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.

This is a very rare runway documented Givenchy Couture dress from the Spring 1998 ready-to-wear collection "Rhinestone Cowgirls". It is the twin of the one that walked the runway. This is from the small period of time that Alexander McQueen was the Creative Director for the house. At just 27 years old he succeeded John Galliano as head designer in 1996. In 2001 his contract ended and he departed, telling the press that his creativity was constrained. His appointment had been tumultuous from the start. Hubert de Givenchy had describe his appointment as a "total disaster” and McQueen had shot back that the founder was “irrelevant”. Of course now in hindsight we see his collections for the genius that they were. It also showed his ability to design Couture. He said in later interviews that he walked away from the label with a greater knowledge about the process and techniques of couture, which benefited his own label afterwards. 

In the 'Givenchy Catwalk' book they note that the collection was heavily influenced by Westerns and said that "the hairstyles were inspired by the 1970s, especially Farrah Fawcett's iconic look with thick hair and flicked out ends. Dresses and suits made out of dip, lambskin, covered with flames and star motif created with insets of fabric appliqué." This is one of the most recognizable dresses from the collection and its photo also appears in that same book.

This dress is remarkable. It is strapless and the body of the dress is beautifully seamed. The upper edge of the bodice is finished with a dusty pink suede and the inner bodice is boned and shaped to hug the person wearing it. It is held in place by that inner corset and then it skims over the waist and down to the hips. I love how the skirt is set into the hip with a series of curved scalloped designs. This allowed him to do long vertical panels to make up the skirt. There are eight of them in total and each one spans out to be a full 25" across by the hem. That makes the bottom of the skirt incredibly full and if you lay it out flat, it is more than a full circle skirt. To emphasize the fullness of the skirt he had the model hold the skirt up and flick it around her as she moved. You can see in the photos here that when you are standing still you do have some idea of the fullness that the skirt has but this is really a piece that it is when you have it on and you see it moving that the amazing amount of fabric in the skirt gives it an entirely new dimension. The bottom of the skirt has been inset with the same dusty pink suede in the flame motif that ran so prominently throughout the show. I laid the dress out with the skirt extended so that you can get an idea of just how much fabric is in there. This is an amazing piece of both Givenchy and Alexander McQueen's history. Excellent condition with a note below.

The bodice and body to just past the hip is lined in a black silk. The skirt is backed in black. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper and the inner bodice is boned throughout with a built-in corset to the waist. A waist stay hooks to close. The suede shows some very slight minor fading and light grubbiness here and there. There is a small area on the bodice where the black has slightly lightened to have a reddish tint and there are a couple areas on one part of the skirt that has done the same. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a vintage Givenchy 40

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam. Note that the outer waist is up to 15" so you could adjust the corset if you needed more room.
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to inner waist of corset
Total length: 56" from top of suede edge of the bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4872

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 1998 Givenchy Runway.  /  (6) From the book "Givenchy Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Anders Christian Madsen.

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.

The book 'Givenchy Catwalk' says of this collection that "the new collection was heavily influenced by the fashions of the 1940s and was the height of sophistication." Several pieces walked the runway that season that had these Trompe L'oeil ribbons adorning their silk surfaces. The book notes that "the exclusive bow and ribbon prints on some day wear outfits reference the motif that had made Elsa Schiaparelli's name in 1927, but it was after dark that these features truly came into their own. In the evening were large ribbons tied into bows or loosely draped, decorating the bust like a tie or nipped in the skirts of extravagant colourful designs." This dress, or a very near version of it, was shown on the runway under a white jacket nipped in at the waist. We have also included a photo from the book that shows some of the other designs from that season that featured these sequin bows as well. It is a beautiful piece.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4870

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture.  /  (2) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture Looks from the book "Givenchy Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Anders Christian Madsen.

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.

Bill Blass became the head designer at Maurice Rentner in 1959 and soon after that his name started to appear on the labels. In 1970 he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. These Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner pieces are some of his earliest and you will find many of them, like the twin of this coat, in museum collections throughout the world. A version of the coat was also shot on Verushka that year. It is amazing. 

This is the second time that I have had one of these Bill Blass coats in the shop. The base of the coat is a dark brown velvet that gives the jacket a rich opulent feel. Onto the velvet is an intricate hand done design in a muted silver thread. I love how the silver subtly catches the light from every angle. There is piped and padded detailing added to the collar, the end of each cuff and down the front of the coat. The padding also continues all the way around the hem. This added detail is not just a pretty finish to the design it also structurally helps to hold the shape of the coat. The shoulders are shaped but soft. The sleeves are slightly cropped and each is cut wide and full. It closes down the front with a series of hidden snaps  and the simplicity of design that this gives the coat is what allows that beautiful fabric to take centre stage. Rows of silver tube beads are set in a braided pattern edge all of the piped parts of the coat for the perfect final detailing. It is a beautiful vintage piece. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a matching brown cotton and closes at the front with silk covered hand set hidden snaps. Pockets along the seam on each hip. Hand finished throughout. I see some light wear on some of the silk covering of the snaps. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Sleeves: 19" and is 14" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 39" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4864

Reference Photo: (1) 1968 Bill Blass coat from the Indianapolis Museum of Art Collection.  /  (2) Veruschka in Bill Blass, Vogue, September 1968.

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

When we looked for photos of this dress we did found these incredible shots of Margo Robbie from 2019 in a dress that was attributed as being the twin of this one. The dress has that classic high quality that we expect from a Chanel mixed with the perfect eye and grace that Karl had. The exact thing that we love to see when collecting pieces from his many years at Chanel.

Everything about this dress has that chic Chanel feel that makes many of Karl's designs forever classics. Even with its simple cut, once in hand and you see how well it is made, it feels very Chanel. It is beautiful in person and the simple lines of it make it the kind of dress that you can wear multiple times with the styling and accessories you add making it feel different each time. It is made of densely woven black knit. On the bodice there is a subtle diamond pattern woven into the knit that gives it the perfect amount of added texture. The denseness of the knit through the body give the dress a slight 'bandage' effect so that it gives you shape and support. The dress falls from one shoulder and then the neckline curves around and under to the other side. I love that this leaves one shoulder exposed and bare. It hugs the body over the bust, around the waist and it is shaped to curve over the hips. The knit extends down and past the hips and then the lower skirt is inset into it in a series of little jagged points that is reminiscent to the way that you see dresses from the 20s and 30s. The skirt under that is also a knit but the pattern changes. The knit there has cut outs and a pattern that combines a very dense weave with a looser feeling weave. The design is set horizontally and this allowed him to make the skirt extremely full and open. There is a ton of fabric in the lower skirt. It still falls in a smooth line when you are standing but when you move, you really get the sense of all that gorgeous fabric around you. It is that perfect easy minimalist dress, but very flattering and with the added impact of being a Chanel. The dress is new with its original tag still attached and its original Chanel packet that has extra yarn/thread inside. Excellent condition

The dress has no closures and slips on to wear. Tagged a Chanel 40. The easy cut and slight stretch of the dress should allow it to fit on a variety of sizes. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. 

Bust: 14.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 61" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4863

Reference Photos: Margot Robbie in Chanel by Art Streiber for Glamour Russia, August 2019.

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 featured prominently in the 2016 exhibit at the Museum of FIT. This dress is often referred to as the fairy castle, or skeleton castle dress, because of the print that runs over the front of the dress. It is an interesting dress in that it is instantly recognizable as a McQueen piece, and yet it was not one that was featured on the runway. Despite being a museum exhibition piece, and one that is very well known, it was a piece produced for limited production in stores. He also produced an all black version of this dress, that you will see more often, but this printed version is far more rare. We have had that all black version as well and it was worn by Alix Earl to the Grammys before it was purchased. Besides the exhibition photo of the twin of this dress, we have included some photos of Alix in the all black version for you so that you can see how amazing this will be on the body. It is truly one of the more iconic McQueen pieces.

No matter how good you think that this dress looks like in photos or in its all black version on Alix, it is even better in person and moving. The dress is made out of a black bias cut silk that has a stunning grey scale scene printed over its entire front. I love that you literally feel like you are wearing a piece of art when you wear this dress. The dress is cut completely on the bias so it just glides over the body. It skims over the bust with a draped front that falls in a soft fold. The back is incredible and it is scooped down into a low draping that leaves a good portion of your back bare. From there  it skims past the waist and hips to the floor. The silk follows your curves and highlights the body underneath without it being too tight and fitted. Once past the hips the dress flares out as it nears the bottom so that it has beautiful movement when you move. The back is cut slightly longer than the front so you get a beautiful sweeping feel behind you. The dress is in its original uncut supermodel length. The design on the front features a castle that has winged skeleton fairies and leaf bare trees sweeping up and over it. The design is all printed into the silk to add the perfect amount of detail to the otherwise perfectly simple dress. It is just amazing. Excellent condition with a very minor note below

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. Being bias cut the length may come up a bit once on the body and it should fit a range of sizes. There is a tiny area of thinning near the back hem on the outer fabric and I do see some scuffing and a couple tiny holes on the inner lining. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged a vintage McQueen 42

Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to front hem, 67" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4862

Reference Photos/Video: (1) 2007 Alexander McQueen Gown on display at the Fairy Tale Fashion Exhibit at The Museum at FIT January, 2016.  /  (2-4) Alix Earle in Alexander McQueen from Shrimpton Couture, at the Grammys, 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 gorgeous dress is from Mr. Valentino's final show before he retired. Its twin in a pale green walked the runway for Look 75 and we were very happy to find both runway shots and video for you to  see just how great the dress is on. Vogue said this last collection was; 'Crisply puncturing the potential for a predictable end-of-era wallow in sentiment, Valentino played it as an upbeat, fast-paced whirl of breezy, pretty, drop-dead gorgeousness that blew any lingering sense of ladylike stuffiness to the winds. If there's a problem, it's only being spoiled for choice. What to pick from the head-spinning plethora of dresses on offer?' This was one of my favourites of the show and I think it is even better in the more versatile black.

