• The twin of this dress walk the runway for the Fall 1979 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Roy Halston.
• From what I am aware the dress was made in three colour ways. This green and gold version, a blue and gold, and a version that has a deeper gold and more brown feeling combination. 
  
• It is from his main couture line and these would have been primarily made-to-order during this time period.
• This is an amazing couture Halston dress and a very rare and special find.
• It is entirely cut on the bias above and below the elastic waist and utilizes his signature minimal seaming. Halston defined how woman dressed in the 1970s and his dresses in particular were tremendously flattering to the body.
• It is feather light and you are barely conscious of wearing anything.
• The fabric is a very fine light gold and green silk lurex lame that moves and drapes beautifully.
• The bodice is generously cut. The neckline is scooped and there is a little keyhole at the back below the hook there. The sleeves extend out from the waist with no seam around the arm and then they narrow down to their ends. This leaves the bodice loose and generous over you.
• There is elastic set around the waist so it is very easy to fit. The dress also comes with its original matching tie belt in the same fabric. The belt is shaped more like a cummerbund with a wider panel that extends into smaller ties on each side. This lets you wrap in shape it around you and cinch in the waist much as you wish. You can leave the ties at the front or the back.
• The skirt falls from there and slightly widens out as it nears the hem. There are pockets on each hip.
• This is a rare example of Halston at his very best and is a rare example of when he chose to use a print over a solid colour.
• The dress slips on with an elastic waist. It hooks at the back of the neck above a keyhole. Comes with its original belt. Pockets on each hip. Hand finished throughout. 
  
• Its easy fit should allow it to work for range of sizing.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approx 25.5" and are open through the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: open with no true side seams
Elastic waist: 14-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 16.5" from neck to waist 
Total length: 61.5" from shoulder to hem but may come up a bit on once on and belted

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD5144

Reference Photo: Fall 1979 Halston.

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• Mary McFadden patented her Fortuny inspired pleating technique just a couple of years after launching her label in 1973.
• This is from her higher end couture line that had a more limited production and was sold at higher end shops, Bergdorf's in the case of this dress.
• Mary was known to say frequently that there was no greater beauty than pleated cloth on the human body and she said when she developed her 'marii' fabric that her aim was to have it 'fall like liquid gold on the body, like Chinese silk.' 
  
• The dress is made from a beautiful pastel teal green synthetic silk charmeuse that she sourced from Australia. This was her signature fabric and it was then pleated in McFadden's proprietary pleating technique. 
  
• The bodice is absolutely beautiful. It comes up at the front with a beaded diamond shaped piece sitting at the peak. The heavy embellishments extend out to cover the straps that curve on either side of the neck and then a second strap sits beside that. I love the design that this makes. The straps curved down to the back leaving most of the upper back bare and exposed. Under the straps at the back there is another design made up of three of the diamond shaped panels.
• All of the bead and sequin work is done by hand and they are heavily embellished with thousands of small beads and tiny sequins in a mix of soft pastel colours. There are even little hand weights sewn into little pockets at the inside front to counterbalance the weight of the extra beading at the back.
• The pleating on the bust is set horizontally to wrap around you. The waist is seamed but in a bit more generous feel.
• The skirt falls to the floor from there and I love how she has set the pleating vertically for contrast to the bodice.
• I also love that the skirt is cut very long which is a rare thing to find in her work. As she progressed in her career she preferred to design pieces that ended at the ankle so you could see the shoe underneath. Her full length pieces are a bit rarer.
  
• The dress is fully lined in a matching coloured silk and closes with a side set zipper. All of the straps are attached and you just slip your head through them before zipping. Hand finishes.
• Tagged a vintage McFadden 6.
  
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 17" from neck to waist
Total length: 60" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5143

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 the twin of the runway set created for the Spring 1977 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• In the book on Yves Saint Laurent's work "Catwalk" the note for the collection states that "for evening Yves Saint Laurent designed taffeta skirts puffed out by full petticoats paired with delicate blouses." American Vogue wrote "Saint Laurent, the totally romantic view of woman and clothes" while French Vogue raved about the multicultural inspiration of the collection saying "you can no longer go out in the evening without coming across a taffeta flounce". The most prominent references were to Spain.
• Its twin was also used for the ad campaign that year.
• Both pieces are made out of a feather light black gauze that has a touch of transparency to it which adds to the airiness and light feeling of the set.
• The neck line of the top is set wide across and with an elastic finish so that you can wear it off of the shoulder for a bare expanse of skin to show. A wide 9" ruffle follows the entire neckline and gives the prettiest flounce all the way around you. Detailing the edge of the ruffle is a black lace. And the upper edge just below the elastic is finished with a black braid and little silk covered cord dangling beads.
• Under that the top skims down to the hem and is cut in a box shape to the ham. To get a more defined feeling through the middle you just tuck it in to the skirt. On the runway and in the ad campaign, it was shown belted with two different type of belts. I love that it shows that by changing up the look of the belt that changes up the look of the set.
• The skirt has an elastic waist so is very easy to fit. It falls outward to the hem in two tiers and widens out as it goes.
• It is very full by the hem and I love how the bottom tier is finished with the same lace on the top. Where the two tears are set together there is another panel of lace that has more of that same black cord and the beads running through it centre. That volume combined with the lightness of the fabric gives you incredible movement when you move.
• This is an absolutely stunning example of his work during this time period and I love that it is so well documented.
• Both pieces are unlined and weigh very little. The top slips over the head to wear with elastic through the neckline and the skirt has elastic at the waist. They are both easy to fit. 
  
