• The twin of this dress walked the Haute Couture YSL runway as Look 122 for Fall 1984.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• French Vogue declared "People will remember that late morning of Wednesday July 25th for a long time. It was in the maelstrom of the Autumn/Winter 1984-1985 Couture shows. The heat wave made everybody irritable. And when they saw the marathon program of the show, which out of the blue announced 182 designs, emotions ran sky high. How had Saint Laurent dared what mad bet was he trying to win? How would he get away with it without repeats or pastiches? Sixty minutes later the rebellious room was on its feet applauding as one this new triumph by Saint Laurent the magnificent. What had happened? Quite simply the indisputable proof that Saint Laurent is the greatest, and that he has more than perfected the art of creating miracles out of designs that people have believed would never be more than standards... Here the high art of Saint Laurent shone through an apparent asceticism. He has a unique way of paring down the superfluous, removing unnecessary details, so that even at first sight, there was no mistaking: this is Saint Laurent."
• The dress has been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• I have included a snap of the original sketch from my YSL HC folio. It tells us that it was Look 122 in the show. 
• I love that it is one of the few pieces in the folio that has a secondary sketch along with the main full front sketch. 
• The dress is made out of a rich black silk velvet and then the bow that wraps around the waist is a copper gold coloured rich and luxurious silk.
• At the front the dress is extended into high rounded peaks over the bust and dips in between those quite sharply.
• Inside there is hidden built in a structure to hold the dress in place and help to create shape.
• It nips in at the waist and there is a internal series of hook and eye at the side under the zipper to help secure it around you.
• From there it comes back out over the hips into a pencil skirt that narrows in just slightly around the hem. This couture touch of bringing it in at the hem just that little bit helps to add to the hourglass feel that the dress has.
• Attached around the waist is a wide gathered band of a copper gold silk. It is a full 6.5 inches at its widest point at the back.
• This unexpected and bold use the colour that wraps around you is the perfect contrast to the inky black velvet.
• Finishing the front of that band is a classic soft YSL bow in a shape that you see so often in his work. It is just absolutely spectacular. To me it feels like it sits slightly lower on this dress than the one on the runway. Couture was of course made to a client preferences and this would have been where they preferred it to sit. If you preferred it to sit higher up as it did on the runway, you could easily have that tweak done.
• Everything is made by hand and hand stitched into place. It is an absolute beautiful thing to see all of the exquisite details on this dress.
• The dress has a hidden inner cups and boning inside the bodice. A hidden set of inner waist hooks sit just inside of the side zipper that closes the dress. The bow hooks into place under its centre and one side has a hidden set snap to hold the bow perfectly where it should be. The appropriate Haute Couture tag is present and all of the work is done by hand.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 32" all the way around inside
Waist: 12.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approximately 9" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 31.5" from waist to hem with just under 2"turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5849

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

• This dress is from the Fall 1979 Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent collection.
• It was made under the creative direction Yves Saint Laurent.
• The 1979 collection was an a homage to Picasso and Diaghilev. Yves had been to an exhibit on Picasso costume and set designs for Diaghilev's ballet Russes. At the time he told French Vogue that he had been on a different path entirely for the collection but then he saw the exhibition and "my collection took on the structure of a ballet. I embroidered on Picasso, on a slightly soft cubism, on harlequin, the Blue Period, the Pink. It's best when in inspiration comes! You no longer have any doubt, you get on with it, you feel an immense joy!"
• You can see that inspiration of the harlequin especially on the pattern of this dress. We found several runway examples where he used the same pattern and added those here. This pattern was a significant part of the collection.
• I snapped the sketch that is closest to this piece from my YSL folio that contains all the drawings from the collection and some shots to show that he used this particular print in several colours including the blue of this dress. 
• The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• It is made out of a beautiful silk that is scarf weight so is very light and easy to wear. It has a secondary pattern within the weave in the same blue and then it is printed with that black design leaving the blue to show between. 
• The collar is neat and done in the same silk. The silk of the bodice is gathered in around it for a added detailing and it closes at the back of the neck above a small keyhole. 
• The shoulders are soft and the top of each sleeve gathers into the shoulder. They narrow down to cuffed wrists that ends in a ruffle made of the same silk.
• The cut through the body is loose and easy and it has the slightest bit of narrowing inwards as it nears the hem. 
• The more generous cut through the body makes it easy to wear. You have the option of wearing it loose or adding a belt to cinch it in and add shape around the waist. I photoed it both of those ways with an added black rope belt. 
• The perfect finishing touch are the little slits on either side of the skirt. These allow for movement when you move and gives you ease of walking plus a little bit of extra leg to show.
• This is a superb piece of Couture and is an early example of his work.
• The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with a single button at the back of the neck above a keyhole. Each cuff buttons to close. It is entirely made by hand. The belt is not original to the dress but will be included. The appropriate Haute Couture label is present.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 23.5" and they are 15" around the upper arm. The neck is 13" around. The cuffs are 6" around where the button is presently but could be opened and the button moved to get 7".
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36.5" from neck to hem. Each side slit is 9" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5821

