• 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.

• EightThis two piece set dates in and around to the Fall 1987 Christian Dior collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• When researching we found very similar bead work used on a piece from the Fall 1987 Haute Couture collection. The date for this set is based on that bead work and that pieces often trickled down into ready-to-wear collections with similar details.
• At first glance it looks like this is a full dress but it is actually two pieces. The top is a shaped and boned strapless corset and it has a matching textured silk black skirt. I love the versatility that having the two separate pieces gives you.
• The skirt made out of a black heavily textured silk with built-in under skirts for added volume in shape and the corset is made out of of a deep yellow silk with hand beading.
• The bodice is strapless and is meant to be more fitted with a true corset feel. Inside it is cupped and has extensive inner boning so that it sits perfectly in place around you.
• I love how it is shaped over the body to emphasize the bust and then it nips in the waist. The deep curve at the top of the neck line and the way that long tassel hangs down the front is all done to draw the eye in and add to the illusion of a smaller waist. Under the waist it curves out over the top of the hips.
• The skirt is its own separate piece. The waist is banded and then the silk expands outwards from there. It is very full by the time it reaches the bottom hem. This gives it a soft and easy movement around you as you move. 
• The skirt is made out of a layer of highly textured black silk and then underneath that is a layer of a black net with stiffening built in around he inner hem. An innermost silk lining sits between that middle layer and your skin. Floating the layers over each other in this manner helps it to retain volume and shape around you.
• The perfect finishing touch is the extensive silk cord, hand cut velvet applique and hand beading done on the corset. The pattern follows the exaggerated peak on the front bodice and then wraps all the way around you to hook into place. Strands of various size beads have been hand strung and placed all the way around the top edge. They are glossy black faceted beads and are in a variety of shapes and sizes.
• It is just outstanding in person and beautifully constructed.
• The skirt is lined in a black net and black silk as described above. The corset is lined in a matching yellow silk and has hidden interior light boning. It closes with a row of lingerie hooks at the back and the skirt buttons to close at the waist with a zipper under that. I see a tiny mark on the front bodice which is hidden under the dangling beads over it for the most part. There is.a small repair/flaw along the very edge at the bottom. There is a tiny bit of grubbiness here and there on the corset on the inside and the outside. Please see the photos after the label shot.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition 

Corset
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: it is 8" at the skinniest part at the back and about 13.5" from the peak of the bodice to the lowest part of the front

Skirt
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam. 
Hips: open
Total length: 39" from waist to hem with 2" turned under.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5824

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.

• This is a stunning and rare dress designed by Coty Award winning, Haitian born designer, Fabrice Simon. He was one of the preeminent black designers during this time period and pieces by him are very hard to find.
• It is the very near twin of the piece worn by Cornelia Guest in the photo that we have added here.
• His clothes were worn by some of the most famous names of the time and his work was seen on women like Kathleen Turner, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, who wore one of his dresses to the 1988 Grammy's. The top supermodels of the time like Iman, Beverly Johnson, Christie Brinkley and Jerry Hall were also all fans of his work. 
• The dress is meant to be worn off the shoulder and the entire top of the neckline features an elaborate finish made out of a two layers of a black silk. Each layer is attached down its middle and then sat side-by-side. The edges are all angled and pointed. This creates a gorgeous volume around your shoulders that balances out the volume of the lower skirts.
• The body of the dress is a black silk that is covered in black tube beads. The beads run over the dress in an interesting little panel with big square cut, rhinestones and little beads interspersed throughout for a little added glitz.
• The waist comes in and then the dress curves back out over the hips. It is fitted to past the hips with a border of the black beading that runs around where the skirt is attached. A ruffle with the same detail and finish as the shoulder sits below that.
• The lower skirt is incredibly full. It is made out of a soft pink silk that flares out all around you and moves incredibly as you move. There is a built-in underskirt that is made out of multiple layers of a white net with a very inner layer of an ivory silk.
• An incredible piece that is a rare example of his work.
• The top of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the skirt is finished as described above. It closes with a back zipper. There is light boning through the bust and elastic at the top of the shoulders. There are some very small areas where the bead work is missing and some grubbiness on the skirt. Please see the photos after the label shot.
• There is no size tag present as it would have been custom made. Please go by the measurements list of below
• Excellent overall condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: approx 65" from top of the natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5810

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 1988 show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan for Christian Dior. 
• The evening portion of the collection focused on short dresses that had a corseted waist and bust with wrapping techniques that gave the feel of a sarong. The dress is a wonderful example of the feel he was after and it is fantastic.
• We found a teeny slice of a photo of it on the runway and even though the photo shows the model on an angle it does give you an idea of how wonderful this will be on the body.
• This would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The fabric is a black silk organza that has been gathered so it has a slight 3D puffed effect. This creates an incredible texture over the dress.
• The fabric is light in weight and despite the elaborate construction of the dress is not at all heavy once it is on.
• Inside the dress has a full proper corset with boning and built in cups to give support . A wide grosgrain ribbon hooks in place around the inner waist.
• All of the seams are finished by hand and its construction is a nod to the early days of couture.
• The bodice is cut with a curving sweetheart neckline and it is meant to hug the body. It is elaborately gathered and fitted around the bust with all of the gathered folds coming in to the seams that run over the bodice.
• It nips in at the waist and there is a large and elaborate bow that sits at the base of an angle seam coming from the bust. I love how this is set to curve around the hip to the back.
• The addition of the bow adds to the hourglass feel the dress has.
• The skirt curves down and comes back in and under the front panel to give it a more wrapped sarong feel.
• The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hand set side zipper. The interior of the bodice is boned and cupped for support. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and a wide band at the interior waist hooks to close. There is a tiniest bit of lightening to some of the edges on the fabric. This is a natural aging of this type of fabric and I do not consider it to be a true flaw but it is mentioned for accuracy. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Interior waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 10" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 29.5" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5782

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.