Emilio Pucci is one of my favorite designers and every single dress is a work of art. His colors and prints are mixed with a masterful hand and when you get a good piece of Pucci it tends to be a piece that you can wear for a lifetime. This one is particularly gorgeous with its bright floral pattern. I love it.

The dress is made out of one of his signature lightweight silk jerseys and this was a fabric that he preferred because of the way it moved and held colour. It is screened with one of his custom prints that he has laid out onto the fabric in a very deliberate way to highlight the cut and line of these dresses. Huge flowers cover the dress from head to toe in a bright combinations of colours. The sleeves are long and cuffed so that they pouf out slightly over the cuffs once on. The bodice is cut to skim over the bust with a high scooped neckline. It falls over the waist and hips in an easy way that lets it skim over you to the floor. The cut and fabric allow it to not be super fitted but still highlight the body underneath. The colour mix is gorgeous. The backdrop is a bright coral orange and then the floral pattern explodes off of that mixing yellow tones with pops of pink. The flowers cover the entire dress and I love the joyful feeling this creates. One of the signatures on his pieces are those bands of a contrasting print and on this dress he used that to define the neckline, the cuffs and around the bottom hem. A double band of that print is also set to run down the full length of the back of the dress. The entire dress weighs ounces. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each cuff buttons to close. Tagged a vintage Pucci 8. The fabric is a silk jersey and does have some stretch. I have given the comfortable measurements laying flat. I see a tiny very light spot on the front. Please see the photo after the label shot. Hand finished throughout.

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4616

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Bill Blass worked for the Maurice Retner label for 10 years as the chief designer. In 1968 the Bill Blass label became a subsidiary of the Retner label. Then in 1970 he fully bought out his partners at the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name as Bill Blass Ltd. This makes this is a very early example of his work under his own label before he fully bought out the Retner label. We also found a dress from this same collection that used the same fabric in a different colour way in the Ohio state archives that confirms the date of this one. I think this one might even be the better of the two with its joyful and bright colour palette.

This dress is truly fabulous. It is very bright and beautiful and I would hazard to say that it is one of the stand out Blass pieces that I have had in the shop to date. The neckline is cut high and the collar is finished in the same silk organza as the rest of the dress. The bodice skims over you to the waist. The waist is seamed and has a more generous cut. The dress comes with its original matching belt that is made out of the same fabric and has a big flat bow at the front that I love. It adds that extra special little detail that you will only find in vintage pieces like this. The skirt flows from under there in a pretty soft expanse of silk. There is a great deal of fabric in the skirt and it widens out as it nears the hem. This lets that fabulous striped print in all those bright primary colours that covers the dress to take centre stage and really be showcased. The sleeves are spectacular. Each is cut wide through the upper arm and then explodes out into a full bell shape that is fantastic. The added glamour the sleeves adds is wonderful and they are my favourite detail. The silk organza the dress is made out of is a beautiful quality and light as a feather. Great condition with a note below.

The dress is fully lined in a silk and silk organza with only the bell sleeve part being unlined. It zips to closes at the back. The belt snaps to close. There is a slight softening to the organza consistent with the age of this piece. I see some faint marks on the fabric here and thee. Please see the photos after the label shot.

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4617

Reference Photo: 1968 Bill Blass dress from The Ohio State University Archives.

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Victor Costa launched his label in 1974 and was known for producing versions of what was seen on the Paris runways. Costa chose good fabrics for his designs and even though his work was often very close interpretations of other designs, he did add his own unique twist when it came to colours, cut and fabrics. Some of his work is quite lovely and this dress is a really great one. I am in love with it!

This dress is so pretty and an easy dress to just pop on and walk out the door in. The cut is so flattering and it is incredibly easy to wear. It is made out of a soft cotton that has a bit of a waffle texture to it running through the coloured stripes. The print combines different widths of stripes and they mix soft pastel citrus colours with a deep blue. The stripes are set to follow and highlight the design of the dress. On the bodice you have a panel of them coming down and around the neckline and then wrapping around the waist. The rest of the bodice is set horizontally and then the fabric of the skirt is also set horizontally but because of all the gathering and tiers of the skirt it creates a completely different feel. It has a V neckline at the front and I love how the waist is set on a slight angle to take advantage of the striping pattern. Under that the skirt is full and falls to about ankle length depending on your height. It is made of three tiers of fabric and each one widens out as it hears the hem. There is a ton of fabric in it so when you move it moves beautifully around you. It is meant to be worn without a belt but you could easily cinch in the waist with a modern belt if you wanted to add more shape. Excellent condition.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips:  open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 53" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4618

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 used for the 1992 ad campaign that was shot by Helmut Newton on Karen Mulder. We also found the runway shots of the dress in purple worn by a young 19 year old Tyra Banks and in the video here you can see that the twin of this black one followed right behind it. We have had the purple version in the shop before and that dress had its original hang tag on it so we know that this dress originally retailed for $1990, the equivalent of about $4400 USD in current dollars. This was one of the iconic pieces of that season and I am very pleased to have found it in the black version.

The dress is made from a crisp cotton and silk mix that has just enough weight to it so that it sits perfectly once on the body. It skims over your curves in a chic and simple line. The dress perfectly represents this time period and you can see the transition from the stronger more angular shape of the eighties and how it was slowly moving into simpler shapes for the 1990s, all while still retaining the emphasis on the shoulders that the eighties had. That touch of excess from the 1980s is still there, but the shape is softening. The neckline is scooped and just deep enough to feel sexy but without being too deep not to be able to easily wear. It has a row of buttons under that that run to past the waist and this is held closed with those incredible poured glass enamel buttons. There are six in total, three red and three green and I love the heart shape they are done in. It is cut to skim over the bust, waist and hips. The skirt widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. That ruffled shoulder and neckline detail is the star of the show. It follows the cut of the neckline and puffs out above the shoulders for a bit of high drama. I love that we have so many reference photos so that you can see just how amazing this dress is on the body. It appears to have been worn very little, if at all. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes down the front with the buttons as seen. Tagged a vintage YSL 40

Waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 34" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4409

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Ad Campaign.  /  (2-6) Spring 1992 Yves Saint Laurent Runway. Model: Tyra Banks.  

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.

Gina Fratini created some of the most sought after evening wear in the 1970s and into the 80s. Elizabeth Taylor chose to wear one of her dresses for her second marriage to Richard Burton in 1975 and Princess Diana made several appearances wearing her work. Fratini was a British fashion and costume designer whose label existed from 1964 into the eighties. She was also known for dressing Princess Anne, who wore a Fratini gown for her 21st birthday portrait. She did freelance work for Normal Norell and designed the Ossie Clark lingerie line. She won the Dress of the Year award in 1974. She as known for her use of natural fabrics and her dresses were complicated affairs that were not easy to reproduce, which gave her designs an edge in exclusivity.

More than anything I love the feather detailing on this dress and that gorgeous print. They take the dress to the next level and the details on this dress are truly spectacular. The dress is made out of a beautiful silk organza that has been treated so that it has a slight stiffened effect. Printed onto the silk is a gorgeous design that combines flowers, birds, hands and faces. The backdrop is the softest blush nude pink and the print is done in soft pastels. It is so pretty. The top of the dress is stunning. It has a high scooped neck that is finished with a ruffled collar. It skims over the bust and then is seamed right under the breasts for a baby doll feel. The sleeves are shaped into a puffed cap. They are set so that they curve over the top your arm and puff out around the shoulder. The skirt falls to the floor from under the high set empire wast and it is phenomenal in its cut. It falls in three tiers of silk and each tier expands outwards getting wider and fuller as the dress falls to the floor. This floats over and inner pale peach lining that is also set in tiers and it is absolutely gorgeous. I love the silhouette this creates. It is spectacular. The final touch are the feathers that are scattered over the entire dress. Each feather has been hand dyed to a pastel pink, blue or green and they are each attached to the end of a piped ribbons of the same fabric that is attached to the dress. They are set a different lengths so that they dangle off of the dress from the seams where each tier is attached at a seam. This creates incredible movement as the dress moves around you and then the feathers attached to the strips of fabric move as well. Each sleeve has a longer panel of the silk tied into a bow with a feather at each end The organza keeps it light and easy to wear while the cut and design are phenomenal. This is a truly amazing vintage piece. Excellent overall condition wit a note below

The bodice and skirt are lined in a peach silky rayon and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. There is the tiniest of discoloration under the arms and I see that has been reinforced around the inner arm edges with invisible mending tape from the back. Presents perfectly once on

Sleeves: 12" around the arm opening
Inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from neck to empire seam under the bust
Total length: 56.5" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4613

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

The set is gorgeous and in the hands of the right person will be a fantastic statement piece. The silk of the pants is slightly heavier than the silk of the top and it has a slight sheen finish to it. They button and zipper to close at the waist and there are loops if you want to add a belt. Slanted pockets sit on each hip. They skim over the hips and are a bit fuller through the leg. They are cropped and what I think is especially interesting about them is that they have an inner piece built into each leg that is a slightly slimmer and made out of a black velvet. Each is adorned with three buttons down the side to give the impression that you are wearing a pant over a pant. The top is made out of an opaque black silk that is very fine and light. It is cut very generously so that it is very easy to wear. It buttons down the front and hooks at the waist. The waist is elastic and we've added a ribbon to define it a little bit more. The sleeves come out from the waist and the shoulder so they are very wide and full right to the cuff where they button in. This lets the sleeves billow out fantastically above the cuffs. Inside there are rounded shoulder pads. These are very interesting because they have an attached loop to them that you actually loop your arm through so that the top stays in place despite it's full and generous cut. The collar goes all the way around the neck and has six layers of black netting that is trimmed with a black lace. Each layer has little metallic gold flowers embroidered onto the netting. This add the perfect little dash of glitz to the outfit. You can wear the ruffles more flat and down or you can really fluff them out so that they wrap around your neck and frame your face. I love the versatility of having the two pieces because you can wear it together as a set or mix and match it with existing pieces in your wardrobe to get many outfits out of it. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The pants are fully lined in a black silk and zipper to close at the front. The top is unlined and closes with buttons and hook and eye. Elastic though the waist of the top. The ribbon around the waist of the top is not original but will be included. Each cuff buttons to close with two buttons and the inner waist stay on the top hooks to close. Pockets on the hip of the pants. Hand finishes throughout. The top is tagged a vintage Valentino size 8 and the pants a 6. Padding in each shoulder. I see a tiny mark on the inside of the padding on one shoulder and some light press marks / very light scuffing around the seams of the pants and on the fabric of the legs of the pants. Comes with its original necktie and the waist ribbon we added.

