, is fantastic. It is gorgeous and I love that because it is two pieces you can mix and match it with other things in your existing wardrobe. This was almost certainly a one off and very rare. Excellent condition

Both the top and skirt are unlined. The top is as described above. The skirt zips to close. Both pieces appear to have been worn very little if at all.

Top
It is flexible in size since it wraps and ties and has coverage across the front. The front halter is 17" from side to side with no true side seams and is 13.25" long from neck to bottom.
Neck: 14" from end to end

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 41.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4898

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

This is the second time I have had a version of this dress in the shop and I love it even more this time around in this deep brown colour. This version of the Thea Porter label was only produced between October 1971-March 1972. Laura McLaws Helms, the author of the book "Thea Porter, Bohemian Chic" verified that it was from the Fall 1971 collection. Some of her pieces are so difficult to date and I love having the date on this wonderful dress. 

This is a beautiful example of Thea's work with a brown cotton gauze base that has pink and ivory diamond medallions scattered over its surface. The fabric has a touch of sheerness to it and it is unlined through those incredible sleeves to take full advantage of that. The front dips down in a V and the bodice is fitted over the bust. The waistline sits a touch high for a slight empire waist feel. The skirt flows down and out from there and I love the wide set flat pleats that give it fullness when you move. Each sleeve is cut with a wonderful fullness that widens to a puffed balloon shape over its elastic cuffs. The sleeves really add a sense of drama to the dress. Running horizontally over both the sleeves and the skirt are wide cut lace panels. These are set to circle around each sleeve and just above the bottom hem of the skirt. I love the pretty touch this adds. I personally own the twin of this dress and it is a favourite. Excellent condition

The top is fully lined in a brown silky rayon and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each sleeve has elastic in the cuff. Tagged UK vintage 16 but it cut small. Please refer to the measurements below.

Sleeves: approx 25"
Inset shoulders: 12.5" with the natural shoulder falling under the fabric of the top of the sleeve
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 13.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 55" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4897

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.

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

During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and chiffon dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. This is an amazing example of his work from the Cruise 2010 collection and it is gorgeous. "For Resort, Galliano had a series of softly draping floor-length evening dresses." said Vogue's review and that "Galliano's light touch...made the retro shapes look modern". A near twin of the dress in beige was a part of the presentation and then this is a dress was made for the shops in this stunning colour. It is so classically Galliano for Dior in its shape and cut. It is a real beauty.

The dress is made out of the prettiest pink silk chiffon that has a touch of texture running through it. It is all cut on the bias which is one of his key signatures. The bodice is beautifully cut. Twisted silk chiffon straps made of the same fabric curve up and over each shoulder and then they extend into the panels that go over the front. They crossover each other and this gives the dress that fabulous plunge. It drapes over the bodice and comes in at the waist. From there the dress drapes the the floor widening out as it nears the hem. At around the knee there are these long, triangular shaped panels sewn into the lower skirts. This is what gives it that the volume that you see. The seaming is a nod to the work you see from the twenties and thirties. The panels help to hold that pretty volume through the lower skirt and the lightness and incredible amount of fabric through the skirt gives you so much movement when you walk or move. It is stunning. A signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side for the perfect finish. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how the dress moves once on the body. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a matching silk and closes at the side with a hidden set zipper with a series of silk covered buttons over it. There is an extra 5 inches of the straps inside the back so you can adjust them to the perfect fit if needed. Tagged a vintage Dior F38, GB10, IT42, US6

Bust: 15-17" flat across with no true side seams
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 8" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 62" from top of the shoulder to the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4627

Reference Photos: 2010 Cruise Christian Dior Collection.

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

This is a piece that would have been made in limited quantities for the shops and it is spectacular. It also has the significance of being from the final few years that Mr. Valentino was still designing before he retired. It is incredibly beautiful and it might even 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 event.

This soft romantic pink silk chiffon dress is stunning on the body. The layers of chiffon float over each other to allow it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your curves. The bodice is finished with tiny and precise pleats. A panel wraps around the top of the bodice to tie at the back. Two more panels of silk are set below that on angles that cross over each other. At the side all three panels extends into long ties that you wrap and tie across your back. It ties behind the neck and then there is a final little tie at the small of your back. I love the bareness this leaves on your back. It is romantic from the front and sexy from the back. A little panel of chiffon floats around the hips and then the skirt falls to the floor. A slit runs up the front of the skirt for a flash of leg as you walk. The skirt is made of three layers of silk chiffon stacked over each other and this lets the skirt float around you as you move. It is cut slightly longer at the back so that you get a pretty sweeping feel behind you. The fabric is feather light. It is in its original uncut length. It is incredible and I love it. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with pink silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set zipper at the low back waist and ties in place above that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8. The ties make it adjustable, so this should fit a range of sizes

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam and adjustable an inch or two from there with the back ties
Waist: adjustable with tie 
Seam at the top of the hip/ low waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: to 19 flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from neck to front hem, 75" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4602

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

This is a piece done and shown for the special party and fashion show done in 2012 to celebrate Alber’s 10th anniversary with the company that year. Its twin in red was worn on several red carpets and I love that this lets you see just how spectacular it is on the body. 

