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The book Givenchy Catwalk says of this collection that "Hubert de Givenchy presented a collection made up of soft lines with dresses that suddenly highlighted the shape of the body before the pleated skirts flared out towards the bottom." It is interesting to note that some of the looser more flowing designs from this collection were a part of the November 28 1973 presentation at the Royal Opera at the Palace of Versailles as part of the fashion show that later became to know become known as the "Battle of Versailles". The book notes that "Givenchy took part in the evening event to raise money for the château restoration, presenting his dresses alongside designers by four other Persian Couture houses competing against five American design designers". I have found nothing that suggests that this dress was a part of that show but it definitely has the feel of what went. This dress was shot that year both for Vogue Paris and British Vogue and I love having those reference shots for you to see just how amazing this dress is on the body.
This is an amazing true Haute Couture Givenchy dress that is a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and then the silk has been pleated into perfectly matched knife pleats. The cut is tremendously flattering to the body and it feels a little bit sexy with the way the top sits on the bodice. The fabric is a beautiful and very light red crepe silk chiffon that moves and drapes fantastically. The bodice is done with its own panel that wraps around to the back. It is set wide and open at the front and then the pleats wrap on a slight curve to follow the shape of the halter to the back where it is set with a wedge of open space between the two sides. Silk straps come out from the peak of the front and then curve over your shoulders to connect to the back. The skirt flares out from there and it has a ton of movement when you move. It is spectacular. The silk is very fine and light and it is cut on the bias and then pleated in long vertical lines. There are yards of it in the skirt and that and the lightness of the skirt picks up the air when you move so that it moves fantastically around you as you walk. This is a very beautiful example of Givenchy from this time period. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. It also comes with a matching curved shawl in the same fabric. Excellent overall condition with notes below.
The dress is fully lined in a matching hand set red silk. It zips to close at the back and then an inner wider waist stay hooks to close at the inner waist. Light. boning through the inner built-in corset. Hand finished throughout to couture standards. I see some wear and patching on the straps. A small repair at the top of one peak and and some repairs/ small shattering to the inner lining near the arms. A small thinned spot near the zipper and a mark here and there and also near the hem. Presents wonderfully but these are mentioned for accuracy. Proper couture tag and numbered tape present.
Bust: 15.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 12" from top of straps to seam under the bust
Total length: 61" from top of straps to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4664
Reference Photos: (1) Photos by Guy Bourdin for Vogue Paris Special Collections Issue, 1973. / (2) Susan Moncur in Givenchy by David Bailey for British Vogue 1973.
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yves saint laurent
Incredible 1972 Yves Saint Laurent Red Floral Silk Chiffon & Red Silk Dress w Balloon Sleeves & Pleat Detailing
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When dating this extraordinary Yves Saint Laurent dress, we found a photo of a piece with almost an identical cut bodice from 1972 along with several runway photos that show other pieces with that same cut to the bodice. I have included those here for you and it is interesting to note that the pleating technique that is used around the upper hip of the skirt was also done in a more intricate fashion for the 1974 Couture show. Yves often use ideas from both collections. - Rive Gauche and Couture - to build and develop ideas and it is fascinating to see the progression of his work from garment to garment. This is an incredibly beautiful example of his work from this time period.
This dress combines a floral silk chiffon with a muted red silk on the skirt. This combination is absolutely gorgeous. Is combination of silks give the dress just enough weight and structure to be able to create the impressive lines and volume that you see but while still making it feel soft and romantic. The colours are spectacular. The top is a printed silk chiffon, and it has a stunning floral pattern in red purples and greens that float over the entire bodice and the sleeves. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist nips in. It plunges at the front and crosses over itself, and the neckline has been detailed with ruffles that begin at the back of the neck and circle around to follow the V at the front and then run down to the waist. piping in the same fabric detail. The waste and ties have been left off to the side to hang down and create a pretty little detail. The skirt falls to the floor from there and it has yards and yards of fabric in it that creates the fullness and volume that you see. The skirt falls in a gently widening line and is quite full by the time it reaches the hem. I love the volume that this type of fabric creates and how it billows around you as you move but at the same time it is as light as a feather. Around the entire upper hip area, and starting at the waist or a series of tiny cleats that gradually open out to create the volume underneath. This intricate detail is a beautiful addition to the dress. The sleeves are outstanding. Each is a single layer of the silk chiffon and are wide and very full. They are caught up at the wrist with a circle full circle ruffle underneath. This creates a beautiful and dramatic finish to the top. I love everything about this dress. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a red silk and closes at the back with a hidden set painted met zipper. Attached ties at the waist and elastic in each cuff. The silk skirt and the exterior layer is a tool ruffle that helps keep the volume through the skirt. Tagged a vintage YSL 38. I see some light marks around the hem of the skirt.
Sleeves: 24" and 14" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 60" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4665
Reference Photos: Fall 1972 Yves Saint Laurent.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
valentino
Spring 2000 Valentino Strapless Red Silk Crepe Dress Re-issue of the 1965 Couture Original
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This is such an interesting dress because it is a re-issue of the original and iconic 1965 dress that is so well documented and associated with the Valentino label. The original debuted in the Spring 1965 Haute Couture collection and it is remarkable how forward feeling that design was for its time. It has grazed the cover of the Valentino book, was worn by Linda Evangelista in an editorial that looked back at the label in 1992. It was originally seen on the likes of Verushka and Virna Lisi. Recently Gwyneth Paltrow wore the again and it is a beloved museum piece. On the Spring 2000 Haute Couture catwalk it was shown in a pink on Esther Canadas and then Elizabeth Hurley wore one to the American Fashion Awards. This dress is a re-issue of the original that released to shops that year under the main label. From what I understand they were done in limited quantities and only available at select locations. It is an incredible piece that is instantly recognizable and very special.
This is fashion history. The dress is beautiful. It is strapless with built in moulded and padded cups at the front that top an interior boned corseted panel. The fabric is draped over that inner construction and the cups curve up and over each breast.I love how each side sits up and there is eternal wiring and boning to keep the shape. They are slit down the front in the middle for a little slice of skin to show and then a panel loops over between the cups and falls down the front all the way to the hem. There is a tiny burst of flat peaks plats under one cup, and then that panel wraps underneath the other panel. It skins over the waist and hips falling to the floor in a beautiful column of the red silk crepe. A high open slit is hidden under the overlapping of the skirt where it sweeps up under that front panel and when you walk or sit you get a fantastic length of bare leg. You can see this in the video that we've included here. This is fantastic dress and a very special piece. Excellent condition
The bust has built in moulded, padded cups and then there is a boned half corset under that inside. The inner corset zips with its own zipper and then the dress zippers to close over that with a hidden set zipper. The skirt is unlined. I see a touch stress to the fabric on the inner part of the hem. This does not show when on but mentioned for accuracy.
Bust: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam with a A-B cup
Seam under the bust: 12-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 5.5" from top of bodice to seam under the bust at the middle
Total length: 49" from top of bodice to front hem, 51" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4666
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 1965 Valentino Couture. / (3) Virna Lisi Virna in Valentino's signature red evening ensemble of chiffon gown with long satin coat covered in ostrich feathers, photo by Angelo Frontoni, 1965. / (4) Virna Lisi in the Valentino Atelier, 1965. / (5) Veruschka in Valentino Couture 1965. Photo by Henry Clarke. / (6-7) Linda Evangelista in 1965 Valentino, W Magazine, September 1992. / (8) Valentino Book Cover. / (9) Katarina Scola in Fall 1965 Valentino Couture. Photo by James Moore for Valentino's Red Book, 2000. From the book "A Grand Italian Epic: Valentino Garavani" by Taschen. / (10) 1965 Valentino Haute Couture Dress from the Valentino Garavani Online Museum. / (11-13) Spring 2000 Valentino Haute Couture. Model Esther Canadas. / (14-15) Elizabeth Hurley in Valentino at the American Fashion Awards, 2000. / (16) Erin O'Connor on The Sunday Telegraph Magazine, April 2003. / (17) Gwyneth Paltrow in Vintage Valentino at the British Fashion Awards, December 2023.
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
Spectacular Spring 1973 Halston Runway Side Cut Out Black Jersey Bias Cut Dress w Open Back
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This dress is a stunning and rare piece of Halston history. Its twin walked the runway for the Spring 1973 show and you can see how spectacular this is on the body. This is classic Halston from his main label couture line. It is incredibly chic and sexy and one of two important Halston pieces I have for you today. This is an incredible example of his work from this time period.
This is an amazing couture Halston dress that is a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and utilizes his signature minimal seaming. Halston defined how woman dressed in the 1970s and these jersey dresses that he did were tremendously flattering to the body. It is also insanely sexy with the side cut outs that wrap all the way around the back leaving your back completely bare except for that one strap that goes across and hooks to close. It also eaves almost your entire stomach and your sides completely bare. The fabric is a beautiful black silk jersey that is heavy enough to be opaque and the dress is backed in a second attached layer of the same silk jersey. The use of this fabric allows the dress to move and drape fantastically. The neckline is high and scooped around the neck and it hooks to close at the back. Then this extends down into the front panel that has straps that come out from the sides to hook at the back. From there it creates a upward curve that meets the downward curve of the top of the skirt in the middle centre of your front bodice. I love the way that the panels curve and create these cut outs on either side of your middle. At the back the top of the skirt curves down and it can sit quite low depending on the shape of your body. It also leaves the top of your hip exposed at the sides and it is so sexy. The skirt flares out to the floor from there in a sleek column of silk jersey that flares outward as it nears the hem. It is spectacular. The jersey is cut on the bias and there are yards of it in the skirt. The second layer of silk jersey is attached all the way around the hem and having the second layer helps to soften out any bumps underneath the top layer and helps to make it very flattering to wear. This is a very rare example of Halston at the top of his game. It really showcases how he use the absolute minimal amount of seaming to create these absolutely stunning pieces. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. Excellent condition with a tiny note below.