I love the contrast between the two types of silk used for the dress. It adds that little extra flash of interest when you see it. The dress falls from one shoulder and then drapes down and over the body to the floor. The shape is created by vertical seaming that run from shoulder to hem. The softer silk parts are bias cut and allow the dress to skim and drape over you so that is shows every curve but is not overly fitted. The seaming is intricate and beautifully done. A single shoulder panel curves over your shoulder and runs across the bust to the other side. There is a large bow set at the front of that shoulder and then a second bow sits just below the hip on that same side. The bodice curves down into the side panel on the bow side, draping down and along the curved panel that cuts across the body and extends down into the skirt. The waist is shaped by the vertical seaming. The skirt flares out and is quite wide by the time it reaches the hem. It sweeps around you as you walk and even more movement is created by the slit that runs from the hem to that pretty little bow. The dress is even better in person. It is an gorgeous example of his work and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The bodice is lined and then the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes at the side with hidden set zipper. In its original uncut length and looks too have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem
Slit: 25" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4493

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2008 Valentino, Look 75. Model Laura Blokhina.

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 Fall 2005 ready to wear show was called 'Propaganda' and for the pieces sold from her personal collection in the recent Christie's auction they referred to some of the information from the Vivienne Westwood Catwalk book which I will share here; With "Propaganda‘ Vivienne Westwood, more than perhaps any other fashion designer, understands the power of a garment to communicate a meaning and a message…The message was writ large: PROPAGANDA, in block lettering worked into multitudes of garments. The inspiration was an essay by Aldous Huxley, ‘Propaganda in a Democratic Society’, asserting – Westwood stated – that the world suffers from three evils: ‘Nationalist Idolatry’ in place of religion; ‘Non-Stop Distraction’; and ‘Organised Lying’. Headbands also bore the word ‘Branded’, reference to Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein’s book, No Logo. Again, Westwood was challenging orthodoxy through her designs.’ --Alexander Fury, Vivienne Westwood Catwalk"

The collection also featured a segment of pieces that were a mix of stripes, silks and tulles in a variety of colours. The near twin of this set walked the runway and I love that we have video so you can see how fantastic this is on the body. The dress on the runway seems to have had a half skirt made of the white tulle that tied into place over the skirt. I think if you wanted the full on look, you could easily have that re-created. It is gorgeous worn without as well and perhaps a touch more wearable this way too. This might even make for a beautiful set for a bride who doesn't want to go the traditional route.

I love the soft dusty ballet pink silk striping combined with the ivory and soft green cotton striped fabric. The corset has one of her trademark flattened front bodices that is boned and shaped so that it angles towards the centre waist inside. It closes at the back with a zipper and then the silk buttons over itself so that the zipper closure is completely hidden. The top angles down on one side and she has inset a panel of white tulle from shoulder to the long point of the hem. Combining both the pale green striped pattern with the pink silk stripes over the bodice creates this wonderful contrast. The skirt is equally as remarkable. Again we see her play with the pink striping and the green, mixing them together in that perfectly Westwood way to create interest and shape over the body. I love that the zipper is set on an angle at the back of the skirt to follow the pattern instead of creating a vertical line across all of those angles. The skirt is meant to fit more snug around the hips and then flares out tremendously into a pointed hem around you. Under that layer you see a multi-length finish of tulle. Five layers of tulle are wrapped around you and sit over top of a heavy cotton muslin inner skirt for support. It is all constructed to have this incredible fullness and movement. I also took a close-up of the pink striped fabric so you can see the beauty of the secondary floral pattern that runs through the pink striping. No matter how good it looks in the photos the mix of colour and extraordinary patterning that the pieces have is just phenomenal to see in person. Both pieces appear to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The corset is lined in a combination of the green striped fabric and stretch lingerie netting. It closes with a zipper at the back and then buttons over the zipper as described above.  The front of the corset is fully boned, and the sides have stretch lingerie net. The skirt is lined in a pale pink silk above the cotton muslin lower portion of the skirt. It closes with an angle set zipper that follows a seam and a button at the waist over that. Both pieces are tagged a UK10 US6

Corset
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 15.5" from top of bodice to shorter side and 30" to the longer

Skirt
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 45" from waist to longest points of the tulle of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4861

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2005 Vivienne Westwood.

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.

Bellville et Cie was founded in 1953 by Belinda Bellville who later launched the Bellville Sassoon label in 1970 with David Sassoon. When the label was originally launched it was as a couture house and pieces were produced one at a time and by hand for Belinda's clients. It became the go to label for London society and in 1970 David was brought on to help Belinda meet the demand for dresses that she has created and move into ready to wear as well. The label found worldwide fame after Princess Diana became a client. The original label for the brand in those first early years when it was just Belinda creating each dress in her small couture atelier was Belleville et Cie as you see in this dress. It is a very rare label to find. 

The dress is spectacular. It is made out of a silk ivory net that has a little pink chiffon swirls that have been attached by hand and cover the surface of the entire dress. Holding each little pink bit of silk in place is a cluster of beads that are set to dangle off of the dress. This creates a beautiful 3D effect over the entire dress. The neckline angles down into a V and the edge of the neckline are finished with an band of that same pink silk chiffon. The top net layer of the bodice is set over the inner lining so that it sits out and slightly over the pink silk satin ribbon that runs around the waist. The ribbon is attached and adds definition and adds a little detail around the waist. The skirt falls to the floor and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The back of the skirt is cut slightly longer than the front and there is a touch more fabric there so you get a beautiful sweeping field as you move. The volume of the skirt is held by the several layers of tulle underneath that sits between the netting and the inner lining. At the back it dips down into a V for a little bit of skin to show there. It is an extraordinarily well made and wonderfully beautiful dress. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk and there are built in underskirts through the skirt. It closes with a back painted metal zipper and the belt hooks into place at the back over that. The net of the bodice snaps into place over the inner zipper. There are some very faint marks along one side of the skirt and perhaps a very faint spot here and there on the skirt, but nothing outstanding. Please see the photo after the label shot. Made to Couture standards and completely made by hand. I have added some detail shots that include one of the hand done inner seams.

Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of shoulder to top of band at the waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem, 61" to the back 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4859

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 three spectacular and extremely rare Dior pieces by John Galliano from the 2008 Resort collection. This dress is the twin of the dress that walked the runway for Look 60 and it is a very rare piece to find. Vogue said that the collection was done "in an electric-bright palette.. and channelled Barbara Hutton's sixties—a glittery, lame, paisley, and leopard-print world of muumuus, bikinis, capri pants, trapeze dresses, cat-eye sunglasses, and scarf-wrapped hats. It bordered on camp... and Kitschy or not, there was no denying the workmanship that went into crafting the large collection." I love having the runway photos that give you an idea of how fantastic this is on the body. It is absolutely brilliant and a true jewel.

Just as a side note and to give you an idea of the cost of these beaded pieces by Dior, the coat that I have from this collection has its original price tag and in 2008 it was US$16,775 and it is the simplest of the three pieces design wise. Even though that is only 16 years ago, the inflation value of that in 2024 dollars is about $25,000. And that is not even taking into account the value that John Galliano adds to the equation!

The fabric of this dress is incredible. It is a brilliant blue silk brocade that has a floral pattern running through it that is made from a silver thread woven into the silk. The bodice has been heavily detailed with silver sequins, beads and rhinestones. It is incredible to see. The design runs over the entire dress and the dress seems to almost glow from within as a result. The silver thread has been done in such a way that it feels like it sits within the base a bit which gives the design this fabulous bit of extra texture. The blue has a very rich and vibrant feel to it and in person the entire dress has a more luminescent effect to it then how it photoed. I know the person who buys this will be very pleased once they see this one in real life. The bodice is strapless and it is cut to curve around the bust with an built in cupped, wired and boned inner corset. The inner dress begins just below the bust with a natural waist that curves in by the cut alone. There is no seam there to break the eye. It is shaped from there to curve out and over the hips. From there it falls to the hem, slightly narrowing in as it reaches the floor. A slit at the back allows enough room to walk. Over this is a huge over skirt that is set in to that seam under the bust with a little flared peplum that wraps all the way around you. The over skirt is incredibly full and billows out around you as you walk. It is cut and open down the centre at the front so that you have incredible movement like you see in the runway video. Above that the entire bodice is detailed with silver beads, sequins and prong set rhinestones. These are set on top of the floral pattern of silver underneath and are densely applied for a touch of a 3D feel. It is stunning. The construction of this dress is impeccable. It is also drop dead gorgeous and even better in person. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a blue silk. There is a full built in netted corset with lightly padded underwire cups and boning. The corset closes with its own set of lingerie hooks and then the dress closes over that with a hidden set zipper. There are little loops inside the bodice that you could add straps if you wish. Fabric could be stolen from one of the inner hems to make them. If having them is important to you, let me know when you purchase and I can have those made for you before shipping the dress. Tagged a vintage vintage Dior FR40, GB12, IT44, US8

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for up to a B-maybe small C cup at the front
Seam under the bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 54" from top of the bodice to inner hem and 55" to the hem of the over skirt, with approx 2" turned under both hems

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4858

Reference Photos/Video: Resort 2008 Christian Dior Runway, Look 60.

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 three spectacular and extremely rare Dior pieces is by John Galliano from the 2008 Resort collection. This piece is particularly interesting because it can be worn as a coat like it was presented on the runway or as more of a caftan dress if layered over something underneath. On the runway it was shown as a sort of half dress/coat over peg leg trousers. Its twin help to open the show and walked the runway for Look 2. Vogue said that the collection was done "in an electric-bright palette.. and channelled Barbara Hutton's sixties—a glittery, lame, paisley, and leopard-print world of muumuus, bikinis, capri pants, trapeze dresses, cat-eye sunglasses, and scarf-wrapped hats. It bordered on camp... and Kitschy or not, there was no denying the workmanship that went into crafting the large collection." This one is new with tags and was never worn.

Just as a side note and to give you an idea of the cost of these beaded pieces by Dior, this coat has its original price tag and in 2008 it was US$16,775 and it is the simplest of the three pieces design wise. Even though that is only 16 years ago, the inflation value of that in 2024 dollars is about $25,000. And that is not even taking into account the value that John Galliano adds to the equation!

