I am now on the second batch of very interesting pieces that are coming from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made. This dress was made by Ady Couture and the story behind this label is fascinating. Ady Couture was based out of Lausanne Switzerland. She would buy couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and with permission make copies of the piece presented in the Haute Couture collections. When she was younger, and lived in Amsterdam, Ady would attend the private viewing and purchase directly from the couture houses. My client believes that her arrangement with the ateliers was a way to work around customs that prompted Ady to negotiate this arrangement with the ateliers. In my hunt for more information I have been able to verify that they made this permissible copies of the work of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lacroix and Ungaro. There may have been others but this are the houses I am confident on. 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.

I have several interesting pieces that have come in from a client whose aunt had most of her clothes made. This dress was made by Ady Couture and the story behind this label is fascinating. Ady Couture was based out of Lausanne Switzerland. She would buy couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and with their permission would make copies of the piece presented in the Haute Couture collections. When she was younger, and lived in Amsterdam, Ady would attend the private viewing and purchase directly from the couture houses. My client believes that her arrangement with the ateliers was a way to work around customs and this was the work around that that Ady negotiated with the ateliers. In my hunt for more information on the label I have been able to verify that they made this permissible copies of the work of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but this are the four houses I am confident on. I feel that this particular dress has a more Yves Saint Laurent or Ungaro feel to it and I am still actively searching to find its counterpart. The dresses are completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and are incredible to see.

The dress is made from a silk taffeta and this fabric choice allows it to hold those extravagant lines 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 extraordinary. 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 to let the other details shine. The sleeves are a work of art. Each is made on a curve to follow the shape of the arm. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a beautiful sense of volume there. They then taper down to the cuffs where they zip to close around the wrist. The waist is seamed and the skirt is set around the waist in a series of soft gathers that sit out from the waist slightly. This gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is and is quite genius. 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 sections. The top section comes out from the soft gathered pleats all around the waist and then it balloons out all around you in a full pouf. It is seamed underneath to catch the fabric back inwards and then the second part of the skirt falls to the floor. 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 then you tie it into a bow at the side. What is truly incredible is that all the volume and shape that you see is created purely 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 interlined in a silk organza to help give it more weight but it is really the genius of the cut that gives it the intended shape. The final perfect detail is the elaborate detailing that runs across the front and back of the bodice and over the sleeves. All of the work is by hand. The intricate floral design has been created by combining embroidery work with tiny black sequins and beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen and I love how they have deliberately laid the sequins out so that you get a more matte feel for parts of the design. Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam is hand finished. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absoluteyly 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 interlined with a slightly gold tinged silk organza. It closes with a back fine zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over it. 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"
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

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

I love all of the pieces by Bill Tice that I bring into the shop. Most, including this one, were made in the 1980-1981 time period. His easy-to-wear and glamorous jersey pieces have been worn by countless celebrities for the red carpet and events. Every girl that has bought one of his pieces through me has absolutely loved it. This is the first time I have had one of these long open jackets in the shop and I'm absolutely obsessed with it

It is made of a black jersey that is meant to mimic the feel of silk jersey. This is one of those things that is a fail-safe piece that you know is going to work every time you put it on. This fabric has the added bonus of traveling very well. It is the kind of piece you can throw into your suit case and slip on over just about anything upon arrival with either flats or heels and you are instantly ready to walk out the door. It is cut to feel long and slim with pleats running down its full length. It has gold cording that defines the collar, the bodice and back, around the arms and the cuffs. There's also a long stripe of the gold cording that follows the ties that close it at the neck. To wear it you just slip it on and tie it at the neck with those ties. The fabric is very light so when you move this has a ton of movement and will billow out around and behind you. It's fantastic. Excellent condition.

Unlined and ties at the top of the neck. The easy cut and open front should allow it to fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: 24"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: 26"+ flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4247