The dress is gorgeous and I love the shot of the soft taupe colour against that deep charcoal black. The dress is made from a fine silk shantung and this fabric choice holds the structure and shape of the dress beautifully. The bodice is strapless and cut to hug the body to the waist. The top of the bodice is detailed with a panel of silk in that pale taupe and this folds around the top neck line on a slight angle to one side. Inside, there is a full built in hidden corset that is boned and shaped. The fabric is gathered into the waist so that it cinches in and then the skirt falls from there to the floor. On one side of the skirt there are extra silk panels that have been gathered up to one side to create that elaborate trained feel that you see. It is pleated into the side and then expands outward from there. A high slit is hidden under the panels so you get a flash of leg when you move. The entire skirt, including that outer extra panel, is all backed in a pale taupe silk organza so that when you move you get a flash of colour that ties into the colour at the top of the neck line. The added panelling gives the dress such an interesting shape as it falls around you. For me it is a nod to those grand gowns of the 50s where you saw these side sweeping skirts quite a bit. It is tremendously beautiful and has this wonderful sense of grace and elegance. It still has its original hang tag attached. Excellent condition

The dress is lined in a pale taupe silk organza. The top has a boned inner hidden corset to help hold the dress in place and shape you. The inner corset has its own zipper to close and an inner waist stay hooks to close. A second zipper closes at the side under the pleating of the side panel. It appears to be unworn and the original hang tag is attached. Tagged a modern 36

Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist stay: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 55" from top of bodice to front hem, 57" to the longest point of the side panel
Slit: 27" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4892

Reference Photos: (1-2) Natalie Portman in Lanvin at the Golden Globes, 2012.  /  (3) Doutzen Kroes in Lanvin at the Tiffany Blue Book Ball, April 2013.  /  (4) Katherine Jenkins Performs At Selfridges, July 2012.

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

This gorgeous and easy-to-wear Roberto Cavalli dress is from the Resort 2017 collection under the creative direction of Peter Dundas. “She’s a rock goddess and a summer traveler" said Dundas.... and in the Vogue review they said that "The goddess in question is not just a mood board picture; in the Dundas-sphere, she’s part of an impossibly glamorous posse of globe-trotting #CavalliCats—women like Beyoncé, who is a fan, who revel in the “souvenir” vibe of the lineup." The series of more caftan-like dresses like this one were mentioned specifically saying "Come November, when these clothes ship, they may fight over his Thea Porter–inspired long chiffon dresses printed with traditional Mexican floral and shamanistic motifs." This is the kind of dress that you slip on when you want to make a statement but be completely at ease while doing so.

The dress has a bit of a bohemian vibe to it and that combined with the feather light cotton netting make it a heavenly piece. It is really a dress that needs a body in it to fully come to life and be worn properly. You can see that in the runway presentation shot. The netting is covered in a pretty floral print that covers the entire dress. The fabric has a touch of transparency to it and I love how light in weight it is. This lets it float beautifully over the body. The neckline is ruffled and edged in a black lace. A long cord loops through the neckline so that you can adjust how open it is at the front. Each end of the cord is finished with a little tassel. The front ties top a low-cut keyhole that goes to the elastic that sits just under the bust. The top is cut loose and full. Each sleeve is also very full and billows out above an elastic cuff. The skirt falls to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. It is made out of two tiers of the printed netting and this adds incredible movement when you move. It is so well made that I think you could choose to turn it around and have the keyhole at the back if you wished. The sheer lightness of it is amazing and makes it very easy and comfortable to wear. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

The outer dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear. It comes with a small half slip made of a black silk chiffon that slips over the head to wear. The waist and cuffs have elastic and the neckline ties to close. Tagged a modern Cavalli 38. The outer dress can accommodate range sizes so you could always change what you wear underneath.

Dress
Sleeves: approx 28" and are 17" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seams
Bust: approx to 18" flat across from side to side with no true side seams
Elastic waist: 13-26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from neck to high set waist
Total length: " from waist to hem

Inner slip
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 33" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4891

Reference Photo: Resort 2017 Roberto Cavalli, Look 23.

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

This gorgeous jacket is from 2010 and we believe it is from the Cruise or Spring collection and is a piece that was made for the shops. It is an absolutely stunning Chanel jacket that has all of the hallmarks and details that you look for in Chanel, including six of those fantastic poured glass and metal buttons that we all love to see on Chanel pieces. 

