This is a fantastic piece by Yves Saint Laurent that manages to feel refined and chic, yet very bold at the same time. This is a piece that would have been produced in the early 1970s and shows all the hallmarks of his work during this time period. The body of the sweater is made of a wool mix and I love how it blends a deep rusty red with a darker taupe colour. This gives the piece a very chic country feel. It is cut to cut long and straight through the body with no waist so that it creates a simple line that stops at the top of the hips. If you wanted more shape you could easily belt it. Front pockets sit low on the front on eithor side of the buttons. The buttons themselves are round and thick and are a deep charcoal meant to highlight the fur trim. The fur circles around the tops of each arm and is a soft and supple black fox. This adds unexpected volume to the top. This came from a woman who was very fashionable and regularly bought couture and high end and her pieces were well stored. Excellent condition  

Unlined and closes down the front with the buttons you see. Tagged medium. The pockets at the front are shallow but functional. There is the slightest of wear to the edges of the fur but I am being extremely picky. 

Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust-hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S926

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 a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

This dress comes directly from the original couture client and is an exceptional example of Laurent's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period. Finding pieces from this time period in such wonderful condition is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I did extensive research on this one and though I found some similar references from a couple of collections that dated to the same time period that my client's mother as shopping at, I was unable to find any photo of this exact dress. There was a similar lace used in both the Fall 1885 and Fall 1986 collections (which historically was a bit avant garge for the time period as lace had not been seen in couture for some time at that point). Similar colour combination were seen in the Fall of 1989 and for the Fall of 1991. The 1991 collection also features a couple of laces that were similar and that clue, combined with the colour usual for that collection and the number on the label makes me feel that it is most likely dates to 1991. This is also in line with the years that she was actively buying couture. She was a good enough client that there is a high possibility that this was a one-off that was made just for her and is the only one like it made. It is very beautiful and made more towards his aesthetic where he made the dresses to be very tailored and structure as opposed to his opposite side when he did pieces that were more along a drape and flow construction. This is a a dress that truly needs an actual body in to to come to life. It is extraordinary 

The bodice of the dress is highly structured and the choice of silk taffeta allows Yves to mold and shape the sleeves and bodice like sculpture. It is cut to be worn completely off the shoulder so that you get that full bare expanse of skin. A wide band of a deep fuchsia pink silk taffeta, that has a touch of a purple undertone to it, runs across the top of the bodice and then extends down to form each sleeve. He has manipulated and gathered the fabric into folds along the entire length of each arm. The remainder of the bodice is also constructed from a silk taffeta but this time in deep burnt copper that has a touch of a metallic glow to its finish. This too is gathered along each side so that there are soft pleats that lay across and around you. I love how the eye gathers feel cohesive from the body to the arms but the colour gives contrast and the gathers are set slightly different so that you have a slight change in how the texture feels. The skirt comes out from the waist and is a very formal feeling skirt that is attached into the waist with soft pleats that open up to allow it to be quite wide by the time it reaches the hem. The underskirt part is a beautiful rich purple. The purple silk is then covered in a layer of black French lace that has a stunning floral design set within medallions. These run over the lace and are repeated throughout to create the beautiful pattern that you see. I love that the bottom edge of the lace follows the curving shape of the design that is in the lace. His finishing touch is done with a wide silk ribbon in a bright green that wraps and ties around the waist. I love this unusual colour combination. You could also easily wear it without the sash or change it for a more structure belt to add more shape. It is very elegant and yet the bare shoulders add a touch of sexiness. I very much love this side of his work where he works within a strong, shaped silhouette and then created a gown to his exact intentions. Excellent condition 

Fully lined through the bodice in a fine black silk satin. There is a built in silk covered elastic that is attached and wired right between the breast for a slight bit of support and then wraps around you and hooks to close. It closes with a side set zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. There is a series of snaps above the zipper that run under the arm seam so it opens enough to get into it. Each sleeve zips to close at the wrist. The exterior layer of the skirt closes with its own a hand set side zipper. The silk ribbon belt is tacked into place on either side of the waist. On the interior of the skirt at the inner waist the fabric has been folded down and it looks like it would be possible to lengthen the skirt from there by just about 4" but the side skirt zipper would need to be reset if you did that. There is perhaps a touch of dusting on the fabric on the folds under each arm. So minor I am just being crazy picky because it is couture. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques.