The fabric of the coat is beautiful. It is a brilliant turquoise blue silk faille that has a paisley pattern running over it in green and paler shades of blue mixed with small pops of white. The entire upper bodice and sleeves have been heavily detailed with clear and coloured crystals that catch the light brilliantly and add to it sixties feel. The beads and rhinestones go all the way across the upper back and around to completely cover the shoulders. There are five rows that wrap around the  neckline and then there are long marquis shaped medallions made out of the same clear and coloured rhinestones that sit under that. When you look at the design closely, you can see the care that has been put into making sure the pattern is uninterrupted over where it passes over seams or around that inverted pleat at the back. Another five bands circle each cuff on the sleeves and more medallion sit above that. It is just spectacular. The coat / dress hooks at the top of the neck and then there is a hidden panel where it snaps closed to just about the top of the hips. From there it is open with no closures to the hem. The shoulders are dropped, and the cut is loose and easy all through the body. It is meant to feel slightly oversized. There is a seamed inset that runs around the top of your shoulders and then there are two little faux flat pockets on each side at the front. Each faux pocket sits above an inverted pleat that runs all the way to the hem and then there is another inverted pleat that runs down the middle of the back. It already widens out substantially as it falls to the floor and this extra pleating gives it even more volume. It is like he took a sixties hostess piece and exaggerated it to the extreme. The sleeves are very wide and full and each falls to just below the elbow. The caftan is lined in a brilliant turquoise silk and this flash of the solid blue colour is fantastic when you move. You can wear this so many ways. It works over something light and easy almost like a dress. You could wear it over pants like it was worn on the runway, or use it as a light evening coat. You could probably add a soft or structured belt to add shape if you wished and add even more to its versatility. I love that you can wear this in so many ways. This is very special and are rare piece of John's history and time at Dior and it is also very beautiful. Original Dior packet with extra beads included as well as the original price tag. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a turquoise blue silk and hooks to close at the front as described above. You could add more hooks so that it closes more down the front if you wished. Its easy and open shape should allow it to fit a range of sizes. The occasional missing stone but there are extras in the packet and nothing that you would ever notice unless inspecting closely. Tagged a vintage Dior FR40, GB12, IT44, US8

Sleeves: approx 21 from top of natural shoulder and are 16" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 18.5"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Total length: 55" from top of shoulders to hem with approx 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4857

Reference Photos/Video: Resort 2008 Dior Runway, Look 2. Model Tanya Dziahileva.

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 three spectacular and extremely rare Dior dresses by John Galliano from the 2008 Resort collection. This version is one produced for the shops in limited quantities and it is the only one of the three whose twin did not walk the runway. It is based on the runway Look 60 and it is made out of the same amazing fabric as the twin of that look that I also have today. This one is just more body conscious. Vogue said that the collection was done "in an electric-bright palette.. and channelled Barbara Hutton's sixties—a glittery, lame, paisley, and leopard-print world of muumuus, bikinis, capri pants, trapeze dresses, cat-eye sunglasses, and scarf-wrapped hats. It bordered on camp... and Kitschy or not, there was no denying the workmanship that went into crafting the large collection." I love having the runway photos that give you an idea of how fantastic this is on the body. It is beautiful

Just as a side note and to give you an idea of the cost of these beaded pieces by Dior, the coat that I have from this collection has its original price tag and in 2008 it was US$16,775 and it is the simplest of the three pieces design wise. Even though that is only 16 years ago, the inflation value of that in 2024 dollars is about $25,000. And that is not even taking into account the value that John Galliano adds to the equation!

The fabric of this dress is incredible. It is a brilliant blue silk brocade that has a floral pattern running through it that is made from a silver thread woven into the silk. The bodice has been heavily detailed with silver sequins, beads and rhinestones. It is incredible to see. The design runs over the entire dress and the dress seems to almost glow from within as a result. The silver thread has been done in such a way that it feels like it sits within the base a bit which gives the design this fabulous bit of extra texture. The blue has a very rich and vibrant feel to it and in person the entire dress has a more luminescent effect to it then how it photoed. I know the person who buys this will be very pleased once they see this one in real life. The bodice is strapless and it is cut to curve around the bust with an built in cupped, wired and boned inner corset. Just below the bust there is a wide band of the same fabric that has been hand gathered in and around you for added detail and shape. The natural waist below that curves in by the cut alone. There is no seam there to break the eye. It is shaped from there to curve out and over the hips. From there it falls to the hem, slightly narrowing in as it reaches the floor. A slit at the back allows enough room to walk. The entire bodice is detailed with silver beads, sequins and prong set rhinestones. These are set on top of the floral pattern of silver underneath and are densely applied for a touch of a 3D feel. At the back there is a large bow that sits over the zipper and its ties extend down to conceal the closure down your back. Even in the areas that are hidden by the way the panel sit or the bow sit, all of the fabric underneath is still properly finished with the bead work underneath. It is stunning. I also love that this one has detachable straps so you can wear the dress with or without them. The construction of this dress is impeccable. It is also drop dead gorgeous and even better in person. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a blue silk. There is a full built in net corset with lightly padded underwire cups and boning. The corset closes with its own set of lingerie hooks and then the dress closes over that with a hidden set zipper. The bow at the back snaps into place over the zipper. Hand finishes. Tagged a vintage vintage Dior FR36, GB8, IT40, US4

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for up to a B-maybe small C cup at the front
Seam under the bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 55" from top of shoulders to hem with approx 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4856

Reference Photos/Video: Resort 2008 Christian Dior Runway, Look 60.

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 remarkable dress is the twin of the one that walked the runway for the Fall 1986 Rive Gauche collection by Yves Saint Laurent. I was so pleased to find a shot of it on because it really shows you just how much it comes to life when worn. He did several variations of this look for that season and this deep brown velvet with its leopard print within the velvet is one of my favourites. I am obsessed with his work and this one is so well known, especially since other designers have copied it (most notably Gucci when they did a green version of this dress). It is a pleasure to have it in the shop.You can see that they belted it on the runway and you could certainly add a belt to add more shape to this one as well.

This gorgeous dress is made out of a brown silk velvet with a leopard print done in a different finish of velvet within the fabric. This pattern gives the velvet an extra depth and richness, and also catches the light as you move. It is stunning. It drapes absolutely beautifully over the body. It is really an outstanding fabric. The bodice is set into a deep V that crosses over itself where it is set into the waist. Without a belt it has a more deeply plunged feel but you could cross it over a bit more and have a sash or belt hold it more closed if you wished. In a classic Yves shape, it drapes loosely over you at the front with a touch of extra fullness. The waist is seamed and cut slightly on the more generous side. The top of each shoulder is gathered and the sleeves start out very wide and then narrow down to a zippered cuff. The skirt falls to the floor in a pretty sweep of fabric. Extra fabric has been gathered down the centre of the front for a little added detail. It makes it so glamorous and it gives the dress a bit of a wonderful 1940s feel too. It is a gorgeous dress and a wonderful piece of his fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a side set zipper. Each shoulder has very light padding and each cuff has a hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage YSL 42. 

Sleeves: 23.5"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" across lowest seam at very top of hips, open under that
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to slightly dropped waist
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4855

Reference Photo: Fall 1986 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.

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 the closing look of the Fall 2019 collection and it is a fantastic piece from Clare Waight Keller's time as Creative Director for the house. Clare described the collection as “The Winter of Eden” and in the Vogue review of the collection the evening pieces in particular were of note; "thanks maybe to her Couture work and her string of red carpet wins, Waight Keller has a lot to say about after-dark sparkle which she handled with a good deal of meticulousness. She also played around with volume, tapping a double breasted corset jacket with a deep flounce of crinkle taffeta and a black gown with an exuberantly poufed sleeved midnight blue bolero in the same demonstrative fabric". This is the dress mentioned in that review and once it went to the shops it was sold separately from the bolero that you see on the runway. I personally prefer it on its own, as did my client, who bought it without. The dress is new with its original hang tag and has its extra thread and sequin packet. It also has its original price tag of $11,520USD. I think Givenchy has since gone beyond that in price point but still a staggering number.

The dress is amazing. It is made out of a fine wool that has a touch of a texture to it. Long triangle shaped silk chiffon panels are set into the skirt to give it the shape that you see and then the entire dress has been finished with a design made from silver beads, silver metal thread and tiny silver sequins. The bodice is kept almost sculptural in cut. The neck is scooped and there are no sleeves. It skims over the bust and it is shaped to come in slightly at the waist. From there it begins to flare out into the volume of the skirt to the floor. The skirt is in its original uncut length and the dress was never worn so it is pristine. As you look at it closer you realize that the dress is made from panels that are all pieced together side-by-side vertically and this starts right from the shoulders. Each is cut on a curve to create the shape around the body. A fantastic example of meticulous tailoring. There are ten of them in total that wrap vertically around the body and extend all the way to the hem. Each panel was then covered in a pattern that suggest flowers on long trailing branches. The applique work ends at different points along the panels with some reaching almost to the hem. I love the unexpectedness of not having them all perfectly end at the same point. The silk organza inserts are a full 30" across at their base and then they narrow to tiny points as they run up the dress in between the wool panels. They end at around the top of the hip. I shot the dress laying out more flat as well so you could get an idea of how much fabric and volume is actually through the skirt. When you are standing still you do get that sense of volume but it is when you move that you truly get the sense of the yards and yards of silk that are hidden in the skirt. Truly phenomenal and an extraordinary piece of the label's history. Excellent condition 

The skirt is lined in a black silk and it closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a modern 36 but generous in cut. New with its original tags and has its extra bead, sequin and thread packet and original price tag. 

Bust: to 17.5" from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips:to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 65" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4853

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 2019 Givenchy, Look 64. Model Juliane Gruner.

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 1977 Bill Gibb collection. In the book, 'Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy' they quote him as saying "for next season, I am going to do semi-sport, separates like a little boy with shorts, something I've never done before... women want to get into pretty clothes" It goes on to describe the invitation for the show as 'a barefooted girl, wearing a simple empire line dress in a garden, surrounded by a garland of flowers' and of the show itself...'Gibb presented one of his most delicate looking collections, combining his cute boyish styles with pastoral illusions… embroidered cheesecloth and broderie anglaise. Even though he called this his flowers and lace collection, Gibbs discerning eye insured the look never became two sugary sweet by punctuating the collection with splashes of black. He said "I like a dress to have great richness. There are many ways to do this like a black cat printed on the hem of a starkly white dress, or I use black and white next to a coloured pattern fabric... It is incredibly effective". We are also very pleased to have found a photo of the dress on the runway. It is an incredibly rare and gorgeous little dress.