Top
Sleeves: no defined seam
Shoulders: approx 26"
Bust: no true side seams
Waist: The inner waist stay is 25" end to end and the outer top stretched form 27-38" end to end
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Pants
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 35" from waist to hem with 4" turned under the hem
Inseam: 22"
Gusset: 15.5" from back of waist to inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4610

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This is a spectacular example of Galanos and the evening dresses that he did so very well. James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this dress is fantastic.

The belt alone on this dress is what vintage dreams are made of. It is tacked all the way around the waist and it is this thick braided black cord that has rose of rhinestones attached to it. The belt has then been tied into big knots that are perfectly spaced from each other and then it ends in this elaborate silk fabric tassel that is unlike any tassel I have seen. It snaps into place at the front or you could wrap and tie it if you wished. It has such impact and it elevates the entire dress even more. The label on this dress is the one that dates from 1963-1977 and this is my personal favourite time period of his work. The fabric is a beautiful light weight black silk chiffon for the bodice and sleeves and then the skirt is a black silk jersey. The cut of the dress is incredible. The neckline is a slight scoop and then the dress skims over you to the waist. The waist is slightly dropped and seamed but a little more on the generous side and then the belt adds a touch of shape. The bodice is incredible. The entire thing has been done in tiny little knife pleats that are meticulously spaced and lined up. These run vertically down the front and the back. The very edge of the neckline has been piped with a tiny bit of silk for a finished look. It is just incredible to see and it is all done to the level of work that you are only going to find in vintage. The work is all done by hand. The sleeves are equally as fabulous. Each is made out of a single layer of the silk chiffon and are cut to be very full so that they balloon out over their cuffs. The sleeves are also pleated but in a wider pleat than the ones on the bodice. This gives some contrast to the pleating on the bodice and also allows the sleeves to fully open up and have the billowing fullness that you see. Even the cuffs are pleated and the pleating on each cuff perfectly matches the size of the pleats on the bodice. The skirt falls from the waist and is gathered in tiny delicate pleats all the way around the waist. This allows the skirt to flare and open out as it nears the floor. There is an incredible amount of fabric in it. The workmanship in this dress is fabulous It really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition with a note below

Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and closes with a back zipper. Each cuff button to close with little embroidered dome buttons. I see a repair near the hem of the skirt, on the skirt and I feel like the zipper sticks slightly. Please see the photo after the label shot. Hand finishes throughout and beautifully made

Sleeves: 22.5"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17.5" from neck to waist
Total length: 56" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4609

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.

Pauline Trigere launched her label in 1942. She was from Paris and moved to the US in 1937. That early French influence showed throughout her career. In 1949 she was awarded her first Coty award. She won it again in both 1951 and 1959. The 1959 win coincided with being inducted into the Coty Fashion Hall of Fame. She was a pioneer in the use of cottons and wool for evening and her work with silks is wonderful. In 1961 she made headlines for being the first major fashion house to use an African American model. This is a stunning example of her work from the seventies and it is gorgeous.

This a two piece set which I love for the versatility that it gives you. You can wear them together or mix and match with things you have already. This one has the added versatility in the top. It is so well made that we think you can wear it with the plunge at the front or the back and we shot it both ways for you to see. You can choose to wear it on its own and daring, or layer it over other things. Both pieces have this amazing soft and flowing feel to them that I love. It is made of a feather light silk chiffon with a tiny ribbon effect that is fused directly into the silk. This gives the fabric an added texture and it really plays on it transparent feel. The print is the prettiest little green flowers and they cover the entire surface of both pieces. The top is unlined through both the bodice and sleeves so that you get a glimpse of the skin under the silk. The sleeves are very wide and come out from the waist. A pretty green ruffle runs along the bottom hem. The pants have their own hand set silk chiffon nude lining that gives just a suggestion of the body underneath and from a distance you are not sure there is something under it or not. The top is cut to blouse softly over the waist and it closes with a hook & eye at the waist. There are snaps set along the inner hem of the top and along the edge of the pants so you attach the two pieces if you wished. The waist of the pants has an elastic through it and it is cut to sit loose and easy in the body. From the waist the pants flow to the floor. They skim over the hips and then fall in a very full and open wide cut pant. Depending on how tall you are they will sit to be slightly cropped or to the ankle. Both pieces are very well made and finished by hand. The set is even better in person and on an actual body where the fabric can really move and flow as it was meant to. Excellent condition

Unlined and the top hooks to close at the waist and the pants close with hook and eye at the waist and a zipper. There is elastic in the waist of the pants and the in part of the waist on the top. I see a tiny mark near the hem on one pant leg.

Top
It measures 57" across from sleeve end to sleeve end with an open bust
Waist: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 18" from shoulder to hem

Pants
Waist: 12-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40" from waist to hem with 3.5" turned under the hem
Inseam: 27.5"
Rise of inner bottoms: 14.5"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4607

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 a fascinating little bit of the YSL history. In the late 1960s / early 1970s you could buy YSL Vogue patterns and YSL approved fabrics in fabric stores and at fabric counters in the US and make a dress from an approved pattern book. This pattern book was a guide that recommended which sewing patterns went with the approved fabrics. Stoffler was one of the fabric distributors for this project and this dress has the label showing that collaboration. So basically someone could buy a YSL Vogue Paris Original pattern and make the dress out of a YSL approved fabric and then add in YSL label that came with your purchase of the pattern and fabric. I love it.

The dress has that fabulous hostess feel of this era and it was obviously made with great care and love. The Stoffler fabric is a happy lemon yellow colour that has a secondary floral applique applied onto the base fabric. I love how this gives the fabric a bit of a 3D feel and adds texture and interest to the dress. The dress completely covers you and has a beautifully classic, feminine and elegant feel to it. The bodice skims over you to a slightly higher set waist. The sleeves are long with a braided detailing at the cuff that is covered with clear beads The neckline is high and detailed with more of those same beads and then more circle the seam at the waist. On all of the areas that the beads have been set they are tightly spaced directly next to each other. They lay slightly off the fabric so they have just a touch of movement to them. This adds a pretty sparkle to the upper part of the dress as the beads catch the light from every angle. From there the skirt falls to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Unlined and closes at the back with a zipper. I see some missing beads here and there.

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4608

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 Valentino Roma label launched in 2000 to take the place of the Miss V line. It was sold at a price point that was a bit more accessible then their main line and was meant to be available in more shops then the main line would be. The pieces were still very well made. This one caught my eye simply because of how gorgeous and sexy it is. It is a stunning dress with a beautiful amount of detailing on it.

I love this dress with its amazing use of bias cut silk chiffon. These bias cut silks are always an incredibly difficult fabric to work with and Mr Valentino and his team were masters at it. The silk is so light that you get this fantastic floating sensation all around you with your slightest move. The dress is suspended from the one single shoulder that curves up and over the shoulder with a little gather of the silk at the top. The strap glides into the fabric of the bodice and then the dress drapes over the body to the hem. On the other side the dress dips low and to hold everything in place there is a second tiny star there as well. The silk is all bias cut and the shape that you see is from the incredible way the fabric has been laid out and gathered up and into the one side. The top of the bust is angled down and over you and it does the same at the back. The shape though the waist is created by a seam there and I love that it is cut more generously so it feels easy to wear. If you wanted a really cinched in look you could belt it as well. the silk gathered into that sequin leaf and this makes it very easy and comfortable to wear. Under that the dress cascades to the floor in many yards of feather light silk chiffon. This is where the dress gets truly magical. Two layers of the silk chiffon flow over each other and it is all cut on the bias. The layers flow out in an ever widening silhouette to the ground on one side and on the other the hem curves up with a slit that shows some leg when you walk or sit. The fabric ruffles out around that opening and it is very pretty. It is very flattering on the body and it creates a fantastically dramatic effect as the silk floats around you with the slightest bit of movement. This is a stunning dress. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellentcondition

Made of two layers of the same printed silk chiffon and closes with hook and eye down the side of the bocce and a hidden set side zipper under the waist at the side. Tagged a vintage Valentino 44/8

Bust: 17-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 75" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem. On the shorter side it is 32" from the top of shoulder to the top of the slit on the skirt on that side

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4605

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 Pre-fall collection was extensive as far as the number of looks that walked the runway. The twin of this jacket was Look 64 in the presentation and there were still looks that followed it. This is from the era that both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were designing for the label and for this particular collection they brought in Celia birtwell, the British textile designer and ex-wife of the late Ossie Clark, as well as the Italian Pop Artist Giosetta Fioroni as collaborators. This gave the collection a magical quirky feel with all of those creatives minds adding their own spin into the mix. 

This is a great jacket that adds an instant pop to any outfit and makes it special. The base of the jacket is a deep blue silk fabric that has an almost light canvas finish to it. Then onto that are hundred of little mirrors in various sizes that are either round square or oblong. These are all set within a sewn embroidered edging or against a little blue fabric backdrop and they cover the entire jacket. I love how the different size of mirrors are set in a way to follow and highlight the lines of the jacket. When you have this on they catch the light and reflect everything around you and it is amazing. The jacket itself is easy to wear. The sleeves are slightly cropped and the jacket is more of a skimming shape through the body. It does have shape and comes in slightly at the waist but it is meant to feel more easy than structured and fitted. The collar is rounded and notched and adorned with mirrors as well. Two big top-stitched pockets sit on the front of each hip for the perfect finishing detail. It is the perfect jacket to just slip on over just about anything. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with a handset blue silk and closes at the front with hidden set buttons. The pockets on the front are functional. Tagged a modern Valentino 8. It appears to have been worn very little, if at all.

Sleeves: 20"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4596

Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2015 Valentino, Look 74.

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.

