• This pretty printed silk caftan dress dates to the 1980s.
• The dress was made under the creative direction of Hanae Mori.
• Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.
• Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature with elements of her home.
• The dress is made out of one of her custom designed prints screened onto feather light deep blue silk. There is a secondary large dot pattern woven into the blue parts of the silk.
• The silk is light in weight and easy to wear. Think the weight of a fine silk scarf in terms of weight and feel.
• The entire dress has been printed with that gorgeous flower and leaf design. I love the colour combination of the deep blue with the bright pops of colour that cover it.
• The neckline is rounded and finished with a red silk piping. It parts in a slit down the front with four silk covered buttons closing it. This lets you wear it open or closed.
• The shoulders have padding that are rounded so the shoulders feel soft but with some structure. If you wanted it softer you could easily remove them.
• The sleeves extend straight out from there and have a piping detail at each end and again just past the shoulders. They are extremely wide and are just over 26" around. I love the movement this creates around you as you move.
• The inside of each sleeve is lined in red silk which means when you move your arm you get that unexpected flash of colour.
• It is cut to have the feel of a caftan and it skims loosely over the body, gently widening out just a touch until it reaches the hem. The dress is cut to simply float over the body.
• It has a slit on one side at the hem and this adds to the movement it has once on the body. The slit is defined by red silk piping.
• The dress sits loose and easy over the body. If you did want to add shape, you could add a belt or sash around the waist and this would completely change the look of the dress.
• This is a dress that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made.
• The dress is unlined through the body and slips over the head to wear. Each sleeve is lined in red silk. Four buttons at the neck as described above. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 18" and they are 26" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips:to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 5 57" from top of shoulder to hem and the slit is 20.5" from the hem up. There is just under 1.5" turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5671

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 Spring 1989 Nina Ricci show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Gerard Pipart.
• I love that there are runway reference photos of the dress so you can see how it will sit once on the body. 
• The dress is true Couture and was completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• It is made out of a deep blue silk that is very high-quality and it is lined by hand in a matching blue silk chiffon.
• The shoulders have hand done padding in them for some added shape and the sleeves are set wide into the body of the dress. They narrow as they fall to the wrist and the lower part of the outside seam is gathered to create a slight ruffled feel at the cuff.
• A panel of the same silk starts at the waist of one side and sweeps up in a curve to be gathered on top of the shoulder on the opposite side. Under that the bottom skims down to the waist area.
• The waist is shaped by the fabric being gathered in at the side and the way it is cut. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt.
• The panel that starts underneath the top panel extends down past the hip and does the same sweeping over the internal skirt. It curves up to the side to form an opposite curve to the one of the bodice.
• There is one more sweeping curve formed over the lower skirt. This one matches the direction of the curve of the top part of the dress. The way that it gathered in the side gives it a little bit more of a ruffled feel then the other two.
• I love this back-and-forth sweeping feel that the dress has. It almost feels like petals of a flower as they curve over you. On the runway, each of the three spots was highlighted with a flower. If you wanted to re-create that look it would be very easy to add removable flowers set on a brooch and you could use whatever colour you chose at the three spots.
• This is a beautifully made and elegant dress of the highest possible quality given that it's true Couture.
• The dress is fully lined in handset silk organza under the panels and a blue silk through the body. It closes with a back zipper. All of the work is done by hand. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please see the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24" and they are 17" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 44.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5651

Reference Photo: Spring 1989 Nina Ricci 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.

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1987 show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• 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.
• This is an easy to wear and very chic little YSL dress perfect for parties.
• The top layer of the dress is an unusual blue-purple colour that runs through a lace feeling fabric.
• It has a bit of a metallic feel from it caused by a metallic thread that runs through the lace.
• Over that are thousands of glossy black sequins that follow the pattern. The sequins catch the light from every angle.
• Underneath that top layer is a deep blue silk chiffon that has a touch of transparency to it with the two layered over each other it is opaque enough to wear safely.
• The combination of these two fabrics keep it light and weight 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 and it is finished with a pretty black silk organza ruffle. 
• 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.
• The dress is fully lined in a dark blue silk chiffon. It closes at the side with a zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage YSL 42
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approx 18" from the dropped shoulder and they are 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
Total length: 30" from top of centre neckline to front hem and 36" to back hem including the ruffle

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5643

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.