The jacket is made from a lightweight house boucle that showcases a combination of silver and gold metal threads layered into the black base fabric along with teeny tiny black sequins. The combination of these elements is gorgeous and in person you really get a sense of the depth of texture that it creates. I love how the sequins subtly catch the light as you move. The fabric is woven on the bias in the traditional manner of their boucles and this is what gives the fabric its movement while still holding the shape beautifully. The suit is edged with a scalloped edged metallic finished black lace. The lace runs around the neck, down the front edge and circle around the hem. It also details each cuff and the pockets. The jacket is cut in that classic Chanel box shape with a slight shaping through the waist. The sleeves are long and cut on a slight curve to follow the shape of your arm. Top set pockets sit on each side at the front. The jacket closes with a hidden set series of hook and eye down the front underneath the lace edging. Inside, it is perfectly lined in a black silk that has Camellia flowers woven through the silk. A signature Chanel chain is hand set inside the hem of the jacket. I especially love the buttons on the cuffs of each sleeve. Each has three poured glass gripoix and gold metal buttons that combine deep red and green. The very centrepiece of each has been embossed with tiny Chanel double C's. I love it. This is classic Chanel and it is exceptional. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk with Camellia flowers woven through the silk. The jacket hooks to close down the front. Very light padding in each shoulder. There are three working buttons on each cuff. A chain is hand sewn along the inner hem and the lining appears to be tacked in by hand. The jacket is tagged a Chanel 44. It appears to have been worn very little if at all

And just a note on their fabrics.... The Chanel boucle and tweeds are 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.

Sleeve: 24" and are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4889

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

This was Look 37 on the Fall 2004 runway and it is one of the best jackets from Muiccia that I have seen. This collection is still thought of as one of her best. The reviews were spectacular. Vogue.com said of this collection: 'Audiences always arrive at Prada shows tingling with anticipation, braced for Miuccia Prada's next departure from the last season's plot. This time, she confounded expectation again, not by taking off in a new direction, but by developing the cache of ideas layered into her spring collection. That, of course, was famously about the fifties lady tourist, with an overlay of hippie-ish tie-dye among the circle skirts and knits. For winter, she took that same woman into new realms of intellectual exploration on the print front: back to the future, in fact. This time, she confounded expectation again, not by taking off in a new direction, but by developing the cache of ideas layered into her spring collection...."It was a dream of extreme romanticism," she said. "The idea of eighteenth-century painting, with video games. A romanticism between past and future."....For colder months, she added more layers, adding in dip-dyed cable knits and buttonless cardigans betwixt tweeds and bejeweled fifties-style couture-like pieces. What held it all together, literally, were the cinched waists, circled in narrow grosgrain ribbon or with tie-on belts encrusted with sparkle. It was that idea of jeweling, on collars, belts, and fabric brooches, that added the news.' 

These embellished pieces were some of my personal favourites presented that season. It definitely has that feel of Couture in how elaborately it is finished. On the runway, it was shown layered over a top and pants, and then they tucked a fur collar underneath and wrapped one of her embellished belts over everything. The belts were sold separately but you could easily add your own. I love how you can wear it as layered piece as they did on the runway, or wear it on its own for a more minimalist look. The silk shantung that it is made out of has a slight sheen to its finish that adds a very subtle touch of glamour to the jacket. The cut of the jacket is simple and easy. It has a rounded collar that has been finished with a crosshatching of silver thread embroidery and then prong set crystals are applied heavily over that. It is open down the front with no closures and is meant to layer over pieces. The shoulders are soft and slightly slope down which gives it an easy feel. The sleeves are cut quite wide and end just about the elbow in length. The cut through the body is meant to just skim over you and it has a slight exaggerated box shape that flares out around the hem. You can see that the back has a bit of extra built in silk for a touch of added volume. I love this cut. The heavy embellishment of the collar continues in a band down the front on one side and then all the way around the hem. Scattered over the rest of the jacket are little medallions made of silver metal thread and the rhinestone crystals. We took some close-ups so you can see just how beautiful the work is. It is very well made. Literally a little jewel. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and slips on with no closures. The label is marked 047. The easy and open cut should fit a full range of sizes and will just feel more oversized on a smaller frame.

Dropped sleeves: 15" from the very dropped shoulder seem and are 18" around that seam
Shoulders: no true defined scene
Bust: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam and then opens to 24" flat across from side to side of the bottom hem
Length: 26" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4888

Reference Photos: Fall 2004 Prada, Look 37. Model Diana Dondoe.

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

The twin of this dress walked the runway on supermodel Carla Bruni who looked unbelievable in it. Valentino did a series of these dresses that were all done with this touch on a Western theme of stars on them with slightly different upper bodices. This is the second of that series that I have had. The first was sourced privately for a client and I love that I have found another one. We have included photos of the runway and of video many of the pieces so you can see how fantastic this is on the body.

