Thea Porter combined exoticism, embellished ornamentation and luxurious fabrics in her pieces and her work was a phenomenon during her day. This style of dress is one of her most well known dresses and it has been one of her most loved styles since it was first created in 1968. The Thea Porter book that accompanied the 2015 Fashion and Textile Museum exhibit "Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic" (for which over a dozen pieces were pulled from my archives) has many example of stars from that time period wearing their versions. Kate Moss is perhaps the most notable of modern girls who have one and she caused a sensation when she wore her blue version for her wedding rehearsal in 2011. This is almost certainly a one of a kind, or a version of very few that would have been made. These dresses were made between 1969 up to about 1975 and we've included some various reference photos of similar pieces so you can get an idea of how gorgeous it is on the body.

This would make a phenomenal dress for the bride, looking for something nontraditional or as a part of a wedding weekend and of course it would be a stand-out piece in any Thea Porter collection.

The Thea Porter book states that this style of dress were 'generally made out of a combination of three different fabrics, which give it an enduring variety. If the skirt was in plain cloth cotton, the bodice was usually in brocade… We made the dress in every conceivable fabric, from embroidered chiffon to liberty cotton‘s to velvet…. The silhouette of a slimmer torso combined with a full skirt (composed of 4.5 m of fabric) and sleeves became the basis for Porter‘s 'gypsy or gipsy' dress'. (note that this is historically what the dress was called at the time and is mentioned for historical accuracy). The book goes on to talk about the cut and design of these dresses saying that 'the bust became an integrated part of the body, ending directly below the breasts to create an empire line. The cut is such that the bust is held in securely, yet pushed up, removing the necessity of wearing a bra. The uneven hem of the dress evolved as a form of collaboration between Thea and one of her first seamstresses, Meg Lake, who was self taught and didn’t realize that a circle of fabric cut on the bias would fall irregularly and need to be trimmed. Porter love that effect and the mistake became a design signature.'

This is a classic Thea dress that follows all of those design philosophies. The bodice of her dresses were often crafted in antique brocade or silks and I suspect that is what we are seeing that with the beautiful and delicate gold metal thread on a feather like silk organza that we see on this front and back of the bodice on the dress. I love the little piece of silk chiffon that sits at the top of each shoulder and has the little embroidered 3D rose there. An ivory velvet ribbon details the cut of the bodice and also defines the highly detailed wide band around the waist. The sleeves are a single layer of an ivory silk chiffon and have a touch of transparency to them. They are magnificently full and each one puffs out above an elastic cuff. A little velvet bow and another embroidered 3D flower sit on the end of each sleeve. The skirt is two layers, an inner silk layer that is cut on the bias and then floating over that is a bias cut of the same ivory silk organza that the sleeves are made out of. The silk of the skirt starts just under the wide band at the waist and it flares out in yards of silk. It has that perfectly imperfect asymmetrical hem described above so that one side falls slightly longer then the other. This one is extra special because of the extreme detailing that is done by an abundance of hand embroidered flowers that run all the way around the band of the waist. More flowers run all the way around the skirt in beautiful curving patterns in a beautiful curving pattern on both the back and the front. Placed within the highly detailed embroidered leaves are little flowers formed by scalloped ribbon. The final finish is a perfect little ivory bow at the waist. It is just wildly gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below

The sleeves are unlined and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and each sleeve has elastic at the cuffs. I see some lifting and wear in and around the gold medallions around the shoulders. It looks like there have been some stitches put into help hold them down at some point but some are lifting and there are areas of the organza in between that is missing. Please see the photos after the label shot. It is an incredible dress

Sleeves: 18"
Shoulders: no true seam since they are inset
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the waist band: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at bottom of the band: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from shoulder to seam at top of waist band, 15" to waist seam
Total length: 56" from shoulder to longest points of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4852