Donald Brooks launched his label in late 1963 with a collection for the Spring 1964 season after an already successful start as a costumier for Hollywood. He quickly became one of the most sought after of the American designers and his clients included Jaqueline Kennedy, Claudette Colbert and Faye Dunaway. The New York Times said that he was one of 'the three B's of fashion' alongside Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene. He helped to launch the American Council of Fashion Designers and won three Cody Awards over the course of his career. He launched a secondary boutique line in 1971 all while also designing costumes for Movie and Television. He eventually closed his label to concentrate on costume work and only designed for the occasional private client. This is a gorgeous example of his work from his main made to order label. 

I love this dress. The dress is made from a black wool crepe that is cut loose and easy through the body. It has an inner built in bodice that holds it perfectly in place and then the crepe just falls over that. This gives you that fantastic floating sensation all around you with your slightest move. The dress is suspended from straps that curve up and over the shoulder. Everything about the dress is done as simply as possible and this is all deliberate so that the bodice can shine. The bodice has a heavy embellishment of little steel beads mixed with a variety of prong set crystal rhinestones in different shapes and sizes. These catch the light beautifully. The rhinestones form flowers within the designs and I love how he used bigger stones so it has this fantastic 3D effect. The embellishments go across the entire back to create a wide panel and then wrap to the front where they curve up to leave a space between them at the centre. The top of the bust is cut straight across all the way around and then under that the dress cascades to the floor. It widens out as it nears the hem and has an easy-to-wear feel to it. It is very flattering on the body and it creates a fantastically dramatic effect as the dress floats around you. It is amazing and it has pockets on each hip. This is a truly stunning dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a back zipper. There is an inner boned structure that hooks to close with a series of lingerie hooks up the back. Pockets along the seam of each hip. Tagged a vintage 8. I see a couple of tiny areas of thinning near the hem but am being pretty picky. Please see the photo after the label shot. You could add to the inner waist to get more room if needed 

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4591

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 Valentino Roma label launched in 2000 to take the place of the Miss V line. It was sold at a price point that was a bit more accessible then their main line and was meant to be available in more shops then the main line would be. The pieces were still very well made. This one caught my eye simply because of how gorgeous and sexy it is. It is a stunning dress with a beautiful amount of detailing on it.

The dress is made out of a combination of a feather light deep mauve purple silk chiffon and a matching lace that is detailed with sequins. It is a combination that is instantly striking and sexy. The top is cut in a halter with lightly padded triangles over each breast. Silk straps in a matching colour curve up and over each shoulder and then cross over each other at the back. The back dips low for a bare expanse of skin to show. At the front the bodice is detailed with a panel of lace that runs down the centre and then a wider panel circles the waist all the way around. The lace down the front has no backing so you get a glimpse of skin underneath. I love that. All of the lace is detailed with glossy purple sequins and beads. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and there are many yards of fabric in it. At just about the knee it opens and flares out so you have tons of movement around you when you move. It is gorgeous and very sexy. Great condition with notes below

Fully lined in a matching silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Tagged a size 40/4. There is very minor marks along the edge of the seam near the arm edges and a couple light marks on the dress, near the hem and one strap, small tears/repairs in the netting. Please see the photos after the label shot. All minor. 

Bust: 16" flat across the front from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 15" from top of bodice to top seam at the waist
Skirt: 62" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4597

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.

Oscar de La Renta was bought onto the Swirl label in 1977 to do a line of robes, nightgowns and pretty little hostess type dresses like this one. The label had hired Bill Tice in 1975 as the designer but then in 1977 made a deal with first Geoffrey Beene and then de la Renta to do a line for them as well. Tice sued the company shortly after bringing in Oscar, citing that Swirl was favouring Oscar over him. He  left the company saying his contract has been violated and Oscar withdrew shortly after that as well. Which makes this dress a very interesting little piece of fashion history from a very specific and short period of time. Besides its fascinating history, it is also a gorgeous little dress in its own right.

The dress is made out of an easy to wear, and easy to travel with, printed cotton mix and it is so pretty. This fabric choice makes the dress so comfortable once on and easy to work with. You can literally pull it out of a suitcase and pop it on and go. This type of fabric also hold colours extremely well and they feel as crisp and true as they would have been when it was produced. I love the brightness of the print that covers the entire dress. It is a pretty pop of bright tropical flowers set on that pretty blue backdrop. I don't think you could wear this dress and not feel happy. The dress is cut into a chic and simple one shoulder at the front. The bodice extends into the strap that curves over one shoulder and I love how it's kept a bit wider. All of the edges have a red ribbon detailing, and this also goes around the waist. The back has that same angle to it. The waist is seamed but it has a more generous feeling cut so it's easy to wear. If you wanted it to feel more cinched in you could add a belt. The skirt falls to the floor from there and widens out as it nears the floor. I love how the hem is finished with a wide 10 inch ruffle in the same fabric. This gives a bit of a kick and movement when you move and is just the prettiest way to finish the dress. The skirt has a pretty amount of fullness in it to give it a bright and happy feel. It is a gorgeous dress. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with two buttons at the side. A couple of tiny marks here and there but minor

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to the top of the ribbon at the waist
Total length: 56" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4589

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 Shrimpton Couture Archives

The printed version of this dress was featured prominently in the 2016 exhibit at the Museum of FIT. It was not one that was featured on the runway but it was a piece produced for limited production in stores in black, the printed black and this muted silver. 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 muted metallic bias cut silk that is stunning. 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. It is just amazing. Excellent condition with a very minor note below.

Fully lined in a black silk chiffon 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. A couple of extremely minor little snags in the fabric. Mentioned for accuracy. Tagged a vintage McQueen 42

Bust: to 19-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 67" from top of shoulder to front hem, 75" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

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.

Anna Molinari and husband Gianpaolo Tarabini launched the Blumarine label in 1977 out of Capri and had their first catwalk show in 1980. By the 1990s they had opened  their first stand alone shop. This is from the 2005 Sposa wedding collection and its just a beautiful dress

This dress is so pretty and romantic feeling. It is slightly more ivory than how it photoed and it is an even prettier colour in person. It has little netted cap sleeves that you can wear expanded out so they go over the edge of your shoulder or you can wear them up on top of your shoulders or sitting off of the shoulders altogether. I love that you have that versatility with them. The bodice is more fitted and then the dress skims over the waist and hips. It widens out as it hears the hem. The entire dress is made out of a silk organza and then it has bands of a pretty lace that is detailed with the tiniest little sequins and iridescent seed beads. These bands start at the top of the bodice and then run down the dress, carefully spaced out all the way to the hem. Tulle is set between the top two bands and the tulle there is gathered and sewn into place into those top two bands. Starting at the band just under the bust the tulle is only sewn into the band above it. The bottom edge of the tulle is left free and easy so that it forms these pretty little ruffles all the way down the dress. The dress gets wider and filler as each band progresses down the dress so that by the time you are at the hem the dress is quite full. The back is cut longer than the front so that it trails out behind you a bit and gives you that beautiful sweeping skirt. This is an amazing dress and I love how the tiny little beads and sequins catch the light so it has just a tiny glimmer as you move. It is absolutely gorgeous. Excellent condition.

Bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam with up to a B cup at the front
Seam under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to the bottom of the band at the waist
Total Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, approx 68" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4584

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 everything and it is a beautiful example of the work YSL was doing from this time period. It has a custom designed huge pink floral print screened onto a feather light red silk chiffon that is layered over an inner red silk chiffon lining. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. The entire dress has been printed with that oversized and gorgeous flower design that I love to get that gorgeous pink on red tonal pattern. The neckline is set wide across the top of the shoulders and then it is gathered at the top of each arm for pretty detail. The silk extends out for just suggestion of a sleeve over the upper arm and you simply slip your arm through to wear it. The inner dress is attached to the outer and both layers fall from there to skim loosely over the body to the floor. As it nears the hem it widens out quite a bit near the hem and this lets it pick up the air as you move and floats around. It spectacular. The loose and easy cut give it a bit of a caftan feel that I love. The movement and drama that it has is extraordinary considering the simplicity of the design. This is a dress that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of his work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a light red silk chiffon as described above. It slips over the head to wear with no closures. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. It will just drape more on a smaller frame and be more fitted on a larger frame. I see a tiny repair at the back hem and the tiniest smudge of a mark at the front. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged a vintage YSL 36

Inner bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of bodice to longest point of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4581

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 Shrimpton Couture Archives

• Helen Rose signed with MGM in 1944 and designed costumes for various films up until 1966. She won two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and was nominated on 8 other occasions. She was the designer behind both Grace Kelly & Elizabeth Taylor's wedding dresses and dresses both in real life and on film as well. In 1958 she launched her own label.
• An absolutely beautiful dress from this time period that is made from a pink silk chiffon and then heavily detailed through the bodice.
• The front is almost like a jewel piece and is heavily sequinned and detailed with beads and prong set rhinestones. These follow the scooped neck line and then form flowers across the front. The bottom curve of the bodice follows the same scoop as the neck.
• The front extends into wide straps that run down the back, leaving part of the upper back bare and exposed. The detailing continues over those straps and also runs all the way around the top edge at the back.
• From there the silk chiffon falls outwards to the hem and the dress is incredibly full by the time it reaches the floor. When you move the bottom portion of the dress will swirl around you.
• It is fully lined in a pink silk and has two layers of the silk chiffon of the skirt laying over that inner layer.
• The work is all done by hand. It is a slightly different shade of pink than how it photoed
• The dress closes with a back zipper. There is no size tag in the dress so please refer to the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 12" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 51" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

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.

Gianfranco Ferre is best known for his years at the helm of Dior where he headed the Atelier and House from 1989 until 1996 however, just prior to that he was designing his own line that launched in 1978 as a ready-to-wear line and then eventually added a couture line in 1986. This is an amazing jacket from that period in the early 1980s when he was designing under his own name and we found the reference runway photos from the 1982 show. I love that you can see how great it is on the body and having that documentation on it makes it that much more special. 