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

• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Fall 1986 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent
  
• On the runway it was shown in this colour and as a red version. The red version was also used in the ad campaign that season.
• The dress is made from a gathered velvet that has been gathered like that by hand. It gives it an amazing texture.
• The colour is a beautiful deep purple that in certain lights changes to have a touch of a blue undertone. 
• The dress is strapless with built in structure to help hold it in place once one the body. The back of the bodice has elastic so the dress is easy to fit. It curves down and past the waist with no seam to break the eye. From there it curves back out and over the hips in a sleek pencil silhouette.
• The dress closes with a zipper off set to follow a seam at the back. The inner bodice area is lined in a blue silk and the rest of the dress is unlined. An inner waist stay hooks to close. You can clearly see the hand stitching on the back of the fabric done to create the pattern on the velvet.
• Tagged a vintage YSL 40
• Excellent condition

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of bodice to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5822

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1976 YSL collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• On the runway the skirt was pulled up more than how I have shot it here and I love that that shows you how versatile the dress is in terms of how you can wear the length.
• A similar dress was also used for the ad campaign.
• The dress is made out of a light floral printed pink silk jersey that has some stretch to it and drapes beautifully over the body while keeping light in weight.
• The neck line is set wide across so you can wear it off of the shoulder for a bare expanse of skin to show. An elastic is woven through the top of the neckline so you could also wear it up and on the shoulders if you wished.
• The sleeves extend out from there and are cut to just above the elbow. Their ends have elastic which allows you to change their length on your arm and how they sit.
• The bodice skims down to an elastic waist and this tops, a another panel of the same fabric that also has an elastic band that goes all the way around.
• The two bands of elastic are what let you choose how high to wear the dress around your waist and hips. You can dramatically change the length from a very long full length to something more like what you see on the runway. Bringing the dress up just allows the silk jersey to drape more over the layer underneath.
• The skirt is under the final band of elastic, flares out slightly as it reaches its hem. When the dress is laid out flat, it is extra long and then once on adjusting where the elastic band sit determines the final length.
  
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and one of my favourite pieces I have ever had in by him.
• The versatility and ability to style. The dress in multiple ways is just fantastic.
• The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with elastic as described above. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a YSL 40
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 16" and they are very full around the upper arm
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 11-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Lower elastic band: 14-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approximately 15" from top of natural shoulder to elastic waist and there is 16" between the two elastic bands
Total length: 70" from top of natural shoulder to hem and then you can shorten the length by how much you adjust where you wear either elastic band

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5776

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

• This is a phenomenal dress whose twin walked the runway for the Fall 1989 YSL show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• The dress is made out of a feather light silk chiffon that has a brilliantly covered print over its entire surface. Worked into the fabric are little gold thread metallic 'dots'. This fabric choice holds the colours beautifully. 
• The neckline is set more wide across so that it sits towards the edges of the shoulders and then plunges into a V at the front. The front wraps over itself and hooks into place around the waist and then has a small row of snaps under that. This clever partial wraparound lets the front wrap over itself to create that V.
• The shoulders are soft and the sleeves extend out from there. They are cut a bit wider at the top and narrow into the wrist.
• The cuffs on this one are spectacular. There is a hidden set zipper at each wrist and then on the opposite side the cuffs are gathered into the seam and highlighted with eight silk covered buttons that run up from the wrist.
• The bodice is cut to skim over you and then it narrows into the waist. The dress comes with its original matching silk chiffon belt that lets you define the waist even more. I love the soft bow that sits underneath where the belt hooks into place around you. It just adds yet another phenomenal detail.
• The skirt is as gathered into the waist and it has many, many yards of fabric in its construction. Tiny gathers are set in all along the seam around the waist and then it opens out to be very full under that. This is what gives the skirt its incredible volume.
• You get an idea of just how much fabric is in the skirt by the reference photos that we have added here. It is truly incredible. 
• Even with all of the volume in skirt because of how many yards of fabric are in it the dress remains light in weight because of the silk chiffon.
• I love how the gold gives the entire dress a touch of a metallic glint to it in the light and the mix of colours keep it vibrant and beautiful.
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and this is a rare and hard to find piece.
• The dress is unlined and closes with a combination of hooks and snaps around the waist and just under the waist. A hidden set zipper at each cuff. The belt closes with hooks under the bow and it is original to the dress. The dress is unlabeled and appears to have been worn very little if at all. 
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 26" and they are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist and meant to blouse over the waist a bit once the belt is on.
Total length: approx 60" from top of shoulder to hem. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5759