Each side at the front of the dress is shaped to curve around the bust. It plunges into a low V at the front and then underneath that to the waist there is a black mesh panel that is transparent. I love how this makes the body feel bare but you are covered at the same time. At the base of the plunge you see the first of five rhinestone encrusted stars that the dress has. Another star sits at the top of each shoulder and they are placed slightly to the front so that you clearly see them when the dress is on. The back mimics the panels at the front in shape but here each of those panels is finished in black mesh. The V above and the V below where they hook together are open for a bare expanse of skin to show. The final two stars sit at the base of either of those panels at the back and you can clearly see them from the side and back. I love how they make this dress instantly recognizable as being from this collection. The dress skims over the hips from there and flares out as it reaches the hem. It is quite wide by the time it reaches the hem so you get fantastic movement as you walk, which you can see in the runway video. It is truly a fantastic piece of Valentino history. Excellent condition with a note below.

The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a side set zipper from the waist down. The back mesh panels hook into place. There are built-in cups inside the bust and they would be easy to take out if you didn't like how they fit. We see a couple rhinestones missing off of the very tips of the stars. One of the larger rhinestone beads at the side is cracked underneath itself. We see one missed stitch on the front netting by the side. All very minor. Please see the photos after the label shot.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist:  12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4885

Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Spring 1993 Valentino.  /  (7) Spring 1993 Valentino Ad Campaign by Walter Chin.

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

The twin of this dress in white walked the runway for Look 76 for the Spring 2004 show. During this period Mr. Valentino was still in charge and designing for his self named label. I love that I have tons of photos and the video of it so you can see just how fantastic this dress is on the body. It is a killer dress. The show was a huge success and the Vogue review for this collection stated in part; "When the fashion chat is all about the "new ladylike," it's not hard to give in to the methods of seduction Valentino has perfected. He's had "lady" down pat for years—for the genuine ones of the yacht-owning class, that is. His Spring collection covers the waterfront for that society, and those who aspire to it.... It all looked romantically pretty in the just-so mode that his clients adore." And what's not to love? The dress moves beautifully, is elegant and chic, and yet with that open side feels insanely sexy. This is the magic of original Valentino and this one is just tremendous.

We have also added to the modern provenance of this dress with Marlo Kelly wearing this dress for this year's Emmy's.

This is such a gorgeous dress. Its simplicity combined with that almost shocking open side add up to an incredible piece. The dress is made of a beautiful black silk crepe that gives it its sleek sculpted feel. The dress is very sexy and shows off some skin but still feels very elegant and refined. The fabric has just a touch of a bias cut to it through the body so its very comfortable to wear.  I love the way that it curves up and over your shoulders and scoops at the neckline. It skims over the bust and then starts to widen out and skim over the waist and hips. The skirt falls to the floor under that and it is all cut on the bias. By the time it reaches the hem it has widened out into that beautiful sweeping line that you see. A high slit up one leg gives it additional movement. The bias cut and that slit make the hem of the skirt move and float around you at your slightest movement. The open side is on the same side as the slit. The silk of the dress has been gathered up and around the cut out on the one side. The opening of the cut out is finished with a piped fabric and then more of the piping is used to created a laced webbed feel that sits inside the circle. This gives you a touch of coverage but still lets your skin show through. Extending out from that opening are long ties that trail down the side. These give the illusion of being able to tighten and adjust the lace. It is absolutely gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and closes with a side hidden set zipper. We see a couple of teeny nicks to the fabric on one spot near the hem of the back. The fabric is bias cut so does have some movement. We have put the comfortable range of measurements below.

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side to side with no true side seams
Waist: 12-14" 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 front hem, 62" to the back hem
Slit: 28" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4886

Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Spring 2004 Valentino, Look 76.  /  (7) Portia de Rossi in Valentino at The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards, January 2004.  /  (8-9) Marlo Kelly in this dress for Emmys weekend, 2024.

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

This is a very sexy Azzadine Alaia dress that we think dates to around 2013 when he did that fantastic red dress for Rihanna. It has the same kind of light in weight liquid knit and the play on transparency that her dress had. It is an incredibly beautiful and sexy dress.

The dress is made from one of his signature feather light knits that seem like magic. It is a deep black in colour and the knit has a touch of transparency to it. The bodice has a second inner layer of the knit at the front but even with that you still get a bit of transparency. Each side of the front bodice of the dress falls from the shoulder and is gathered into the waist for a very Grecian feel. It plunges into a low V and an inner piece is scooped to follow that same shape. The sides plunge almost to the waist and then at the back there is a panel that extends out and hooks into place for a low scoop behind the neck. This leaves a large curving open expanse of skin all the way to the waist. It is incredibly sexy. The waist is banded with a horizontally set knit band that has elastic inside so it is very comfortable and easy to fit and wear. The skirt is gathered into that band and it is very full beneath. There are yards and yards of knit in the skirt but when you are standing still it all falls into a column because of how light the knit is. It is only when you move that you realize how many yards of fabric are in the skirt. You get the most fantastic movement as you walk. The dress is in its original uncut length and it appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The front bodice has a second panel behind it and the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes with a hidden set zipper from the waist down and hooks to close at the back. Elastic through the waist.