Bill Gibb is one of my favourite designers and I am always extremely pleased to be able offer an item from him as they are very hard to find. The really good ones especially, never mind when one is documented like this one is. It is also a gorgeous dress in its own right. I love that this showcases exactly what he said above about using black as a means to contrast and add "richness". It is a dress that in someways is simple but it has huge impact. The halter is made out of a black silk that has a pink ribbon defining all of the seams and edges. The ribbon extends out from the side of the bust to curve up and over your shoulder attaching at the edge at the back. Where the front scoops down into a V ribbon also extends out from there and these ones tie behind the back so that the ends trail down against your bare skin. Using the ribbon to define the seams visually creates six panels around you. Each of those has been hand detailed with tiny silver pink beading, opaque white beads and pink embroidery to form little flowers to perfectly fit into the theme of the collection. It is the prettiest detailing. The halter falls into a V at the front and then the ribbons cross over themselves and there is a open keyhole under that to the waist. At the back, the vertical edges sit several inches apart from each other to add even more to the bare and open feeling it has. The skirt is equally as amazing. It is made out of a white cotton inner skirt and then has an attached over skirt that does not fully meet at the front. The interior skirt is finished with a wide layer of cotton lace at the hem and then the attached top layer starts with a ruffle at the waist. It has five more layers of ruffles as it travels to the hem. The skirt is incredibly full. An interesting little detail is that the inner skirt has pockets and this allows you to put your hands into those pockets and hold the outer skirt away to the sides. This will give you more of the feel that you see on the runway photo. This is an extraordinary little piece and could not be more rare. Excellent condition.

The inner skirt acts as the lining and the halter is lined in an ivory silky rayon. It closes with the tie at the back of the neck and then hook at the back of the waist and has a zipper below that. Pockets on the inner skirt. Sized a vintage Bill Gibb UK 10. 

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 48" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4850

Reference Photos: Spring 1977 Bill Gibb.

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.

Thea Porter combined exoticism, embellished ornamentation and luxurious fabrics in her pieces and her work was a phenomenon during her day. This style of dress is one of her most well known dresses and it has been one of her most loved styles since it was first created in 1968. The Thea Porter book that accompanied the 2015 Fashion and Textile Museum exhibit "Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic" (for which over a dozen pieces were pulled from my archives) has many example of stars from that time period wearing their versions. Kate Moss is perhaps the most notable of modern girls who have one and she caused a sensation when she wore her blue version for her wedding rehearsal in 2011. This is almost certainly a one of a kind, or a version of very few that would have been made. These dresses were made between 1969 up to about 1975 and we've included some various reference photos of similar pieces so you can get an idea of how gorgeous it is on the body.

This would make a phenomenal dress for the bride, looking for something nontraditional or as a part of a wedding weekend and of course it would be a stand-out piece in any Thea Porter collection.

The Thea Porter book states that this style of dress were 'generally made out of a combination of three different fabrics, which give it an enduring variety. If the skirt was in plain cloth cotton, the bodice was usually in brocade… We made the dress in every conceivable fabric, from embroidered chiffon to liberty cotton‘s to velvet…. The silhouette of a slimmer torso combined with a full skirt (composed of 4.5 m of fabric) and sleeves became the basis for Porter‘s 'gypsy or gipsy' dress'. (note that this is historically what the dress was called at the time and is mentioned for historical accuracy). The book goes on to talk about the cut and design of these dresses saying that 'the bust became an integrated part of the body, ending directly below the breasts to create an empire line. The cut is such that the bust is held in securely, yet pushed up, removing the necessity of wearing a bra. The uneven hem of the dress evolved as a form of collaboration between Thea and one of her first seamstresses, Meg Lake, who was self taught and didn’t realize that a circle of fabric cut on the bias would fall irregularly and need to be trimmed. Porter love that effect and the mistake became a design signature.'

This is a classic Thea dress that follows all of those design philosophies. The bodice of her dresses were often crafted in antique brocade or silks and I suspect that is what we are seeing that with the beautiful and delicate gold metal thread on a feather like silk organza that we see on this front and back of the bodice on the dress. I love the little piece of silk chiffon that sits at the top of each shoulder and has the little embroidered 3D rose there. An ivory velvet ribbon details the cut of the bodice and also defines the highly detailed wide band around the waist. The sleeves are a single layer of an ivory silk chiffon and have a touch of transparency to them. They are magnificently full and each one puffs out above an elastic cuff. A little velvet bow and another embroidered 3D flower sit on the end of each sleeve. The skirt is two layers, an inner silk layer that is cut on the bias and then floating over that is a bias cut of the same ivory silk organza that the sleeves are made out of. The silk of the skirt starts just under the wide band at the waist and it flares out in yards of silk. It has that perfectly imperfect asymmetrical hem described above so that one side falls slightly longer then the other. This one is extra special because of the extreme detailing that is done by an abundance of hand embroidered flowers that run all the way around the band of the waist. More flowers run all the way around the skirt in beautiful curving patterns in a beautiful curving pattern on both the back and the front. Placed within the highly detailed embroidered leaves are little flowers formed by scalloped ribbon. The final finish is a perfect little ivory bow at the waist. It is just wildly gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below

The sleeves are unlined and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and each sleeve has elastic at the cuffs. I see some lifting and wear in and around the gold medallions around the shoulders and under a fold on one shoulder. It looks like there have been some stitches put into help hold them down at some point but some are lifting and there are areas of the organza in between that is missing. Please see the photos after the label shot. It is an incredible dress

Sleeves: 18"
Shoulders: no true seam since they are inset
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the waist band: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at bottom of the band: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from shoulder to seam at top of waist band, 15" to waist seam
Total length: 56" from shoulder to longest points of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4852

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Thea Porter, for her wedding rehearsal, 2011.  /  (3) 1970 Thea Porter Dress from The MET Collection Online.  /  (4) Jane Fonda in Thea Porter.  /  (5) Model in Thea Porter, credit unknown.  /  (6) Joan Colins in a Gipsy Dress, with her sister Jackie in a robe with trailing sleeves over trousers, in two versions of Sheila Hudson's butterfly print, at the opening of the musical "1776" in 1970. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (7) Floral cotton voila Gipsy dress, 1969. Photography by Willie Christie. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (8) Actress Sharon Tate arriving at a party with Peter Sellers. She wears a Gipsy dress with moire bodice and polka-dot chiffon skirt and sleeves. London, July 1, 1969. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (9) Charlotte Rampling in Thea Porter, 1970s.  /  (10) Scanned from Vogue, Autumn/Winter 1970 by Liz Eggleston.  /  (11) Scanned from Vogue, April 1975 by Liz Eggleston.

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 Fall 2016 Valentino collection and at this time both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were acting Creative Directors. It was a dress that was highly sought after and we found examples of the great Franca Sozzani wearing one along with Mo Abudu in another. Vogue raved abut this collection saying in part: "Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's design signature by now is familiar. Their simple, covered-up, almost prim silhouettes act like a canvas for the embroidery and beadwork of the Roman house's atelier.... Resort found them scaling back not an inch on the detailing, yet the effect was more folksy than flamboyant. ...The workmanship is close to couture." And indeed this dress feels so very special with its embroidered head to toe detailing. 

The dress is almost startling in its beauty. The entire exterior is an open weave embroidered fabric that would have all been pre-planned for so that the end result has the pattern set to lay as perfectly over the dress as it does. This sits over a black net and then there is a built in black silk inner lining so that it is wearable. You can see in the collection photo, and of the one of Franca especially, that in both those cases the dress was worn without the lining. You could certainly remove the lining and wear it this way if you wished and just wear the proper undergarments to be able to do so. Even with the lining in place the dress has the illusion that you are bare under the embroidery. The embroidery is stunning. It is like wearing a garden with flowers, birds and butterflies scattered over you from head to toe. Every line of the dress is perfection. The neckline is scooped and the shoulders are soft with no padding. The sleeves are long and narrow down slightly to the wrist. Each sleeve is unlined so that you see a hint of skin through the netting. Once on the body the dress skims over you to the waist. The waist is defined by what looks like a band of roots or branches. You see that same detailing at the hem and at the end of each cuff. From the waist it falls to the floor widening out gently. On the skirt the pattern is allowed to be uninterrupted and fully show all the way around you and it is a thing of beauty to see. All of the embroidery is laid out on that open weave backdrop and it gives the entire dress this fantastically textured beauty that is hard to truly describe until you see it in person. It is spectacular and a wonderful example of the level of work being done at Valentino during this time period. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a combination of black netting and a black silk as described above. It closes with a back hidden zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern Valentino 42. 

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15" and the upper arm is 12" around
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to the top of the band at the waist
Total length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4847

Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2016 Valentino, Look 7.  /  (2) Franca Sozzani in Valentino during Couture Fashion Week, July 2015.  /  (3) Mo Abudu in Valentino at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sep 2016.

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

Christian Lacroix launched his Haute Couture house in 1987 and instantly caused a sensation around the world. A ready-to-wear line soon followed along with perfumes and menswear. His collections are always exotic, lavish affairs and his designs seemed to span the decades with their eccentric glamour pulled from multiple sources of inspiration. This dress is from the Spring 2001 collection and Vogue raved that "It's a very good moment for Christian Lacroix, now that graphic colors, feminine dressing and '80s references are a constant on the catwalks. The designer seized the moment and delivered one of his strongest, most consistent collections in seasons.Lacroix played up his masterful use of color with sexy patchwork strapless numbers and "painting-print" dresses with beaded insets, dangling chains and straps, and embroidered patches. Punky layered chiffons and muslins, ruffled, feathered and pleated, proved that Lacroix can move way beyond his signature pouf." A slight variation on this dress was shown for Look 46 in the show. I think this one is even better.

This Lacroix is magica;. A painted deep pink silk chiffon sits under a more open weave black lace netting and the effect that this creates is fantastic. The inner pink chiffon feels like it has been hand-painted and there is a beautiful abstract flower design running over its surface. One side of the bodice has a wider shoulder that curves up and then ties into place at the top of the shoulder. The other side is a thinner strap and the entire bodice is set on a deep angle at the front and again at the back. All of the seaming on this dress is set on angles and curves so that it feels very reminiscent of the old Hollywood days of the 20s and 30s. An angled panel runs across the waist and down to one hip and then the skirt is set into that coming up on an angle on one side. The skirt is phenomenal. There are yards in yards of silk and lace netting that cascade down and over the body fantastically. One side has a high slit so when you walk you have tons of leg showing. Ruffles cascade across all of the the angled seams that make up the skirt and this adds tremendous movement as you love. The skirt is cut longer at the back to trail out and around you and this combined with the lightness of the silk lets it billow out around you. It is an absolutely astonishingly beautiful piece and feels like a work of art. Phenomenal. Excellent condition.

There is a black silk chiffon through the bodice and a partial inner black silk chiffon inner skirt. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. There may be the occasional break in the lace but nothing I can see that is outstanding to note. Tagged a vintage Lacroix 38. It is all cut on the bias so there is a bit of give and I have measured the comfortable range when laying flat.