Sleeves: 20" from where they start off the shoulder 
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 54" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3598

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 incredible dress is from the Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture collection and its twin walked the runway that season. The collection was lauded by the press. Marie Claire said 'Faithful to himself, Yves Saint Laurent has once again surpassed himself, without ever betraying the clean look that has become his signature.' The New York Times review by Cathryn Horn noted that the show was attended by ladies such as Nan Kempner who sat just a few chairs away from Catherine Deneuve and Lauren Bacall. Nan was seen in the audience saying 'fabulous' as the dresses paraded past. The Times review included remarks on all of the couture shows that season and said that the 'day belonged to Saint Laurent'. They also noted that "There have been a lot of Saint Laurent shows in recent years when nothing clicked and you thought, 'Okay, this is as good as it's going to get.' But the thing one realized the other day was how vast and deep are Mr. Saint Laurent's reserves of creativity compared with those of other, younger designers who blow themselves out early and then spend the next 10 or 15 years splashing around in the same puddle." This dress is exceptional and a rare piece from one of his final collections. That same NYT article also noted that during this time period, couture dresses had a start cost of $50,000 ($75k in modern dollars), and went up from there. This dress is sourced from the original couture client.  

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway reference photos that I have found for you. It is made from an inky black silk velvet with inset panels around the skirt. The sleeves are long and straight and the dress is cut to sit fully off the shoulders. This allows your entire upper shoulders to show. It skims over the body and the velvet lies over a fully built in inner corseting that gives support and keeps the dress perfectly in place. This inner corset is fully boned and closes with its own separate zipper. The dress skims over the body with vertical seaming all around for each panel that the dress is made up of. It is meant to sit so that your shoes show from under the skirt and this length also gives the skirt the best possible length to show off its fullness and the ingenious insets all around the skirt. Just below the hips he has inset panels that are made from knife pleated black silk netting. The are set in in such a way that each is very full. The result is that you get a stunning bit of volume through the lower skirts as these flare out around you and move when you move. They have a touch of transparency to them so you get a suggestion of leg showing as you walk. A wide silk satin ties at the waist for the perfect finish. Yves once said of the colour black "I love black because it affirms, designs, and styles. A woman in a black dress is a pencil stroke". The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little and was sourced form the original couture client. Excellent condition  

The outer velvet layer is fully interlined in a fine black silk satin. The built in corset is boned and shaped. It closes with its own zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The exterior layer closes with a hand set zipper. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The silk ribbon belt is not original to the dress. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little

Sleeves: 22"
Inner bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 56" from natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3586

Reference Photos: Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute 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.

The New York times said of this collection at the time; 'Yves Saint Laurent did it. With sophistication and authority in his collection for spring and summer, he gave validity to couture, the high end of the fashion industry. There was no desperate groping: this is the way the most expensive clothes in the world should look, he seemed to say. As the showings sailed into their final days, he re-established himself today as the king of couture." after their review of the day and suit looks they continued to say; "Preliminaries over, he was ready for evening dresses, the serious business of couture. His unerring eye for color came to the fore....One-color dresses were also effective, in fuchsia, bright blue or rose. Rarely did he resort to embroideries...His effect was achieved through line and cut." The review ended with this lovely sentiment; 'Saint Laurent knew his show was a success. "The couture lives," he whispered backstage after it was over. His mother, Lucienne Saint Laurent, told him he had never done better. He seemed to agree. It is rare for a designer to reinvent himself at the age of 56, the way Saint Laurent had just done. The show recalled his glory days in the 1970's, when he set the guidelines for couture and the rest of fashion. He has now done that for the spring of 1993." 

This particular style dress has incredible provenance. On the runway this dress was shown in a darker, more subdued blue and I have those runway shots here. The twin of the runway dress is held in the Met Museums' collection in both a red and the darker blue. The blue one in their collection was donated by Annette de la Renta and the red belonged to style icon Nan Kempner. There was another darker one produced for Catherine Deneuve who wore it to accept the Cesar award for Indochine. Such an incredible amount of history tied to the dress and it is exciting to have such a full and varied picture of who else ordered and loved the dress.