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1984 collection
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• It is also the exact dress that was worn by Krysta Rodriguez in 2023
• This is a beautiful example of the work being produced by Christian Dior in this time period.
• In the book Dior; Catwalk, the notes on the fall collection state that the collection was placed 'under the sign of opposites' and that he had looked to the work of Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock for inspiration. Pieces were adorned in drip embroidery and motifs and then he did a series of long sheath dresses that were 'accessorized with 'Pollock jewels" in jet and multi colour stones'.
• We found several photos of the twin of this dress on the runway which shows you how fabulous it is on the body.
• The dress is a true Haute Couture piece and has the appropriate numbered label intact. It would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The dress is made out of a soft textured silk velvet in a jet black. Using a velvet that has this added texture to it is an incredible choice as the dress catches the light in different ways as you move and it really makes it come to life.
• The cut is simple and sleek with a low front neckline that dips from an angle created over each shoulder. It slightly curves down to the centre and then the fabric is softly gathered from there to the waist.
• This leaves it with a slightly bloused over feel over the the nipped in waist.
• The sleeves are cut long and they slim down as they reach the wrists. There is a slight volume built in at the outer part of each shoulder. On the inside I see hand made silk cases that at one time had light padding in them but the padding has been removed at some point to give it a softer shape. You could easily have some padding put back in if you wanted a stronger shoulder.
• Inside the bodice is a more fitted and boned inner silk corseted piece that holds you in place while the silk velvet simply drapes softly over that outside.
• The skirt is cut to feel sleek and simple as it falls to the floor narrowing in slightly as it reaches the hem. A vent runs up the back so that you can walk.
• It is a beautiful and dramatic piece despite its simple lines. 
• Fully lined in a black silk and it has a built in bodice made of black silk. The inner bodice is boned and closes with its own zipper. The exterior dress closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each sleeve has a zipper at the cuff. Tagged with the Couture #19469. Silk hand made pads that have no padding inside each shoulder as described above. I see some small flaws to the silk on either side of the zipper on the inner corset. Please see the photo after the label shot. 
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please see the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24.5" and they are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from shoulder to waist
Total length: 58.5" from waist to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5624

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture Runway.  /  (4) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture, credit unknown.  /  (5-7) Krysta Rodriguez, in this dress, for the opening of Bad Cinderella on Broadway, March 2023.

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

• The Richilene label was launched around 1970 and lasted to about 1990 or so.
• It was a New York based label and was designed by Ilene Pacun and her husband Richard. The name came by combining their two first names which I only found out recently, and I thought was a cute little detail. They focused on party dresses for the most part and had a pretty wide range of options price wise.
• By the mid-1980s their prices ranged from about $200-$2000 and the higher and pieces were very well made.
• I can't help but think that this is a more attainable version of the famous 1986 Chanel with its removable sleeves.
• The dress is made out of a beautiful deep blue netting that has little dots worked through the tulle. The choice of this particular fabric gives it the structure to hold the shape but still keeps it fairly light in weight once on the body.
• The bodice is strapless and there is inner boning for support. The boning continues down the sides on either side to help hold the dress in place. The waist curves in a bit and then the skirt is set in just at the top of the hip. I love how this gives the illusion of extra length through the body.
• The entire bodice has been heavily detailed with iridescent deep blue sequins that are set in a curving swirling pattern. They have been densely applied so that they overlap each other. This allows them to catch the light in different ways to create a really pretty effect.
• Onto this are embroidered and beaded flowers that have petals set up and off the dress for a slight 3-D effect. These go all the way around the upper bodice.
• The skirt is very long and full. It flows to the floor in a cascade of that beautiful dotted netting and there are five layers making up the skirt. The top two layers are the blue netting and then there is a organza layer under that that has a shimmering finish to it. Under that is a black layer of stiffen netting and then there is a final blue layer inside and under that.
• The very top layer has an edging of stiffened netting all the way around it, and that helps hold the shape and give it a pretty finish. All of the volume you see in these photos are from the skirt and all of these built in under skirts.
• The final perfect touch are the incredible removable half sleeves that you just slip on to wear. They have stiffened tulle inside which helps to give them that puff. An elastic sits at each end of each sleeve for an easy fit. I have pushed them up on the arms of the dress form so they are very full but you could also wear them a little more stretched out if you wished.
• The dress has a bit of a fantasy princess feel that I love.
• The bodice is lined in a deep blue muslin and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper. The sleeves have a stiffened tulle interior and elastic on each end so they just slip onto the arm. 
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition.

Sleeves: each sleeve is up to 14" long and can be worn to be up to half that size in length. The elastic at each end stretches up to approximately 20"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist:12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of bodice: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: to 24"flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12.5" from top of the bodice to the seam at the bottom of the bodice
Total length: 53" from top of the bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5586

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.