Bust: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to inner pink hem and the lace extends past that. 75" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4846

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2001 Christian Lacroix, Look 46. Model Malgosia Bela.

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 spectacular dress is the twin of the dress that was worn by Linda Evangelista for the Fall 1994 Karl Lagerfeld runway show. It also has the added provenance of being photoed for British Vogue that November. The dress is from Karl Lagerfeld's own label. He launched his self-named label in 1984 and this dress is from 1991 making it a fairly early example of the work he was doing for his own label. Pieces from his personal label were far edgier then the work he did for Chanel. It was a label where he explored a more avant garde feel with his designs and pushed the envelope more. I just had this dress in the shop recently in a larger size, and I was pleased to have another one in a smaller size come in so quickly. This is a fantastic example of his work for that label. 

This is a dress that is easy to wear and very sexy. On the runway Linda was styled with it falling completely off the shoulder and you can wear it like that or have that side sit up more on the actual shoulder. The edge of the neckline is cut on a angle that goes across and down to expose a bare expanse of skin. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are cut to be a little extra long. At the ends of each sleeve  they are finished off at angle that comes down and over the hand. The fabric is a cut velvet set in little rows over a bias cut chiffon base. The colour is a deep burgundy red that is flattering on most skin tones. It skims over the bust, waist and hips and I love how the rows are set on an angle to create the illusion of extra length. The hem follows the dip of the neckline with the skirt falling all the way to the floor on the one side and then coming up to about the knee area depending on your height on the other. It is fantastic and I love the tie in to Linda. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a silk mix chiffon and slips on the wear. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage KL 38

Sleeves: 29" and 12" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16"
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 63" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4844

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3)  Fall 1994 Karl Lagerfeld Runway. Model Linda Evangelista.  /  (4) Vogue UK, November 1994.

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 gorgeous Fall 2005 John Galliano that has the added modern provenance of being the exact dress that Brie Larson wore to the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival in June of this year. It is a dress that was made for the shops but you can see its runway influence in the floral piece shown on the runway that season for Look 47. It is a dream dress and I love that we have now added to its history. 

This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is meant to skim over the body and it has that beautiful movement that Galliano is so well known for. It is made out of a combination of black netting for the upper bodice and then a bias cut black silk chiffon that it has texture in it for added interest. The netting covers the upper bodice and then curves over the shoulder to also cover your upper back. Attached to that is the long silk chiffon bodice that runs from the net to a dropped waist at about the hip level. The silk  is cut on the bias and you can see that the slight pattern in the chiffon is all set on an angle. Where this meets the skirt the seam is set on a curving angle that is reminiscent of Old Hollywood dresses from the twenties and thirties. The skirt is made of two tiers and each tier has lace edging with ruffles of the chiffon. Some also have added ruffles made of the black netting. I love how this ties all the elements of the dress together. The skirt has an amazing amount of fabric in it and it is light as a feather over the inner silk skirt. The smallest bit of air will catch the skirt and let it billow out around you as you move.  The final perfect touch are the embellishments that are applied by hand onto the bodice. Black and white flowers made of silk chiffon petals have been secured onto the silk with bursts of tiny little silver sequins. All of the edges on the flowers and the ruffles have been left raw in that beautiful way that Galliano loved to do. When this is on and you are walking the movement it creates is absolutely gorgeous. This is John at his best and it is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk. It slips over the head with no closures. Comes with its original Galliano hang tag and was only worn once briefly by Brie and then cleaned. There are a couple of tiny black sequins near the edge of the neckline on the dress and we have left them to not risk causing a hole in the netting. We believe it’s intentional. The flowers have been hand applied. The silk is cut on the bias, so we put the comfortable range of measurements when the dress is laying flat below.

Bust: 13-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4842

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Fall 2005 John Galliano, Look 47. Model Caroline Trentini.  /  (3-7) Brie Larson in this dress at the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, June 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 Fall 2007 bridal look from Oscar de la Renta has runway roots. The dress in a more beige taupe was Look 68 on the runway for the Spring of 2006 and then a version in this ivory was included as part of the Fall 2007 bridal presentation. I love that he loved this dress so much that he repeated it. This dress was a stand out and has an beautiful romantic feel to it. My client wore the dress on its own but if you love the look of the runway you could easily add a little cropped cardigan to get that same feel.

This Oscar de la Renta dress is stunning. It would obviously make an amazing wedding piece for the bride but I think it is also a dress that could cross over and be worn to other events. The dress is made from an off white silk organza that has a swirling design applied onto the fabric by hand. The design that is set onto the dress are little curving panels of silk ribbon that have been gathered and placed onto the silk. You can clearly see the hand work from the back and I have shot a photo of that for you to see. These ribbon embellishments run around the top of the bodice, past the waist and then are placed over the entire skirt. The silk used for the dress is ultra light in weight and it is backed by a single layer of silk chiffon through the skirt. This gives the dress this feeling of lightness and airiness that is very beautiful. It feels almost weightless once on the body. The silk is just heavy enough to hold the shape and structure of the dress. It has a full built in boned corset inside the bodice so you don't have to worry about additional underpinnings. The skirt is very full and for most of these photos we added a light crinoline to the dress to show you that. Without an added underskirt it still has enough shape that it falls on its own perfectly and the last two full length shots are of the dress with no added underskirt for you to see. The bust is strapless and fitted across the bodice. It is cut to follow your curves and there are cups inside to lift the breasts. It tightly hugs the bodice and then nips in at the waist. The skirt flows directly out from the waist and is cut to have volume all the way around you. Every angle is drama and gorgeousness. It is cut slightly longer at the back so that it flows out behind you just a touch. I love the bareness of the shoulders that the strapless silhouette gives you. It is the perfect balance to the fuller skirt. It is a very stunning gown and is a beautiful example of Oscar's work. Excellent condition

There is a full built in corset that closes with its own zipper and then the dress closes over that with a hidden set zipper. The skirt is lined in an ivory silk organza. The crinoline that is in some of the photos is not included. I see one tiny area near the hem where the fabric has a slight change in texture. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged an ODLR 8 

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9.75" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to front hem, 54" to back hem. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4839

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Fall 2007 Oscar de la Renta Bridal.  /  (3-5) Spring 2006 Oscar de la Renta, Look 68. Model Lily Donaldson.

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

Yves loved a good leopard print but he did it in his own way and for the Fall 1992 presentation he did it in an amazing gold toned version. This is a stunning example of just how edgy he could be for this time period. This set is from the Rive Gauche collection and these were pieces that were sold separately. My client told me that she hunted to put the pieces together as they were sold out everywhere at the time. Several variations and pieces were shown on the runway in this print and we have included some of those examples here for you. 

This two piece set combines a beautifully cut jacket with pants that have an extremely wide leg so that they look like you are wearing a full length skirt. Yves did variations of his iconic suits every season for both his Couture and Rive Gauche presentations with skirts and pants of varying lengths and cuts. They were shaped and tweaked by Yves to be immensely flattering on the female body. I love this pair of pants and how they give the feeling of a more formal full length skirt. It is also fabulous that you can mix and match the pieces with pieces you already own. The incredible gold fabric and leopard print make the suit feel so luxe and yet still elegant and refined in feel. The jacket is tailored with a sleek cut that follows the curves of the body. It has a notched collar and the sleeves are set into the jacket so that they are wide at the top and narrow to big flipped over cuffs. Large domed gold toned metal buttons are set on a slight angle to close the jacket. It comes in at the waist and then flares over the hips. The gold on the fabric feels like it was painted directly onto the fabric and it catches the light as you move. The pants are cut in the same amazing leopard print as the jacket. They fall to the floor and are incredibly wide by the time they reach their hem. Each leg is a full 62" around by the hem. This makes them look like a fuller skirt when you are standing still but gives you the ease of wearing pants when you move. And they have pockets. His suits changed the way we approach womanswear and this one is especially fabulous. It is a wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was and it is an important piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

The jacket is lined in a brown silk and buttons to close at the front. The pants are unlined and close with a side zipper and button at the waist. Pockets on each hip. Padding in each shoulder of the jacket. I see a little bit of fading to the fabric under the arms of the jackets' lining. The jacket is tagged a 40 and the pants have no size tag present.

Jacket
Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: to 23.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 26" from neck to hem at the longest point at the front, 22" at the back

Pants
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 44.5" from waist to hem with just under 2" turned under the hem
Inseam: 30.5" and the gusset is 21" from back of waist to inner leg seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4833

Reference Photos: Fall 1992 Yves Saint Laurent.

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.

Ages ago we had a dress in the shop that was similar to this one in many ways and we have included the reference photo from that one that is of a Halston dress shot for Vogue in 1974. On the dress we had, the ruffles were set more towards the back of the neck and on this one they come all the way around, but I believe that this one is from about the same time period, if not the same collection.

Halston was a master at combining function and ease but without sacrificing glamour. His bias cut pieces, like this one, sometimes feel somewhat shapeless on the hanger or on a dress form and it is only when they are on a body that they drape and settle into place the way they were intended. They seem so very simple but they are not. The dress is entirely cut on the bias with that minimal seaming signature that he was famous for. The colour is a beautiful deep blood red that is flattering on most skin tones. It is feather light and it weighs ounces once it is on. it comes with its original slip under dress and I love that because it is like you are getting two dresses in one. The under dress is backed in its own layers of a nude silk chiffon and you could wear the dress on its own as a slip dress. Popping the outer dress over it gives you the full on look and then you could also wear the outer dress over a different coloured slip to get a different feel. It is one of those dresses that gives you lots of styling options. The cut through the body of the outer dress is extremely loose and easy. There is an elastic at the waist and it allows you to wear the dress longer with the elastic more to the top of the hips, or you can pull it up to shorten the length and make it more of a day piece. The neckline is ruffled and it has a silk chiffon pipe length running through it that ties at the front. This lets you wear it more wide and off of the shoulders or you can wear it more closed and around the neck. Each sleeve is soft and full and end with a ruffle finish. The skirt is full and open. The matching inner silk dress is cut on the bias and it slips over the head and is suspended from nude silk chiffon straps. If worn more down, the dress will land between full length and ankle length, depending on your height. If pulled up at the waist, the length pulls up more to land between knee and calf. It is gorgeous and so versatile. Excellent condition

The outer dress is a single layer of silk chiffon and the separate inner slip dress has two layers of bias cut nude silk chiffon under the top red layer. Both pieces slip over the head to wear. The outer dress ties at the neck and has elastic at the waist. Each cuff is finished with elastic above the ruffled ends. Hand finishes.