Bust: each side of the halter covers up to 10" flat across from side to side with no true side seams
Elastic waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 69.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4887

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

This Roberto Cavalli dress is from the recent Spring 2024 collection under the creative direction of Fausto Puglisi. A version that looks like it was cut shorter walked the runway for Look 12 on Adut. The exuberant feather print that you see on this dress in shades of pinks and coral was an integral part of the show and ran over several of the pieces. This is the kind of dress that you slip on when you want to make a statement.

The dress is easy-to-wear and very flattering once on the body. The stretch jersey fabric and brilliantly coloured feather print are the perfect combination. The lines are simple and it has that perfectly easy but very sexy feel. There is an inner body suit to hold the dress perfectly in place and you just slip it on, hook the band at the back of the waist and button the button at the top of the neck and walk out the door. Once it is on, it moves with you and highlights your curves. The dress has a deep front plunge that is held in place by that inner bodysuit. The sleeves are long and simple. When you turn there is a long open cut out for an expanse of bare skin to show. A band wraps around the waist and hooks into place at the back to hold that opening in place. Another cut out is done on each side of the dress to expose the skin above the waist band and the top of the hip. From there it falls to the floor in a column of jersey. The entire lower portion of the skirt has been set in so that it flares out and when you walk, you get a kick of fabric. You can see that in the runway video and because these were sent in a longer length to the stores, it is even better in my opinion. It is one of the dresses that you just slip into and walk out feeling like a million bucks. Very sexy on. It appears to have been worn very little at all. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on with an inner bodysuit that hooks to close. The band at the back of the waist also hooks into place and it buttons to close at the back of the neck. The fabric has stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range of that stretch when it's laying flat. 

Sleeves: approx 24"
Shoulders: no true shoulder seam
Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4880

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2024 Roberto Cavalli, Look 12. Model Adut Akech.  /  (4-7) From the Roberto Cavalli website.  /  (8) Loujain Adada in Roberto Cavalli for Dubai Fashion Week, 2024.

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

This is one of the prettiest Oscar dresses I have ever had in the shop and I love it. The movement it has when it is on and you walk is just incredible. One appeared on the runway that season for Look 51 and Leah Michelle wore one to the 2010 Emmys. This is the type of dress that made us all fall in love with Oscar and his view on femininity romance and occasion. It's an absolutely stunning piece and I love it's added red carpet modern provenance.

This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is made out of the perfect deep blue silk mixed with shots of a silk chiffon in the same shade. It is strapless and the neck line curves around and over the bus with a bit of a peak on one side. The peak is created by an added layer of silk and you can choose to steam that down, so it's in line with the neckline or wear it up as you see in these photos. The silk is draped over the bust to give the illusion that it's wrapped around you and then a piece extends down from the one side and wraps all the way into the back. Inside it is cupped and shaped for support. Under the added panels of draping it is meant to hug the body and highlight your curves to past the hips to create an hourglass feel. I love how the sea where the skirt is set in is all set on a sharp angle which really gives the illusion of added length through the body. The skirt is spectacular. Here you see the genius of Oscar. The skirt has a ton of volume to it that shows best when you move. It is made out of a cascade of silk ruffles that become wider and more full as they near the hem. It is set slightly longer at the back then the front so that you get this pretty curve from the side view and this fantastic sweep of skirts from the back. The entire skirt is covered with angled rose of silk that spared no generosity in how much fabric was used to create each one. Each one is finished at its edge so that it curls slightly and retains his volume. In between each silk layer of ruffles is a matching blue silk chiffon layer, and those also have finished edges so that they curl as well. There are eight layers in total and then the very inner bottom portion of the skirt is finished with a wide band of concealed stiffened netting that helps to hold the shape and volume of the skirt while adding support to the ruffles above. Inside of that is yet another silk inner skirt, which is also finished with its own wide concealed band of stiffen netting. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. This is Oscar at his very best and it is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a matching blue silk. It interior corset closes with a zipper at the back and then a second hidden set zipper closes the dress over that. Lightly boned through the inner bodice and built in wire cups. Inner waist stay hooks to close. The dress no longer has a label, but you can see the remnants of its original hanging supports just under the edge of the bodice with the label name on its. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner corset waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam and the exterior waist will accommodate up to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 49" from top of the bust to shortest part of the front hem, 54" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4878

Reference Photos/Videos: (1-2) Resort 2011 Oscar de la Renta, Look 51. Model Anastasia Kuznetsova.  /  (3-5) Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta at the 2010 Emmys.

