yves saint laurent
1970s Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent Metallic Dress
This silk chiffon gown with its hand made fabric that has a gold leaf design woven through its surface, is amazing and it its simple silhouette belies the masterful attention to detail that is shown in every breathtaking stitch. It is insanely sexy with its simple wrapped cut and transparent outer dress. It is entirely done by hand and the silk chiffon is of the highest possible grade and as fine and light as a feather - it literally floats and swirls around you. The outer dress is lightweight and floats over and inner silk under dress and the sleeves are left as a single layer of silk. The outer dress is a soft, milk chocolate color with that amazing gold thread worked through its surface. It is cut to float over the body in a cascade of silk only to be caught up at the waist with volume above created with the wide puffed sleeves and volume below through the amount of fabric in the skirt. The draping and effect that all that fabric creates is incredibly romantic and beautiful. Each sleeves is cut so that it puffs voluminously above the fitted cuffs that close with a series of tightly spaced hand covered buttons. The skirt is soft into the waist with soft folds and really has a light, ethereal effect. It is amazing how fine the silk is and to have worked that gold thread through it and also to work with it to piece the gown together would have taken hours and hours of painstaking work. It is truly a brilliant, brilliant gown and when you see it in person you will be astounded at the level of craftsmanship and care put into the construction and by its sheer, breathtaking beauty. A masterpiece. In excellent, museum quality condition.
In the present world of Haute Couture, a gown like this would have a starts price of well over $75,000US dollars. Consider too that the Yves Saint Laurent atelier is no longer producing Haute Couture and the exclusivity factor goes up tenfold. The rarefied world of true Haute Couture and the truly limited productions of each piece makes finds like this especially gratifying. Haute Couture is the very pinnacle of the fashion experience and I would hazard to say that vintage versions are even a little more special then modern ones. This dress comes direct from the daughter of the original Haute Couture client and has not been on the market prior to my having it here. It is also from early on in Yves career, making it that much more desirable
The inner dress is made of a high quality silk and acts as the inner lining to the outer dress. The inner dress closes with a side hand set, metal zipper. The outer dress wraps at the waist and closes with hook and eye in two spots. Each cuffs buttons with four silk covered buttons and silk loops. Both pieces completely made by hand as the parameters of Haute Couture dictates. It is even more wonderful in person.
Outer Dress
Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 13"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 38.5" from waist to hem
Inner Dress
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 53" from shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD2082
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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SIZE GUIDE
Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.