My client had the dress made in one of the brighter blues that was used elsewhere in the collection that year and I love it in this brighter bolder color. The dress is cut to leave one shoulder completely bare. Both sides have long slim sleeve and there is a panel of the same silk gathered along the top of the shoulder that then swoops down over the bodice and the back. That draped panel is very full and I love how it drapes over the sleeve on that side. The inner details here show is the genius of couture. The zipper on that side is set so that is softly curves under the arm and runs down the top of the inner sleeve. That way the person wearing the dress does not have an uncomfortable zipper pull right under their arm. It also keeps the sleeve perfectly in place despite the absence of a shoulder. The waist is seamed and detail by a matching, hand dyed silk satin slim belt. The skirt falls the the floor under that, gently widening out as it nears the hem. The side opposite to the bare shoulder has a very high slit so that you get a flash of leg as you walk. It is stunning and in person the colour is a touch richer and deeper then how it photoed. The silk also has a slight texture to it that adds detailing in person that the camera does not quite convey. This is a wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was in evening wear and an important piece fromm a collection hailed as a triumph. Excellent overall condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a fine blue silk. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques and closes with a hidden set side zipper under the arm that curves up and into the sleeve as described above. Inner waist stay hooks to close. The fabric is cut on the bias so there is some give. There is a slight fading along the top of the shoulder and down that same sleeve. Please see the two photos after the reference shot. It is light and because of the placement once on it is barely seen. The hem has been let down at some point. The belt is original to the dress and is in excellent condition 

Sleeves: 27"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 18.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3582

Reference Photos: (1-2) S/S 1993 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway.  /  (3-4) S/S 1993 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Dresses from The MET Online Collection.  /  (5-6) Nan Kempner in Yves Saint Laurent, May 1993.  /  (7-8) Catherine Deneuve receives the César of the best actress 1993 for her interpretation in the film of Régis Wargnier "Indochine", March 08, 1993.  /  (9) Maxime, Loulou & Lucie de la Falaise in Yves Saint Laurent.

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 longer skirted version of this was presented as Look 38 of the Fall 2001 Haute Couture collection. For the runway it was shown with a full length evening skirt. My client ordered it with a more wearable pencil skirt length which gives it the added benefit of being able to be worn from day through to evening. The Fall 2001 collection was one of his final collections and to have a piece from this season is very special. Vogue noted that "Cocktail hour incorporated every possible variation on the tuxedo: There was a button-front dress, a smoking jacket that morphed into a full tulle skirt, and, naturally, an updated version of the masculine tux immortalized by Helmut Newton in the '70s." Yves play on the tuxedo and 'Le Smoking' suit is one of is most famous hallmarks  He first presented the now famous suit in 1966. His play on traditional menswear is lauded by many as 'having empowered women by giving them the option to wear clothes that were normally worn by men with influence and power'. 

I love the extra wide collar on this one. It is so bold and yet still elegant and refined in feel. There is nothing quite like slipping on a tailored piece of true haute Couture. It feels different somehow and the feeling is something you can only really experience for yourself. The construction is meticulous and it is in wonderful condition. It is sourced from the original couture client. These suits were all done in a play on a men's tux and then were shaped and tweaked by Yves to be immensely flattering on the female body. The cut is masterful and its simple appearance is produced by genius tailoring that is sharp and meticulous. The jacket is tailored with a sleek cut that follows the curves of the body. It is slightly cropped to sit just at the top of the hip. It has his signature matte satin tuxedo collar and on this one that line is exaggerated to cover almost the entire front of the bust area. Yves produced many versions of this suit over the years but what I find remarkable is that each version is distinct in how it closes at the front and the way that the collar is shaped. This one has a single faced, glossy jet button to close below that amazing collar. Two discreet pockets are top set on the hips and the shoulders are sharp and perfectly padded. The fabric that he chose is has a fine rubbing effect to it and it has enough weight that it holds the lines perfectly once it is on. The skirt is cut in a simple pencil shape. Once on, the suit transforms and you can see how beautiful the lines are from the runway photos and video that I have included here for reference. His suits change the way we approach woman's wear and any example of the Le Smoking version is particularly collectible. They are a particularly wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was and vision for a woman's place in the world. This is an important piece of fashion history from one of his final collections. Excellent condition

Both pieces are lined in a rich heavy black silk. The jacket has a single button at the front to close. The skirt has a zipper and hook & eye at the waist. Two pockets on the jacket. All hand finished to couture standards. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. All Haute Couture tags present and it was sourced from the original couture client 

Jacket
Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from neck to hem at the front, 22 at the back

Skirt
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3559

Reference Photos: Diana Gärtner for Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2001 Haute Couture Runway Collection. Look 38.

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 dress that would be from when Marc Bohan was head of the Dior atelier before he retired in 1989. It 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'. In the book there is a photo of a long velvet dress with a jacket over it and I wonder if that is a glimpse of the back of the twin of this one. This may have been one of the simple 'sheath like pieces' that were shown with jewels rather then the embroidery you see on the other dresses in the photo. The dress is a true Haute Couture piece and has the appropriate numbered label intact.