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

This set is incredibly beautiful and we are very pleased to have dated it to the Spring 2000 Couture collection. We have included the runway photos here along with some video so that you can see just how beautifully it moves. True Haute Couture pieces by Chanel are an extraordinary find as they are so very rare to come by. It is an incredibly beautiful example and historically important piece of work that the Karl and the Chanel ateliers were doing during this time period.  In the book 'Chanel Catwalk' they said of this collection; 'Karl Lagerfeld focused on suits ..for this haute couture collection, presented as a winding catwalk in a riding centre in the Bois de Boulogne. It featured 'only' fifty-eight looks, 'but I could have had many more,' Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily, 'because we have many clients and they want suits, suits, suits.'The suits in question were reinvented with flowing full skirts. A shape Lagerfeld said, 'was inspired by his desire for volume with movement.' 'We cannot make now skirt for the rest of our days' he declared, but also insisted this is not the New Look, despite how much the silhouette was reminiscent of the 1950s style introduced by Christian Dior.' When looked at this set under that context, you can see that reference, but it still feels decidedly Chanel. It is absolutely gorgeous to see in person. 

On the runway, it was shown with a metal belt that was sold separately. My client chose not to purchase that belt, however, to show you how the jacket looks belted I have shot most of these  with a wide black grosgrain ribbon around the waist. That will be sent with the set and you could obviously change it to any belt that you have of your own.

Both pieces are made from a deep blue silk organza. This fabric allows it to keep the shape that he intended while still keeping both pieces extremely light in weight. The dress is dropped from the shoulder from straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The bodice is easy fitting and cut to skim over you with a shallow V at the front. It is hand pieced together in a pattern of panels set horizontally over the bodice. The waist is dropped as Karl tended to do, and then from there the skirt flows out to the floor with incredible movement. The skirt has been pleated all the way around into sharp knife pleats with each pleat the exact same width as it's neighbour. This gives the skirt incredible movement. Two layers of silk tulle are built-in underneath the skirt to add support and volume. The jacket sits over top of this and it has a soft and simple cut. The neckline is cut wide across the collar bones. The sleeves are long and each has a notch that runs up the inside seam. It has an inner hidden tightly space row of hooks and then snaps to close over that to one side at the front. Once the jacket is cinched in with a belt you really get this beautiful shape that is offset by the volume through the skirt. There are small shoulder pads in each shoulder but they are soft and light. Along the inner hem of the jacket is a signature Chanel hand set metal chain. All of the work is meticulously done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It is an incredible piece of Chanel couture. It is very beautiful and even better in person. Excellent overall condition with a note below 

The jacket is fully lined in a blue silk and closes with hidden snaps and hooks at the front. A chain sits inside the hem. The dress is lined in the same silk organza through the bodice and then the skirt has two layers of silk tulle. One layer is black and the other is a matching blue. The dress closes with a zipper and a separate set of snaps to close on each of the three layers of the skirt. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Some of the edges of of the organza have slightly faded on the jacket and bodice of the dress. Some of the pleats have softened slightly on the skirt. Light marks along the hem of the skirt and one tiny hole. You can see this in the shots throughout. There is stress to a tiny area on the edge of the strap seam. Please see the shot after the label shots. Both pieces have an appropriate Haute Couture label and numbered tape.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem

Dress
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 18" from top of shoulder to slightly dropped waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4139

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2000 Chanel Haute Couture.

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

This dress was a dress that was made for the shops, but you can see the same lace detailing used in the runway dress shown for Look 41 for the Fall 2017 show. It is interesting to see lace used throughout this collection because it coincided with the same time that she was working on the wedding dress for Kate Middleton. Vogue praised her for this show saying that for the first time she fully articulated her own point of view. This may not have been a piece that walked the runway, but it is a stand out piece nonetheless. 

This is an exquisite dress that is made of black silk netting and then the dress is lined in a black silk through the body. This gives it enough weight to hold the shape of the dress but it still feels magically light once on. The design that covers the dress has been meticulously done by combining a netted lace base with black cording that highlights the design worked into the lace. This gives the design a slightly raised 3D effect off of the netting. The designs forms these gorgeous patterns and it is the kind of piece that the more you look at it the more you see. I took several detail shots so you can get an idea of the workmanship. The sleeves are long and they are left unlined so that the pattern really shows against your skin. The shoulders are soft and the neck is scooped. It skims over the bust, past the waist and over the hips. There is no seam at the waist. Instead it is cut so that two little triangles extend from the back and are wrapped into the waist. Once you turn around you see that they are extended from a full see-through back that is scooped low. It is almost shocking once you turn around and see that slightly transparent but still covered back. The lace set on this back area is different from the rest of the dress so you also get this fantastic contrast there. The skirt falls to the floor from there and it is in its original uncut supermodel length. I love how the width of the skirt flares out and it is quite wide by the time it reaches the floor. The extra fabric around the hem also gives you this beautiful movement when you move. Truly an extraordinary piece from the Sarah Burton era. Excellent condition.