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

• The twin of this dress walked the Haute Couture YSL runway as Look 122 for Fall 1984.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• French Vogue declared "People will remember that late morning of Wednesday July 25th for a long time. It was in the maelstrom of the Autumn/Winter 1984-1985 Couture shows. The heat wave made everybody irritable. And when they saw the marathon program of the show, which out of the blue announced 182 designs, emotions ran sky high. How had Saint Laurent dared what mad bet was he trying to win? How would he get away with it without repeats or pastiches? Sixty minutes later the rebellious room was on its feet applauding as one this new triumph by Saint Laurent the magnificent. What had happened? Quite simply the indisputable proof that Saint Laurent is the greatest, and that he has more than perfected the art of creating miracles out of designs that people have believed would never be more than standards... Here the high art of Saint Laurent shone through an apparent asceticism. He has a unique way of paring down the superfluous, removing unnecessary details, so that even at first sight, there was no mistaking: this is Saint Laurent."
• The dress has been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• I have included a snap of the original sketch from my YSL HC folio. It tells us that it was Look 122 in the show. 
• I love that it is one of the few pieces in the folio that has a secondary sketch along with the main full front sketch. 
• The dress is made out of a rich black silk velvet and then the bow that wraps around the waist is a copper gold coloured rich and luxurious silk.
• At the front the dress is extended into high rounded peaks over the bust and dips in between those quite sharply.
• Inside there is hidden built in a structure to hold the dress in place and help to create shape.
• It nips in at the waist and there is a internal series of hook and eye at the side under the zipper to help secure it around you.
• From there it comes back out over the hips into a pencil skirt that narrows in just slightly around the hem. This couture touch of bringing it in at the hem just that little bit helps to add to the hourglass feel that the dress has.
• Attached around the waist is a wide gathered band of a copper gold silk. It is a full 6.5 inches at its widest point at the back.
• This unexpected and bold use the colour that wraps around you is the perfect contrast to the inky black velvet.
• Finishing the front of that band is a classic soft YSL bow in a shape that you see so often in his work. It is just absolutely spectacular. To me it feels like it sits slightly lower on this dress than the one on the runway. Couture was of course made to a client preferences and this would have been where they preferred it to sit. If you preferred it to sit higher up as it did on the runway, you could easily have that tweak done.
• Everything is made by hand and hand stitched into place. It is an absolute beautiful thing to see all of the exquisite details on this dress.
• The dress has a hidden inner cups and boning inside the bodice. A hidden set of inner waist hooks sit just inside of the side zipper that closes the dress. The bow hooks into place under its centre and one side has a hidden set snap to hold the bow perfectly where it should be. The appropriate Haute Couture tag is present and all of the work is done by hand.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 32" all the way around inside
Waist: 12.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approximately 9" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 31.5" from waist to hem with just under 2"turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5849

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

• This dress is from the Fall 1979 Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent collection.
• It was made under the creative direction Yves Saint Laurent.
• The 1979 collection was an a homage to Picasso and Diaghilev. Yves had been to an exhibit on Picasso costume and set designs for Diaghilev's ballet Russes. At the time he told French Vogue that he had been on a different path entirely for the collection but then he saw the exhibition and "my collection took on the structure of a ballet. I embroidered on Picasso, on a slightly soft cubism, on harlequin, the Blue Period, the Pink. It's best when in inspiration comes! You no longer have any doubt, you get on with it, you feel an immense joy!"
• You can see that inspiration of the harlequin especially on the pattern of this dress. We found several runway examples where he used the same pattern and added those here. This pattern was a significant part of the collection.
• I snapped the sketch that is closest to this piece from my YSL folio that contains all the drawings from the collection and some shots to show that he used this particular print in several colours including the blue of this dress. 
• The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• It is made out of a beautiful silk that is scarf weight so is very light and easy to wear. It has a secondary pattern within the weave in the same blue and then it is printed with that black design leaving the blue to show between. 
• The collar is neat and done in the same silk. The silk of the bodice is gathered in around it for a added detailing and it closes at the back of the neck above a small keyhole. 
• The shoulders are soft and the top of each sleeve gathers into the shoulder. They narrow down to cuffed wrists that ends in a ruffle made of the same silk.
• The cut through the body is loose and easy and it has the slightest bit of narrowing inwards as it nears the hem. 
• The more generous cut through the body makes it easy to wear. You have the option of wearing it loose or adding a belt to cinch it in and add shape around the waist. I photoed it both of those ways with an added black rope belt. 
• The perfect finishing touch are the little slits on either side of the skirt. These allow for movement when you move and gives you ease of walking plus a little bit of extra leg to show.
• This is a superb piece of Couture and is an early example of his work.
• The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with a single button at the back of the neck above a keyhole. Each cuff buttons to close. It is entirely made by hand. The belt is not original to the dress but will be included. The appropriate Haute Couture label is present.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 23.5" and they are 15" around the upper arm. The neck is 13" around. The cuffs are 6" around where the button is presently but could be opened and the button moved to get 7".
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36.5" from neck to hem. Each side slit is 9" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5821