The entire dress is made from two layers of the silk jersey. The dress hooks to close behind the neck and then again at the strap that wraps around the back. Hand finished. At some point the ham appears to have been let down but it's well finished along the edge so I've left it as isThere is darkening along the original edge and I see a small area on the front that looks a tiny bit darker than the rest of the dress, but it wouldn't photo well and I'm being pretty picky. If you find that the neck seems to sit high you could add a little extension to the back where it hooks to close if you needed a little more length and have it sit a little lower.
Neck: 14-15" around from hook to hook
Bust: The front halter should accommodate a variety of cup sizes. From end to end of where it hooks to close around the back it is 32 to 36 inches total in length
Opening of the skirt: 13-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 67" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4663
Reference Photo: Spring 1973 Halston Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
roberto cavalli
Amazing 2015 Roberto Cavalli Gold bead &sequin embellished silk and silk netFeather Dress
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This Roberto Cavalli dress is from 2015 and it is beyond gorgeous. Its twin was worn by Naomi Campbell to Fashion for Relief where she walked the runway and I am happy to have some reference photos from the show so you can see how spectacular this dress is once on the body. It is exceptional and extremely beautiful.
The dress is made from a combination of black netting and silk chiffon. The entire bodice is made from the netting and then it has a layer of that spectacular bead work applied with a bit of silk chiffon behind the bead work so that it is opaque enough to wear. The parts that are not beaded have a touch of transparency to them and I love how this plays on the curves of the body. The bead work on the dress is amazing. Heavy applied gold tube beads, gold seed beads and gold sequins are set in swirling patterns across the bodice. As a pattern runs down over the waist and the hips the colours of the sequins gradually changed to a more muted gold and then to a silver. There are prong set glass crystals in gold and clear scattered in and among the pattern. The edge of the neck and arms are lined with silver tube beads and little silver sequins. All of these embellishments catch the light from every angle and I love the depth and 3D texture that it gives the piece. The skirt is remarkable. It is in its original uncut length and has a beautiful cut. When you are standing still you still get the feeling of fullness as it widens out to the hem but when you move the skirt has incredible movement around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. Besides the cut this is further empathized by the addition of thousands of feathers. Each is attached around the hip area with either a sequin or a little prong set crystal and then they are applied directly to the silk chiffon under that. The feathers have incredible movement when you walk and I love how the back of the dress is cut longer than the front so you have a sweeping feel behind you. It is an incredibly beautiful dress and no matter how good it looks in the photos the sensation and tactile feeling of the fabric and lightness when you have it in hand is just phenomenal. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.
The embellished parts of the halter are backed with a black silk so it is opaque and the skirt has an inner silk chiffon lining. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. The occcasional bead missing here and there. Tagged a Cavalli 38.
Bust: has no fixed side seams. The front covers to approx 15-17" flat across
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 62" from neck to front hem, 70" to the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4662
Reference Photos/Video: Naomi Campbell in Roberto Cavalli for the Fashion For Relief charity fashion show at London Fashion Week, February 2015. (Video by Tashie Tinks)
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.
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This dress is an incredible piece of Halston history. Its near twin walked the runway for the Resort 1982 show and version in white were shot for the press advance looks that year as well. The original sketch appears in one of the Halston books and it has the added provenance of the dress that was lent to and worn by Emmanuelle Chriqui in 2002. This is classic Halston from his main label couture line. It is incredibly chic and sexy and one of two important Halston pieces I have for you today. This is an incredible example of his work from this time period.
This is an amazing couture Halston dress that is a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and utilizes his signature minimal seaming. Halston defined how woman dressed in the 1970s and these jersey dresses that he did were tremendously flattering to the body. It is also insanely sexy with the cut out at the front that leaves your stomach bare. The fabric is a beautiful and very light black silk jersey that moves and drapes fantastically. The neckline is scooped with a piped edge that extends up and behind the neck where it hooks into place. On either side of the scoop at the front the fabric extends into panels that create a halter shape. The panels curve down on an angle and secure into the sides of the waist. This leaves the middle part of the stomach bare and open. The panels are then gathered into the piping at the top and wrap around the back in a low curve. The entire back is completely bare and exposed and it is so sexy. The skirt flares out from there and it has a ton of movement when you move. It is spectacular. The jersey is very fine and light and it is cut on the bias and there are yards of it in the skirt. I love that he cut the sides of the skirt slightly longer then the front so you get a bit of a sweeping feel around you. This also helps the skirt to pick up the air when you move so that it billows around you as you walk. Inside the skirt there is an inner layer of silk chiffon and that helps to soften out any bumps underneath the top layer and helps to make it very flattering to wear. This is a very rare example of Halston at the top of his game. It is easy to see why his work is the subject of so many books and retrospective shows at museums worldwide. Excellent condition with a tiny note below.
The bodice is made from two layers of the silk jersey and the skirt has an inner silk chiffon lining. The dress hooks to close with two set so of hooks and then it snaps and hooks below the back of the waist. Hand finished. I see some tiny, snags and pin holes along the hem here and there. The fabric has some stretch but the waist has no give.
Bust: The front halter should accommodate a variety of cup sizes. It is approximately 14 to 17" flat across the front
Waist: 12"
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from neck to waist
Total length: approx 50" from shoulder to longest points of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML
Item# DD4661
Reference Photos: (1) Models Chris Royer and Margaret Donohoe in looks from Halston’s Resort 1982 Halston Ready-to-wear Advance. / (2) Resort 1982 Halston Runway. / (3) Resort 1979 Halston Runway. / (4) Sketches from 1978-79 Halston. / (5-6) Emmanuelle Chriqui in this dress at the 2022 Environmental Media Association Awards Gala, October 2022.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Iconic Fall 1988 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Chic & Minimalist Feeling Taupe Full Length Wool Cape
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This beautiful cape is from the Fall 1988 collection and several versions of it were shown on the runway that season. It was an integral piece to the direction of the show and we have included several photos from the runway. 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. It is a very versatile and easy-to-wear piece that is the perfect neutral that will work with everything.
The cape is in a very beautiful soft taupe and it is made from a high end wool that has a little bit of weight just due to the sheer amount of it in the cape but is still still comfortable 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. The long and simple lines of it are perfect for a very minimalist feel while the sheer length and amount of fabric in it add all the drama of a cape. A stitched border highlights, the lines and seams of the coat and I love that the stitches are the perfect match to the colour so it really keeps within that minimalist feel. It has no collar and closes with one perfect colour matched button at the nape of the neck. 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 YSL's fashion history. Excellent condition
Unlined and has a button at the neck with no other closures. Tagged a 38 but there are no true defined shoulder seams and that combined with the open fit endure that will fit pretty much anyone. It even has an extra button sewn into the inner hem
Length: 57" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA
Item# DD4660
Reference Photos/Videos: Fall 1988 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
biba
1973 Biba by Barbara Hulanicki Oversized Houndstooth Jacket w Incredible Sleeves & Shoulders
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A version of this 1973 coat in a different pattern is featured in one of the Biba books and you can see the same shape through the shoulder and sleeve. I have had this for many years now and it is a very hard piece to let go of. It really showcases her love for all things Art Deco and the cut of this coat is phenomenal. 1973 marked the year that the Big Biba store opened in a seven-story building on Kensington High Street. Every floor had its own theme with floors and millions of people visited.
This coat is absolutely wonderful. It has those fabulous Art Deco lines that Barbara Hulanicki excelled at and that so many of the best of her pieces reference. It is made out of a woven wool that creates a giant houndstooth pattern. The neutral colour combination of the taupe and black is so easy to mix and match with everything. The coat has some weight to it but feels balanced once on the body. I love that you can see the actual weave of the wool. This adds extra texture and dimension to the pattern. The coat falls beautifully once on. It has a single large flat metal hook at the front and then swings open under that. There is no collar, and it simply falls into a V to that hook and then carries on to the hem. It is more fitted through the shoulders and then falls outwards with all of the volume created by the way the fabric has been cut and pieced together. The shoulders and sleeves are spectacular. Each shoulder is set with a high capped and rounded cut. This was something that Hulanicki became known for and pieces with this cut are among the most coveted. The sleeves are equally as fabulous. They are cut wide and full and then the ends flip over to create that huge 7" cuff. Hidden set pockets along one of the more inner vertical seams is the perfect finish. It is just exceptional and I think it is one of the best Biba coats I've ever personally seen. Excellent condition
Fully lined in black silk. It has one hook to close at the front. Light padding in each shoulder. Pockets on each hip. I see some light water marks on the inner lining here and there. The open should fit a variety of sizes as long as the upper shoulders fit.
Sleeves: 21" and 14" around the upper arm
Shoulder: 17.5" flat across the exterior of the entire upper shoulder
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 43" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4659
Reference Photo: Photo feature of the first Autumn collection at Big Biba in 1973 from the book “Welcome To Big Biba” by Steven Thomas and Alwyn W Turner.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Well Documented Fall 1976 Yves Saint Laurent Hooded Cape w Braided Edges & Tassel Details
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This fantastic cape is from the Fall 1976 collection and it is the second one from this collection I have had in the shop this week. Several versions of it were produced that season including this and the longer and slightly more elaborate deep purple one I listed earlier this week. We have included photos from the runway pieces here and we also found an ad campaign shot with its twin and have included that for you to see. 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. It is a very versatile and so easy to wear piece.