Outer dress
Sleeves: approx  29"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 18-24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 10-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: to 17" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Inner slip dress
Bust: 13-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4831

Reference Photo: Model wearing Halston. Photo by Richard Avedon. Vogue US, December 1974.

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 incredible dress is not only a dress that we found runway documentation for, but its twin on the runway was worn by none other than the great Linda Evangelista. There is even a photo of her standing just behind Oscar on the runway that we especially love. This was one of the stand-out pieces from that collection and I am very pleased to have this for you in the shop today. It is gorgeous.

This is a stunning dress. I love how he combined two distinct fabrics to make it. The bodice and matching shawl feel to me to be a cashmere and it is as soft as soft can be. The skirt is made from a rich deep jewel toned silk. The bodice is strapless and is cut to be fitted to the body and hug you right down to the waist. I love the way the fabric has been hand draped into tiny soft pleats that curve all the way around you and cross over itself at the front. This helps to add shape and interest to the bodice and shows the remarkable amount of workmanship that went into dresses from this time period. Under the waist the skirt cascades down and out to the floor. There are yards and yards of silk that have gone into the construction of that skirt. It is gathered in and around the waist in a series of tiny soft gathers and then these open out to create that billowing skirt that you see. The outer skirt is lined in a black silk organza and then inside there is a built-in silk taffeta underskirt. The underskirt is finished with a wide band of the same coloured silk as the exterior layer so when you move that is still the only colour that you see. There is a band of stiffened netting hidden inside the hem of the underskirt to help hold the shape. Another hidden band of netting wraps around the inner hip area to help hold the.volume there as well. The way that it has been cut, combined with the inner support that it has, creates this stunning billowing effect when you move and walk. The dress comes with its original matching shawl that you can see Linda wear on the runway. It is meant to drape over your shoulders with phenomenal 12" fringed tassels gathering the fabric up at each end. It is that perfect mix of elegance, femininity, romance and fantasy that Oscar excelled at. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The bodice is fully lined in a burgundy silk. There is built in boning and shaping through the bodice. There is a hooked waist stay inside and then the outer dress zips to close over that. Part of the wrapped cording is missing on one tassel and I see a couple of tiny repairs on the shawl. The dress looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust:to 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-small C cup
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist seam
Total length: 53.5" from top of bodice to hem with about 2" turned under
Shawl: 120" end to end 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4830

Reference Photos: Linda Evangelista for Fall 1989 Oscar de la Renta.

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.

I have had the twin of this dress in the shop a few years ago and I was very pleased to find another. Since we have had that original dress we happened to find the runway photo of the dress firmly dating it to Fall 1979. A similar version of this dress was worn by Slim Keith to attend the Met Museum Gala that year. We have also included a couple of shots of me in the one we had previously to give you an idea of how it is on. And a note to those who prefer not to wear fur; you could always un-tack and remove the sleeves and replace them with a faux version, feathers or anything you could imagine, or leave them without as Slim did and just store the cuffs for archival purposes.

This dress is one of the best that he ever made. The dress has elements of his work that he would touch on continuously over the coming decades. It is also a wonderful example of just how sophisticated and glamorous he could be. The silk chiffon used for the base is feather light and it has a fine gold, metallic lurex thread that is woven through the silk to create vertical stripes. Hand applied gold sequins were then added to follow those gold threads. The sequins catch the light beautifully and add another dimension and texture to the dress. There is a subtle leaf print that runs through the silk and this adds a beautiful and subtle extra feel. The upper part of the skirt is the same deep red as the bodice of the dress and then that leaf print gradually becomes more dense until it forms a solid soft brown around the lower hem. There is a slit up the front to let you walk. The dress has a nod to the 1930s in its cut but he has exaggerated some of the elements to keep it modern. The bodice crosses over itself and there is a built in brown silk under piece so that you can wear the dress and not have it completely transparent. On the bodice there are no sequins and this is deliberate to keep it lighter in feel. The sleeves extend directly out from the bodice and they narrow down as they reach the cuff. The cuffs are both finished with a 7" band of fur that is either a mink or a sable. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition.

The dress has an attached inner brown silk chiffon slip that snaps to close at the back and then the dress zips to close over that. An inner waist stay inside hooks to close. Hand finished and hand set sequins. All hand finished to demi-couture standards. The cuffs have perhaps the very slightest of wear to the edges and are soft and supple.

Sleeves: 24" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 17" from the top of the shoulder to waist but will come up a bit once on
Total length: 60" from the top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4829

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 1979 Bill Blass.  /  (2-3) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.  /  (4) Socialite Slim Keith in Bill Blass (left) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York City, 1979.

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 dates from the mid-later 1980s based on the styles and similarities to other dresses I have previously had in the shop from that period. It is definitely Karl's work and it is a gorgeous example of his ability to cut the perfect LBD. It is a very easy to wear dress and it is just a spectacular dress to own.

This is one of those dresses that in person you do bit of a gasp when you see it because it is the perfect little dress. The dress is made out of a black cotton that has just enough weight for it to hold the shape that he intended. There is a slight ribbed texture to the fabric. It is so simple in its cut but is so chic and elegant once it is on the body. It feels very much that perfect French original little black dress. Two wide straps curve over the shoulders to meet behind the neck and the front neckline is done in a V. At the back it scoops down for an expanse of bare skin to show. The front is shaped in a bit of a triangle feeling halter and there is a little two top set pocket on each breast. Each pocket has a gold Camellia flower button on it. The front crosses over itself and is held in place with another pretty gold flower button. The waist nips in and there is a pretty little bow at the centre with the final gold button. The skirt is set into the waist with a series of perfect little pleats that open up to for a fuller skirt. The skirt falls to the knee depending on your height. Under the bow at the front the fabric overlaps over itself a bit and this helps it to achieve the volume you see. At the back there is an inverted pleat down the centre that also helps achieve the volume of the skirt. A shallow little pocket sits on each hip for the perfect finish of this gorgeous little dress. Once on this fits and hugs your curves in the best possible way. It is a beauty. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes at the front with the buttons you see. Tagged a vintage Chanel 44. 

Bust: each front triangle is approximately 10" across across from side to side 
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: 39" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4828

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 1991 Chanel. 

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 incredible dress is from the Fall 1998 collection and it’s twin walked the runway that season. It is incredibly sexy and it feels very French. This one has the added modern provenance of being the actual dress worn Adria Arjona for the 2018 Gold Globes season. We have included a shot of her in the dress so you can see how it looks on the body.

The dress is gorgeous and the fabric itself is part of what makes it so fabulous. The top layer of fabric is a black lace that has a silk cord applied on top of it to follow the pattern of the lace underneath. This sits over an inner lace that has metallic gold metal thread woven over its surface. The effect of the gold peeking out from underneath is gorgeous and I love the depth and interest that this creates. The dress is strapless and meant to hug and fit over the body. Inside there is a built in corset with boning that holds the dress in place around you. It hugs the bust and is shaped so that it curves in at the waist. There is no waist seaming, it just curves in for shape and then it skims over the hips and has a more pencil shape that will sit above the knee. How short it sits depends on your height. The dress has three pretty bows down one side. The top lace and cord layer is attached and it closes over the inner gold layer to the third bow. From the third bow to the hem that top layer is open so that when you walk and move you get a stronger feel of the gold underneath. It is absolutely fantastic and an instantly recognizable piece of YSL. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set side set zipper and the top layer of lace hooks in place over the zipper. The inner bust is boned. Minor wear to the inner top band of the bodice. Tagged a vintage YSL 38

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 29" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4827

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 1998 Yves Saint Laurent.  /  (2-3) Adria Arjona, wearing this dress, at the Vanity Fair x Instagram Golden Globes Party, January 2018.  

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 2006 collection and it is a beauty. The collection was called "Coco meats, James Dean" and the idea was that Lagerfeld organized this imaginary meeting between the two. In real life they had never met but in his eyes he saw them as being rebellious figures and wanted to explore the meeting of the two stylistically. The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 50. I love it.

This dress is gorgeous and everything you want in a Chanel. The dress is made out of a black silk taffeta with a fine black lace edging. The bodice has an almost scarf feeling front panel that goes up and behind the neck to tie and then it narrows down to the centre of the waist. It is completely edged in the black lace. This sits over an inner bodice at the front and then at the back the upper back is left bare except for two straps that angle down to meet the piece that curves around from the front. The dress skims over your bodice to a wide band of silk around the waist. Again we see the lace edging he has added for a pretty and feminine touch. The skirt is incredible. It has been pleated into tiny but soft pleats and the first tier of it is a more bubble shape. It is brought in under itself to a piece of inner elastic that holds it around your legs but still allows you to move. The silk extends out from that and you have all the volume of the gathered fabric to create a pretty ruffle underneath. There is a little bow that sits in the centre front of this final tier. The bottom of the ruffle is also finished in a pretty edging of black lace to perfectly tie it in with the bodice. It is so pretty and unusual and I love the flash of skin when you turn around. That unexpected touch of sexiness is fantastic. This is one of those dresses that only truly come to life when on. It is an amazing piece of Chanel and shows just how creative Karl was. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

The bodice is unlined and the skirt has an inner lining of the same taffeta that the dress is made out of. The dress zips to close at the back and then it has hidden hook and eye at the waist band and a decorative jet black Camellia flower button over those. Two more black Camellia flower buttons close the dress above that. The halter ties to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a Chanel 38.

Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of bodice to top of band at the waist
Total length: approx 40" from top of the shoulder to hem and can be adjusted a bit by how you tie it around the neck

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4826

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2006 Chanel Runway, Look 50. Model Heidi Mount.

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 an incredible and very rare set by Rifat Ozbek. The original Ozbek label was only produced from 1984 to 1991 and pieces are very hard to find, never mind finding a full three piece set like this. Versions of this set were seen on the runway and for US Vogue that season. It is incredible. 