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Thea Porter, for her wedding rehearsal, 2011.  /  (3) 1970 Thea Porter Dress from The MET Collection Online.  /  (4) Jane Fonda in Thea Porter.  /  (5) Model in Thea Porter, credit unknown.  /  (6) Joan Colins in a Gipsy Dress, with her sister Jackie in a robe with trailing sleeves over trousers, in two versions of Sheila Hudson's butterfly print, at the opening of the musical "1776" in 1970. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (7) Floral cotton voila Gipsy dress, 1969. Photography by Willie Christie. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (8) Actress Sharon Tate arriving at a party with Peter Sellers. She wears a Gipsy dress with moire bodice and polka-dot chiffon skirt and sleeves. London, July 1, 1969. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (9) Charlotte Rampling in Thea Porter, 1970s.  /  (10) Scanned from Vogue, Autumn/Winter 1970 by Liz Eggleston.  /  (11) Scanned from Vogue, April 1975 by Liz Eggleston.

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 had this tucked away in my archives for quite some time and it is spectacular. This is it gorgeous little dress that is easy to wear and an extremely beautiful example of her work. It has a touch of a caftan feel to it and that combined with those spectacular sleeves makes it very special piece. Of all of Thea's pieces, her caftans and the dresses that had that caftan like feel, have come to represent Thea's work like no other pieces of her clothing that she designed. Everyone who was anyone wore her work back in the day, including the great Elizabeth Taylor who was a huge fan and collector. This dress is just spectacular and a very special piece.

The dress is very beautiful and is made from a printed silk chiffon. The fabric has a swirling paisley feeling design with a black backdrop and then the print is done in a greens mixed with pops of blue. The print runs over the entire dress. The bodice has an empire cut and the front scoops low and wide. Detailing the edge of the neck and down the front is an added antique gold metal cord embellishment. This goes all the way around the neckline to the back and then runs part way down the front where it closes with hand made frog knots made of the same cording. The cording also details the seam where the sleeves are set in and more of it sit above the scalloping detail of the skirt. Thea was known to hunt antique stores and markets during her extensive travels and use what she found in her designs and this is certainly a found antique textile. The dress buttons down the front to just past the waist. There is a seam set under the bust and then the dress falls from there in a loose and easy feel. The sleeves are magnificent. They are slim through the upper arm and then from just above the elbow to the cuff they balloon out to be spectacularly full. They are not lined for the lower balloon part of each sleeve and I love the touch of transparency this creates. The rest of the dress is lined in a black silk and the chiffon over it is semi-transparent like the sleeves. This see-through quality gives the fabric depth and a floating feel over the inner lining. The final detail is that little scalloped panel that runs around the skirt above the bottom hem. It adds just a tiny touch of movement, and added detail that is lovely. This is very special and rare piece of Thea's work and it is also very beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a hand set black silk lining. It closes down the front with gold antique cord loops and knots. Each cuff hooks to close. Tagged a vintage UK 12. Finished by hand throughout. There is some patina to the cording that is a natural occurrence of its age. A tiny bit of grubbiness to the seam under each arm on the inner lining. It is spectacular

Sleeves: 26" and 11" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from the top of the shoulder to the seam under the bust
Total length: 56" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4570

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 book 'Givenchy Catwalk' says of this collection that "the new collection was heavily influenced by the fashions of the 1940s and was the height of sophistication." Several pieces walked the runway that season that had these Trompe L'oeil ribbons adorning their silk surfaces. The book notes that "the exclusive bow and ribbon prints on some day wear outfits reference the motif that had made Elsa Schiaparelli's name in 1927, but it was after dark that these features truly came into their own. In the evening were large ribbons tied into bows or loosely draped, decorating the bust like a tie or nipped in the skirts of extravagant colourful designs." This dress, or a very near version of it, was shown on the runway under a white jacket nipped in at the waist. We have also included a photo from the book that shows some of the other designs from that season that featured these sequin bows as well. It is a beautiful piece.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4870

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture.  /  (2) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture Looks from the book "Givenchy Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Anders Christian Madsen.