The cape is in a very beautiful pale taupe combined with a black flat braided edging. The fabric is a high end wool that has a little bit of weight just due to the sheer amount of it in the cape but is still comfortable and easy-to-wear. This is one of those effortless pieces that is easy 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 knots that closes it in place at the neck. A long fringed tassel sits on either side of that closure for added drama. 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 YSL's fashion history. Excellent condition
Unlined and drapes over the shoulder to wear with a knot closure at the neck as seen. The occasional graze to the surface. The easy open cut should allow fit just about any size
Length: 50" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA
Item# DD4658
Reference Photos: Fall 1976 Yves Saint Laurent.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian lacroix
Rare Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Well Documented Brilliant Silk Floral Dress w Back Bustle
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This dress is very special and an extremely well documented piece from Spring 1988. It has the special added provenance of being the twin of one of the four dresses portrayed in that instantly recognizable photo taken in his atelier that year. That photo is perhaps one of the most famous photos in the Lacroix history. The dress is from his Luxe label that was only produced the very first couple of seasons. It was very high end expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards and was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his later regular ready-to-wear collections. It is said that this label only lasted a couple of seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. We found numerous reference photos of the dress as it appeared on the runway so you have an amazing idea of how this dress looks on the body.
The dress is gorgeous. It is made out of a textured silk organza that has a slight texture running through it. Onto that is a glorious floral pattern in pinks and yellow with pops of green. It feels so vibrant and beautiful with that gorgeous print. The sleeves are long and they are cut on a slight curve in the traditional couture manner. The shoulders are lightly shaped and the front falls into a shallow V. The dress has a little bit of gathering just at the bust area down the centre seam and then it falls smoothly to the hem under that. It is cut to skim over you through the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist. At the back the bottom 9 inches of the skirt has an inset bustle. The fabric there is gathered into a curving seam and there are three black organza half bows stacked one on top of the other to create a bustle feel. This is one of his most famous dresses and its amazing. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
The body of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the sleeves are lined in a white silk. The dress zips to close at the back and each cuff has a zipper to close it. Light padding in the shoulders. Tagged a vintage Lacroix 44
Sleeves: 22.5" and 13" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4401
Reference Photos: (1-5) Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Collection. / (6-7) Models in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Atelier, Paris, 1988. Photos by Arthur Elgort.
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.
chanel
Prettiest Spring 2011 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Runway Look 48 Pleated Sleeveless Floral Silk Dress
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This pretty Chanel dress is very well documented. Not only was it's twin presented on the Spring 2011 Chanel runway for Look 48 that season, but it was featured in the ad campaign that year and Anna Wintour has worn hers several times. Lydia Hearst wore a shortened version of it and Sarah Chapman wore one. In Vogue's review of the show, Tim Blanks said in part; "Karl Lagerfeld gets a lot of his inspiration from dreams, but he didn't need any help from them today, because he already had Last Year at Marienbad, that hallucinatory slice of avant-garde celluloid from the early sixties, on his mind. Some would say that, despite its storied reputation, it's the most boring movie ever made, but for Lagerfeld—and Chanel—it inspired a breathtakingly surreal setting: a monochrome ornamental garden, complete with fountains, which mirrored one of the film's most famous scenes." It is so pretty and a very easy-to-wear dress
This dress is one of the prettiest I have seen from Chanel. The quality of the silk can only be appreciated when you have it in hand. The top is sleeveless and this makes it easy to wear on its own or under a jacket or sweater. It is cut to skim over the body and has a beautiful romantic and feminine feel. The bodice is vertically pleated in these perfect little pleats that have top stitching which is a subtle extra little detail . I also love how the pleating makes the floral print feel more interesting to see. The waist is defined with band of matching silk but its cut is a touch more on the generous side. This gives it that easy feel to it that many Chanel pieces have. Pleats circle around the hips and then they open up from there so that when you move the skirt moves and floats around you. Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that the famous double C logo is worked all through the print of the dress making it impossible to not know that you are wearing Chanel. It has never been worn and still has its original tag and Chanel packet. Excellent condition
The dress is lined through the bodice in a black silk chiffon and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and a Chanel logo button at the back of the neck. It is tagged a Chanel 38 and has its original tag and Chanel packet. Current Chanel day dresses start at $5500 and range up to $8500USD + for similar pieces.
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to top of band at the waist
Total length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4497
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2011 Chanel, Look 48, Model Lisanne De Jong. / (3) Spring 2011 Chanel Ad Campaign. Photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. / (4-5) Anna Wintour in Chanel at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. / (6) Anna Wintour, June 2011. / (7) Anna Wintour attending the Fall 2011 Chanel Fashion Show. / (8) Lydia Hearst attends CHANEL and Liz Goldwyn Celebrate "Chanel: Her Life" By Justine Picardie, September 2011. / (9) Sarah Chapman in Chanel, 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.
thea porter
Rare 1971 Thea Porter Actual Book Piece Silk Cotton Gauze Dress w Sheila Hudson Horseman Print
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This is the actual dress that is in the book on Thea Porter's work and appears on page 111. The book notes that this dress has "Two prints based on Persian paintings, designed by Sheila Hudson, combined on the dress. One on the bodice with polo players, while on the sleeves and skirt is a single horseman with Persian style calligraphy at the hem of the skirt." We've also included photos of a jumpsuit with the same print that appeared at the July 1971 press view and several other versions of the dress from editorials from that time period. A Version of the dress was also part of the Thea Porter exhibit. This print was very well documented and Thea made a small series of pieces from this fabric. Each piece was made specifically so that it was cut to follow the print perfectly. This is the only one I've ever seen made in this length and in this style. Given her extremely limited run on certain pieces, it may in fact be the only one that exists. It is truly a very special piece.
The cut of this dress is exceptional. It has a small neat collar and the collar hooks at the front. It is then slit to the waist with one single hook just under the halfway point to hold it in place. This leaves a large slice of skin showing when it is on the body. The bodice is unlined and has a single layer of the printed silk cotton gauze which gives it a touch of transparency. Horsemen romp over the bodice with dogs following in pursuit through flowers and trees. The sleeves are phenomenal. Each is gathered into the top of the shoulder and then are a huge balloon sleeves under that. More horseman sit at the top of each sleeve and then you have the calligraphy mentioned above wrapping around the gathered cuffs. The waist is elastic and this make the dress extremely easy-to-wear and comfortable on the body. Under that, the skirt has an incredible amount of fabric and here again we see horsemen wrapping all the way around the dress and then the bottom displays more calligraphy, flowers all in those beautiful colours of blue. There is an incredible amount of fabric in the skirt so it moves beautifully once on the body. This is an exceptional and extremely rare example of her work. Excellent condition with a small note below
Unlined and slips onto wear. There are hook and eye at the top of the neck and then another just under the halfway point of the slit down the front. The waist is elastic. I see some darkening to the inside of the collar and slight darkening on the exterior collar near where it hooks to close at the neck. Please see the photo after the label shot.
Sleeves: 24.5"
Shoulders are really inset so no true seams
Bust: 15-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 10-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem with 1.5" turned under the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML
Item# DD4657
Reference Photos: (1) Model in Thea Porter, Flair Magazine, 1971. / (2) Marina Schiano in Thea Porter's Persian miniature inspired print dress. Photo by Bill King for Harper's Bazaar, March 1972. / (3) Model in Thea Porter, Vogue UK, 1971. / (4) Thea Porter Press Viewing, July 1971. / (5) 1971 Thea Porter Cotton dress, Textile by Sheila Hudson, Collection of Susanne Deeken. Shown on display at the Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic Exhibit at the Fashion and Textile Museum. / (6-8) This dress shown in the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.
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valentino
Dreamy 1970s Valentino Black Silk Wide Ruffled Hem Dress w Matching Wide Bell Sleeve Cropped Jacket
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Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 two years after opening his atelier in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. His first 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. More boutiques followed including one at Bergdorfs. He encouraged his couture clients to also shop in his boutiques. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and noted that he often carried the lines he created for his Couture label into the boutique work. The fabric and construction details were still remarkably close in quality to his couture pieces at this point in time. The line between the two was often blurred and on this set you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. I absolutely love this set. It is gorgeous.
The dress is made out of a black silk that holds its shape and volume beautifully. This is a two piece set made up of a dress and its matching jacket. They are fantastically beautiful worn together but I also love that by having the two pieces it gives you more styling options and you can wear then separately and mix and match with other things you already own. The dress is suspended by two tiny straps that curve up and over each shoulder. A wide set V sits at the front and then it dips lower across at the back to leave a bare expanse of open skin. It is cut to be more fitted to the waist and then under that it is all volume. The skirt has an incredible amount of silk in it that really shows best when you move. The lightness of the silk causes the skirt to billow out and move around you as you move, yet it still has enough weight that it holds that full feeling when you stand still. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. A full 13" ruffle circles the lower hem and it has been sewn is on top of the skirt and not simple seamed onto the edge. This is a clever technique that leaves fabric inside and behind the skirt and this helps to hold its shape. This uses extra fabric so it's not something you see as much anymore. And it has pockets. The jacket is a thing of beauty in its own right. It widens out from a soft shoulder and curves around and up from the hem to the neckline. I love the tiny ruffled finish that follows the edge. The sleeves are incredible and each is cut to be a wide bell shape. By their ends they are each a full 20" around and the ruffle that finishes each sleeve is a little more then that even. It is absolutely beautiful. This is a stunning Valentino from this time period. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a black silk. The dress closes with a back zipper and there are two hidden hook and eye at the base of the jacket at the front. Tagged a vintage Valentino size 6.