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 down the centre 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 and falls to the floor with just a touch of gentle widening 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. It is meant to be slightly more voluminous through the top and then slimmer through the skirt as was the fashion at the time. Excellent condition with a very minor note below.

Fully interlined in a fine black silk satin and then has a built in bodice made of black silk. The inner bodice is boned and closes with its own zipper as photoed. The exterior dress closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each sleeve has a zipper at the cuff. Appropriate numbered tag present with couture number 19469. Silk hand made pads that have no padding inside each shoulder as described above. Slight damage to the silk on either side of the zipper on the inner corset. Please see the photo after the label shot. 

Sleeves: 23"
Soft shoulders: to 16.5"
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for up to a B cup
Inner waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13.5" from shoulder to waist
Length: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3611

Reference Photo: F/W 1984 Christian Dior Couture Runway Collection as shown in the book 'Dior; Catwalk'.

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 comes directly from the original couture client and is an exceptional example of Valentino's Haute Couture work that he was doing during the 1980s. Finding pieces from this time period is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I am also pleased to have found several documentations of the dress from that season. The dress is featured in the book "A Grand Italian Epic: Valentino Garavani" by Taschen, which is considered to be one of the definitive volumes on Valentino's work. It was also featured in the March issue of Italian Vogue. That layout was photoed by Steven Klein and the dress was modeled by Monica Gripman. It was also shot on model Brynja Sverris for one of the Valentino campaigns that year. This is one of his most recognizable dresses that he has ever created and you instantly recognize it as being by him the second that you see it. It is an extraordinary and historically important piece of Valentino's couture work. This would also make an exception bridal dress for the non traditional bride or as a secondary dress to change into.

This dress is extraordinary. The lines of it are pure poetry. The front of the dress has been done with a minimalist feel and its entire design is deliberate to give you just a glimpse of what will happen when you turn around. The top overlay is made of a black silk faille and the neckline is high and slightly scooped. It curves and skims over the bust and nips in gently at the waist. The shape that you see is all done with beautiful curving vertical seams so that there is no line to break the sweep of the eye. This then extends into a long panel that lays over the inner skirting. It is cut on one side with more of a curved line, while the other side is set on a slight straigher line that runs up to the the detailing at the back. This slight asymmetrical cut is fascinating and it is done so subtly that at first your eye does not see it. Instead you only see how this allows the underskirt to sweep out slightly more on one side then the other. From under that the skirt flares out and back in a tremendous sweep of fabric. The underskirt is also made out of a heavy silk faille in a creamy ivory with black dots. Many yards of silk have been used its construction and it designed to have massive volume at the back. From every angle of the dress you get these wondrous sweeping views. At the back the black silk is cut into a V and set slightly to one side. Where each side of the front overlay meet, there is a huge ivory silk flower. The lines that lead up and towards the flower are all curving perfection and the way that the black sweeps up to meet the flower is a moment in itself. The flower is huge and sits nestled in the crook of your low back. The interior of the dress is made to couture standards and is as stunning as the exterior. There are attached inner tulles that give the skirt its shape and volume. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen. It is an amazing example of his earlier Haute Couture work. Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes below. 

The dress is lined in a black silk and there are attached underskirts in silk tulle. It closes with an inner zipper that is attached to the underskirt with a second exterior zipper over that. Inner waist stay hooks to close. The panel where the flower is set snaps into place with hand covered silk covered snaps. I see some grubbiness at the hem and on the flower and a repair to one of the tulle underskirts at the back. Near the base of the inner zipper the fabric has come away from the seam. All of these are minor. Please review the photos provided after the label shot. Finished with Haute Couture construction techniques throughout. 

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3604

Reference Photos: (1) Brynja Sverris in S/S 1988 Valentino Haute Couture by Gianpaolo Barbieri.  /  (2-3) Monica Gripman in Valentino Haute Couture for Vogue Italia, March 1988. Photos by Steven Klein.  /  (4-5) S/S 1988 Valentino Haute Couture Dress as shown in the book "A Grand Italian Epic: Valentino Garavani" by Taschen.  /  (6-7) Queen Sofia of Spain in Valentino, meeting Queen Elizabeth, at the Palacio Real de Madrid, in Madrid, for a state banquet in Spain, 18 October 1988.

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

Zandra Rhodes is one of my favourite designers and I love the pieces that she did in the 1980s. This dress is closest  to the work she did for her 'Fairy' collection that was done for the Spring 1981 season. The collection has a strong showing of these black and gold pieces that featured her amazing custom hand painted prints. 