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 jacket is from the debut solo collection of Bill Gibb for the Fall 1972. In the book, Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy, they note that the theme of the collection was the natural world and you can see that in this suit. The book quotes fashion journalist, Suzy Menkes saying that "this is Bill Gibbs great day... for the first time showing a collection all his own. It marks the beginning of his career as a designer of the jet set." Twiggy said to Gibbs backstage "they were incredible, I loved every one, I want them all... is it possible to have one to wear tonight?". At this moment in Bill Gibbs history he was the star of fashion set. The jacket is spectacular and I love that versions are held in the permanent collection of museums. We also included several references where this or similar pieces were shot that season.

The jacket has an incredible cut to it. The collar is exaggerated and wide. The sleeves are amazing. They are full with a slight cap at the top of the shoulder and then narrow down to the wrist. The cuffs have a small split up the middle and are held closed with a metal button. The jacket has a seam set just above the natural waistline and it buttons to close above that with flower embossed silver metal buttons. Vertical panels sit all the way around the bodice from front to back. Silver painted chrysanthemums sit on either side of the buttons and a double panel of the same runs down the back. On each side of the bodice is a bee done in the same muted silver paint on brown leather and these have been cut out and applied onto the jacket. There are four of these in total, two at the front and two at the back. The bee went on to become one of his signatures. Those painted designs were all done by Sally MacLachlan. The lower part of the jacket is equally as fabulous. It skims over the hips to flare out to be quite full by the time it reaches the hem. There are eight panels of leather that have been sewn together. Each panel was painted with trailing vines of flowers running down their lengths. And there are pockets at the front! It is fantastic. Presents as excellent condition with a couple of small notes below.

Fully lined in a light taupe silky rayon. The jacket buttons to close at the front. Hand finishes. The leather of the jacket has a slight stiffened feel, that all of these particular jackets seem to have as they age. There is some slight wear and scuffing to the edges here and there and on the top of one shoulder. There is minor wear and marks on the lining. Three of the front button loops have been reattached at one of their ends. The jacket was cleaned but there is still a slight vintage smell to it. Priced with all taken into consideration balanced with its rarity. It is an incredible collectors piece. Tagged a vintage UK 10

Sleeves: approx 23.5" and 16" around the upper arm
Inset shoulders: 12"
Bust: approx 186" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at seam: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 42" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4866

Reference Photos: (1) 1972 Bill Gibb Coat in the V&A Collection.  /  (2) Bill Gibb Coat in the Collection at MUDE - Museu do Design e da Moda.  /  (3) Models in clothing by Bill Gibb, The Daily Telegraph, December 1972.  /  (4) Model in Bill Gibb for Vogue, September 1972.  /  (5) The Cover of "Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy" by Iain Webb.  /  (6) Vogue, September 1972.

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.

Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by his avant garde way of defining the body. His work was shockingly sexy for the times. Some of the most beautiful women in the world wore his clothing including Marisa Berenson, Raquel Welch, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Tina Turner. The label had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the seventies and eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new fabrics that at the time were all cutting edge. This is a stunning example of his work during the mid-seventies. When researching we found several examples of dresses from 1973 that combined the same jagged flame cuts with sequins. I have included some of those so you can get an idea of how great this looks on the body. 

This is a gorgeous dress and it is a dress that will really come to life once on an actual body. The body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins. They make the dress shimmer beautifully as they catch the light. The sequins start at the shoulder run down the sleeves, over the bodice, waist and hips and then stop about mid-thigh depending on your height. The skirt is set into the sequins in pointed angled that reflects the points of the hem. The skirt part is made from 12 individual panels that are set side by side all the way around. Each panel is a single layer of black silk chiffon that is incredibly light in weight. When you move they move around you. Each panel has only been attached at the top so you also get glimpses of your legs between each panel as you move. It is incredibly sexy. The same silk chiffon is set into the upper bodice and then the back has a huge cut out that is filled with the silk chiffon that dips into a low scoop. It buttons down the back can you see a hint of skin between each button. I love the pointed finished all around the scoop at the back. It is fantastic once on. Excellent condition

Fully lined through the body in a black silk. It closes with buttons down the back and each sleeve has a zipper at the wrist. One of his signature strapless bras is attached inside the bodice which could be easily removed if you wish.

