• This stunning and rare dress set is from the Fall 1981 Fabrice collection.
• It was made by Haitian born designer Fabrice Simon. 
• Simons launched his label in 1976 making this an extremely early example of his work and showcases how his early work especially was centred around hand, painted fabrics. He trained as a textile designer originally and pieces like this showcase his love of textiles beautifully.
• Fabrice was a Coty award recipient and one of the preeminent black designers during this time period and pieces by him are extremely difficult to find. Especially at the level that this one is at. It is a very important and collectible piece of Black fashion history. 
• The dress is especially iconic because it has two remarkable tie-ins. One with supermodel Pat Cleveland, who wore the twin of the top, and the second with Cicely Tyson who was photographed wearing a version of this set.
• His clothes were worn by some of entertainments most famous names - 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, Christy Brinkley and Jerry Hall were all fans. 
• When worn together it does look like a dress but it is a set of two pieces.
• Both pieces are made out of a beautiful light in weight red silk that has a metallic gold design covering its surface. The the gold portion of the fabric have all been painted on by hand and this is where we see Fabrice background as a trained textile designer.
• The top is a remarkable piece of fashion that transcends into art
• Both the front and the back dipped into a V and it buttons down the front with a series of round gold metal ball buttons that slip through red silk loops. There was a little gap left between each button with how it's laid out so you would get a tiny glimpse of skin between each button.
  
• The top is edged in a metallic gold cord that has a black band twisted around it. This little pop of black and gold contrasts beautifully with the painted fabric and adds a little extra bit of detail.
• The front dips down into a point, and while it has seamed to follow the curve of the body it is soft without boning so very comfortable to wear
• Curving up and around the the shoulders are three rows of silk that has been gathered to form the phenomenal volume and detail that you see. These are stacked beside each other with silk between each row, so they cover the full sides of the top on both the back in front. They are finished in hand edged jagged points and the way they have been set onto the top creates the incredible volume and density that you see in the photos. They add an exuberance to the outfit that is hard to describe until you see it in person. It is just extraordinary.
• The skirt is as fabulous as the top. It is banded around the waist so that you have shape and then it falls very full around you to the hem.
• There is an incredible amount of fabric in the skirt and it's sheer amount of fabric allows that gorgeous hand painted print to be shown off to the maximum. To achieve the fullness that it has all of the silk has been tightly gathered in and around the waist and then expands outward.
• I love that the skirt has pockets. It is the perfect bit of unexpected ease on such a dramatic piece.
• Having two pieces makes it extremely versatile because you can mix a match either piece with things you already have in your wardrobe. It is beautifully dramatic one worn together and then you also have endless styling possibilities when paired with other things.
• Both pieces have an additional handwritten museum tag from being deaccessioned. One has to wonder if that is a regretted decision.
• The top is fully lined in a black silk and buttons down the front as described above. The skirt is unlined and closes at the waist with hook and eye and then a zipper below that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• The top is tagged a size Small and the skirt has no size tag.
• Excellent condition

Top
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom edge: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 17" from top of shoulder to bottom edge, not including the added 2.5" extended angle at the front

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 47" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5462

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fabrice and Pat Cleveland for Essence magazine, November 1981.  /  (3) Cicely Tyson, in hand-painted Fabrice, at the Alvin Theatre in New York City, 1982.

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 was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland
• Ady was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas.
• She would purchase couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway.
• This incredible Haute Couture dress came to me from the niece of the original couture client.
• The dress is an authorized copy of the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture fdress that we have included reference photos of here. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body. 
• The dress is made from a deep copper gold silk. It is very light in weight but has enough structure to hold the stunning lines and volume of the dress. The colour of the silk is even better in person.
• The neckline is a simple scoop and the bodice skims over your curves. The sleeves are incredible. Each one is set on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of dressmaking. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. They puff out slightly around the upper arm and then narrow down at their ends.
• The waist is seamed but with a more generous feel. You can use the ribbon belt to cinch it in and add shape.
• The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. A seam brings the top part of the skirt inwards and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there.
• The lower portion of the skirt is made from several yards of silk so that it flares out beautifully as it falls.
• Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and ties into a bow at the side. Which beautifully picks up on the bow around the waist. The silk of the skirts are lined in a silk organza to help give support but it is really the genius of the cut itself that creates the shape.
• An elaborate and intricate floral design runs across the front and back of the bodice and down each sleeve. Hand done embroidery work is combined with tiny black sequins and hand applied beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen. 
• The skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is.
• Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam finished by hand. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absolutely beautifully made.
• The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a soft gold toned silk organza. It closes with a hand set back zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over that. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. The velvet ribbon belt is not original to the piece but is included. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is a slightly softer gold copper in person then how it photoed. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition 

Sleeves: 26" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of the shoulder to waist
Length: 58" from top of the shoulder to front hem, 61" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5461

Reference Photos: Fall 1982 Givenchy Couture Runway.