• The skirt is tagged a YSL 38 and the top a 36
  
• Excellent condition

Top
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-bottom hem: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total Length: 21" from top of bodice to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total Length: 37" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5141

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1977 Yves Saint Laurent.  /  (2) Spring 1977 Ready to Wear Advance Preview.  /  (3) Spring 1977 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Ad.

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 dress is from the Spring 1972 season as noted on its Haute Couture tag we were lucky enough to find photos from the collection and you can see how beautiful it is once on.
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan for Christian Dior. 
• There is very little documentation on this particular collection, but in the book 'Dior Catwalk' it notes that the New York Times exclaimed, that "romance, contemporary style, is the provision look for spring." It goes on to declare that Bohans collection for Dior was the best of the season in Paris. "Mark Bohan succeeded in bringing back the fable elegance without becoming historical. There's no pinpointing of the 1930s or 1940s. The clothes look really contemporary".
• With such little documentation of the collection it makes a piece like this that is documented even more special and rare.
• This would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The dress is made out of a beautiful stiffened or starched blue silk gazaar that is woven on the bias so that the dress has a more sculptural structure and shape while still staying very light in weight. The colour is a deep blue.
• It is cut to sit fully off the shoulders though I think you could also wear it on the top edge of the shoulders if you wished.
• Each sleeve is cut to just above the elbow and has a beautiful ruffle all the way around.
• It skims over the bust and curve in a touch at the waist. Inside there is a full boned inner corset that goes to the top of the hips. This holds the dress perfectly in place around you once it is on.
• From there it skims over the hips and then flares out beautifully to the hem. The entire hem is finished with a wide ruffle that picks up on the detailing of the sleeves.
• What makes this dress especially interesting is the way that it is almost sculpted because of the fabric treatment. As good as it looks in the photos it is even more beautiful in person.
• The dress is lined in a grey-blue silk organza. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and there is an inner partial waist stay that hooks to close inside the corset. The exterior dress zips to close over that at the side. All of the work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 9.5" and they are 11" around the upper arm
Inner bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 55" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5132

Reference Photos: Spring 1972 Christian Dior Haute Couture. (Second photo by Frédéric Scheibe)

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 gorgeous Demi-Couture dress from 1970s Lanvin.
• Made under the creative direction of Jules-Francois Crahay 
• Jules-Francois headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. He has been noted as one of fashion’s 'great colorists with his colorful patterns making his 1970s Lanvin designs hugely desirable and influential.' His time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourites for the house.
• The Lanvin label is numbered and the dress has been made to demi-couture standards.
• This dress is made from a fine blue silk tulle that has a floral pattern embroidered over its surface in the same blue. The lining is done with a deep purple silk and this gives it this very unusual colour that lies somewhere between a deep blue and a deep purple.
• Onto the top silk net there is an exquisite floral design done with a metallic gold thread. That same gold thread also circles around the lower skirt in two horizontal panels done in a open chain link design. More of the floral netting separates those panels.
• The result is even better on person as the gold feel more prominent. I love how the gold catches the light from every angle.
• The bodice skims over you and the sleeves are long. Each sleeve has a bit of puff above the elastic cuff.
• The waist is cut more generously and you could add a ribbon or a belt to cinch it in.
• The skirt skims over the hips to the floor and widens out as it nears the hem. The added panels of gold on the skirt help to give the skirt support and help hold its shape.
• Fully lined in a purple silk chiffon through the top and a purple silk through the skirt. It closes with a back hand set zipper and there is elastic in each cuff. Hand finishes and hand finished inner seams.
• The label is numbered.
• There is no size tag present and the bias cut of the lining and the net give it a little give so I have put the comfortable range of measurements where it will give a bit. 
  
• Excellent condition 
  

Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3925

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.