Lined in a black silk as described above. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and each cuff closes with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a modern McQueen 38

Sleeves: 23.5" and are 10.25" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14" 
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 63.5" from neck to front hem, 66" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4877

Reference Photo: Fall 2017 Alexander McQueen, Look 41.

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

The twin of this Geoffrey Beene dress was showcased in the Met Museum's exhibit 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashiont' and that  dress resides in their permanent collection. This was already one of his most iconic dresses and it is now even more so after the exhibit and being included in the accompanying book. The dress is heavily documented and was photoed extensively the year that it debuted. It is an extraordinary dress

The cut of the dress is so perfectly simple. It is made out of a black very light wool jersey that has an almost soft t-shirt feel to it. The dress is unlines and the jersey has perhaps the slightest bit of transparency in certain lights, which only adds to its sensuality. The sleeves are long and sleek. Each one ends in a hidden set zipper and their edges are finished in a black silk ribbon. That same black silk ribbon edges the neckline. The dress is cut to skim over you at the front with slight shaping through the waist. It curves back out over the hips and then falls to the floor where it widens out. At the back, you see that bare expanse of skin which is what makes the dress so famous. It hooks at the back of the neck and then it curves out and around to a very low dipping back. Insets of a pale silk chiffon curve down and into the sides of the hip seams to give the illusion that you are even more bare than you actually are. Where are those inserts end, the seams extend down and curved to the front where they run down towards the centre hem. This clever bit of seaming helps to shape the dress around you and continues that curved feeling that the open back gives. It is quite genius. One of the most iconic dresses ever made. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear. It hooks at the back of the neck. Ribbon finished inner seams and hidden set zippers at each cuff. Tagged a vintage Beoffrey Beene 8. I see two teeny tiny repairs near the centre back seam. The jersey has stretch through the body and the comfortable range of the measurements are below 

Sleeves: 24” and 14-16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15”
Bust: 17-20” flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-16” flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-22” flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 61” 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4871

Reference Photos: (1-5) Fall 1989 Geoffrey Beene (credits unknown)  /  (6) Model in Geoffrey Beene for Mirabella magazine, 1989, photographed by Michael O'Neill.  /  (7) Part of The MET Collection online.  /  (8) Image from the book "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" that accompanied the MET Exhibit of the same name.

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

This is one of two remarkable dresses that I have today that are absolutely insane to see in real life. Each is so very good and they are not even photoing half as good as either is in person. The sheer amount of hand work to apply those thousands of sequins, crystals and beads needs to be seen in person to truly appreciate. This is one of those pieces that really showcases the higher end work that the label was capable of. The dress is the work of Elinor Simmons who designed for the Malcolm Starr label from the early 1960s to 1972. She excelled at these early heavily embellished pieces that the label became known for and this is an outstanding example of that. It is even more amazing in person and the photos cannot convey the impact and presence it has. It is gorgeous

The fabric on this dress is gorgeous and you would never see its equivalent in modern fashion unless you are looking at a couture piece. The base fabric is a red silk brocade that has a heavy shot of gold metallic thread running through it that gives the dress its golden glow from shoulder to hem. The bodice skims over the bust and the neck is cut into a curving V at the front. The back also curves into a V and it dips lower for a bare expanse of skin to show. The waist is seamed and set a touch higher under the bust. From there the skirt falls to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem to perfectly balance the shape of the bodice. The simplicity of the shape is what allows the extraordinary detailing that sits on top of the brocade to shine. Onto the red and gold thread silk brocade are thousands upon thousands of tiny silver sequins, gold beads, glass tube beads, paillettes, and pink and red glass prong set crystals that have all been applied by hand. These cover every square inch of the dress and give the dress an incredible 3D feel and shine. The hand work was all done in the British crown colony of Hong Kong, which, during this period of time, was doing some of the best hand work on the planet. The dress has weight to it but it is balanced so perfectly that it is not too heavy once on the body. It just feels like you are wearing something of substance and beauty. The entire dress has a beautiful and subtle shimmer from every angle. I love it. It is just a beautiful dress that showcases just how good hand work and detailing can be. Excellent condition.

Fully interfaced in a red cotton muslin to hold the weight of the bead work and then lined in a silky rayon through the bodice and a red silk through the skirt. It zips to close at the back. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. I see the tiniest bit of grubbiness along the inner edge of one arm. Ribbon edged inner hem and hand finishes.

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11" from top of shoulder to the seam under the bust
Total length: 54" from top of shoulder to hem with about 3.25" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4867

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

This is one of two remarkable dresses that I have today that are absolutely insane to see in real life. Each is so very good and they are not even photoing half as good as either is in person. The weight and sheer amount of hand work to apply those thousands of sequins, crystals and beads needs to be seen in person to truly appreciate. This is one of those pieces that really showcases the higher end work that the label was capable of. The dress is the work of Elinor Simmons who designed for the Malcolm Starr label from the early 1960s to 1972. She excelled at these early heavily embellished pieces that the label became known for and this is an outstanding example of her work. It is even more amazing in person and the photos cannot convey the impact and presence it has.