The suit is three pieces; a cropped jacket, a skirt and a bra top. The jacket is a burgundy and cropped to above the natural waist. It has no closures and a neat collar. The shoulders have a tiny bit of shape but are cut to slope down to the sleeve. The sleeves are kept simple. The skirt is very high-waisted so that it comes up to meet the jacket. It curves out and over the hips and then flares out at the hem. The front of the skirt is cut several inches shorter than the back so that you get this gorgeous little kick when you walk. Yellow embroidery runs down either side of the hip on both the front and the back. The final piece is that phenomenal bra top. Its base is the same burgundy as the other two pieces and then the cups of the bra have been covered in a thick gold cording. Two tones of gold cording have been used. One is a more black based gold and the other is brighter. The darker cord covers the majority of each cup and then the brighter is set at the upper edge of each cup and in a row across them. The straps are a leopard print and then gold toned coins on a little chains are set all along the bottom of the bra. These gold coins became one of his signatures. It is just a phenomenal and rare piece of vintage. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

All three pieces are lined in a burgundy lining. The jacket has no closures and just slips on to wear. I see a small amount of very minor changing colour / grubbiness on the top of the shoulders and back. The skirt closes with a side zipper and the bra closes with a hook clasp at the back. It has under-wiring and slight padding on the cups. The jacket and bra are tagged an IT40, FR36, GB8, US6 and the skirt is tagged in IT42,FR38, GB10, US8.

Jacket
Sleeves: 20.5" and 13" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 17.5"
Bust: approx to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: approx to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 15.5" from waist to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 28" from waist to front hem, 36.5" to the longest point of the back hem

Bra Top
Bust: 26-29" from end to end with some stretch near the closure
Cups: Appox A-B
Height: approx 11.5" from top of the strap to bottom edge

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4822

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1989 Rifat Ozbek Runway.  /  (3) Kara Young in Rifat Ozbek. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for USVogue, October 1989.

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.

Alber joined Lanvin in 2001 and served as the labels Creative Director until 2015. His first break as a designer came when he landed the senior assistant role at Geoffrey Beene. He stayed there for seven years until he was recruited to design for the Guy Laroche label in 1996. in 1998 he took over the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear for Yves Saint Laurent for three short seasons. A stint at Krizia and then a break happened before his time with Lanvin. The Alber years for Lanvin are ones that are much loved by all and with his passing owning these pieces seems even more poignant. The twin of this dress was Look 23 on the Spring Runway and one was worn by Amanda Seyfield to her premiere that year. 

This is one of those dresses that you just slip on and walk out the door feeling great in. The pleat detailing and loose and easy shape is obviously inspired by Issey Miyake and then Alber has put his own spin on it with the raw deconstructed edges the dress has and the zipper at the back. The sleeves extend out from the body of the dress and the bodice is meant to feel slightly oversized over you. He has shaped the dress into an hourglass so once it is on, you can wear it up on the waist more to create a bit of a blousing feel over top of the waist. If you are very tiny through the upper hip it would fall more like how it does on the runway and skim over your body. It curves out over the hips and then narrows down in at the hem. The edges all have raw fringed feel and at the back a chunky zipper sits under another raw finished edging. It is a super pretty and very light in weight dress that is easy to wear. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes at the back with a zipper. Tagged a Lanvin 36

Sleeves: the arm opening are 12" around
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36" from neck to hem and will come up when on if bloused over at the waist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4820

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2011 Lanvin, Look 23. Model Sofie Roelens.  /  (3) Amanda Seyfried in Lanvin at the Premiere of Little Red Riding Hood, March 2011.

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 intro write up on Vogue said of this collection “She is a woman of the night and ready to have fun…she’s a little bit, how would I say, mysterious, and, um…." This was a long ummm... What was Alessandra Rich working up to? “She’s ready to party, that’s for sure.” Rich says in her clothes what she cannot quite bring herself to say in person. Her women are lionesses dressed as lambs. They look demure and think impure." The dress was shown in white for Look 22 on the runway. Caroline Vreeland wore that version for her wedding reception and between seeing that and the look on the runway and in the presentation you really can see how fabulous this dress is once on the body. 

This is a dress for someone that wants to make an entrance. It is about as showstopping a dress as you can possibly get. It is strapless across the bodice and has an inner boned and wire cupped bodice to help keep it in place once it is on the body. The main portion of the dress skims over the waist to just past the hips. This part of the dress is made from a black silk that has a bit of weight to it so that you are held in place and it is very flattering.  Warapping round the shoulders is the first explosion of black tulle that gives this dress all its drama. Multiple layers of tulle circle all the way around you and cover the entire upper bodice. The lower skirts pick up on that with a second huge pouf of tulle that begins at about the knee and then continues all the way to the floor. The lower skirt is done in two distinct tiers and the amount of fabric that keeps all that volume in place is incredible. I loved this dress when I saw it on the runway and I love it even more in this black more versatile version. The dress still has its original hang tag and was never worn. Excellent condition

There is a built in wired and boned corset that is lined in a black silk. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper. The tulle that goes around the shoulders is attached to a strap that has elastic in it. Original hang tag attached. Tagged a modern 40

Straps: they go around the upper arm and will stretch from 11" to 14" around 
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item# DD4818

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 2020 Alessandra Rich, Look 42.  /  (3) Carolina Vreeland in Alessandra Rich from Vogue.

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 gorgeous dress by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and its twin walked the runway for the Fall 1998 season. In the book 'Chanel Catwalk' the notes for the show say tell us that it "was meant to evoke the style and atmosphere of Coco Chanel's Deauville and Biarritz days in the late 1910 and early 1920s." A photo of the dress is included in that book and I also have runway photos so that you can see how fantastic this dress is on the body.

Everything about this dress has that chic Chanel feel that makes many of Karl's designs classics forever. Even without the fact that the Chanel logo literally covers every inch of the dress it still feels very Chanel. It is beautiful in person and the simple lines and cut make it the kind of dress that you can wear multiple times with the styling and accessories you add making it feel different each time. It is made of very light black cotton mix netting that has the Chanel letters done in denser threads so that they stand out. These are scattered over the entire dress. Around the neckline, circling the arms, the waist, hips and around the bottom hem, there is a second net ribbon that has the Chanel name and double C logo. The dress is light in weight and it simply drapes over the body perfectly once you have it on. The front and back necklines are scooped and at the back it is scooped lower so that you get a bit of bare skin showing. The waist is loose and easy and then the dress starts to widen as it skims out over the hips. The skirt falls under that to the floor gently widening out as it nears the hem. It is that perfect easy dress but will the added impact of obviously being a Chanel. It is just stunning. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a soft brown crepe and it closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a Chanel 36. The easy cut and slight stretch of the dress should allow it to fit on a variety of sizes.

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from top of shoulder to top of band at the slightly dropped waist
Total length: 57.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4819

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1998 Chanel Runway.  /  (3) From the book "Chanel: Catwalk".

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

John Galliano began his own label in 1984 and he was instantly a bit of a 'boy wonder' in fashion. He was British Fashion Council Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1991 he made his Paris catwalk debut. In 1995 he was asked to head Givenchy and then went to Dior in October of 1996. Unlike many designers he kept his own label going as well throughout the years at both those houses. His work, especially the bias cut pieces that he did, have a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and they are beautifully cut. They marry Old Hollywood with the minimalist spirit of the nineties and early 2000s and the results are stunning. This is an amazing example of his work from the Spring 2000 season and it is gorgeous. This dress was a piece made for production for retail but it has all the things we love about his work presented in a beautifully chic and minimalist package.

The dress is gorgeous. It definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. The seam work and simplicity of this dress is stunning to see and it is even better on an actual body. It is made from a beautiful silk that has a matte satin finish. The colour is like a deep pewter silver with a touch of a taupe brown undertone to it. It has that same light in weight feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from similar fabrics. Like those liquid dresses of the thirties this is also completely cut on the bias. It is cut to flow over the body and skim its way over the bust, waist and hips as it falls to the floor. The dress falls from straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The straps have their own detail that I love. Each one is a double strap that is stitched together at the top of the shoulder, crosses over themselves, and then are attached to the dress with a round disk made out of the same fabric that has been piped and stitched into a circle. He has added this detail to the front and to the back of each strap. The neckline comes down into a V and it does the same thing at the back for a pretty exposure of skin. I love how the V of the neckline picks up with the V shapes created within each strap. It skims over the bodice with no seam at the waist on the front of the dress. At the back there is a low set angled seam that gives a bit of shape through the lower back. The skirt flows down to the floor, skimming over the hips and then flaring out as it reaches the hem. The flaring shape is achieved by the bias cut of the fabric rather then extensive seaming. This gives you some pretty movement around the lower skirt when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. It is all done so that it sits in a certain way on your hips and then that in turn affects how the entire dress sits on your body. The dress comes with its matching shawl piece that is equally incredible. It is 26" at its widest point and just over 8 feet long. At each end, the fabric is gathered into one of those circular piped discs that you see on the base of the shoulder straps, and then they are finished with a beautiful 7 1/2" tasselled fringe. You can simply drape this over your shoulders and it adds that perfect touch for when you make your entrance in the dress. It becomes an integral design detail in itself. It is these subtle little details that Galliano put into his dresses that make them heads above other pieces. The dress is spectacular. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear with no true closures. Tagged a Galliano FR42, GB14, US8. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Dropped waist: 14-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from the top of the shoulder to hem
Shawl 26"w x 100" long end to end and including the tassels

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4814 

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

This is a very rare and important full set from the Spring 1988 "In a Boudoir Mood" Christian Dior by John Galliano collection. It was Galliano's second ready-to-wear collection for the house. John Galliano said of this collection "I feel that we are entering a period of our own Belle Epoque as we approach the end of the millennium with a return to romanticism and elegance". The stage of the show was done to re-create the look of a turn of the century mansion with piano and pool tables with separate 'salons' through which the models walked and posed. For the suits like this one, the jackets were cut long and done in a basket weave wool. They were meant to be a nod to the famous Bar suit but shown with a floor length biased cut skirts rather than the fuller poufed look of the original version. The collection was all about fantasy and romance and had very few true day pieces. Besides the runway reference photos, I have also added one from the Dior catwalk book. On the runway, the jacket was shown in an ivory and then in the stores you had the option to get it in this pale blue, of which there were limited numbers available. 

The collections notes for this show read "the collection was imagined for a woman who rediscovered her naturally liked and graceful body in a subtle, looking silhouette and loves living in the softest lingerie she has decided to show off even for the day". The Times said that it was Galiano "most wearable yet". This is from the original client who bought all three pieces together and it is an extraordinary and rare opportunity to have a piece from this early and important collection.