Sleeves: 23" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to the longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4347

Reference Photos: (1-3) Marisa Berenson in a Loris Azzaro. October 1973. Photo: Michael Holtz.   /   (4) The cover of the book "Azzaro" for Assouline - Marisa Berenson and Loris Azzaro photographed in 1973, for issue 604 of L'Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris, by Roland Bianchini.  /  (5) Image from the book "Azzaro: Fifty Sparkling Years"  /  (6) Magazine spread featuring a model in Azzaro, 1973.

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 Spring 1977 Bill Gibb collection. In the book, 'Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy' they quote him as saying "for next season, I am going to do semi-sport, separates like a little boy with shorts, something I've never done before... women want to get into pretty clothes" It goes on to describe the invitation for the show as 'a barefooted girl, wearing a simple empire line dress in a garden, surrounded by a garland of flowers' and of the show itself...'Gibb presented one of his most delicate looking collections, combining his cute boyish styles with pastoral illusions… embroidered cheesecloth and broderie anglaise. Even though he called this his flowers and lace collection, Gibbs discerning eye insured the look never became two sugary sweet by punctuating the collection with splashes of black. He said "I like a dress to have great richness. There are many ways to do this like a black cat printed on the hem of a starkly white dress, or I use black and white next to a coloured pattern fabric... It is incredibly effective". We are also very pleased to have found a photo of the dress on the runway. It is an incredibly rare and gorgeous little dress.

Bill Gibb is one of my favourite designers and I am always extremely pleased to be able offer an item from him as they are very hard to find. The really good ones especially, never mind when one is documented like this one is. It is also a gorgeous dress in its own right. I love that this showcases exactly what he said above about using black as a means to contrast and add "richness". It is a dress that in someways is simple but it has huge impact. The halter is made out of a black silk that has a pink ribbon defining all of the seams and edges. The ribbon extends out from the side of the bust to curve up and over your shoulder attaching at the edge at the back. Where the front scoops down into a V ribbon also extends out from there and these ones tie behind the back so that the ends trail down against your bare skin. Using the ribbon to define the seams visually creates six panels around you. Each of those has been hand detailed with tiny silver pink beading, opaque white beads and pink embroidery to form little flowers to perfectly fit into the theme of the collection. It is the prettiest detailing. The halter falls into a V at the front and then the ribbons cross over themselves and there is a open keyhole under that to the waist. At the back, the vertical edges sit several inches apart from each other to add even more to the bare and open feeling it has. The skirt is equally as amazing. It is made out of a white cotton inner skirt and then has an attached over skirt that does not fully meet at the front. The interior skirt is finished with a wide layer of cotton lace at the hem and then the attached top layer starts with a ruffle at the waist. It has five more layers of ruffles as it travels to the hem. The skirt is incredibly full. An interesting little detail is that the inner skirt has pockets and this allows you to put your hands into those pockets and hold the outer skirt away to the sides. This will give you more of the feel that you see on the runway photo. This is an extraordinary little piece and could not be more rare. Excellent condition.

The inner skirt acts as the lining and the halter is lined in an ivory silky rayon. It closes with the tie at the back of the neck and then hook at the back of the waist and has a zipper below that. Pockets on the inner skirt. Sized a vintage Bill Gibb UK 10. 

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 48" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4850

Reference Photos: Spring 1977 Bill Gibb.

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.

Thea Porter combined exoticism, embellished ornamentation and luxurious fabrics in her pieces and her work was a phenomenon during her day. This style of dress is one of her most well known dresses and it has been one of her most loved styles since it was first created in 1968. The Thea Porter book that accompanied the 2015 Fashion and Textile Museum exhibit "Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic" (for which over a dozen pieces were pulled from my archives) has many example of stars from that time period wearing their versions. Kate Moss is perhaps the most notable of modern girls who have one and she caused a sensation when she wore her blue version for her wedding rehearsal in 2011. This is almost certainly a one of a kind, or a version of very few that would have been made. These dresses were made between 1969 up to about 1975 and we've included some various reference photos of similar pieces so you can get an idea of how gorgeous it is on the body.