Dress
Bust: to 16.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem
Jacket
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Sleeves: 22.5" long and 14" around the top part of the arm
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17.5" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4054
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.
jean paul gaultier
Masterpiece Fall 2001 Jean Paul Gaultier Runway Haute Couture Beaded & Embroidered Pant w Silk Jersey Top Set
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Jean Paul Gaultier's illustrious career spans decades. His first show was in 1976 and his avant garde designs quickly gained him the reputation of being fashion's 'l'enfant terrible'. His designs mixed cultures with abandon, gender norms were blurred through his pieces and the body was presented encased in ways unimaginable prior to his brilliant vision. In 1997 he entered the sanctified world of Haute Couture and for just over two decades produced stunning work cumulating with his final show for Spring 2020. His pieces of couture rarely come to market and I am very pleased to have this unbelievably beautiful ensemble. This was look 33 for the Fall 2001 Haute Couture presentation entitled 'China and Spain'. For this season Gaultier combined elements from those two countries in a beautiful homage. Pieces from this collection were featured in the The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk exhibit of 2013 and to have a piece available for purchase is almost as rare as being able to have bought it as a couture client in the first place. After the show Gaultier said of this collection “I wanted to do something more sensual than sexy. The idea was to bring together everything that you imagine when you think of China and Spain—theater, movement, color, history and richness.” The twin of this look was worn by Alec Wek on the runway with a huge red bib neckpiece over the top. We believe that this may have been the only piece ever produced beyond the runway set.
It is extraordinary to think that Jean Paul Gaultier has only produced a Haute Couture line for two short decades given his long career. Like most Haute Couture, this is a set that only truly comes to life when it is on an actual body and the reference photos and video show you just how amazing it is on. The pants are a work of art. They are heavy and densely beaded with glass tube beads in tightly spaced rows to cover every inch of the pants. Worked in and among the sequins are brilliantly coloured hand embroidered flowers. These trail over the pants and wrap around the legs. The work to place each of these beads individually and do the embroidery would have taken hundreds of hours to complete. They are cut with a flat front and straight leg that gets a touch wider by the hem. When you the light catches the beads and the colours of the embroidered flowers is fantastic. The top is made out of a fine black silk jersey. It closes with a complex mix of a hidden zipper front and two separate areas of silk covered snaps and hooks. It wraps around the body and drapes down one side. The collar is high and you can see the nod to China within its shape. Each sleeve is incredibly long and they are meant to be pushed up to create a row of rounded gathers forming around the entire lower part of the arm. I love the long trailing panel of the silk jersey set on one hip. It falls over that pant on that side to the floor. It is meant to have a nod to the trade de luces cape, which is part of the traditional clothing that Spanish bullfighters wear. It is a brilliant piece of Haute Couture and is everything you want to see in a Haute Couture piece. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition.
The upper portion of the top is lined in silk and it zips to close at the inside front. A jersey panel wraps over this and closes with a series of silk covered snaps and hook & eye along the side near the neck. More hook & eye sits along the waist and hip area on that same side. The pants are fully lined in a silk and close with a hand set zipper. Made by hand to Haute Couture standards. Proper Couture tags on both pieces.
Top
Sleeves: 45.5" and push up to wear
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Interior waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam, inner waist stay hooks at 14"
Hips: open
Length: 29" from neck to shortest point of the front side, 37" to longest point of the back
Hip swag: 47" from waist to longest point of the hem
Pant
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 30" from inner seam to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3581
Reference Photos/Video: Alek Wek for Fall 2001 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture 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.
bill blass
Prettiest 1970s Bill Blass Black Silk Organza Dress w Extensive Ruffle Detailing & Full Puff Sleeves
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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 beautiful example of his work from this time period.
The dress is made from a light weight black silk organza and it is an easy-to-wear and very pretty dress. The dress is made to look as if it wraps around you but it actually is fully secured all the way around. The bodice has a cross over the front and is meant to skim over you to the waist. At the back it closes with a hook and eye at the top of the neck and then there is an open keyhole slit to where the zipper begins just above the waist. I love how the back and upper part of the shoulders are made from only one layer of the organza so that it has a touch of transparency. This transparency has been carried over to the sleeves as well. The sleeves are spectacular. Each one is extremely full and balloons out over the cuffs. They are also open with a keyhole from the top of the shoulder to the wrist. The wrist is highlighted with a bow made from the same organza and then you have a huge double ruffle of silk that falls over your hands. The waist is brought in and has an attached band of the same organza that you tied to one side. Under that the skirt falls to the floor and widen out beautifully. It is scooped up at the front to one side and there is another double layer of ruffles that begins at the top of the hip and then falls all the way to the floor. It follows the edge of the skirt all the way around the back and then scoops up the other side. This adds that incredible volume and drama to the skirt that you see. The skirt is lined underneath and the inner skirt has a smaller open slit so that your full leg is not exposed. If you wanted to, you could easily expand that inner slit so that opened all the way up and you did see all of your leg. It is gorgeous and even more beautiful in person. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in a black silk. It closes at the back of the neck with a hook at the top of the neck and a zipper starting just above the waist. Each cuff hooks to close, and the belt at the waist snaps into place. Perhaps the tiniest bit of fading to an edge here or there, but this is a natural occurrence with this type of fabric in this age of garment and I'm being pretty picky.
Sleeves: 29" including the 6 inch ruffle. 15" around the upper arm.
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 61" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4656
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Resort 2018 Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri Runway Look 47 Plunge Yellow Silk Chiffon Dress Size 42
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I have two of these in the shop today and this one is the larger one and it is a FR42/US10 in size. The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' The twin of it with the front tacked closed a bit was also worn by Kate Mara in 2017 which shows you how it looks when you do close the plunge a bit. It is also interesting because a very similar dress was shown for the Resort 2008 collection and you can see that progression from the Dior archives to this piece.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful yellow colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little ruffle in the same silk. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then it falls into another deep V at the back. The panels there sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The top layer of the skirt is a silk chiffon that has a touch of texture to it. There are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all of these layers have once it is on and moving around you is fantastic. It is fabulous on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR42, UK14, IT46, US10. A tiny pinhole in the lining of the bust. The easy cut should work on a range of sizes.
Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7-9" across
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG
Item# DD4653
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor. / (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.
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.
Gorgeous Spring 2020 Alexandre Vauthier Yellow Silk Jersey Dress w Plunge & High Front Slit
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Alexandre Vauthier launched his label in 2009. He started his fashion career in 1993 working for Thierry Mugler as an intern and working his way up to assistant designer to Mugler himself. In 1997 he joined Jean Paul Gaultier where he in charge of the Couture collections for the following eight years. He left in 2008 to open his own couture atelier showing his first collection in 2009. From 2011 to 2014 the label was a designated guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de haute couture and since December 2014 he has been a full Couture member. He also designs ready-to-wear and this gorgeous dress is from that part of the label. Versions of the dress where made in a pale blue and this beautiful yellow.
The dress is made from a beautiful yellow stretch jersey that has enough weight and drape to it so that is falls perfectly in the sharp angular lines that he intended it to be shaped in. I love the precisely shaped strong shoulders and how the shape of it narrows in as it reaches the hem. The dress is cut to skim over the body and highlight it everywhere. The sleeves are cut extra long so that once on the arm they bunch up a touch. The low cut V at the front goes right to the waist. The dress is shaped around the hips so that it sits snugly on the body and there is an inner body suit bottom to hold the dress and the plunge perfectly in place. The fabric is gathered in towards one hip under the plunge and a large panel wraps around you for a bit of a sarong feel. The skirt is crazy sexy. It is slit right up to the base of the panel that wraps around the hips for a mile of leg to show. The skirt itself is cut in an almost long triangle shape that trails out past the hem. It is amazing on the body and it is just a beautiful and very sexy dress. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Made from a double layer of the jersey so it is opaque. It zips to close at the back with a hidden set zipper. The inner body suit snaps to close. Padding in each shoulder. A tiny darkening near the end of the skirt hem. The fabric does have stretch and is meant to stretch to accommodate the curves of the body
Sleeves: 29"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 67" from top of the shoulder to waist
Slit: 45" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4654
Reference Photo: Spring 2020 Alexandre Vauthier, Look 10.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Resort 2018 Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri Runway Look 47 Plunge Yellow Silk Chiffon Dress Size 38
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I have two of these in the shop today and this one is the smaller one that is a FR38/US6 in size. The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the runway as Look 47 for the 2018 resort season. The show was held in the remote Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California and Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Solange Knowles were there alongside the fashion pack. The inspiration for the show came from the archives and Chiuri said 'she went to the archives, where she came across the house founder’s Lascaux collection of 1951, inspired by the ancient cave paintings discovered in southwestern France a decade earlier.' The twin of it with the front tacked closed a bit was also worn by Kate Mara in 2017 which shows you how it looks when you do close the plunge a bit. It is also interesting because a very similar dress was shown for the Resort 2008 collection and you can see that progression from the Dior archives to this piece.