All three pieces of this set are exceptional. This is the kind of once upon a time piece that brings great joy to see in person and to have in the shop.  The jacket is a staggeringly beautiful example of the work John Galliano was doing during this time. The body the jacket is made of a basket weave wool in a pale dusty blue. The front is dropped into a low V and there is a single button at the waist to hold it in place. The button deserves its own mention as it is a beautiful little antique feeling cameo whose backdrop perfectly matches the blue of the wool. The cut of the jacket is done so that it highlights the curve of the the body. It curves in at the waist and over the hips. At the front the hem curves up towards the button and then the back curves down and around to the top of the thighs. This creates this magnificent hourglass silhouette. Pockets sit on each hip and they are long curved flaps cut to to match the shape of the jacket. It is a masterpiece of tailoring and cut. The sleeves are long and each ends with a metallic ribbon detail that picks up on the silver of the skirt. Lace has been applied to the very edge of the cuffs for a bit of flounce and then you see another bit of applied lace that circles the inside of the collar. The inside of the jacket is lined in a beautiful floral embossed ivory silk. The lace of the collar is then picked up by the lace on the bodice of the camisole that goes underneath the jacket. The inner top is its own little work of art. It is made out of an ivory silk cut on the bias. There are little silver metallic medallion so and scattered over it. The top is suspended from two little straps the curve around your shoulder and the bodice is finished with more of that gorgeous lace. This piece is meant to be more loose and easy on the body. Last we have the skirt which is phenomenal in its own right. It is made out of a silver metallic fabric that has actual metal woven through to create the floral design that you see. It is completely cut on the bias and it is meant to sit a little low on the waist. The skirt flows down to the floor, curving over the hips and then flaring out as it reaches the hem. The flaring shape is achieved by the bias cut of the fabric rather then extensive seaming. This gives you some pretty movement around the lower skirt when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the set has. It is all done so that it sits in a certain way on your hips and then that in turn affects how the skirt sits on your body. Once all the pieces are put together, the bits of metallic on the camisole and on the cuffs of the jacket all tie in so perfectly with the skirt. This is a once in a lifetime, very special opportunity, to get such a rare and amazing complete set. Excellent condition with a small note below.

The jacket is fully lined in an ivory silk and closes with the single button at the front. Light rounded padding in each shoulder. I see some marks under the arms on the lining of the jacket that do not go through. The jacket is tagged FR40, GB12, US8. The camisole slips over the head to wear. I see a very faint spot on the front. It is tagged a FR42, GB14, US10. Please see the photos after the label shot for both of those. The skirt is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper and it is tagged a FR38, GB10, US6

Jacket
Sleeves: approx 23" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam 5019
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 26" from neck to longest point of the back hem

Camisole
Bust: 16-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 22.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 50.5" from waist to hem with approx 1.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4815

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 1998 Christian Dior. Model: Esther de Jong.  /  Last photo from the book "Dior: Catwalk" by Thames & Hudson.

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.

Here we have one of the most wanted pieces of vintage that you can find - one of Roberto Cavalli's iconic corsets along with its matching skirt and top from Spring 2003. I have included runway photos that show the twin of the corset being worn with various pieces. My client waitlisted to get this entire set and I love that I have all three matching pieces for you. Bella Hadid was recently spotted wearing a different variation of this set and versions were shown for a special runway presentation in Cannes that season. It is one of those iconic vintage sets that you rarely see come to market as a full set with all of its pieces together and in the same size. 

I love how the print adds a fantastic pop of colour to these pieces and that by adding the corset it makes it that much more spectacular on the body. As good as it looks in the still shot, it is even better in real life because it is really when you are moving that these pieces live up to their full potential. An incredible amount of feather light silk chiffon has gone into the making of the skirt and top. The bodice of the top falls in wide panels with a plunge at the front that goes right to the waist. The openings for the arms also plunge to the stitching at the waist. The top of the shoulders are gathered with ties in a matching silk and this gives you a bit of softness over the bodice. Each of the ties is long and finished with charms that add a pretty and feminine touch. The waist is top stitched for detail and then the top buttons from there to the hem. I have taken a photo of the top on its own so you can see how pretty the curve of the hem is. This piece is cut to be more on the loose and easy side. It is pretty on its own but when you pop the corset over top of it you see why it is cut the way it is. The corset sits just under that plunge and it holds everything in place perfectly. The corset has inner metal stays at the front where it hooks to close, down the sides and more on either side of the laces. These are encased in the same silk as the rest of the corset and I love how he set the pattern in a different direction where it goes over top of the inner boning. It gives it the perfect amount of emphasis to where the stays are placed. To wear the corset, you hook it at the front and then you can adjust the laces at the back for the perfect fit. It is cut on a curve on both the top and the bottom so that it fits perfectly over you and creates that sexy hourglass shape. The final piece of the set is the skirt and it is as equally remarkable as the other two pieces. The skirt is made out of layer of the same printed silk chiffon as the other two pieces with a wide silk band that wraps around your waist. Onto the band there is a piping of the same fabric that lets you cinch it in and tie it. This piping also has charms at the end of the ties. There are yards of silk in the skirt and it is constructed to have this incredible fullness and movement. The fabric is so light and fine that when you stand still it falls in a pretty column around you without adding bulk. You still get a hint of the fullness that it has but then when you move the many yards of fabric that are actually there allows the skirt to billow out around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. No matter how good it looks in the photos the sensation and lightness of the fabric mixed with the restraint of the corset around you that gives you curves for days is just phenomenal.  Excellent condition with a minor note below

All of the pieces are unlined. The top buttons to close and I see a tiny repair near three of the button holes. The skirt closes with hooks and snaps at the waist. The corset closes with the five metal hooks at the front and then you adjust the fit with the laces at the back. The corset is currently tied with a black silk satin ribbon and I also have the original more shoelace type ribbon that you could switch out for if you wished. Both will be sent. All three pieces are marked a vintage Cavalli Small

Note that I have measured the corset laying open from end with the laces fully tightened. You could open the laces as much as you needed from there.

Top
Bust: to 19" flat across the back from side seam to side seam but has no true side seams
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25" from the top of the shoulder to the hem

Corset
Top seam: 25" flat across from end to end with the laces tightened to wear their it shown on the dress form. You can adjust upwards from there by loosening the laces as needed.
Waist: 23" flat across from end to end with the laces tightened to wear their it shown on the dress form. You can adjust upwards from there by loosening the laces as needed.
Bottom seam: 26.5" flat across from end to end with the laces tightened to wear their it shown on the dress form. You can adjust upwards from there by loosening the laces as needed.
Height: 10" at the laces, 10.25" at the hooks

Skirt
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4812

Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 2003 Roberto Cavalli, Look 13 & 16.  /  (5) Roberto Cavalli fashion show during the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.  /  (6) Bella Hadid in Roberto Cavalli at her Orabella launch, May 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.

The twin of the dress was shown for the Pre-Fall 2020 Gucci presentation for Look 51. Its twin was worn on the red carpet by Rachel and one was also photoed for Grazia Italie. This has always been one of my favourites from his work for the label and I am very pleased to have it in the shop. It is so pretty and the bright colour of it is gorgeous.

If you love an amazing caftan feeling moment then this is the dress for you. It is made out of a bright yellow silk and silk chiffon combination with a beautifully and densely covered jewelled front and collar. The neckline is high and finished with the most amazing yellow prong set glass crystal rhinestones and beads. These circle the neck in a wide 2” band and then more of them run down the sides of the front keyhole. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are very full above their cuffs. I love that the sleeves are left unlined so you almost don't notice that it has sleeves. The inner dress is cut into a simple sheath that skims past your bust, waist and hips to the floor. Panels of silk chiffon have been attached into the collar and around the openings for the sleeves. These fall over you to create the beautifully illusion of fullness that you see in these photos. The panels are split at the front and then cut to just about the top of the hips and then curved down to the floor. They do the same thing at the back and there is a layer of the same silk over the innermost silk sheath patt of the dress. When you move the silk chiffon catches the air and billows out around you for the most beautiful and dramatic effect. This is a dress that you just throw on and it instantly drapes and falls into place perfectly each time. It is very pretty and very easy to wear. It has its original tags attached and comes with its original dust bag and Gucci hanger. Excellent condition 

The innermost silk layer of the dress acts as the lining. The dress closes with a hidden set back zipper and each cuff has two silk covered buttons. Original hangtag is attached with extra beads/ rhinestones included. It will ship with its original hanger and garment bag. Tagged a modern Gucci 42. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Neck: 15" around
Sleeves:  approx 25" and 18" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust-hips:  to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 57" from the neck to the hem and then some of the top panels extend past that a few inches

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4811

Reference Photos: (1) Pre-Fall 2020 Gucci, Look 51. Model Bethann Hardison.  /  (2-3) Rachel Zoe in Gucci for the 'House of Gucci' Los Angeles Premiere, November 2021.  /  (4) Coco Rebecca Edogamhe in Gucci for Grazia Italia. Photo by Federico Barbieri.

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 an interesting piece because the 2006 collection was an ode to Spain and you can see the influence and nod to the house archives that Stefano did with pieces like this black silk taffeta skirt. In Vogue's write up at the time they noted that "Pilati spent last summer researching Picasso, mulling over Saint Laurent's 1976 Spanish collection and adding random insights triggered by his preview of the Dada exhibition that opened this week at the Pompidou Centre." This skirt was not a runway piece but one produced for the shops. From my understanding from my client, they were done in limited numbers. I thought it interesting to put it in the shop at the same time as I put the original 1977 skirt done by Yves so you can see how the house progressed from one designer to the next

The high defined waist that you see on this skirt was an integral detail that ran throughout the collection. It is a nod to the Matador pant and I love how it has been translated into this spectacular skirt. The skirt is made out of the black silk taffeta and this allows it to hold the volume and shape that you see. The waist is shaped by shaping the silk into little 3/4" vertical rows that circle around the waist and give it that high waisted cut. The band it creates is 5" wide. Each row then opens out at its base to give the skirt the volume that you see underneath. An almost bubble shape was a part of many of the pieces in the collection and this skirt has that as well. When laid out flat you see that it actually curves outwards around the hips and upper leg and then is brought in a touch around the hem. Once it is on this curve is not quite as exaggerated as when it is laid out and it falls beautifully around you. The fabric choice keeps it feeling super light in weight. There is an internal band that zips on its own to hold the skirt in place around your waist. It is very beautifully constructed and a very clever way to give a nod to what Yves was doing in 1977 while still showcasing Stefano's perspective. And it has pockets. Excellent condition.

An inner corset panel zips to close with its own zipper and then the skirt zips to close with a hidden set zipper over that. Unlined through the rest of the skirt. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage YSL 42

Waist: 15" flat across the top of the band from side seam to side seam and 17" across the base of the band
Hips: open
Total length: 47" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4810

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.