This is a gorgeous little jacket that has all the hallmarks of the 1980s yet still manages to feel as chic and fresh now as it would have then. The jacket is made out of a light weight leather that has a touch of texture running through it from being worn and loved through the years. It isn a very light patina that gives it that perfect vintage feel but without feeling too worn. The colour is a blue black that looks one or the other colour depending on the light. It has a fabulous cut with a more voluminous feel through the top and then the waist is nipped in with a matching belt. There is a narrow peplum under where it belts that flares out for a pretty shape. The belt is top stitched and it has a heavy silver metal buckle to close. The sleeves come out from the side and marrow down to the wrist. I love the exaggerated collar that is top stitched all around the neck and then has two big flare in panels at the front. There's a padded top stitch detailing that runs down the edge and a bit of a cord detailing at the top. Each sleeve is cut straight and wide, and I love this detail. The end of each cuff and the bottom peplum has the same top stitching as the collar to tie it all together. Pockets along each side of the perfect finishing touch. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a black silky rayon and wraps and belts to closes. Pockets on each side. The silver on the buckle shows patina, and scratching as you can see in the photos and the jacket shows light patina to the edges here and there. The adjustable waist and wrap style should allow it to fit a range of sizes. It will just feel more oversized on a smaller frame.

Shoulder: no true seam
Sleeves: approx 23"
Bust: approx 19" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: approx 15" flat across the back from side seam to side seam and can be cinched in with the belt 
Length: 20" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4577

Reference Photos: Fall 1982 Gianfranco Ferre.

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 always love when I find these. I have had the twin of this piece in both gold and red a couple of times now and they always get snatched up immediately. This is from the Halston IV line and is a made from a red lurex lame. The simple classic design makes it an easy way to be instantly dressed up and still entirely comfortable. Rachel Zoe owns and wears the twin of this in a gold version and she has worn and posted herself wearing hers a few times on her Instagram account. It just proves that this is an incredible and glamorous staple piece that you can wear again and again.

Whenever I get these metallic ones I feel that they are just that little bit extra special. It is a dress that is so easy to wear. I own one myself and can attest that these can go from the beach, to entertaining at home with flats, to full on evening glamour. The caftan has a simple and easy to wear cut. There is a slit front neck and then a second slit runs up the center seam at the front from the hem. So when you walk or sit you get a flash of leg showing. The cut is loose and easy to wear. It is meant to skim over the body. The sleeves come out directly from the body of the caftan and then narrow down towards the wrist. The skirt flows to the floor and widens out to be quite full as it reaches the hem. The waist is open and easy. If you wanted more definition you could easily add a belt or fabric sash to add shape. This is a wonderful piece with all the minimalist lines that we all love about Halston. This one even ha its original hangtag attached. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and slips on to wear. The fabric has a slight transparency to it. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. These always have a loose thread here and there but is part of the vintage charm of them. I see a very tiny pull here and there near the side seams and one tiny repair that you only see inside. All minor and what I have seen in every one of these that I have had. The colour is a touch brighter red in person then how it photoed

Sleeves: approx. 23" and 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and it widens to approx 26" flat across around the hips
Length: 60" from shoulder to hem
Slit: 24.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4267

Reference Photos: (1) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture wearing a similar caftan.  /  (2-3) Rachel Zoe wearing Halston (from her Instagram)

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

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate beading, sequins, daring cut-outs and avant garde ways of defining the body. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during this period. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.

I love the soft and romantic lines that this dress has. The dress flounces over the body and is easy to wear and still flattering. It is made of a light red silk gazaar that has just enough weight to hold the shape that you see, but still feel light on the body. The neckline is set on an angle with a wide ruffle in the same fabric that covers the bust and is set so that it twists and turns up and over your shoulder and then down the back. This dramatic framing around the shoulders is quite beautiful. It skims over the body under that to a seam at the waist and then the skirt flounces out under that. The skirt picks up on that asymmetrical feel with ruffles that cascade down from the hip opposite to the bare shoulder. A half bow tops all of that and then the ruffles run all the way down the side of the leg and around to the bottom of the hem at the other side. What you don't realize until the dress is on is that where the ruffles meet down the side; all that hold it in place is three ties that run across the legs and extend out from the back and front side of the skirt. So when this is on and you move, you are going to see bare leg from the upper thigh down, but you just see a tiny flash of it as the ruffles hide most of your leg but your skin does peak through. It is an insanely sexy detail that is in total contrast with the sweetness of the ruffles. Even trying to show you on the dress form doesn't get the same impact that this is going to have on the body over skin. It is pretty without being juvenile and the red gives it the perfect amount of drama to offset the ruffles. The silk is light in weight and yet has enough structure to hold the shape so it does not collapse around you once you move. It looks remarkably simple yet is genius in its execution. Great condition with a note below

Fully lined in a hand set red silk and closes with a hidden set side zipper to the waist and then there is a hook to wrap the skirt around and the skirt ties below that as described above. Inside the bust there is one of his signature strapless bras tacked into place. This could be removed and change to a size appropriate to you if needed. There is some wear and tear on the underside of the strap that sits under the ruffle of the one shoulder. I see a tiny bit of grubbiness in the fabric here and there on the edges and near the waist edge. Please see the photo after the label shot. 

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam and then can be opened more with the ties
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to  waist
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to longest point of the hem

 Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4574

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.

Ceil Chapman was an American designer of classic cocktail and party dresses who successfully took the revered Christian Dior 'New Look' haute couture designs that most woman could not even hope to afford and reworked them into designs that American woman could attain. She won the Coty American Fashion Critic's Award in 1945, the John Wanamaker Award, Foley's 'Golden Year'Award, and the Strawbridge and Clothier seal of confidence for creative contribution in the area of American fashion. In 1955 she won the Mademoiselle Merit Award after a poll asking college girls to cite the country's most popular designer for the young. She won by a landslide. Her self-named label was launched in the mid-1940s and continued to the to the mid-sixties.

This beautifully constructed 1950s Ceil Chapman dress is made from a blue silk that almost has the feel of a mens suiting. There is a bit of a striping effect in it that is very fine and mixes the blue with a black. Chapman is best know these days for being one of Marilyn Monroe's favourite designers but she was also favoured by Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Deborah Kerr to name just a few. Chapman's signature style was all about being a bombshell and her dresses were cut to show that. This dress is a beautiful example of Chapman's attention to detail and her fantastic seaming techniques. The front has panels of the fabric stacked on top of each other and set over the bust to give volume and enhance the bust area. If you look closely you can see that she set the grain of the fabric in opposite directions so you get this really subtle play on the pattern that is in the fabric. It is fantastic. The panels curve over the shoulder and are set across the back so that the detail goes all the way around you. I love the way this sits wider across the front so that you get a bit of skin showing there. It has pretty little cap sleeves and nips down to the seamed waist. The skirt is lean and fitted around the hips with angled pockets on each hip that add to the curve of the dress. At the back the skirt is cut in a modified mermaid style with a bit of extra fabric set in on an extended curve where there would normally be a vent. This allows you to walk and it also adds a pretty flaring detail to the back. The simple cut combined with the amazing blue fabric make it a stand out. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Sleeves: 12" around the opening
Shoulders: no true define seams
Bust:to 18 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4568

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 Shrimpton Couture Archives

• Limited production piece from the Fall 2013 collection
• Under the creative direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri & Pierpaolo Piccioli 
• Based on the original Fall 1968 looks that I have included here
• This famous print was inspired by the blue and white in Chinese vases. A Chanel dress from 1984 was in the MET's "China: Through the Looking Glass" exhibit and this dress is almost its twin.
• Strapless and hidden pockets on each hip
• Made out of a textured silk damask that has the blue embroidered directly into it so that it has a touch of texture and a 3-D effect on top of the silk underneath
• Built-in inner wired corset that zippers separately on its own and then the exterior of the dress zips over that
• The dress is new with tags and pristine

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips:to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 8.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 45.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 2013 Valentino, Look 43. Model Esther Heesch.  /  (2) Fall 2013 Valentino, Look 44. Model Sasha Luss.  /  (3) Models in Valentino, British Vogue, September 1968.  /  (4) Model in  Valentino Autumn 1968 Gown, photographed by Steven Meisel, 2015.  /  (5) The MET Exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass", 2015.

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

My client bought this fresh off the 2015 runway when she travelled to India that year. She instantly fell in love with the embroidery work that adorns the dress but never ended up wearing it. So it is still in perfect unworn condition. It is such a gorgeous dress and I love that we found the runway and video reference photos for you to see how beautiful it is on the body and how it moves. Samant Chauhan is based in Delhi and he centres his work around hand woven and embroidered textiles. He particularly loves working with Bhagalpuri silk, cotton and silk fabrics and that love of textiles is clearly seen in this dress. 

This is a stunning silk dress in a beautiful ivory colour with extensive embroidery worked over its surface. The dress has a pretty and simple top that closes down the front with hidden silk covered snaps. The collar is wide and full and the sleeves are pretty little caps. I love how he has added little details that give the silk different textures for different parts of the dress. For the sleeves he has lined them with a middle layer of stiffened netting and that honeycomb design peeks out through the top layer of silk for a touch of texture. On the bodice he top stitched all of the silk underneath the embroidery so it has a texture to it and then the skirt is left in its original state with just the embroidery on top. The bodice is done so that it skims over you to the waist. The waist is seamed but it has a bit of a generous feel to it. You can see in the reference photos and the runway video how beautifully this falls on the body. The skirt is extremely full and falls from the waist with a series of inverted pleats that are set all the way around so that it adds to that fullness. The way it moves once on is beautiful to see. Underneath the skirt are two extremely full layers of feather-light muslin that give the skirt its airy feel and that wonderful fullness that you see. The bodice has been elaborately embroidered so that it sits up and off of the silk underneath. Added throughout all of that embroidery are pops of metal cord, deep bronze sequins, metal thread and tiny little beads. The embroidery completely covers the collar and is set all the way around the bodice and then trails down the upper part of the skirt. It is such a pretty and romantic piece. Excellent condition.

Fully lined through the bodice in an ivory muslin and then the skirt has two inner layers as described above. It closes with hidden set silk covered snaps down the front. Tagged a modern Med

Sleeves: 9" and are 14" around 
Shoulders: to 16"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from neck to waist
Total Length: 60" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item# DD4564

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2015 Samant Chauhan Runway Show at India Fashion Week.