This is a dress that is insanely sexy and bare feeling. I love its bright joyful yellow colour and minimal lines. The dress is a made out of a feather light silk chiffon that tops inner layers of silk tulle and silk. This fabric combination makes it very light and easy to wear and it feels like a dream once on the body. The lightness of it lets it move and float around you beautifully as you walk and move. The front plunges low to the seam at the slightly empire set to the waist. It crosses over itself a touch at the front and the seam under the bust is detailed with a tiny little ruffle in the same silk. The shoulders twist as they curve over your shoulders and then it falls into another deep V at the back. The panels there sit a wider apart where it meets the waist so you get a more open back feel. The sides are equally as dramatic as the plunge in long Vs to the waist. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. There is a tremendous amount of fabric in the skirt and this lets the skirt billow out around you as you move. The top layer of the skirt is a silk chiffon that has a touch of texture to it. There are two layers of silk tulle under that and a final inner layer of silk that acts as the lining. The effect all of these layers have once it is on and moving around you is fantastic. It is fabulous on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined as described above and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Tagged a FR38, UK10, IT42, US6.
Bust: no true side seams but each triangle will cover 7-8" across
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Innermost hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam, the outer layers are full and open
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4655
Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Resort 2018 Christian Dior Runway, Look 47. Model Cara Taylor. / (3-4) Kate Mara in Dior at the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala.
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.
loris azzaro
Romantic 1980s Loris Azzaro Irridescent Soft Coral Silk Taffeta Dress w Rosette Floral Detail
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Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks. 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 time period. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces of.
I absolutely love the cut of this dress. It is made out of a beautiful iridescent silk taffeta in a deep peach with coral undertones. The choice of this silk gives it enough structure to hold the shape but still keeps it fairly light in weight. That fabric choice mixed with that full on glamorous cut that it has gives it feeling of high drama. The bodice is cut to hug the torso and the neckline is cut so that it is scooped in a sweetheart neckline at the front and then another scoop sits at the back. The sleeves are amazing. They are cut to wrap around your shoulders. Each extends out from the back and then wraps around the top of the shoulder before sweeping back in to be secured at the sides of the bust line. They are so pretty. You can adjust them a bit once on to wear more up on the shoulder or leave them draped more around the upper arm to leave a bare expanse of skin to show across the top of the shoulders. The bodice is intricately gathered and it angles down a touch where it meets the skirt. The skirt is very full. It flows to the floor in a massive cascade of the silk. There are no additional underskirts added for these shots. All of that incredible volume is built into the skirt. I love the rosettes that gather and pick up the skirt all the way around. It makes it so incredibly romantic in feel. The front is scooped up and the back is cut longer for a bit of a sweep behind you. It is gorgeous. A cluster of flowers sits at one side of the waist for the final perfect romantic touch. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a hand set matching silk and closes with a back zipper. Inside the bust there is one of his signature strapless bras tacked into place. Hand finises. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: open
Bodice: approx 12" from top of the bodice to shortest part of the waist
Total length: 33" from top of the bodice to the shortest point of the front hem, 58" to the back him
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4644
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Well Documented Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Look 53 Silk Floral Dress
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The twin of this dress walked the runway as Look 53vfor the Spring 1983 Haute Couture collection. It was shown under a jacket initially and then the jacket was removed. I love that this shows you how versatile these little dresses can be. We also found the fabric noted in a WWD editorial and then I looked into my folio collection book and found the model number and original sketch for you to see. I have included all these reference photos for you here and it gives you a beautiful idea of how fabulous this is once on the body. The dress is gorgeous and Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. It really is a beautiful piece and owning a piece of his couture work is always one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.
The dress is amazing and showcases how wonderful Yves Saint Laurent could cut a dress to flatter a woman's body. It is made entirely by hand and the silk has the tiniest ribbed texture running through it. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulders have light padding just at their outer edges to slightly extend them outward. They are set into the bodice with gathers so that they slightly pouf above the shoulder line. The sleeves are slim and pouf out just slightly as they slim down to the zippered cuffs. The neckline is set wide across the collarbones and edged in a black silk band. The waist is seamed and we have added a black grosgrain ribbon there for shape. You can add a belt instead if you wanted a really cinched in look. The skirt falls under that in a simple pencil to just about the knee or above depending on your height. There are hidden set pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is the best thing about the dress. It is a mix of a bright pink, green, blue and a deep purple set in a large floral design that runs over the entire dress. It is so pretty. Truly a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. And it is just so good on the body. A masterpiece. Excellent condition.
Unlined through the bodice and lined in a black silk through the skirt. All the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It closes with a back zipper and two buttons at the back of the neck. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Each cuff has a hand set hidden set zipper to close. Light padding in each shoulder as described above. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. The grosgrain ribbon is not original to the dress but will be sent with it.
Sleeves: 22" and 13.75" around the upper arm
Slightly wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Total length: 38" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4642
Reference Photos: (1-4) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway. / (5-7) Spring 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Advance Preview. / (8) Womens Wear Daily, February 1983.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Fall 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Off Shoulder Dress w Metallic Thread & Ruffled Detailing
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The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1987 show and we have included reference photos of it from the runway for you so that you can see how fabulous it is on the body. We even found one where you can see the model walking back down the runway so you can see how gorgeous it is from the back as well. It is an easy to wear and very chic little YSL.
This is a really gorgeous dress. It is made from a lace fabric that has an unusual blue-purple colour running through it. Metallic thread runs through the lace and then over that are thousands of glossy black sequins that follow the pattern of the lace. The sequins catch the light from every angle but in a subtle way that I love. The lace has an open cut that is lined it with a deep blue silk chiffon. It has a touch of transparency to it but its wearable. This combination also keeps it light so that it feels amazing once on the body. The dress sits off the shoulder to leave a bare expanse of skin across the top. The neckline wraps around the shoulders and it is finished with a pretty black silk organza ruffle. The silk of the ruffles has just enough structure so that it holds its shape perfectly. The sleeves fall to just past the elbow and each is also finished with a ruffle. From there the dress skims over you, running over the bust and past the waist, with no seaming there to break the line. At the top of the hip there is a seam that has another ruffled detailing. The skirt falls under that and widens out as it nears the hem. A final ruffle goes all the way around the edge of the skirt. The back of the skirt is set to hang a touch longer than the front. This gives you a beautiful curve from the side and adds a touch of pretty volume. It is a gorgeous dress and really showcases Yves' innovative eye and design genius. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a dark blue silk chiffon. It closes at the side with a zipper. Tagged a YSL 42.
Sleeves: approx 18" from the drop and 12" around the upper arm
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam across the top of the hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and open under that
Length: 30" from top of centre neckline to front hem and 36" to back hem including top and bottom ruffle
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4271
Reference Photos: Fall 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
chanel
Beautiful Cruise 2006 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Deep Blue Silk Tulle Dress w Iridescent Paillette Detailing
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This dress is from the Cruise 2006 collection and it is extraordinary. For this show Karl Lagerfeld invited his guess to the Place de la Concorde. He had a fleet of green vintage buses adorned with Chanel logos and these transported his guests on a ride through Paris. Models paraded down the aisle among the passengers and at scheduled stops they would switch buses so that everyone saw the entire collection. Karl said at the time that he 'used to love riding the bus in Paris as a school boy' and that was the inspiration behind the idea of the show. Lagerfeld wanted the collection to be lighthearted and easy and to be a tribute to Paris. I love it.
The dress is feather light which almost feels like a surprise when you pick it up given the sheer amount of detailing on it. It is covered in hundreds of large iridescent paillettes but these are also feather light. It feels like you are wearing a cloud of silk once it is on the body. The silk tulle netting base is so light and so fine that it feels like magic. The tulle is a deep blue colour and the entire dress is made out of two layers of it with an inner silk chiffon layer. It falls from the shoulders with straps that curve up and around you. It is scooped at the front and again at the back for an almost tank tee style top. The bodice skims over you and there are built in rounded cups inside to add a touch of coverage over the breasts. The top layer of tulle on the bodice overlaps into place around the waist and a border of the sequins are placed stacked side by side all around the waist. The same dense sequin detail circles the neckline and covers the straps and goes around each arm. It flows past the waist and skims over the hips. On the lower part of the skirt there are built in long triangle shaped insets of the tulle that set all the way around the skirt. I love this nod to the old Hollywood dresses of the 1930s and they give the lower part of the dress tremendous movement and volume when you move. The paillettes that cover the dress are the most striking part of all. They are soft muted iridescent pastels that range from gold to pink. Each individual oversized sequin has a beautiful ombre effect and a muted metallic finish. Besides the borders around the waist and neck they cover the bodice and trail down and into the skirt to the hem between those inset panels. So when you move you get this fantastic contrast. The dress came with a matching shawl made of the same tulle. It's huge size lets you wear it almost like a cape over your shoulders. It is so light in weight and fine that you could also wrap it around your neck, use it as a head scarf, or as a turban. This is a phenomenal piece if Chanel. No matter how good it looks on the dress form nothing will prepare you for the way it feels when you have it in hand. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a blue silk chiffon and it closes with a back hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The bias cut tulle does give it a bit of range in size. Current Chanel silk chiffon dresses with this level of added embellishments and detailing are retailing for $10000USD and over. Tagged is Chanel 40
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem
Scarf: 68" x 74"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4385
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Iconic Fall 1976 Yves Saint Laurent Deep Purple Hooded Cape w Braided Edges & Tassel Details
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This fantastic cape is from the Fall 1976 collection and several versions of it were produced that season including this deep purple one. We have included photos from the runway pieces here and we also found an ad campaign shot with its twin in what looks to be a lighter colour and included that for you to see as well. 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. It is a very versatile and so easy to wear piece.