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

• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Fall 1986 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent
  
• On the runway it was shown in this colour and as a red version. The red version was also used in the ad campaign that season.
• The dress is made from a gathered velvet that has been gathered like that by hand. It gives it an amazing texture.
• The colour is a beautiful deep purple that in certain lights changes to have a touch of a blue undertone. 
• The dress is strapless with built in structure to help hold it in place once one the body. The back of the bodice has elastic so the dress is easy to fit. It curves down and past the waist with no seam to break the eye. From there it curves back out and over the hips in a sleek pencil silhouette.
• The dress closes with a zipper off set to follow a seam at the back. The inner bodice area is lined in a blue silk and the rest of the dress is unlined. An inner waist stay hooks to close. You can clearly see the hand stitching on the back of the fabric done to create the pattern on the velvet.
• Tagged a vintage YSL 40
• Excellent condition

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 32" from top of bodice to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5822

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 1976 YSL collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• On the runway the skirt was pulled up more than how I have shot it here and I love that that shows you how versatile the dress is in terms of how you can wear the length.
• A similar dress was also used for the ad campaign.
• The dress is made out of a light floral printed pink silk jersey that has some stretch to it and drapes beautifully over the body while keeping light in weight.
• The neck line is set wide across so you can wear it off of the shoulder for a bare expanse of skin to show. An elastic is woven through the top of the neckline so you could also wear it up and on the shoulders if you wished.
• The sleeves extend out from there and are cut to just above the elbow. Their ends have elastic which allows you to change their length on your arm and how they sit.
• The bodice skims down to an elastic waist and this tops, a another panel of the same fabric that also has an elastic band that goes all the way around.
• The two bands of elastic are what let you choose how high to wear the dress around your waist and hips. You can dramatically change the length from a very long full length to something more like what you see on the runway. Bringing the dress up just allows the silk jersey to drape more over the layer underneath.
• The skirt is under the final band of elastic, flares out slightly as it reaches its hem. When the dress is laid out flat, it is extra long and then once on adjusting where the elastic band sit determines the final length.
  
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and one of my favourite pieces I have ever had in by him.
• The versatility and ability to style. The dress in multiple ways is just fantastic.
• The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with elastic as described above. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a YSL 40
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 16" and they are very full around the upper arm
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 11-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Lower elastic band: 14-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approximately 15" from top of natural shoulder to elastic waist and there is 16" between the two elastic bands
Total length: 70" from top of natural shoulder to hem and then you can shorten the length by how much you adjust where you wear either elastic band

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5776

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

• This is a phenomenal dress whose twin walked the runway for the Fall 1989 YSL show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• The dress is made out of a feather light silk chiffon that has a brilliantly covered print over its entire surface. Worked into the fabric are little gold thread metallic 'dots'. This fabric choice holds the colours beautifully. 
• The neckline is set more wide across so that it sits towards the edges of the shoulders and then plunges into a V at the front. The front wraps over itself and hooks into place around the waist and then has a small row of snaps under that. This clever partial wraparound lets the front wrap over itself to create that V.
• The shoulders are soft and the sleeves extend out from there. They are cut a bit wider at the top and narrow into the wrist.
• The cuffs on this one are spectacular. There is a hidden set zipper at each wrist and then on the opposite side the cuffs are gathered into the seam and highlighted with eight silk covered buttons that run up from the wrist.
• The bodice is cut to skim over you and then it narrows into the waist. The dress comes with its original matching silk chiffon belt that lets you define the waist even more. I love the soft bow that sits underneath where the belt hooks into place around you. It just adds yet another phenomenal detail.
• The skirt is as gathered into the waist and it has many, many yards of fabric in its construction. Tiny gathers are set in all along the seam around the waist and then it opens out to be very full under that. This is what gives the skirt its incredible volume.
• You get an idea of just how much fabric is in the skirt by the reference photos that we have added here. It is truly incredible. 
• Even with all of the volume in skirt because of how many yards of fabric are in it the dress remains light in weight because of the silk chiffon.
• I love how the gold gives the entire dress a touch of a metallic glint to it in the light and the mix of colours keep it vibrant and beautiful.
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and this is a rare and hard to find piece.
• The dress is unlined and closes with a combination of hooks and snaps around the waist and just under the waist. A hidden set zipper at each cuff. The belt closes with hooks under the bow and it is original to the dress. The dress is unlabeled and appears to have been worn very little if at all. 
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 26" and they are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist and meant to blouse over the waist a bit once the belt is on.
Total length: approx 60" from top of shoulder to hem. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5759

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.