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

I absolutely love the cut of this dress. It is made out of a beautiful pink silk taffeta that has a slight iridescent quality to it. The choice of this silk gives it just enough structure to hold the shape but allows it to feel almost weightless once on. That fabric choice mixed with the soft billowing cut that it has gives it feeling of high drama. The bodice is cut to skim over the torso and the neckline is cut so that it is scooped at the front and the back. The sleeves are unlined and are cut to be extremely full and wide so that they billow out to just past the elbow and above the elastic at each cuff. The dress can be worn off the shoulder as I have shot it for a bare expanse of skin to show across the top or fully on the shoulders. The shoulders on the bodice are edged with a little matching silk ruffles along their tops for a pretty detail. The front is set with an elaborate design made of little glass tube beads that are set in a 3D pattern that comes off of the silk. These are then mixed with clear iridescent and facetted beading. The beading follows the neckline and then comes down into a point towards the waist. It is repeated at the back where it is even more densely applied. The beads catch the light wonderfully and add a little bit of sparkle to the dress. The skirt is very long and full. It flows to the floor in a cascade of silk. I have shown it without any underskirts but you could easily add a crinoline if you wanted even more fullness. A long matching silk sash cinches in the waist. The dress has a fantastic romantic, pretty and light feel, but is still sexy and beautiful. Excellent condition.

The bodice is lined in a matching silk, the sleeves in a silk organza and the skirt is lined in a pink cotton feeling fabric. It closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each cuff has elastic. Has its original matching sash belt. Hand finishes.

Sleeves: 18"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: open
Bodice: 18" from shoulder to waist
Slightly dropped skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Sash: 11" x 90"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4237

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

Vicky Tiel was backed by Elizabeth Taylor as a young designer after working on the costumes for 'Whats New Pussycat'. After a stint with a partner she launched her self named label in Paris in 1970. She as one of the very early boutique owner/designer that offered a ready-to-wear option in Paris. That said, her clothes often walk a fine line between ready-to-wear and couture in terms of their construction and techniques used. By the mid to late seventies her style had developed into the ultra sexy and feminine clothing that she is now known best for. By the eighties and into the nineties, she had a cult celebrity following. This is a stunning example of just how gorgeous and dramatic her work could get.

This is a spectacular two piece set in a ivory silk. It is an early example of Vicky Tiel's talent and ability to work and tailor a pieces while working with very fine fabrics. I love the versatility of having the two pieces. It means that you can mix and match them with existing pieces. The colour of the set lends itself to be a great piece for a potential court or more casual wedding or any other great event. Both pieces very light in weight and the silk is very fine. The skirt is a masterpiece. It is banded at the waist and then there are two tiers of fabric under that. The top tier is completely and meticulously pleated with tiny precise knife pleats. At just about the knee the second panel creates a more ruffled feel to the hem. The pleats on the bottom tier open out as they near the hem. The skirt has a lot of fabric and can be worn with or without a crinoline. I have photoed it both ways so you can see the fullness you can achieve. The jacket has a strong nod to the Victorian era with those amazing puffed shoulders. Each shoulder is very full at the top and then narrows down to the wrist. The waist is nipped in and below that is a feminine little hip peplum. The collar is neat and rounded and it closes with a series of silk covered buttons down the front. It is just a gorgeous little set. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Both pieces are unlined. The jacket closes with silk covered buttons down the front and the skirt closes with a side zipper and flat hook & eye at the waist. Light padding in each shoulder. Hand finished throughout. I see one mark on the skirt and a very tiny one on the top. Please see the two photos after the label shot. It is slightly creamier in colour in person.

Top
Neck: 16" around
Shoulders: 15" across
Sleeves: 25" long
Bust: to 18" flat across the back from seam to seam
Waist: 13" flat across the back from seam to seam
Length: 21" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side to side
Hips: open
Length: 29" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4211

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 Capriccio label was founded in 1987 and they quickly grew in popularity. During the late 1980s and early 1990s they were the brand to wear and they were known for their historically based designs with the added volume and excess of the eighties. Some of the Capriccio stores had an in-store area where you could get custom pieces in silks and based on the rest of the pieces from the estate I have been working through lately this may be one of those. It is incredible and it would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event. It is just so spectacular. 