This is a stunning dress that is done in a dramatic combination of black and gold. The skirt is hand painted and the lace on the top has been selected to match and compliment the skirt's design. The bodice is made of a black lace netting that has gold metallic thread woven through to highlight the design in the fabric. The neckline is squared off and I love how the edges of the lace follow the pattern across the neck and back to soften the straight line there. The sleeves are set into that and curve over the shoulders and then run down the arm to just past the elbow. They are unlined so you get glimpses of skin through them. The top curves down past the waist and flares out over the top of the hips. The skirt is set under that and is very full, widening out as it nears the hem. The skirt is constructed in layers. The very outer top layer is a silk organza and then there are layers of tulle with a third inner black silky rayon lining under that. These built in layers are what gives it the fullness that you see and I have not added any extra underskirts. The top layer is completely covered with one of Zandra's signature designs. The gold runs over the entire surface and it is all completely hand painted with a beautiful sun pattern. It is gorgeous and, like all of her pieces, it is very special. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silky rayon and closes with a back hidden set zipper. The skirt is made up of multiple layers of  as described above. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Tagged a UK 12, US 10. 

Sleeves: 16"
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3605

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 very pretty 1980s Oscar de la Renta dress that is not 100% perfect but still has lots of life to it. It has a a pretty silhouetted that I love. A women actually reached out and donated this one to me hoping that it could find a great home and I will in turn donate the proceeds from it once it sells. So it is a great little dress and will do an extra dose of goodness after it finds its new forever home too.

The dress is made from a pretty black silk taffeta that helps to hold the shape and volume through the skirt that you see. The bodice has an almost squared off feel to it with a straight across neckline at both the back and the front. It is cut to skim over the body and widens out slightly as it nears the waist line. The waist itself is dropped low to just about the top of the hips and this play on proportion gives the dress a touch of an unusual feel but without needing anything extra in terms of ornamentation. At the back it buttons up with a series of silk covered buttons for a subtle bit of detailing. The skirt is set into the dropped waist seam in a series of soft gathers and then is quite full under that. It falls to just above the ankles so that you will see your shoes peek out from under it and that length perfectly suits this silhouette. The skirt has a second layer of silk organza under it to help hold the shape and volume. What makes it not perfect is that it looks to have been washed and this has given the fabric a slightly faded feel and some of the edges have lightened and faded a touch. It is still completely wearable and with all the variations of things out there nowadays it doesn't necessarily feel like a flaw. Great overall condition but please read the full description.  

Fully lined in a silk organza. It closes at the back with a row of silk covered buttons. It has the appearance of having been washed. The very top button is different from the rest. Someone let out the seams on both sides of the dress and you can see the faint stitch marks. Please see the last photo. It is cut on the boas so has some stretch 

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam across the top hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 21.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 34" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD3600

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 gorgeous Valentino Haute Couture dress from the early to mid 1980s. It is beautifully made and a wonderful example of Valentino's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period. I love this backless version with its low front plunge. It is a little sexier then some of his couture work tends so be but it still has that refined elegance that you would expect from him combined with a bit of pure drama created in that moment when you first turn around and see that bare expanse of skin. 

This dress is wonderful. In person it is even better then how it photoed because like all couture it really needs to be on an actual body to come to life and sit properly. The cut has been kept fairly simply but is still sexy with its plunging halter bodice and long skirt that falls to the floor from under the banded waist. The dress is made from a lightweight bias cut silk in a deep charcoal black-grey colour. Onto the silk is a graphic floral leaf design in a deep ivory that covers the entire dress. The bodice is cut into a halter style with wide straps that curve up and behind the neck to leave the shoulders bare. The two panels of the front cross over themselves and dip into a V at the front. It then curves around waist at the lower back and this leaves the back completely bare. The waist is defined by a wide panel of black silk that is gathered and shirred. The ends of this banding extend into very long ties that you can wrap and tie or simply loop at the side and leave to hang long as I have down for the photos. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and gradually widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. The inner conduction is all down to Haute Couture standards and is interlined in a silk chiffon so that they dress stays wonderfully light but still very well constructed. It is a beautiful example of his earlier haute Couture work. Excellent condition with one minor note below

Fully interlined in a black silk chiffon and closes with a low set zipper at the side below the waist and then silk covered snaps and hooks above that. The hem looks to have been taken up at some point. Hand finishes throughout. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. Inner waist stay hooks to close.

Bust: to 18.5" flat across the back side seam to side seam with generous fabric at the front
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 16" from top of neck to top seam of the band at waist
Skirt: 44.5" from waist to hem with 2.25" turn up under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3593

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