I think that this might be the best Malcolm Starr dress that I have ever seen in real life. If the other one is great, this one is even a bit beyond that. The base is a gold thread lame fabric that is one solid gold colour. Onto this are thousands of cut out paillettes in a brilliant pink, pale sea foam and bright royal blue. These are mixed with pale pink and soft mint & silver sequins. There are gold beads and sequins, and then a heavy dose of green, blue and deep pink glass prong set crystal rhinestones. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite so elaborate and brilliant. The mix of all of these is astonishing to see. The intricate pattern covers every square inch of the dress and give the dress an incredible 3D feel and shine. The hand work was all done in the British crown colony of Hong Kong, which, during this period of time period was doing some of the best hand work on the planet. The fabric on this dress is gorgeous and you would never see its equivalent in modern fashion unless you are looking at a couture piece. The dress has weight to it but it is balanced so perfectly that it is not too heavy once on the body. It just feels like you are wearing something of substance and beauty. The bodice skims over the torso and the neck is cut into a low V at the front that ends just above the heavily embellished waist 2" band. The band is heavily embellished with more of the bead work, but here it is set horizontally, so that it wraps around the waist. The skirt falls to the floor and widens out quite a bit as it nears the hem to perfectly balance that shape of the bodice. I love how the entire dress glimmers in the light. It is a work of art and I have never seen another one like it. Excellent condition.

Fully interlined in a pale ivory cotton muslin to help support the weight of the dress and then it is lined in a pale ivory silk. It zips to close at the back. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finishes throughout. Tagged a vintage Malcolm Starr 10. Note that there is no colour change in the dress. If the gold looks like it changes in hue any of the photos it is because of the lighting.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of the shoulder to the top of the 2" band at the waist 
Total length: 56" from top of the shoulder to hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4869

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

This jacket is from the debut solo collection of Bill Gibb for the Fall 1972. In the book, Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy, they note that the theme of the collection was the natural world and you can see that in this suit. The book quotes fashion journalist, Suzy Menkes saying that "this is Bill Gibbs great day... for the first time showing a collection all his own. It marks the beginning of his career as a designer of the jet set." Twiggy said to Gibbs backstage "they were incredible, I loved every one, I want them all... is it possible to have one to wear tonight?". At this moment in Bill Gibbs history he was the star of fashion set. The jacket is spectacular and I love that versions are held in the permanent collection of museums. We also included several references where this or similar pieces were shot that season.

The jacket has an incredible cut to it. The collar is exaggerated and wide. The sleeves are amazing. They are full with a slight cap at the top of the shoulder and then narrow down to the wrist. The cuffs have a small split up the middle and are held closed with a metal button. The jacket has a seam set just above the natural waistline and it buttons to close above that with flower embossed silver metal buttons. Vertical panels sit all the way around the bodice from front to back. Silver painted chrysanthemums sit on either side of the buttons and a double panel of the same runs down the back. On each side of the bodice is a bee done in the same muted silver paint on brown leather and these have been cut out and applied onto the jacket. There are four of these in total, two at the front and two at the back. The bee went on to become one of his signatures. Those painted designs were all done by Sally MacLachlan. The lower part of the jacket is equally as fabulous. It skims over the hips to flare out to be quite full by the time it reaches the hem. There are eight panels of leather that have been sewn together. Each panel was painted with trailing vines of flowers running down their lengths. And there are pockets at the front! It is fantastic. Presents as excellent condition with a couple of small notes below.

Fully lined in a light taupe silky rayon. The jacket buttons to close at the front. Hand finishes. The leather of the jacket has a slight stiffened feel, that all of these particular jackets seem to have as they age. There is some slight wear and scuffing to the edges here and there and on the top of one shoulder. There is minor wear and marks on the lining. Three of the front button loops have been reattached at one of their ends. The jacket was cleaned but there is still a slight vintage smell to it. Priced with all taken into consideration balanced with its rarity. It is an incredible collectors piece. Tagged a vintage UK 10

Sleeves: approx 23.5" and 16" around the upper arm
Inset shoulders: 12"
Bust: approx 186" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 42" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4866

Reference Photos: (1) 1972 Bill Gibb Coat in the V&A Collection.  /  (2) Bill Gibb Coat in the Collection at MUDE - Museu do Design e da Moda.  /  (3) Models in clothing by Bill Gibb, The Daily Telegraph, December 1972.  /  (4) Model in Bill Gibb for Vogue, September 1972.  /  (5) The Cover of "Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy" by Iain Webb.  /  (6) Vogue, September 1972.

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