The cape is in a very beautiful deep purple combined with a more maroon coloured edging. The fabric is a high end wool that has a little bit of weight just due to the sheer amount of it in the cape but is still comfortable and easy-to-wear. This is one of those effortless pieces that is easy 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 on either side of that closure 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 YSL's fashion history. Excellent condition with a small note below
Unlined and drapes over the shoulder to wear with a knot closure at the neck as seen. The occasional graze to the surface. The easy open cut should allow fit just about any size
Length: 58" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA
Item# DD4637
Reference Photos: Fall 1976 Yves Saint Laurent.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
thierry mugler
Amazing Spring 2001 Thierry Mugler Couture Runway Brown Silk Net Wrap Top w Leather Detailing
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This top is from the second last ready-to-wear collection that Thierry Mugler presented. It is from the Spring 2001 season and it is an absolutely outstanding piece. It's twin walked the runway that season and I am very happy to have photos and video for reference for you to be able to see how phenomenal this sits on the body. He experimented with materials that included leather and netting as you see in this piece and the appearance of these wide angel sleeves were of note. I've only ever seen one other piece of this available that was done in a different colour from the runway piece like this one is in it's a phenomenal collectors piece
The top is made out of a brown silk net that has those wonderful, leather pieces, hand sewn into place onto the netting. These are set to follow the design of the top. It wraps over itself at the front and ties at the waist, and you can tie it to the side, the back the front however you wish. The ties are extremely long and they are detailed with those little oblong pieces of leather in different sizes laid out to follow the cut of each tide. More leather curves down to follow the shape of the neckline at the front and go all the way across to the sides of the top. They curve up and over to the back where they come down in a little angled point there. The sleeves are as phenomenal as those long front ties. Each one ends in an extremely wide angel shape and is cut extra long. Again the little leather pieces have been applied to follow the shape of the sleeve and some go all the way up almost to the shoulder. I love how some are left to hang over the edge of the top on each sleeve. It just has that little extra bit of genius dimension. It is just outstanding. Excellent condition
Unlined and wraps to close. Tagged a vintage Mugler 38.
Sleeves: approx 27-28" and 13-16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam but can b adjusted up and down a but when tying
Waist-bottom seam: adjustable
Length: 19" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4635
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2001 Thierry Mugler.
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.
lanvin
Fall 2015 Lanvin by Alber Elbaz Cropped Ivory & Black Shaggy Faux Fur Jacket w Toggle Closures
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This gorgeous jacket is from the Fall 2015 collection. It was not a runway piece but it was not unusual for other pieces to be produced for retail by the brand. From his very first collection for the Fall of 2002 Alber brought a beautiful silhouette to the house that was flattering to women but still was very easy to wear. This is a great little piece that will add a bit of a pop to your wardrobe and is easy to mix in with your existing items.
This is an amazing little jacket that touches on the feel of those cropped 1940s 'chubby' with its cropped length and boxy cut but with a touch of the 70s mixed in with the horn buckles at the front. This length is very flattering on and the proportions perfectly balance out something slimmer worn underneath. It is made out of faux fur that is lovely and soft. A neutral beige ivory is mixed in with a deep crown black to create the pattern that you see. The 'fur' is longer for a bit of a shaggy feel. It is cut to be in more of a boxy shape on the body and the hem ends just at about the hip. There is no collar and it closes with horn toggles down the front. The sleeves are straight and perfectly balance out the box shape of the body. It looks to have never been worn and is gorgeous. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a black silk and closes at the front with the toggles as shown. Tagged a modern Lanvin 42
Sleeves: 28" and 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approx 15"
Bust-bottom hem: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 23" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4634
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.
valentino
Exquisite 1990s Valentino Heavily Beaded Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Draped Neckline & Bare Back
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This is an incredible dress and it has the added provenance of having been worn by poet Rupi Kaur to the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event for the 2024 Oscars season. I love that this gives you the chance to see the dress on the body and how beautifully it falls. The dress was made for the shops and dates to the 1998-2002 era based on similar cuts that I have had in the shop and what was on the runways. he dress is exceptional and you only have to take one look at Rupi in the dress to see just how fabulous this is on an actual body
This is a gorgeous dress. I love its bareness at the top with the full open back and the low draped neckline. It is a little sexier then some of his work tends so be but it still manages to feel elegant and refined. It is a dress that really comes alive on the body. It is very light and easy to wear despite its extensive bead work and sequins. It is cut to perfectly fit and skim over the body. It is made from a lightweight bias cut silk chiffon and a silk net that is then covered in thousands of little black sequins and various shaped beads. The bodice is cut into a halter with tiny little beaded straps that curve up and over the shoulders. At the back the straps cross over your bare back which then dips into a low curve across the small of your back. This leaves the back almost completely bare. The front also has a bare feel. The halter covers the breasts and then drapes low in between. There is no seam at the waist to break the line of the eye. The combination of wide bands of the sequin and beads highlight the curves and shape of the dress and those are separated by expanses of the black silk chiffon. The bias cut of the fabric simply curves it in and over you to create shape. The skirt flows to the floor and widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. I love the way that the skirt is cut a little longer at the back to give the feel of a slight train there. Mixed into the beaded pattern are little bits of black silk netting that add an extra bit of texture to the dress. It is a beautiful example of Mr Valentino's work with the added bonus of its recent red carpet provenance. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a black silk chiffon and closes with a back hidden zipper at the base of the scoop at the back. Hand finishes. There are some missing beads and some inner repairs / tiny beginnings of stress openings on the fabric near the ends of some of the lines of bead work on the train and bottom of the skirt. It was worn on the red carpet exactly as it is so these small flaws obviously have no impact when worn
Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 63" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4632
Reference Photos: Rupi Kaur in this dress for the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event, 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.
oscar de la renta
c 1970 Oscar de la Renta Black Silk Taffeta Backless Halter Neck Dress w Extensive Ruffle Detailing
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I love when I find these earlier examples of Oscar de la Renta's work. He would heave been more personally involved in them and they really showcase the designer he was to become. The label on this dress tells us that it's probably late 60s maybe the first couple years of the 1970s and it seems similar to some of the pieces I've seen from the 1970 season. The dress beautifully showcases the the genius of his work and attention to detail. This is a favourite from him that I've had in the shop
The dress is gorgeous and is made from a beautiful black silk taffeta that holds the shape and volume that this dress has perfectly. The fabric choice also keeps the dress fairly light in weight while giving the dress some structure and shape. The front bodice is stunning. Two shaped triangles cover the front of the bodice, and there is a deep V for the neckline. The triangles extend all the way to the top of the neck and they are finished with a ruffle in the same fabric. This makes that V be a little less apparent and is a pretty detailing as it goes up and around your neck. Ties extend from just behind the peak of each triangle to tie behind the neck. It wraps around the waist and scoops low there. This leaves your entire back open and bare above that. I love this unexpected bare skin moment that is in stark contrast to the coverage at the front. The waist nips in and we have added a wide grosgrain ribbon to add a little more shape. The skirt deserves it own moment. It is made out of the same silk taffeta as the bodice. It explodes out from the waist to become incredibly full by the time it reaches the hem. Tiers of silk allow this expansion and there are five tiers in total. Each tier is finished with that same ruffled detail that you see around the halter neck and this really makes the dress special. Inside there is a silk lining and then another netted lining sits between the outer skirt and that inner layer. This helps to hold the volume that you see and it is spectacular. The photos on the dress form do not come close to doing it justice. This is a dress that needs an actual body in it and then it really comes to life. When you walk the taffeta rustles and the skirt swoops around to create this stunning billowing effect. Then when you turn to leave you have that flash of bare skin at the back. It is utterly amazing. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a layer of silk taffeta and the skirt is lined as described above. The dress closes with a low set zipper at the back. Hand finished throughout. The ribbon at the waist is not original to the dress but will be sent with it
Bust: each triangle covers 8 inches plus there's an inch and a half a ruffle on each side. There's no true side scene.
Waist: 12.5-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 59" from neck to hem and can be adjusted a bit depending on were you tie the neck
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4633
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.
2014 Fausto Puglisi Bright Multi Colour 'Greco-Roman' Mini Dress w Gold Rhinestone Medallion
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This dress is from the Fall 2014 collection and when Fausto did a series of these in every colour combination you could think of they sold out worldwide and seemed to be everywhere on all of the fashion people. His forst collection debuted in 2006 and Italian fashion editor Anna Dello Russo started to wear his pieces everywhere and is largely responsible for bringing his work to the spotlight. His style during this time period has been called Greco-Roman glitz which to me is the perfect way to describe pieces like this. This dress is fantastic and you can see how amazing it is on the body on the reference editorial shot that we found.