This is actually a set and I love that about it because it makes it that much more versatile. You can wear it together for the full on effect or mix and match either with simpler pieces from your wardrobe for an entirely different feel. I also think there is the possibility that the top could be worn as an ultra-mini depending on how it sits on you. Both pieces are made out of a tea stain feeling coloured silk organza. This fabric choice helps to keep the volume and shape that you see. It also keeps both pieces extremely light in weight. The top is spectacular. It is cut so that it skims down and past the hips and has a back and front draped panel at the center that extends down over the skirt. It is shaped through the waist by the way that the fabric is formed and gathered into the middle. Pin tuck detailing runs from the collar to that panel on both the front and back. Elaborate floral appliqué work adorns the entire front and details part of the back. The collar is high and the top is cut to skim over the bust. The sleeves pouf out dramatically and are caught up with a little clusters of lace appliqué and beadwork. This gives them that extreme full volume feel but they still have a sense of  shape and detail. The lower portion of the sleeves are gathered all along the lower arm to the wrist. Each is then finished with appliqué work all the way down. The skirt below that has incredible volume and fullness. It is cut to be more fitted over the top of the hips and then opens out to that incredible volume that you see. When laid out flat the lower portion under the hips is a full circle skirt. Depending on your height it will be full length or fall to just about the ankle. The amount of detailing on this piece is fantastic. This may not be a piece for everyone but on the right person this is going to be unbelievably spectacular. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The top is made from a double layer of the organza and the skirt has an inner cream silky rayon lining. The top slips over the head to wear with pearl buttons at the back of the neck and on each cuff. The skirt closes with a zipper and flat hook and eye at the waist. Rolled padding on the very edge of the inner shoulder to help support the volume. The top is tagged a size small and the skirt a medium. You could get a little more room on the neck by moving the buttons probably up to 1/2-3/4" depending on where you place them.

Top
Sleeves: 23"
Slightly extended shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 36" from neck to longest point at the front and approx 28" to the sides.
Neck: 15" around

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4198

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 interesting dress because a version of it was shown on the runway for Fall 1972 but this one seems to be even more elaborate than the runway one. And it is usually the opposite of that in many cases. I like to think that the woman that bought this saw the one on the runway and then worked with George to make this one even more dramatic and spectacular. George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear. He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. His dresses were made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s a gown by him started at around $8500 and they went up in cost from there and that starting price point equals to around $26,000US in today's dollars. A vintage Stavropoulos dress is an incredible thing to own and this is one of the best ones I have ever seen.

This dress is drop dead gorgeous and I think it's even better in person. The dress is made out of a ivory coloured silk organza that is heavily embroidered with a leaf pattern. Those silk 'leafs' have been embroidered over the entire dress to highlight the cut. Part of the design are actually individual embroidered leafs that have been appliqued and embroidered into place. It is stunning to see in person. The silk is feather light and I love the airy feeling that this creates. This light feeling is highlighted even more all of those little embroidered pieces. On the skirt they are set so they are scattered lightly over the upper skirt and become denser as they reach the hem. Along the hem are these curving inset panels. They are attached to the dress but the design is finished to follow the jagged edge of the embroidered leafs. I love this double layer of texture this gives around the actual hem and then above it on parts of the dress. The skirt is very full. I have photoed it with nothing underneath but there is enough room that you could add a crinoline underneath  and get a very full look if you wanted. The lightness and fullness mean that when you move the dress will move with you and the effect is gorgeous. The neckline is beautiful. It is squared off on both sides and the applique work is set to go inwards around the neck and slightly up the sides of your neck. It also frames the opening at the front and the back. The bodice is layered over an inner dress that the skirt is attached to. This gives it the look and feel of two pieces but it is actually one dress. It also exaggerates that gradual widening that you see happening from the bust all the way down to the hem. At the same time it also allowed him to do another spectacular edging where that jagged edge is picked up and tied into how it's done at the hem. The last perfect touch are those magnificent sleeves. Each one falls from a rounded soft shoulder and is cut with tremendous volume. They have a huge and elaborate pouf to them. Each of them ends in an elaborate cuff with the same detailing applique that the other edges have. They are the perfect finish to this high fantasy gown. The workmanship is incredible and it is absolutely beautiful. This is a fabric that is notoriously difficult to work with and it shows just what a genius he was by the way that he was able to make it sit so beautifully. The majority of work is all done by hand and it would have taken many hours of work to create this dress in this way. This is a dress that must be on a body to really come to life. As good as it looks here it is nothing compared to it on and moving. This would make an extraordinary wedding gown for the bride looking for something unique. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in an ivory silk that has a stiffened inner hem to help hold the volume. It closes with a zipper on the inner dress and then the outer dress snaps into place over that with hidden set silk covered snaps. The inner seams are finished by hand to couture standards. The colour in person is softer and even prettier then how it photoed. The camera gives it more shadow than it has in person on the embroidered parts. It is a touch creamier in real life. This is cut generously underneath the top added bodice but the skimming design will work on a smaller frame as well and could easily be altered if needed

Sleeves: approx 21"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 17" 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 inner waist
Skirt: 44" from inner waist to longest points of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4200

Reference Photo: Fall 1972 Stavropoulos 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.