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 has a Hickson Inc. label inside and that shop was a high-end fashion retailer that carried numerous designers of the day during the first few decades of the 20th century. It was said to be ‘the most elegant and expensive specialty shop on Fifth Avenue.’ at that time. The work of Howard Greer and Madeline Vionnet were sold there. When researching the label I found an interesting little story that Hickson's was accused several times of buying French Parisian labels like Boué Soeurs, removing the labels and selling them under the Hickson label. The Boué sisters actually sued them and won. That story does illustrate that each dress with this label may have a little bit of a mystery to it and may be potential piece of even more importance then you first assume. The Met Museum holds several of pieces by this in their permanent collection which only adds to the collectibility of it. 

The first thing you think of when you see this dress in person is Ossie Clark. It literally looks like it could be a very early version of one of his designs but with the added detailing on the sleeves. The fabric is an earlier, original version of the moss crepe that he adopted for so much of his work but otherwise it is almost mind boggling to look at this dress and not see Ossie. Especially in person as the dress has much more fabric in it then the photos convey. It is gorgeous in person. This is an amazing dress from this time period and it is easy to see why Clark used these dresses as his start point to develop what would become his signature look. It is now so rare and hard to find these in such amazing condition too. It is also surprisingly long for a piece from this time period. The dress has been finished beautifully and it obviously is a high end piece. It was a hard dress to photo since these dresses were really meant to come to life once on an actual body and my dress form is not doing it anywhere near the justice it deserves. The dress is cut straight across at the front with two straps that extend out from the centre of the neckline and connect at the back of the neck. A little flat bow sit under them at the front with trailing ties that run down the bodice of the dress. This is a very unusual neckline and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite like this one before. The bodice is cut to skim over the bust and the waist is seamed but still has a bit of a generous feel over the waist. You could add a belt if you wanted it to have even a more cinched in feel and add shape. The skirt falls to the floor under that and I love the cut of it. When you stand still it falls in a smooth column but when you move you see just how much volume is there and how the lower skirts flare out. The sleeves are gorgeous and each starts from the edge of that square bodice and is full across the upper shoulder and then narrows down to the cuff. On each sleeve there is a dense detailing of the most amazing pattern of flowers and vines that cover the entire sleeve. The design is made up of hundreds of the teeniest tiniest hand set sequins that are stacked closely together so that they have a slight overlap to each other. They lets them sits up and off of the silk underneath slightly for the most beautiful 3D feel. The design follows the lines of the sleeves all the way from the top of the shoulder to a few inches above the cuff. They catch the light and add a fabulous glitter to the dress. It is truly incredible and if you are a fan of these pieces from the twenties and very very early thirties you know just how exceptional and rare it is. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and closes with a hand set back painted metal zipper. Each cuff zips to close. Light padding in each shoulder. Perhaps the slightest bit of press marks in certain light around some of the seams which is natural to this type of fabric and a dress of this age. For a garment almost 100 years old it is truly amazing. 

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total Length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4560

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The Shrimpton Couture Archives

• Circa 1978
• Under the creative direction of Roy Halston
• One shoulder silhouette
• Draped panels down one side
• Falls from the shoulder to skim over the body all the way to the hem
• Easy to wear and flattering
• Made of a light weight gold metallic synthetic
• Unlined and slips on to wear with hooks at the top of the shoulder
• Excellent condition with the occasional small snag in the fabric 
  

Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips:to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 54" from top of the shoulder to hem
Slit: 22" from hem up

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Vintage Halston at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.  /  (3) Martha Hunt wearing vintage Halston in Cannes, 2019.  /  (4) Martha Hunt on Harper's Bazaar Australia Best Dressed List. /  (5) Halston Form Fit Ad, Vogue, October 1980.

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 not a dress that walked the runway that season, but it is a dress that was worn on the red carpet. At times Valentino will produce pieces for retail or limited production that were not necessarily shown in the runway show. The twin of this dress was worn by Matilde Gioli  to the Venice Film Festival that year and you can see just how gorgeous it is on the body from the photo of her wearing it. This season of Valentino is a special one because it was the first solo show for Pierpaolo Piccioli. That makes the more special pieces like this a little more significant and collectable in terms of the history of the label. I also think it is a dress where you can really start to see his signature look for the house in terms of volume and use of shape. It is an absolutely stunningly beautiful dress and shows the near couture quality that even ready-to-wear has with the modern Valentina label.

This is a thoroughly Valentino feeling dress. It is absolutely beautiful and really showcases how Pierpaolo is able to take something and give it such a romantic feel while still keeping the elegance of a piece. The dress is made from layers of a fine light weight silk chiffon in the prettiest possible pale pink. Think scarf weight. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk the fabric of the skirt and that fantastic upper caped bodice catch the air and billow out around you. The front is cut high and gathered into a pretty ruffle that wraps around the neck. The inner bodice angles down the sides and is scooped around to the back which leaves the entire upper back bare. Extending out from the neckline and the front of the bust are two layers of chiffon that drape to fall over your arms and then curve around the back to create that beautiful half cape that you see. This is all held in place with a little button and loop at the back of the neck above a keyhole. The gathers around the neck at the front create a pretty detailing over the bodice all the way down to the waist seam. The fabric is gathered into that seam and then the skirt sweeps and falls to the floor. The skirt is made from two layers of silk that are stacked on top of each other with the inner layer being a touch of a shade darker pink for a little bit of added depth of colour. The skirt is all bias cut and has an amazing amount of fabric in it so that when you move it floats and moves beautifully around you. You can see the amount of fabric just by the way it falls in the photos. The precision in cut to have this all fall and move so beautifully should not be underestimated. It is an utterly beautiful dress and will take your breath away in person. It has all its original tags attached and looks to have been worn very little if at all. It might even make an amazing dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Excellent condition

Fully lined in pink silk chiffon and closes with a low back zipper and hook and eye at the waist. The back neck closes with a button and loop. Tag a Valentino 42. Has its original labels and its original packet with an extra button for the neck.

Bust: no true side seams but covers to 16" flat across the front from side to side 
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 13.5" from top of neck to waist
Total length: 65" from waist to front hem, 70" to the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4549

Reference Photo: Matilde Gioli in Valentino at the Venice Film Festival, 2016.

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Todd Oldham showed his first collection in 1981 and officially launched his label in 1989. In 1991 he won the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. By 1992 when the twin of this top was shown on the runway under a striped suit he was on fire and everyone who anyone was a fan. His shows were extravagant and full of the reigning supermodels of that era. His clothes were loud and in-your-face, but also sophisticated and beautiful. This is a rare top from the Spring of 1992 collection. A twin of the top is held in the Met Museums permanent archives.

The top is a beautiful silk organza that has been slightly 'stiffened' for a more crisp feel. It has a white backdrop and then onto this is a huge hand painted floral print covering its surface. The colours on this are spectacular and I love the care that would have gone into painting that wonderful design across the silk. The time it would have taken to do this cannot be ignored. It is fantastic an example of being able to wear a true piece of art. There is even more colour added through the jewelled buttons that are each a different colour. These run down the front and then there is one on each cuff. The collar is pointed and the shape through the body is cut straight down. If you wear this tucked in it will blouse out above the waist. The sleeves puff out slightly over each cuff. It is gorgeous.  Excellent condition 

The top is unlined and buttons to close down the front and at each cuff. It looks to have been worn or were worn very little. Tagged a size LRG.

Top
Sleeves: 23"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16"
Bust: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam and widens to 22" at the bottom
Length: 25" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4542

Reference Photos: (1) S/S 1992 Todd Oldham Runway.  /  (2) S/S 1992 Todd Oldham ensemble from The Met Collection.

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

Thea Porter combined exoticism, embellished ornamentation and luxurious fabrics in her pieces and her work was a phenomenon during her day. Elizabeth Taylor was a huge fan and collector and I think every rock star on the planet wore her designs. I have had tucked away in my archives for quite some time. This is it gorgeous little top with the most magnificent full balloon sleeves. It is rare to find tops by her as there were often worn to death as she made more dresses and caftans then separates. This top is just spectacular.

This is everything you look for in a piece by Thea. It has one of her custom designed prints screened onto a matte satin finish fabric that has a touch of weight to it. Just enough to hold a bit of the shape but without losing the drape. The entire top has been printed with a gorgeous abstract design in shades of grey and soft taupes on an ivory backdrop. The neckline is set in a V and the collar is exaggerated and pointed. The fabric has been gathered into the shoulders so the sleeves are even fuller, It also beautifully highlights the top of the sleeve but in the softest possible way. From the neckline it cascades and skims loosely over the body to the hem. It is cut to simply float over the body. When you wear it tucked into something it has gorgeous volume as it puffs above the waist. The sleeves are fantastic. Each is an incredibly full balloon sleeve that poufs out dramatically above the cuff. The movement and drama this creates is extraordinary. This is a top that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Great overall condition with a small note below.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. Each cuff buttons to close with two buttons. The fabric has a soft faded feel but it is even all over so I think this was intentional. I see a small repair to the based the V at the front and a couple of tiny areas where the fabric has thinned. One on the sleeve and then a tiny area near each seam under the arm and an area near the front hem. The front and ones near the arms have been repaired at some point with invisible mending tape placed on the back side of the fabric to make them secure and stable. Please see the photos after the label shot 

Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: no true shoulder seams
Bust: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam and narrows to 21"
Length: 26" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4543

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Gina Fratini created some of the most sought after evening wear in the 1970s and into the 80s. Elizabeth Taylor chose to wear one of her dresses for her second marriage to Richard Burton in 1975 and Princess Diana made several appearances wearing her work. Fratini was a British fashion and costume designer whose label existed from 1964 into the eighties. She was also known for dressing Princess Anne, who wore a Fratini gown for her 21st birthday portrait. She did freelance work for Normal Norell and designed the Ossie Clark lingerie line. She won the Dress of the Year award in 1974. She as known for her use of natural fabrics and her dresses were complicated affairs that were not easy to reproduce, which gave her designs an edge in exclusivity. 

More than anything I love the extreme sleeve detailing on this dress. The are truly spectacular. There are actually two parts to the sleeve. There is a long slim sleeve under the more caped sides that extends out from the dress and this inner sleeve ends in a little ruffled cuff that I love. Then over that is a full angel sleeve that extends out from the shoulder and falls all the way to the floor. Each is a long rectangle of fabric that drapes down spectacularly as they reach the floor. These are set into the body of the dress starting from the waist and this gives you that tremendous draping that you running down the sides of each bodice. The sleeve create a tremendous amount of movement when you move. The dress is made out of a light silver metallic lame in a deep silver grey. The front has a high neckline that is detailed around the collar with a little ruffle and a little decorative bow is set at the front. It skims over the bodice to a band that runs around the waist and then the skirt falls to the floor below that. The skirt is set around the waist in a series of soft gathers to pick up on how the sleeves are set into the bodice. It widens out gently as it nears the hem and there is a good amount of fabric in it so that the entire thing has movement when you move. It is gorgeous. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition.