The dress is absolutely gorgeous. It's made out of a light wool that has a slight texture to it finished. It mixes the six different colours that makes it up with a masterful hand. The bodice is a pale purple, and it has lemon straps that are wide and curved up and over the shoulders to meet the back. Around the waist at the front, there's a wide panel of ivory that plays double duty to also not only anchor the shape of the dress, but provide a beautiful backdrop to that huge metal and rhinestone medallion that sits at the front. The band at the back is a beautiful spring green and then you have black panels that wrap around the hips to the back zipper on either side. The skirt is a deeper purple at the front and that same pretty yellow at The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made and that piece of jewellery at the front combined The skirt has been knife, pleated all the way around and has little slits on either side to show even more leg than the short length already does. It is beautifully made, and that piece of jewellery at the front just gives it combined. with that masterful mix of colours, gives it fine but sexy feel. It's an incredible mix of sexiness glitz and a sense of lightness and fun. its gorgeous on the body and I love it. Excellent condition with one small note below
The bodice is fully lined in an ivory silk, and there is light boning at the sides. It closes with a back hidden, set zipper and an inner waist stay snapped to close. A touch of a mark on the inner lining. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged modern a US6, UK10, IT42, FR38
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 31.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 5.25" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4629
Reference Photo: Model in Fausto Puglisi for En Vie Fashion Magazine, July 2014.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
gucci
Incredible Fall 2003 Gucci by Tom Ford Look 40 Runway Dress in Pale Dusty Pink Silk w Grommet Detailing
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This dress is not 100% perfect and that is why it is not double or triple the listed price. It is without a doubt one of the most iconic pieces ever created during Tom Ford's tenure at Gucci. I love it. Its twin was Look 40 on the runway and we have included runway photos and video for you to see how beautifully this moves once on the body. In Vogue's review of the show they said that "This season every major designer is talking about creating a "beauty" strong enough to defy our anxious times. Backstage that was the word Tom Ford used to characterize his Fall collection for Gucci—a collection in which beauty was personified as a power vixen extravagantly armoured to face down a troubled world" The evening pieces were mentioned specifically "For evening, there were gowns constructed with cutout zones of sparkling mesh and frilled bra tops; others snaked to the floor, held in place with complex asymmetric straps crossing the torso and shoulders. If Ford is treading the territory mapped out by Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaïa in the ’80s, it’s no surprise. Much of fashion is heading in that direction >anyway, and Ford, after all, bases Gucci’s entire brand proposition on finding new ways of upping the ante on sex season after season." This is a dress from one of the most incredible eras of Gucci.
The dress is made out of a pastel dusty pink silk with a matte satin finish. It is instantly recognizable as being a Gucci from this era. The bodice is heavily detailed. It has been top stitched across the corseted bodice and I love how this is all set on angles in between the grommet detailed edges that sit in between the top-stitched portions. It curves across the top of the bust and then there is boning and shaping and a built-in cupped corset inside to hold you in place. At the sides you have two wide panels of the silk that extend out and wrap around the neck and then crisscross over the bare upper back. The waist curves in and all of the shaping is created by the curved seaming that you see. A wide partial strap sits on each side of the waist and snaps into place to give the illusion of being buckled in even further. The grommets are all brass coloured and add the perfect contrast to that dusty pastel pink. The corset angles down deep in the front and back in that signature Tom Ford sexiness. From there the silk skims over the hips and then falls to the floor where it widens out beautifully. The back is cut longer than the front for a slight train effect at the back. The seaming that runs along the skirt picks up on the seaming of the bodice and again grommets detail all of that. All of the seams are set on curves that help to add to the curving of the body. It is astonishingly beautiful. It presents as great condition but does have some minor flaws. Please see the notes below.
The bodice is fully lined in the same silk fabric as the exterior with an added built-in wired cup piece at the inner front. It closes with the exposed zipper that you see at the back. The pieces that wrap around your shoulders slip on when you put the dress on. The skirt is unlined. The side pieces at the waist each snap into place at the back. I see grubbiness and marks on the interior edge of the bodice and a mark on the inner cup. The inner stuffing of the bodice has degraded so it feels like loose pieces inside the cups. I see a repair on the skirt at about mid thigh on the centre front, one on the side of the back at about the very top of the thigh and another invisible tape repair below the one on the front. There are some slight scuff and marks on the skirt here and there and I have photoed the ones that show the most. There is a mark near the arm on the bodice. It presents extremely well once on but does have these small flaws. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a Gucci 42. The fabric of the skirt has some stretch and the dress is in its original uncut length.
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 14.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 68" from top of bodice to front hem, 75" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4626
Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2003 Gucci Runway, Look 40 (Adina Fohlin)
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
christian dior
Prettiest Cruise 2010 Christian Dior by John Galliano Deep Raspberry Pink Silk Chiffon Crossed Bodice Dress
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During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and chiffon dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. This is an amazing example of his work from the Cruise 2010 collection and it is gorgeous. "For Resort, Galliano had a series of softly draping floor-length evening dresses." said Vogue's review and that "Galliano's light touch...made the retro shapes look modern". A near twin of the dress in beige was a part of the presentation and then this is a dress was made for the shops in this stunning colour. It is so classically Galliano for Dior in its shape and cut. It is a real beauty.
The dress is made out of the prettiest deep pink raspberry coloured silk chiffon that has a touch of texture running through it. It is all cut on the bias which is one of his key signatures. The bodice is killer. Twisted silk chiffon straps made of the same fabric curve up and over each shoulder and then they extend into the panels that go over the bodice. The panels are created by that fabric untwisting and then being brought across each other at the front to be attached into the sides. This creates that beautiful crossover effect that you see at the front and gives it a plunge as well. At the back he makes it look like these extend all the way around to the band that runs across the back. It is cut to fall softly over the bodice and have that slightly more bare feel. It then falls from just below the bust to drape down and over the body to the floor. The dress skims and drapes over you as it widens out to the hem. From about the knee down the dress opens up and it is very full. This is created by the addition of long, triangular shaped panels sewn into the lower skirts to open it up and give that the volume that you see. The seaming is highly reminiscent of the work you see from the twenties and thirties which became another of John's signatures. The panels help the dress hold its volume through the lower skirt and the lightness and incredible amount of fabric through the skirt gives you so much movement when you walk or move. It is stunning. This is a dress that when you see it on and you see the movement created in the lower skirt, you just have to gasp. His signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side for that perfect finishing Galliano touch. 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. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a matching silk and closes at the side with a hidden set zipper with a series of decorative silk covered buttons at the opposite side. There is an extra 5 inches of the straps inside the back so you can adjust them to the perfect fit if needed. Tagged a vintage Dior F38, GB10, IT42, US6
Bust: 15-17" flat across with no true side seams
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 8" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 62" from top of the shoulder to the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4627
Reference Photos: 2010 Cruise Christian Dior Collection.
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alexander mcqueen
Incredible Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen Draped Strapless Silk Dress w Elaborate Beading
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McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and you can see a similar swooping cut that the final pieces of this show had in its design. It is stunning.
The dress is made out of a beautiful rich black silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line combined with that bias cut draping. The combination is fantastic. The dress has a more fitted inner dress and then the silk drapes over that. The bodice is strapless and there is a full built-in cupped corset that holds the dress in place and gives you support through the bust. One side of the inner more fitted dress is exposed and this gives a suggestion of the shape of the body underneath. You see the inner dress from the top of the strapless bodice, around its side, and then down to about the hip. That inner portion of the dress has been been elaborately embroidered and beaded in a stunning floral design. It is beautiful. On the other side of the bodice, a silk panel is attached all the way around the top of the neckline and then it drapes down and around to frame that exposed inner dress. It creates this beautiful curved draping effect that gives the dress a bit of a Grecian goddess feel and picks up on those drapes that he used for the final few dresses on the runway. The silk panel continues all the way around the back and then the entire thing drapes to the floor. The hem is set on a slight angle with the side that drapes down sitting longer than the other side. This creates a very classic and signature McQueen feel. It is a beautiful mix of exposing just enough of the shape of the body while still showcasing the exceptional draping that he excelled at. I love how the draping slightly exaggerates the shape of the body and add curves even though the dress is not tight tot he body in any way. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting drape or an elaborate beaded detail. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition
An inner black silk lining goes to just above the knee and there is a built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. The corset has its own back zipper that fully opens and then the dress zips to close over that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a McQueen 44
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with B to maybe small C cups
Inner waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to shortest point of hem, 58" to the longest point
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4622
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christian dior
Spectacular Christian Dior by John Galliano Spring 2003 Black Silk Chiffon Lace Up Skirt & Top Set
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This fantastic Christian Dior by John Galliano set was recently worn by Alix Earle and I love that I have photos and video of it on so that you can see just how amazing it is on the body. These laced up pieces were integral to the Dior look during this time period and we included pics of Elizabeth Hurley in another piece that has the same lacing detail on the skirt and back from the same collection for you to see. This is an exceptional set. It is amazing on the body as you can see in the photos here of Alix wearing it. I also have a video on my instagram that shows Alix getting ready in this that night.
I love that this is made up of the two separate pieces. It gives it that added versatility of being able to be worn together so that it feels like you are wearing a dress, or to be able to mix and match the pieces with other existing things in your wardrobe. Both the top and the skirt are made from two layers of a bias cut black silk chiffon that have been stacked on top of each other to make it opaque enough to wear. The top slips on to wear and then you adjust the lacing at the front and the back for the perfect fit on you. It falls from the halter neckline, and I love the little silk chiffon ruffle that follows the edge of that neckline. The actual border of the neckline is a cotton strap that has metal grommets worked into it and then the laces all go through the grommets to adjust and tighten the fit on you. Both the strap edging and the laces have a slight faded feel that is purposeful. It is cut so that it flares out slightly at the bottom and over the top of the skirt below. You could also tuck it into the skirt and belt it if you wished. The skirt is meant to sit a little lower on the hip and the bias cut allows it to swirl around you. On the skirt the laces start at the back and wrap around the hips and then curve down the front. Long ties dangle from the bottom of where they lace up and there is that same ruffled silk chiffon detail that follows the design. Once past where the paces stop the lower skirt opens up and those ruffles run to the very bottom of the skirt. The skirt is meant to curve around the hips and then flares out dramatically for the lower portion of the skirt. This creates incredible movement as you move and is truly fantastic. It is a really exceptional set extremely sexy on the body. I love it. Excellent condition
Both pieces are a double layer of the same black bias cut silk chiffon. The top adjusts with the laces and the skirt closes with a zipper that is hidden along the edge of the angled seam towards one side at the back. The top is tagged a US10, GB14, FR42 and the skirt has no size tag. The bias cut gives it lots of movement and will allow it to fit a range of sizes. We have given the comfortable range of the pieces below.
