This is an incredible Haute Couture dress that came to me from the niece of the original couture client, In our hunt for more information on it we found the runway photos from the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture presentations and you instantly see that it is its twin in all ways. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body. This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway.

The dress is made from a deep copper gold silk taffeta and this fabric choice allows it to hold those stunning lines and volume that you see. It is absolutely beautiful and a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. The colour of the silk is even better in person. I have managed to almost capture it in these photos but in person it is even richer feeling then what you see here. At the front the neckline is set in a simple high scoop. The bodice is cut to skim over your curves and is simple in cut. The sleeves are incredible. Each one is set on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of dressmaking. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. They puff out slightly around the upper arm and then narrow down at their ends. The waist is seamed and the skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out from the waist slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. On the runway it was shown with a black velvet bow and I have added one to emulate that same look. The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is made into two attached sections. The top comes out from the pleats all around the waist and it poufs out around you. A seam brings the skirt in and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there. That second tier has many yards of silk in it so that it flares out as it reached the hem. Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and ties into a bow at the side. Which beautifully picks up on the bow around the waist. All of the volume and shape that you see is created through the way it is cut and the fabric choice. The skirt does not have extensive underskirts to shape it. The silk of the skirts are lined in a silk organza to help give support but it is really the genius of the cut itself that creates the shape. An elaborate and intricate floral design runs across the front and back of the bodice and down each sleeve. Hand done embroidery work is combined with tiny black sequins and hand applied beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen. Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam finished by hand. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absolutely beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a slightly gold tinged silk organza. It closes with a hand placed back zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over that. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. The velvet ribbon out is not original to the piece but will be included. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is a slightly softer gold copper in person then how it photoed.

Sleeves: 26"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from shoulder to waist
Length: 42" from waist to front hem, 45" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3685

Reference Photos: Fall 1982 Givenchy Couture 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.

This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway. This one seems to be heavily influenced by the Fall 1987 collection by Givenchy. You can see the same skirting technique used in the runway reference photos I have included here. And if you put the top of the dress that Audrey is wearing with the runway piece together you pretty much get this dress. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is beautiful. A truly iconic piece of couture 

The dress is made from the most incredible metallic fabric. It literally changes colour from a purple to a green depending on how the light hits it. You get a hint of that in the photos but when it is on and in actual light and you are moving it can really go to a green colour. It is just amazing really. The fabric has a touch of weight to it and this helps to hold the shape that you see. The dress is astonishing and so bold. Pieces like this are really a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. At the front the neckline is scooped to show a touch of skin. The sleeves are set into the shoulders so that you get a bit of a peak. They are wider near the top and then they and taper down slightly as they reach each wrist. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist is dropped. Under the dropped waist is a wide band of poufed and gathered fabric that creates an incredible volume. You can see how it creates this bold and dramatic 3D feel. With the way the light catches the fabric and changes the colour the effect is even more dramatic in person. Nestled into the folds of that gathered part is a large black velvet bow. The skirt is set under that on a sharp angle that works it way away from the body to widen out to be quite full as it nears the floor. It is cut to feel sculptural and balance out the volume above. The front is cut a little shorter then the back and the I love the pleat effect the back has because of this. It did not come with a belt but you could easily add one to give it more of the feel of the runway version and add shape. It is incredible. All of the volume is created by the cut and the fabric alone. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. It is an incredible piece and just beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and there are hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. 

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 58" to the longest part of the back hem 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3808

Reference Photos: (1) A/W 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Silver metallic lame brocade strapless gown dress with a black velvet chest and bow and 2-layer puffy skirt. L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.  /  (2) Audrey Hepburn, in Givenchy, at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City for the 17th Annual International Emmy Awards in 1989.

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

This is a stunning dress and shows the softer, more romantic side of Lanvin from this time period. This would have been designed by Jules-Francois Crahay, who headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. In the book Lanvin by Rizzoli, that has a lovely forward from Alber Elbaz, it is noted that the Spring 1984 was Crahay's last RTW collection for the label before his retirement. Crahay's time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourite periods for the house and I think it is so special to have a documented piece from his last RTW collection. Having the runway photos makes it that much more special since you can really see how great this one is on the body.