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 label on this piece dates it to the mid-late 1980s, maybe early 1990s 
• It was made under the creative direction of Carolina Herrera.
• She launched her label in 1981 and prior to that had been known as a style setter.
• This is a fantastically rare and wonderful piece from those earlier days and it is one of the best capes that I think I have ever come across in all of my years of doing vintage.
• The knits used in it feels like it is a combination of an angora and mohair. Mixed in with that are gold and a reddish gold metallic thread used for some of the long rows that run the length of the cape.
• This mix of autumn feeling colours is just phenomenal and the metallic pieces that are woven in with the knit add a beautiful subtle shimmer to the entire cape.
• The knits have been set in long vertical rows that run the entire length of the cape. 
• I love how the panels are sewn more tightly together to about the waist area and then they open up. This technique gives you extra volume for the bottom portion of the cape.
• There are no arm openings on this one. It simply slips on to the shoulders and then ties at the neck with long matching knit ties.
• Inside, the cape is finished in a deep burgundy so you get a gorgeous flash of a solid colour when you move.
• There is padding through the shoulders to help add structure so that it sits properly on top of the shoulder.
• The cape slips on and ties at the neck. It is fully lined in a burgundy silk. I see some light discolouration here and there along the lining. Please see the photo after the label shot. The exterior is pristine.
• There is no size tag present and the easy cut should allow it to fit any size. On a smaller frame it will drape more.
• Excellent condition

Total length: 60" 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD5459

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 in white walked the runway for the Spring 1980 Haute Couture presentation
• It was made under the creative direction of Marc Bohan.
• The Spring 1980 collection was called "Return to Classism". The book Dior:Catwalk noted that the collection "focused on paired back silhouettes with defined shoulders, subtle and belted waists... "My look is one of softness and neatness." Bohan told Vogue. Vogue also noted the one shoulder necklines that were integral to the collection and that is shown so beautifully in this dress.
• This dress would have been made entirely in the Paris atelier. 
• During this time period dresses with this black with white text Couture label usually denoted a custom order that was different from the presented piece on the runway. Being that the dress was shown in white on the runway this makes perfect sense.
• The dress is made out of a red silk crepe that is a colour that is flattering on most skin tones, especially with its touch of a coral undertone.
• I love the nod to classic minimalism that the dress displays.
• A single wide shoulder curves up and over your shoulder and the opening that your arm slips through begins and is set slightly off the top of the shoulder so you have just the suggestion of a sleeve. It angles down across you on both the front and the back. The opening dips slightly low on the other side leaving that entire opposite side and shoulder bare and exposed.
• It skims over the bust and blouses slightly over the seam at the waist. The silk is gathered in slightly at the waist and done so that it falls perfectly around you. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt.
• The skirt falls from there and is constructed so that it wraps over itself to one side at the front and secured in place around the waist. A deliberate gap is left open near the hem and when you walk, move or sit, you get a flash of leg. You can see how this sits so beautifully on the body from the runway reference photos.
• It is a dress that appears to be so simple in shape but every seam and line of the dress was purposefully and masterfully executed and planned.
• The dress comes with a huge rectangle of finished silk in a matching colour that can be used as a shawl or partial cape piece. It is not photoed but will be sent with the dress.
• This is an extraordinary example of his work during this time period and it is an absolutely stunning dress.
• The dress is fully lined in a matching red silk chiffon and closes at the side with a hand set zipper. An inner waist stay hooks to close. All of the work is done by hand to Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is Couture so please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Dress
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from top of shoulder to waist but does blouse over a bit once on
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under the ham

Shawl (not pictured)
6.8 feet wide x 9.75 feet wide

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5454

Reference Photos: Spring 1980 Christian Dior Couture.

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 near twin of this dress with a separate lace underlay styled underneath it walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection. 
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• The dress and print are very well documented. Its near twin was shot for Vogue that season and a similar dress is held in the V&A permanent collection.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular. It is made from a beautifully vibrant pink floral covered silk that has a secondary texture worked into the silk. The added texture makes the dress even more interesting as you get closer.
• It is fitted through the bodice and I love how this counteracts the volume of the skirt. The bodice is sharply peaked and has built-in boning inside for shape structure. At the back it dips down on a curve to leave most of your upper back bare and exposed.
• It is seamed so that it cinches in at the waist. The dress comes with its original matching silk belt that hooks into place around the waist. A large soft bow hides where it hooks together. I have styled it with the bow to the front for most of the photos but also showed it with the bow to the back. You could also style it to either side (not photoed).
• The skirt is phenomenal. It is one of his signature bubble skirts that has inspired thousands of designer since. It is made from a single layer of the same floral printed silk. All of the incredible volume that you see is created by the way it is shaped, cut and set in around the waist. I love how it extravagantly curves outward around you and then comes back in at the hem.
• The dress is fully lined through the bodice in a black silk and the skirt is lined in a stiffened  transparent black fabric that helps to hold the shape. There is built in boning through the bodice. An inner waist stay hooks at the waist and the dress zips to close at the back. Hand finishes throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of the peak of the bodice to waist
Total length: 28" from top of the peak of the bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5438

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix.  /  (3) Vogue, March 1988.  /  (4-5) Christian Lacroix dress from the V&A Museum Collection.

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.