Top
Bust: Approx 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam and you can go up or down a bit from there by adjusting the laces
Bottom hem: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from neck to hem
Skirt
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4623
Reference Photos: (1-4) Alix Earle, in this set, at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl Party, February 2024. / (5-6) Elizabeth Hurley in Dior at "Fashion Rocks", October 2003.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
yves saint laurent
Rarest Spring 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Final Collection Black Silk Chiffon Dress
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"I have chosen today to say goodbye to the craft that I have loved so much. The next show to which I invite you, on Tuesday, 22nd January at 6 PM, at the centre of George's Pompano, will predominantly be a retrospective of my work… Some designs from the currencies will also be shown." This was how Yves the announced his intention to retire and leave the world of Haute Couture. That final show was over an hour long and was presented to a room of 1500 hand picked guests. To tell the story of his decades long career there was a total of 371 garments shown that day. The presentation began at the beginning of his career and the show was a full retrospective of his work that showed a highlight of all of his creations through the decades. There were also a small group of 11 new items for the 2002 season included about 2/3rds of the way into the show created as the Spring 2002 couture collection. All were pieces that were based on dresses from the past but done in new colours. They were all made of weightless chiffons and were in a variety of colours. This blending of past and present further evoked the idea of his journey and how his designs are truly timeless no matter when they were made. The twin of this black dress was included in that grouping and it is based on the green dress we have included a reference photo of for you here from the Spring 1991 collection. I love it even more in its black version. The dress has its own special couture tag that commemorates it as being a part of this final show. It is an extremely rare and wonderful piece.
This dress is stunning. It has a strapless bodice that is fitted perfectly to hold the dress on the body and then it falls from there to the floor in layers of weightless black silk chiffon. The silk of the bodice is gathered and set vertically and inside the bodice there is a full inner built-in corset that is shaped and seamed so the dress stays perfectly in place once on. A wide band of silk wraps underneath the breasts to the waist and there is a sash that ties in a soft bow off to one side. The ends of the sash trail all the way down the side to the floor and this helps to add to the beautiful movement this dress has once on. Below the beautiful shape through the bodice the skirt falls to the floor in a soft cascade of silk chiffon. The. side of the skirt that opens is slightly longer than the other and this is a clever way to give that side of the skirt even more movement. These are the tiny details in Couture that make a dress move the exact perfect way. The innermost layer of silk chiffon is set all the way around you and then the other layers of the skirt are set over this and slit right up to where the waistband meets the top of the skirt on that side. So when you walk and move you are covered by that single layer of silk chiffon underneath but you are still bare underneath the transparency of the chiffon. You can see this clearly in the video as the model walks. It is very sexy. The layers and open side of the skirt combined with the trailing ties from the waist are then what allow the dress to move so beautifully around you when you move. It is absolutely perfect in every way. The workmanship is beautiful and the dress appears to have never been worn or worn very little. What a joy to have such an important dress from Yves very last collection. Excellent condition.
Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam with an A-B cup
Seam under the bust: 14.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 4.75" from top of bodice to seam under the bodice
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to shortest part of the hem, 54" to the longest
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4624
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Couture, Look 240. / (4) From the book “Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: CATWALK” / (5-6) Spring 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
Phenomenal 1960s Gina Fratini Printed Tiered Baby Doll Maxi Dress w Poufed Cap Sleeves & Feather Details
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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 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
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.
bob mackie
Dreamiest Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway Silk Chiffon w Metallic Leaf Print Underlay Strapless Dress
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This is the second of this dress I have had in the shop and I was surprised to find another so soon after having the first. Its twin walked the Fall 1989 show and I love that we have the reference photo for you to see how it looks on the body. The runway look was styled with a metal belt and I love that it shows you that with a simple switch of what you choose to wear around the waist you can give the dress a different feel. Bob Mackie became a household name when he started dressing Cher. He started off his career freelancing for costumers Edith Head and Jean Louis and it was while there that he sketched the design for Marilyn Monroe's famous 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress. He met fellow costume designer Ray Aghayan who eventually became his life partner. Together they designed costumes for Hollywood and created a made to order line of RTW. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years and the launch of his own label. His work helped to define an entire era of high glamour on the small screen and beyond.
The dress is made out of a stunning ombre deep dusky pink and taupe silk chiffon. Then under the top layer of the silk is a second layer of silk chiffon that has these incredible gold and silver thread leafs worked through the silk. These shimmer through under the top layer and create a beautiful depth and unexpected glimmer when you move and as they catch the light. It is a combination that is stunning to see together. The bodice is strapless and it has an inner shaped corset that is boned and shaped for support and to stay perfectly in place. The top of the bodice is peaked at the sides and then it is slightly rounded as it dips down and into the centre. Onto the bodice the silk chiffon has been gathered and softly draped so that it follows the curve of the bust and then slightly overlaps at the front. It does the same at the back where it meets at the centre set zipper. The waist cinches in and the dress comes with its original matching silk sash that you can tie and style around the waist or the neck. The skirt flows out from under there and it is made up of yards and yards of feather light silk chiffon. There are two layers of the bias cut silk stacked on top of each other and then an inner silk layer that sits next to the body. The top two layers of chiffon are feather light and the movement they create as they float over each other as you move is just incredible. It is incredible to see in person and the colour has a touch softer feel to it then how it photoed. That little bit of added glamour and drama from the gold and silver under that top layer of chiffon elevates the dress that much more. I love it. Excellent condition
The bodice of the dress is fully lined in a copper brown silk. The skirt has an inner nude layer of silk under the top two layers of bias cut silk chiffon as described above. The bodice is shaped and boned inside and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. A tiny touch of wear at the top off each peak and a small darkening to the skirt that gets lost int he folds of the skirt. Please see the photo after the label shot. It closes with a back zipper. Hand finishes.
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for at least a C cup at the front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of the tallest point of the bodice to waist
Total length: 56" from tallest point of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4612
Reference Photos: Fall 1989 Bob Mackie Runway.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.
james galanos
Gorgeous 1960s James Galanos Meticulously Pleated Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Elaborate Belt
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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 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.
james galanos
Superb Late 1970s James Galanos Multi Layer Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Removeble Ruffled Collar
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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. 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 a stunning example of his work. It is one of those dresses that really needs to be on an actual body to come to life but once it is on a body it is even better than what you see here. These black chiffon dresses that are all bias cut are almost impossible to photo properly on a dress form and only come to life once on.
This dress is spectacular and it is in its original uncut length. The dress is made out of four full layers of silk chiffon through the skirt that are perfectly stacked on top of each. The sleeves are made of two layers of the same silk chiffon and then the bodice is backed in a black silk to make it opaque. This dress is also interesting, because the way that the skirt is set into the back uses the same technique as this 1957 dress I that I have had in the shop before and whose version resides in the Met's collection. You can click through the link in the previous sentence to see that for reference and it gives you a bit of an idea of how this dress will look on the body but backwards. In the Vogue's description at the time the skirt was described as being; 'narrow in outline, but with beautiful easy folds from the waist, falling in self contained spirals' which is a lovely way to describe the way that it is set into the dress. I love that he referenced his own work in this way. The fabric is a beautiful light weight black silk chiffon that floats over the body. The skirt is cut so that it gathers up and into the middle of the dress at the back. This gives it that lovely draping down the back and it extends out a little longer at the hem. A high slit is also hidden in the draping so when you walk you get a flash of your legs. At the front the skirt has a very minimal feel that I love. The bodice above that is cut to skim and blouse over the body to the waist and the waist is cut with a more generous feel. You could add a belt if you wanted to cinch that in more and give it more shape. Adding a belt would also bring the waist line up a bit and give you even more of a blousing feel unless you put the belt a little lower at the top of the hip. The neck is high and then at the back it buttons down to close across the top of the back shoulders. I think that you could actually wear the dress either way and just have the hem fall a little longer at the front if you wished because it is that well-made. It has a more oversized feel through the top that is intentional and then the skirt is more narrow. The sleeves are spectacular and each one is cut wide and extremely full above the ruffled wrist. They are set deep into the bodice with a little bit of pleating around the top. so you get a touch of a capped feeling sleeve. The dress came with its original matching neck ruffle that hooks into place around the neck. I love how this in essence gives you two different dresses. If you choose not to wear the ruffle, it feels minimalist and stark from the front and when you add the ruffle it adds that extra bit of glamour and movement around the neck. It is a fabulous addition to the dress and it really showcases just what a genius he was. Excellent condition
Both pieces are fully lined in a black silk chiffon as described above. It closes with a low painted metal zipper at the waist and then has a row of buttons above that. Hand finishes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Sleeves: 27"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 19-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 20" from neck to waist
Total length: 69" from neck to front hem, 73" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4611
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.