This would make a phenomenal dress for the bride, looking for something nontraditional or as a part of a wedding weekend and of course it would be a stand-out piece in any Thea Porter collection.

The Thea Porter book states that this style of dress were 'generally made out of a combination of three different fabrics, which give it an enduring variety. If the skirt was in plain cloth cotton, the bodice was usually in brocade… We made the dress in every conceivable fabric, from embroidered chiffon to liberty cotton‘s to velvet…. The silhouette of a slimmer torso combined with a full skirt (composed of 4.5 m of fabric) and sleeves became the basis for Porter‘s 'gypsy or gipsy' dress'. (note that this is historically what the dress was called at the time and is mentioned for historical accuracy). The book goes on to talk about the cut and design of these dresses saying that 'the bust became an integrated part of the body, ending directly below the breasts to create an empire line. The cut is such that the bust is held in securely, yet pushed up, removing the necessity of wearing a bra. The uneven hem of the dress evolved as a form of collaboration between Thea and one of her first seamstresses, Meg Lake, who was self taught and didn’t realize that a circle of fabric cut on the bias would fall irregularly and need to be trimmed. Porter love that effect and the mistake became a design signature.'

This is a classic Thea dress that follows all of those design philosophies. The bodice of her dresses were often crafted in antique brocade or silks and I suspect that is what we are seeing that with the beautiful and delicate gold metal thread on a feather like silk organza that we see on this front and back of the bodice on the dress. I love the little piece of silk chiffon that sits at the top of each shoulder and has the little embroidered 3D rose there. An ivory velvet ribbon details the cut of the bodice and also defines the highly detailed wide band around the waist. The sleeves are a single layer of an ivory silk chiffon and have a touch of transparency to them. They are magnificently full and each one puffs out above an elastic cuff. A little velvet bow and another embroidered 3D flower sit on the end of each sleeve. The skirt is two layers, an inner silk layer that is cut on the bias and then floating over that is a bias cut of the same ivory silk organza that the sleeves are made out of. The silk of the skirt starts just under the wide band at the waist and it flares out in yards of silk. It has that perfectly imperfect asymmetrical hem described above so that one side falls slightly longer then the other. This one is extra special because of the extreme detailing that is done by an abundance of hand embroidered flowers that run all the way around the band of the waist. More flowers run all the way around the skirt in beautiful curving patterns in a beautiful curving pattern on both the back and the front. Placed within the highly detailed embroidered leaves are little flowers formed by scalloped ribbon. The final finish is a perfect little ivory bow at the waist. It is just wildly gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below

The sleeves are unlined and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and each sleeve has elastic at the cuffs. I see some lifting and wear in and around the gold medallions around the shoulders. It looks like there have been some stitches put into help hold them down at some point but some are lifting and there are areas of the organza in between that is missing. Please see the photos after the label shot. It is an incredible dress

Sleeves: 18"
Shoulders: no true seam since they are inset
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the waist band: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at bottom of the band: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from shoulder to seam at top of waist band, 15" to waist seam
Total length: 56" from shoulder to longest points of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4852

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Thea Porter, for her wedding rehearsal, 2011.  /  (3) 1970 Thea Porter Dress from The MET Collection Online.  /  (4) Jane Fonda in Thea Porter.  /  (5) Model in Thea Porter, credit unknown.  /  (6) Joan Colins in a Gipsy Dress, with her sister Jackie in a robe with trailing sleeves over trousers, in two versions of Sheila Hudson's butterfly print, at the opening of the musical "1776" in 1970. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (7) Floral cotton voila Gipsy dress, 1969. Photography by Willie Christie. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (8) Actress Sharon Tate arriving at a party with Peter Sellers. She wears a Gipsy dress with moire bodice and polka-dot chiffon skirt and sleeves. London, July 1, 1969. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (9) Charlotte Rampling in Thea Porter, 1970s.  /  (10) Scanned from Vogue, Autumn/Winter 1970 by Liz Eggleston.  /  (11) Scanned from Vogue, April 1975 by Liz Eggleston.

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