The dress is made from a beautiful hand loomed red linen. The linen gives it a stunning texture and the depths of colour that is achieved by using linen is fantastic. It has been lined in a black silk and from the back this gives it that wonderful contrast that you see. From the front the dress is this beautifully simple and romantic feeling dress. The sleeve are softly gathered into the shoulders and they are cut wide and straight to just above the elbow. The bodice is squared off at the front and it is cut to skim over you to the waist. The cut through the waist area is loose and easy and depending on how tight you tie the back it can sit more loose and easy or with a bit more shape. The skirt is set into the waist in a series of tiny soft gathers. This picks up beautifully on the shoulders and adds a little volume around the hips and through the skirt. I love the pockets hidden along each hip. They really add to the easy feeling that the dress has. The skirt has tons of fabric in it. When you stand straight you don't really realize how much fabric has been used but when you move or sit it really flows around you beautifully. The back is almost shocking with the surprise of it when you turn around. He has scooped the waist down to expose the very lower back and then it is open above that and held in place by three ties. The linen extends out on each side of that scooped back in wide ties and then each tie is a combination of the red linen on the top and the black silk underneath. When you ties these into bows you get this fantastic combination of red, black and your bare skin peeking out between it all. It is a fantastically surprising dress that is sexy and easy at the same time. I love it. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk satin through the top and black silk through the skirt. It close with a the hidden zipper on the inner lining at the low back. The back ties into place above that. The dress is numbered under one folded edge of the tag. I did not take a photo of it because it's really hard to get to but if you twist the edge up you can see it.

Sleeves: 12.5"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to front hem, 47" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4429

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Spring 1984 Lanvin 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.

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 of always being flattering on the body. This is a gorgeous example of his work into the 1980s. The teak silk is even better in person and it is just beautiful.

The fabric of this dress is stunning. It almost has a sueded feel to it and it is all cut on the bias. It falls from the shoulders in a stunning sheath down the body and widens out as it nears the hem. The front is cut in a way that feels more simple and straight and then at the back is where you have a lot of drama. It is sleeveless and the neck is cut straight across at the front. Each shoulder has a intricate detailed art deco feeling spray of beads across the top of the shoulder. The beads are an iridescent copper gold and they pick the light up wonderfully. The back is exceptional and when you walk away or turn in this dress no one is going to forget you. The silk is gathered in around the top of the shoulders and then drapes down past the waist. He did not add a waist seam to the front of the dress but at the back he did put on in to both bring it in and give the silk a place to be gathered into to. This also gives you more shape as well. The fabric drapes down from the shoulders and around the sides a bit and then is gathered back into that low center point of the back. This leaves the entire back bare and exposed. This unexpected flash of skin is seriously sexy and the drama of that draping is fantastic. The fabric is also gathered more at the back of the skirt so that you have a bit of gorgeous movement happening when you move. It is really a stunning piece. Excellent condition

The dress is lined through the bodice in the same fabric and the skirt is unlined. It closes at the back with an overlapping flap of silk that hooks into place. Hand finishes throughout. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder to front hem, 59" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4423

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

This is an incredible Haute Couture dress that came to me from the niece of the original couture client, In our hunt for more information on it we found the runway photos from the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture presentations and you instantly see that it is its twin in all ways. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body. This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway.