The bodice and sleeves are unlined and the skirt is lined with a black silky rayon. It closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. Tagged a vintage UK 12

Inner sleeves: 27" and are 12-13" around the upper arm
Shoulders:  no true seam
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from the top of the shoulder to the top of the band at waist. The band is 3" wide
Total length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4538

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

This is an extraordinarily rare piece and it is one that I have had tucked away for many many years. It's made out of a copper gold colour silk for its base and this gives it this pretty luminescent quality. Onto that silk base is a heavily detailed design created by the application if a black silk cord. The cord is all laid out and stitched into place with thousands of meticulous little stitches. This creates this really interesting raised detail and gives the skirt its gorgeous texture. The band around the waist has been left without any embellishments so you get that touch of contrast and it is fitted around the waist. From there it curves out and over the hips and then flares  out to the hem. It is not a full circle skirt by any means but it definitely has volume. The cording helps to hold the shape and it sits perfectly on the body. If you really wanted it to stay full you could add a light underskirt. It is beautifully made and there are hand finishes throughout. This is the epitome of that perfectly made little skirt that can go from day to cocktails. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Unlined and closes with a back metal zipper and flat hook and eye at the waist. Hand finishes. I see one small smudge on the waist band and it looks like it was let out around the zipper at some point but you have to rally look to see the evidence of that. Please see the photos after the label shot. 

Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 29" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4535

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Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of  the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a very chic and sexy example of his work from this time period and it is even better in person. 

The dress is made out of a three layers of a feather light silk chiffon. The top tow are in that perfect crisp red and then there is a nice later under that. Every layer is cut on the bias and the layers float over each other perfectly to drape over the body. It is incredible. The dress is as light as a feather and feels like heaven once on the body. The dress is suspended from the shoulder with tow Tony red silk chiffon straps. The neckline plunges down between the breasts and there is a softly angled seam under the empire cut bodice. The back is scooped between the straps to leave a bare expanse of skin showing. From there the dress falls in this extravagant swoosh of bias cut silk. It is cut very long and I love the play on the transparency with the layers stacked on top of each other like that. It falls over you with a loose and easy cut to the floor. The bias cut lets it drape the body underneath but at the same time it feels insanely comfortable on because the fabric weighs ounces. Tiny little ruffles in the same silk are set all around the neckline and the there are three rows of the same ruffle that run down the front of the dress. These begin just under the bodice and angle out over the dress for the prettiest detailing. It is immensely flattering once on. This is the perfect simple yet striking dress you will want to wear over and over. It is truly a remarkable piece and so beautiful. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Made from three layers of silk chiffon as described above. It closes with a hidden set back zipper. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. I do see one small spot on the dress above the hem to one side and there is a small repair along the hem. Please see the photo after the label shot.

Bust: 14-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Undercuts: 14"flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13.5-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 58" from the top of the shoulder to the front hem, 62" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4527

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This is the first time I have had this particular design from the Halston IV line and it instantly became one of my favorites besides the one shoulder dresses I find for you. The design is so simple but at the same time it has so much impact with its low plunge front and sexy feel created by the easy wrap design. It is an incredible piece that you can wear over and over and style it in a zillion ways depending on what you pair with it. 

The cut of this dress is spectacular and is perfectly in line with what he was doing with his main label. The base fabric is a fine red synthetic that feels like a silk and has the added bonus of being easy to care for and travel with. There is a secondary pattern woven into the fabric and this gives it a little pop that I love. The dress feels very sexy but in an easy to wear kind of way. It slips on and closes at the elastic waist with hidden hook and eye. The wrapping over keeps you fully covered but still allows for the skirt to open a bit to show your legs when you walk. The dress has its original matching belt that you can wrap and tie around you to add more shape at the waist. The dress falls to the floor from there and the skirt widens out slightly as it nears the floor. The top is spectacular. It is cut to skim over you to the waist and the front plunges to the waist band. With the way that it is held closed and with the sash that goes around the waist it is actually safe to wear it in its full plunge. The sleeves begin just above the waist and are cut wide and straight. That makes them very full and they just sit beautifully on the body. Gorgeous. Excellent condition w a minor note below

Unlined and wraps and hooks to close as described above.  Elastic through the waist. Original sash tie belt. The dress has a generous cut but can be cinched in through the waist so will easily work on a smaller frame as well. Pockets along each hip. I see some small areas where the fabric has darkened on the back of the dress and on sash. Please see the photo after the label shot for an example 

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: no true side seams
Waist: to 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam and you can cinch in further with the belt
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 62" from neck to hem with just 2" turned under the hem
Sash: 88" end to end and 17" wide

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4526

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This dress is not perfect but it is still perfectly wearable and it is a stunning example of the work that Marc Bohan was doing for this season. When researching this piece we found a photo of it with a coat and belt that gives you a great idea of how it is once on the body. It is also great to have documentation on it which is not always easy for an earlier piece. The Spring 1969 collection is mentioned in the 'Dior Catwalk' book and it says that "Bohan mixed racy day looks - perfect tailoring and all the snap in the world with adorable little Renoir girls in white or pastel coloured dresses". The dresses were short and they were all based on the same beautiful A-line silhouette that this dress has. Documentation on this collection is rare so to find one of the rare pieces that has documentation is wonderful. The dress does not have it original belt but you could easily have one recreated out of a silk ribbon if you wanted to emulate the full look. 

The dress is made out of a silk that has been stiffened, so that it has an almost canvas feel to it. This technique allows the dress to hold that precise and meticulously tailored shape that you see. The inner label of the dress states that the dress is blue, but I feel that the dress has a more of this gray green with a blue undertone feel to it. The sleeves are short and straight and the neckline is slightly scooped. It skims over the bodice and there is an upward curved seam that rises up and around from the waist. At the back the seam does the opposite, curving down to help lengthen the appearance of the dress at the back. It skims over the waist and then flares out into a dramatic A-line that has a sculptural tailored feel to it. A vertical seam runs from under the bust down the centre of the dress at the back and the front and this all adds to that very architectural feel that he was after. It is a gorgeous little piece and despite its imperfections is still wearable for those that don't mind wearing something that is not 100% perfect. It is still a Haute Couture piece after all and has a significant value for its place in fashion history. Good overall condition.

The dress is lined in an ivory silk through the bodice and closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. There is shattering to the inner silk lining around the neckline and it looks like it's been reinforced under the arms at some point though I see no signs of damage there. There are faint marks around the neckline, edges of the sleeves and I see marks on the fabric near the bottom of the skirt and grubbiness along the hem. I have photoed the worst of it. It still presents extremely well, but these marks are there. Please see the photos after the label shot. The dress is entirely finished by hand throughout and has been done to Haute Couture standards. The proper Couture tag is present. It fits small through the upper bodice/shoulders and then is more generous through the body.

Sleeves: 10" and 13" around the widest part of the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 35.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4508

Reference Photo: Spring 1969 Christian Dior Haute Couture. Photo by Seeberger

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The Andre Laug label launched in 1968 in Rome. Laug was one of the grand Italian Couturiers who would now be considered to have designed "Alta Moda" the Italian equivalent of Haute Couture. He apprenticed under Nina Ricci and was the designer behind the first "Mademoiselle Ricci" collection in the summer of 1961. From there he freelanced, working for both Philip Venet and Andre Courreges. His clients included Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Diana Ross and countless others.This dress is all done by hand couture tags and based on its style most likely dates to those first early years. It is gorgeous.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS- SML

Item# DD4514

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

This is a dress that was either produced for stores and was not a runway piece or it was a special order but regardless of not having a reference photo of it, it is hands down one of the best Oscar pieces I have seen. It is just beautiful! The silk brocade that it is made out of is magical. It is that soft French blue and the fabric is a rich silk. Into the silk is a woven floral and leaf design down in tines of silver and grey thread. The entire dress feels like it has a subtle inner glow and it is beautiful to see. The dress is strapless and fitted around the bodice with an intricate inner built in cupped corset. The corset has padding in the front cup area and then it has a series of vertical boning all the way around you with stretch net in between. This zips in place independently of the outer dress and is what holds the dress in place around you. The dress falls over that to skim over the waist and hips and then fall tot he hem in a sleek volume widening out just slightly. Depending on your height, this will fall to just below the calf or be full length. At the back, the ham sweeps out in a flat wide full of fabric that gives it a touch of volume and kick. This extra volume of the back as beautiful movement as you move, and I love the detailing that it adds to the dress. This is an exquisite example of his work and very beautiful. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale blue silk and has an attached inner corset as described above and shown the inter corset zips to close and has a hooked waste stay and then the outer dress closes with a hidden set zipper. Padding and shaping through the front bodice.  I see evidence of it being let out near the back outer zipper at some point. Tagged a recent Oscar, de la Renta 6

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with a A -small B cup
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 48.5" from top of bodice to front hem, 50.5" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4516

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.

Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature had elements of her homeland. When I find pieces like this one with such a stunningly beautiful example of that  I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work. This one in so just so pretty and the shorter length makes it very easy to wear. 

This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. It has one of her custom designed prints screened onto scarf weight light silk. This is also a fabric that takes colour exceptionally well. The base colour is a beautiful deep red that has just a touch of coral to it. It has been printed with that gorgeous flower design mixed with tiny paisley and I love the colour combination of the rich red with the soft print. The neckline is set to drop in a squared off shape at the front and does the same at the back. The silk has been gathered under the border of the neckline and falls to the waist seam. The waist is elastic and this is what gives the bodice that gathered feel that it has. It also makes it incredibly easy and comfortable to wear. The dress is cut to simply float over the body. From there it falls to the hem and is set in a bit of a tier so that the skirt has some shape and volume. The elastic brings the waist in and you could add a belt or ribbon to cinch it in more for added shape. The sleeves are fantastic. Each is an incredibly full balloon sleeve that poufs about the elastic cuff. The movement and drama this creates is extraordinary. This is a dress that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on to wear with elastic through the waist. Each cuff also is finished with elastic. Tagged a vintage 7 and the easy cut and elastic through the waist should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. It will just drape more on a smaller frame and be more fitted on a larger

Sleeves: approx 22" but meant to come up a bit once on
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 10-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from tip of shoulder to waist but will blouse over when on 
Total Length: 45.5" from top of shoulder to hem but will come up a bit once on

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4511

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.