The dress is made from a deep copper gold silk taffeta and this fabric choice allows it to hold those stunning lines and volume that you see. It is absolutely beautiful and a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. The colour of the silk is even better in person. I have managed to almost capture it in these photos but in person it is even richer feeling then what you see here. At the front the neckline is set in a simple high scoop. The bodice is cut to skim over your curves and is simple in cut. The sleeves are incredible. Each one is set on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of dressmaking. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. They puff out slightly around the upper arm and then narrow down at their ends. The waist is seamed and the skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out from the waist slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. On the runway it was shown with a black velvet bow and I have added one to emulate that same look. The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is made into two attached sections. The top comes out from the pleats all around the waist and it poufs out around you. A seam brings the skirt in and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there. That second tier has many yards of silk in it so that it flares out as it reached the hem. Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and ties into a bow at the side. Which beautifully picks up on the bow around the waist. All of the volume and shape that you see is created through the way it is cut and the fabric choice. The skirt does not have extensive underskirts to shape it. The silk of the skirts are lined in a silk organza to help give support but it is really the genius of the cut itself that creates the shape. An elaborate and intricate floral design runs across the front and back of the bodice and down each sleeve. Hand done embroidery work is combined with tiny black sequins and hand applied beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen. Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam finished by hand. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absolutely beautifully made. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a slightly gold tinged silk organza. It closes with a hand placed back zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over that. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. The velvet ribbon out is not original to the piece but will be included. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is a slightly softer gold copper in person then how it photoed.

Sleeves: 26"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from shoulder to waist
Length: 42" from waist to front hem, 45" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3685

Reference Photos: Fall 1982 Givenchy Couture 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.

This dress is instantly recognizable as having been designed by Bob Mackie. He was best known for dressing Cher and for his signature glamorous looks. The best of his work are the pieces like this that are dripping with bead work. Modern girls are obsessed with his vintage pieces. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In many ways his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. His work always has that touch of the best of the bygone glamor of Hollywood.

This is an amazing dress that is extremely flattering even though you are covered completely. The base of the dress is made of a soft peach silk and then onto that is the vertical bands of detailing that completely cover the dress. That design that you see is made up of a combination of muted gold and clear glass tube beads that have been set in vertical rows over the entire dress. There is a more intricate pattern over that on one shoulder, around the collar and down the sleeves that is made up of tinier tube beads, muted gold sequins and rhinestones. And then scattered within all of that are little highlights done in a silver sequin with a tiny clear bead at their centers. This ultra glamorous combination gives the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour as every inch of it catches the light and sparkles. The dress has a decent weight to it when it is off of the body because of that extensive bead-work, and yet once on the body it drapes in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The necklace is high and the collar is extremely detailed. I love the detailing on the outside of each sleeve. The waist is brought in just a touch to create shape and that curved down and angled seam there that is detailed with more rhinestones and beads helps to really lengthen the feel of the dress around you. The skirt call store from there and slightly widens out as it nearest the ham. It's a long slim shape combined with all those vertical rows of bead work make you look tall and lean once you are in the dress. Excellent condition.

Lined through the body matching peach chiffon and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a back zipper and each sleeve has a zipper at its end. Padding in each shoulder. A touch more pastel feeling in person. Tagged a vintage Bob Mackie 6

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from neck to longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4426

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

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

This dress is just fantastic and so easy to wear. The colours on it are brilliant and mixes brilliant tropical red, green, pinks and yellow on a black base. The print has those wonderful giant flowers that are scattered over the dress and follow the beautiful drape of the caftan.  The effect that those vivid colours have combined with the drape and flow of the silk is fantastic. I love it. The neck is a simple deep V for a little bit of skin. The sides are closed along the very outer seam so that it is very loose and easy as it falls over the body. The sides are cut to drape outwards to help make room for your arms and there is a defined cuff that your slip your hand through. The cuffs button to close and there are two glittering crystal buttons on each one. Having the defined arms gives it a bit of shape around you without effecting the fullness of the caftan. The fabric is caught up and under those cuffs so from the side you get this gorgeous draping affect. The back is full with  tons of volume. When you walk you get this wonderful billowing effect around you that that is fantastic. The quality of silk is wonderful and it's like wearing a giant scarf. It is as light as a feather. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Unlined and  slips on to wear. Each cuff buttons to close. Its open cut should allow it to fit a full range of sizes. There is a tiny bit of chipping to the edges of the buttons but I am being pretty picky

Open through the body
Length: approx 50" from neck to front hem and approx 56" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD4410

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