These full skirted mini dresses appeared in both the ready-to-wear and couture lines for the Spring 1992 season. For this pone we found a reference photo of a young Carla Bruni in its twin and it shows you how fantastic this cut is once on the body. The collection paired past and present design elements and many of these dresses were shown with denim jackets worn overtop of them just like in the photo of Carla. He softened his usual baroque patterns with flower designs mixed in and even with that added softness the entire collection was still extremely sexy. Gianni himself said the attitude of the show and these dress was 'pinup girl'. This is an exceptionally fabulous dress and shows why his work is as highly valued as it is.

I love this dress. It is made out of an insane cotton mix of colours that has one of his famous Versace patterns over its surface mixed with bright flowers. Wide straps curve over the shoulders and these straps extend down and into the bodice. The edges of the voice are all finished in a feminine pink lace and this highlights the lines design of the dress and adds a bit of romance. The skirt under the bodice is very full. The bodice is meant to be more fitted and at the lace runs down the centre at the front. There is a little pink bow set at the top of that and this gives the bodice its corset look. The waist nips in with an angled seam that plunges down and into the skirt adding to the feel of a corset. The skirt is spectacular. It is set in around the waist with a series of soft pleats that widen out as they near the hem. This gives the skirt incredible fullness. To help hold that fullness there is a built-in layer of a baby pink tulle that has a ruffled edge. This is built in underneath the skirt to help to hold it shape. When you move or twirl or sit you get just a glimpse of this. If you wanted it to be really full you could add an additional crinoline underneath to really give it that full on runway feel. At the back of the skirt there is another pink bow that sits at the small pf the back and then little pink straps are set individually down the centre to the hem. It is an amazing dress and instantly recognizable as one of his pieces. Excellent overall condition with small notes below.

Fully lined through the bodice in the same fabric as the exterior and the skirt has the added inner layer of tulle. It closes with a hidden side set zipper. I see a couple of small storage marks on one side of the hem that are very faint. The teeniest bit of darkening to the tip of some of the lace under one arm and stress to one side seam. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged a vintage Versace 42.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with extra room at the cups
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16.5" from top of shoulder to slightly dropped seam at waist
Skirt: 17" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4504

Reference Photo: Carla Bruni for Versace Versus, Spring 1992.

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.

Geoffrey Beene was one of the great American fashion designers and he was recognized for both his artistic and technical skills. He launched his label in 1963 and a piece from his very first collection landed on the cover of Vogue. A Coty award followed a year later. In 1984 the Council of Fashion Designers created the annual Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in honour of Beene's fashion legacy. This is one of the prettiest and most romantic dresses I have seen from him and I love it. 

This dress is completely made out of lace with a feather light silk chiffon lining. It somehow manages to be insanely sexy on the body while still seeming romantic which is a tough combination to be able to pull off. It is almost unbelievably light in weight. It is made from a pale blush pink lace combined with a deep moss green lace. The lace and silk lining allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve whole never being too clingy. The slight stretch that these fabrics have allow the dress to show off your curves while still feeling wildly comfortable once on. The bodice glides over you and then extends down to the one single long sleeve. The front and back of the bodice curves across you to leave the other shoulder and arm bare. All of the edges follow the natural pattern of the lace and this adds to the feminine feel that it gives. The lace has a single layer of a pink silk chiffon lining behind it. This gives it a slight transparent feel to it. On the skirt there is that second layer of lace that has been attached over the blush layer so you can still see the pink showing through. It is set to curve down on an angle opposite of the one shoulder and this clever placement adds to the curved feeling of the dress.  It is just tremendously beautiful. The workmanship is exquisite where the two laces overlap. The dress then glides down past the hips to fall to the floor in a beautiful drape of fabric. A high slit up one side lets you walk and adds a flash of bare skin as you move. It is just incredible and the lightness of the fabric feels amazing against the skin. It is cut supermodel long in length and is made to demi-couture standards with lots of hand finishes. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale pink silk chiffon and closes with a hidden side set painted metal zipper on each side. Hand finished throughout. The fabric does have some stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. The colours are prettier in person then how it photoed

Sleeve: approx 27" with no defined shoulder seam
Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from neck to hem
Slit: 26" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4500

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 Miss Dior label launched in 1967 and it was meant to appeal more to the daughters of the established couture clients. The boutique was right next door to the Couture atelier and the line was sold only there and in stores throughout France. In December of 1970 the line hit the US market, in place of the by then finished Dior-New York label. It was an instant hit. The clothing produced for this label was made in the Dior workrooms and was designed primarily by Phillipe Guiborgé, who also designed the boutique lines, but was still overseen and finalized by Marc Bohan.

This dress is gorgeous. One of the best I have seen from this label. The dress has that easy to wear feel that so many of the best of Dior's work has. The collar is wide across the neckline and there is a keyhole that closes with a little snap. The dress is so well-made that I actually wasn't sure which side the keyhole went and it seem to fit best on my dress form with it at the front. I think you could wear it which ever way works best on you. The dress is made of a single layer of a black silk chiffon that has a beautiful pattern fused onto it in a black velvet. The parts between the velvet are transparent and you could wear something nude underneath to play on that or do a colour or solid black to make it opaque. The dress skims over the bodice to a seam at the waist. A velvet ribbon that is stitched into a bow sits at the front and hooks into place to give you some shape through the waist. Under that the skirt flares out and depending on your height, will hit the knee or just below. The sleeves are fantastic and each one is full and balloons out over its cuffs. There is piping at the edge of the cuff and a button to hold it at your wrist. The volume this creates above that is fantastic. It is a stunning dress that makes a strong statement. Excellent condition

Unlined and it slips over the head with a button closure at the back of the neck and a fine metal zipper at the side. Elastic through the waist. The belt hooks to close under the bow with a hook and eye. A button at each cuff. Lace edging on the inner hem and hand finishes. It is meant to blouse and then you bring the waist in. The belt is 29" where it hooks and you could adjust this down if needed.

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 26"" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 27.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4496

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 Fall 2012 collection by Riccardo Tisci. It is not a piece that was shown on the runway that season, but one that was produced for the shops. The evening pieces were often produced in more limited quantities. Riccardo Tisci's time as Creative Director for the house is one of my favourite periods of the label's history. 2012 also marked a major milestone in Tisci career as he won the CFDA's International Award and he was quoted as saying at the time that "This year has been beautiful and amazing for me". This is a stunning example of his aesthetic and I love it.

This is an absolutely gorgeous dress that is easy to wear and still very flattering. It has an easy to wear caftan feel to it but at the same time the silk moves with you as you move and suggests the body underneath. It is made of a black jersey that has enough weight to make it flattering as it skims and drapes over you but that is still light enough that it easily moves. The dress has the absolute minimal seaming and is cut to simply fall from that one single shoulder in a cascade of fabric. The other shoulder is left bare and exposed. Extending down from the shoulder is a seam that angles across the body. Once it reaches just below the hip it begins to open out into an inverted pleat and eventually turns into an open curved slit that is set into the fold. That slit is hidden when you stand but when you walk you get a peek of the bare skin of your leg. It a subtle sexiness that is fabulous. There is a ton more fabric in the dress than how it appears in the shots here. This is a dress that really only comes to life once on. It is in its original extra long supermodel length and appears to have never been worn. It is just a fantastic dress. Excellent condition 

Unlined and slips on to wear with an inner stretch net bodice. The easy fit should allow it to work on a variety of sizes and you could easily change the inner bodice if you meed more room. Tagged a 38. In its original uncut supermodel length. The fabric has stretch. 

Bust: 16-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist of the inner bodice: 13-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Outer waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 66" from shoulder to longest point of the hem
Slit: 34" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4495

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 beautiful example of Halston's work using cashmere during this time period. He was a master at combining function and ease but without sacrificing glamour. He did this with the absolute minimum of seaming that a garment required. His bias cut knit pieces sometimes feel and look somewhat shapeless on the hanger or dress form and it is only when they are slipped on that they drape and settle into place the way they were intended. They seem so very simple but they are not. Halston used 4-8 ply cashmere for these pieces and that high quality shows. I have included a reference photo of Pat Cleveland on the 1972 runway in the twin of this piece. Recently, variations of his work in cashmere were featured in the Museum at FIT exhibit 'Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s'. In their exhibit notes they mention these cashmere pieces specifically: 'Halston’s use of historical elements to create new collections was sparing. Rather than re-interpret the designs of those who came before him, he made subtle allusions to those designers whose work he most admired. He was inspired by body-revealing activewear and the sinuous, bias-cut gowns of Madeleine Vionnet from the 1930s, while primary influences from the 1940s included the cashmere sweater sets of Mainbocher and the ingenious ties and closures employed by Claire McCardell'

The dress is exceptional. It is in its original to the floor length and falls from the shoulders in a column of some of the finest cashmere that was ever made. It is sleeveless which makes it easy to wear. I love the ribbing detail that circles the opening for the arms and also finishes the neck.  In the book 'Halston; An American Original' they talk about Halston's cashmere pieces and quote Polly Mellen as saying: "His cashmere pieces to the floor... weren't just tubes: they had armholes, were neat on top, yet very cozy and at the same time elegant". It is said that they were inspired by a close associate that was a dance instructor and were intended to give the body complete freedom because of their ease of movement they have when you wear one. The colour on this one is so dreamy. It is a pale baby ice blue that is even better in person than how it photoed. These softer pastel examples of his work are very rare and it is a wonderful piece of Halston's history. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Unlined and slips on to wear. It is made from 100% cashmere made in Scotland. The dress has some stretch and I have given the comfortable range of measurements while it is lying flat. I see two tiny areas on the back inside back near the label where it looks like the fabric was professionally rewoven. Please see the label shot. 

Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 61" from neck to hem with 3" turned under the hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4492

Reference Photos: Resort 1972 Halston Runway. Model Pat Celeveland.

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.

Halston did variations of his famous tank dresses over the course of several years and they are still among the most collectible of all of his pieces. Nothing says Halston like this classic and when you find one in a double layer silk jersey and in this stunning pale shade of minty blue it is a joy to see. Versions of this dress have appeared in several museum exhibits of his work and books on his work. This one is from his main label and I have had versions of these in the past. This one in its soft blue colour is one of the best. It is a very special piece of his work and it is gorgeous. It is not 100% perfect but its beauty outweighs it flaws.

The silk jersey this is made out of is a beautiful soft pastel blue that has a touch of a mint green to it. We have found a runway reference photo of the twin of the dress in a black that shows you how gorgeous it is once on the body. These long silk jersey tank dresses were a Halston staple and were designed for the chic and modern woman to wear while entertaining at home or for a night out. They give you the ability to move and be superbly comfortable all while never having to worry about being inappropriate for any situation. The fabric both hugs and skims  over the body at the same time and this makes the dress very sexy and sensual. It has no closures and just slips over the head and glides over you into place. The exact same fabric acts as the lining and the underlay keeps it from being too clingy over the body. Pastel pieces like this are more rare and this one is a beauty. It presents as great condition but does have some flaws.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. The fabric has some stretch. The hem was let down at some point and it is stitched along the edge but there is a touch of grubbiness here and there where it was folded and minor grubbiness along the seam under the arms. I see a couple of tiny light spots on the back towards the bottom and there might be teeny ones elsewhere and some minor colour change / catches in the fabric. The side seams look like they have been resewn at some point. Please see the photos after the label shot. All these are minor but mentioned for accuracy. Sold as found. The fabric does have some stretch. 

Bust: 14-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulders to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4490

Reference Photos: Spring 1973 Halston Runway. Model Karen Bjornson.

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 wonderful cape is from the Fall 1976 collection and several versions of it were produced that season. We have included photos from the runway pieces here and we also found a photo of a piece in that similar striped pattern from the following collection and included that for you to see for interest we well as I always love seeing the progression in his work. I personally have several versions of his capes myself and have worn them countless times. It is literally the perfect thing to pop over a dress at night time and this one with its shorter length would work fantastically for the day as well. It is a very versatile and so easy to wear piece. 

The cape is in a very versatile blue colour with soft pastel stripes that make it easy to mix and match with other things. The fabric is extremely light and cozy. It is a high end soft wool that is still more on the light and easy side to wear. The cape itself is effortless to make a part of your wardrobe. You just slip it over your shoulders and it drapes in place. A slightly oversized hood extends out from the neck and this added addition of the hood adds the perfect amount of detail and drama. A flat blue braided rope finished all the edges and I love the elaborate braided knot that closes it in place at the neck. A long fringed tassel sits there for added drama and an even longer tassel dangles down from the hood at the back. I love the bit of movement these create when you move. There is a ton of fabric in the body of the cape so that when you move you get wonderful movement as it floats and billows around you. The cut is impeccable and it is a great piece of Yve's fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined and drapes over the shoulder to wear with a knot closure at the neck as described. There is a bit of a change in colour to a small area on the inside of the hood at the back. The easy open cut should allow fit just about any size

Length: 46" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD4487

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1976 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (4) Model in Yves Saint Laurent Cape, Vogue, August 1977.

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.

Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. The coat was probably meant to be a lingerie / lounge at home piece but works fantastically as a coat now. It is so dramatic and in being so also so very Scaasi.  He himself once said 'I am not a minimalist designer! Clothes with some adornment are more interesting to look at and more fun to wear.'

This coat is a dream. As good as it looks in the photos it is even better in person. The photos don't convey how soft the fabric is and how it really hold all that incredible volume around you. It is made from ultra short pile velvet type fabric that is top stitched into a shell patter. This pattern completely covers the coat giving it that texture that you see. The cut is huge and oversized. It's like having a blanket wrapped around you. The shoulders are soft and fall down the arm and the sleeve below that is cut wide and straight. You can wear them long or you could roll them up for a really relaxed feel. The body of the coat is equally as easy to wear. It is done with a loose, easy cut and cocoon feel. There are pockets hidden along each hip and the front is finished in a red piping that curves around and down to meet the hem. It closes down the front with red buttons and loops that leave a tiny bit of space showing. This will be one of your favourite things. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a red silky rayon and closes with the buttons down the front. Pockets along each hip. Piped edges. The cut is meant to be oversized and it is meant to be worn that way so should fit a range of sizes. It'll just be even more oversized on a smaller frame and feel more fitted on a larger.

Sleeves: 21" from the dropped shoulder
Dropped shoulders: 20"
Bust-hips: 23" and opening to 28" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD4482

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

Azzedine Alaia pieces are always a delight to find. His knits were all self developed and are among the best out there. He started his career as a dressmakers assistant  and copied couture gown for wealthy Tunisian clients. In 1957 he moved to Paris and worked for Christian Dior for a grand total of five days. He then moved to Guy Laroche and quietly started to get private commissions on the side. By 1960 he was doing mainly private work and within a few years established a small salon on the Left Bank where he continued designing privately. He stayed at that salon until 1984. During this time period he also did private freelance work for other designers including Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler and even Yves Saint Laurent. It was not until 1981 that he launched his first official collection and by 1983 he had a boutique in Beverley Hills. The French Ministry of Culture honored him with the Designer of the Year award in 1985. In 1993 he decided that the established fashion show schedule was not for him and he eschewed producing a new collection every season. Instead he showed when his collections were ready and continued to do so until his death in 2017. 

This is an exceptionally beautiful example of his work and it is made to be oversized and easy to wear with an almost lounging robe feel to it in its cut. It is a piece that you can wear open and layered over other things or wrap and belt it to have to feel more like a coat or even wear it on its own. It is made out of a mixed knit that is worked to form the easy organic lines that you see. Everything about it is meant to convey ease and luxury. It has no closures and just slips on. The shoulders slope down and into those fabulously wide cut, extra, extra long sleeves that end with a ribbed cuff. You can push them up, wear them long or roll them. The body of the cardigan is loose and generously cut. I love the two big soft pockets that sit at the front of each hip. Slits up each side and the collar has a wide shawl feel to it. It is gorgeous and once on, you won't want to take it off. Excellent condition.

Unlined with no closures. Tagged a size SML but the loose and easy for will work on a large range of sizes. The smaller you are the more it will feel oversized. 

Sleeves: 27" from he dropped shoulders
Dropped shoulders: 26"
Bust- hips: 26" flat across from side to side
Length: 36" from neck to hem and hangs a bit longer once on the body

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-LRG

Item# S995

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.

Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. The dress is from his main label and these were extremely well made pieces. It is so dramatic and in being so also so very Scaasi.  He himself once said 'I am not a minimalist designer! Clothes with some adornment are more interesting to look at and more fun to wear.'

You can easily see the influence of Arnold having worked for Charles James in this piece. The lines are dramatic and yet elegant. The silk is that incredibly rich feeling silk that drapes and sits beautifully. The dress is strapless and is gathered from there to the waist. The gathers are all held in place along the side and this brings in the cut so that it follows and highlights your curves. The skirt is set under that and it is done with an asymmetrical cut so that one side of the skirt is linger them the other. This was a signature cut for Scaasi and a detail you see in many of his pieces. The skirt is quite full and the shape and volume that you see is all created by the way the seams are done and the inner construction of the dress. The innermost layer closest to you goes to just past the hips and it is made out of a fine black silk. A layer of tulle sits between that and the outer skirt and this is how the shape is created. The outermost layers sits over all of that and even that top layer is self-lined in a black silk organza. The final perfect touch is that extraordinary half bow that is set along the one side of the bodice. This is lined in a brilliant pink for an unexpected pop of colour. I have placed it to one side but the dress is so well made that you could wear it almost anyway around and just change where the zipper sits and the back or sides. I think you might even be able to wear it with your arm slipped through and if you really wanted to create more drama you could add some wire inside to ensure it stays high and full no matter how you move as it may flop down when moving as out is now. This one also comes with its original high shawl that is black on one side and that same brilliant pink on the other. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a fine black tissue silk. The bodice is lightly boned and it closes with a side set zipper. The inner skirt construction is described above. Hand finished throughout.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 10" from top of bodice to natural waist
Skirt: 24" from natural waist seam to shortest point of the hem and 52" to the longest part of the hem with 4" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4477

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.

During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and chiffon dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. 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 Boutique line and it is gorgeous. It is so classically Galliano for Dior in its shape and cut. It is a real beauty.

The dress is made out of a pale yellow silk chiffon that has two different textures running through it. Parts have an almost ribbed texture and others have a smother finish with a bit of a horizontal banded feel worked into the fabric. It is all cut on the bias which is one of his key signatures. The bodice is empire cut and has an inner single silk lining and then the textured outer layer sits over that. This top layer is set to be more bare over the bodice and caught up with tiny stitches at the centre. It dips low at the side and then the back has this almost haphazard feel to the way it is set. A very Galliano detail when he chose to play with the idea of decadence and the feeling of age in his garments. It falls from just below the bust draping down and over the body to the floor. The dress skims and drape over you as it widens out to the hem. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures. The change in the fabric texture helps the dress hold its width through the skirt and the lightness and incredible amount of fabric through the skirt gives you so much movement when you walk. It is stunning. The skirt has some slight gathered stitches on each side and there are two high slits that run on both the over layer and inner lining. So when you walk you get a long exposure of leg. His signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how the dress moves once on the body. This is the type of dress that only truly comes to life when worn. It is an incredible example of his work and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a note below

Fully lined in a yellow silk chiffon and closes at the side with a series of silk covered buttons. It is a touch paler yellow than how it photoed. There are a couple of teeny tiny marks on the skirt. Please see the photo after the label shot. The size estimate is based on the tiny bodice even though the rest of the dress should fit a fuller range of sizes. 

Bust: approx 14-15" flat across with no true side seams
Seam under the bust: 12-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Bodice: 8" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Skirt: 58" from seam under the bust to longest points of the hem
Slits: 36" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

Item# DD4478

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.