mr blackwell
Stunning 1968 Mr Blackwell Custom Deep Copper Gold Silk Dress w Hip Swag & Flower Pin
I Have a Question
Richard Blackwell launched his label in the late 1950s and even at that time his dresses sold for between $800 and $1000, which in modern dollars converts to up to $10,000 a dress. Huge numbers for this time period. He dressed many of the big stars of the day including Jane Russell, Dorothy Lamour and Jayne Mansfield. His 'custom' label were the pieces that were made-to-order and were one-of-a-kind pieces that were fitted to a specific client in the couture tradition. This dress came directly to me from the original client which is how I have its exact date. It is an extraordinary dress from this time period and very beautiful
This dress is absolutely incredible and it is stunning to see it in person. The fabric is amazing in its own right and it would not be something you could produce anymore in our modern world. It is a luxurious deep copper gold silk that hold the lines and shape of the dress perfectly. The cut is pure Old Hollywood. The bodice is fitted to your curves and it is suspended from the shoulders by two tiny straps in the same fabric. Vertical panels and seams create the shape of the bodice and these all lead into a sharply angled seam that starts at the waist on one side and dips down tot he hip on the other. The seams are all perfectly place to give shape around the waist without having a horizontal line to break the eye. The fabric is gathered and curves over to one side of the hip and then falls to the floor in a column of silk. A long wide panel is swagged over on one side and then extends around to the back. This panel extends out at the side and falls longer at that side of the hem for a killer sweeping flare. It is just spectacular. This is pure Old Hollywood in the best possible way. The dress came with its original spray of pale baby blue, blush pink and ivory silk flowers that you can pin at the front, side or back depending on where you want to emphasize the shape created. I love the way the back dips low to show some bare skin for the perfect finish to this beautiful dress. Excellent condition with a small note below
Fully lined in a copper silky rayon. It closes with a side painted metal zipper hidden under a seam. Light boning through the bodice. Hand work throughout. I see a tiny bit of colour run near the edge on the bodice and another small areas near the hem. There is a very small hole on the folds under the swag from the brooch. You don't see this once the flower is in place and its in the fold if you choose to wear it without the flower. Some minor grubbiness on the edge of the hem. The flower shows some storage marks and the petals have softened. Please the photos after the label shot
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room to at least a B cup at front
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of the shoulder to longest point of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4457
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.
christian lacroix
Fall 1990 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Silk Runway Backless Dress w Original Jewel Brooches
I Have a Question
The twin of this dress in a different colour walked the Fall 1990 runway and we have included the reference photos of that so that you can see just how fabulous this one is on the body. This dress also included the incredible and detailed brooches on both the front and back of the dress as it was presented on the runway. This dress is unlabeled but came to me directly from the original couture client from whom I have, and have had, several other Haute Couture pieces. She was fitted by Christian himself for the dress which makes it that much more special. It is a stunning example of his Haite Couture work during this time period.
The dress is made out of an iridescent silk taffeta that has a slight colour change to it depending on how the light hits it. It can go from a deep bronze to a more iridescent blue / purple tone. I love it. The sleeves are long and there is a row of five silk covered buttons at each wrist. The body of the dress is cut to skim over you. It is gathered at one side at the front with the first of two incredible jeweled brooches the dress came with. The brooch is hand made from a gold toned metal with large golden topaz glass crystals mixed with brilliant blue crystals. The neckline angles down and across your shoulder to leave one shoulder bare and exposed. At the back the neckline dips dramatically down into a deep open V that leaves your skin bare and exposed. The second huge jeweled brooch sits at the base of that. A panel of silk flares out dramatically to one side to create a half bow, half bustle feel. The interior of that panel has extra structure so that it stays perfectly in place. The skirt falls below that and depending in your height will sit at about the knee or just above. It is fabulous. Excellent condition with minor notes below
Fully lined in a black silk organza and closes with an elaborate mix of a zipper, snaps and hooks at the back. One panel loops through the other over that. There is fused strip of rubber ribbon along the inner neckline to hold it in place and this has degraded a touch here and there. One stone is missing at the bottom of the front brooch. The brooches are tacked into place at present but are removable and you can see little marks on the fabric under them where the pin has been pushed through in different places. There are a couple teeny pinhead snags on the fabric where the brooches have caught on the silk near the brooches. These are all very minor and mentioned for accuracy. Unlabeled. Sourced from the original couture client and Mr Lacroix has mentioned to me on insta that he remembers fitting her.
Sleeves: 19.5"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 36" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3602
Reference Photos: Fall/Winter 1990 Christian Lacroix Haute 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.
alexander mcqueen
Beautiful 2007 Alexander McQueen Purple Bias Cut Liquid Silk Satin Dress w Amazing Sleeves
I Have a Question
This is an incredible dress. This was a dress produced for the shops and it is especially interesting because it is a dress that was produced again in 2011 and re-issued in an ivory for the wedding collection that year. I know this because I have that dress listed in the shop now and you can see it here. You will recall that I recently had a lace dress in that was also made under the same circumstances where a original dress done by Lee was re-issued at a later date for a wedding collection. I love having the original and as far as I am aware it was only produced in black and this purple in 2007. It has that same bias cut draped feel as the McQueen that Elle Fanning borrowed and wore recently so that will give you an idea of it on
This is a stunningly beautiful dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body and will only truly come to life when worn. It is a dress that definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. McQueen was a master tailor and the seam work and simplicity of this dress do not hide that fact. It is made from a beautifully weighted purple silk satin that has a slight texture running through it. It has that same liquid feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from this similar fabrics. Like those dresses of the thirties this is also cut on the bias but with a more shaped silhouette. I love that the fabric is heavy enough and that the dress is lined so that it will not highlight 'flaws' underneath like some bias cut pieces can. It is cut to flow over the body and skims over the bust, waist and hips to the floor. The neckline drops into a V at the front for a bit of skin to show. It glides over the bust and there is this interesting softly curved seam that starts at the bust and runs down into the side seam. This not only helps to add a little shape but it also becomes this interesting design feature and a subtle way for him to work in one of his signature angled seams. The skirt continues past and over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. At the back there is extra fabric worked around the center seam to give you a trained effect behind you. This flaring out at the bottom and the extra bit at the back give you fabulous movement when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. The sleeves are incredible. They are set in these soft loops around each arm. They leave the sides of the shoulders bare and really add to the thirties feel of the dress. They are spectacular. It is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a purple silk satin and closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a McQueen 40. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It is in its original supermodel length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. I see perhaps a touch of grubbiness and scuffing near the hem bit it is very minor and mentioned for accuracy only.
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem, 72" the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4461
Reference Photo: Elle Fanning in Spring 2008 Alexander McQueen, from our archives, at the Critics Choice After Party, January 2023.
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.
Ady Couture
Fall 1987 Ady Couture Lausanne for Givenchy Iridescent Purple Metallic Dress w Velvet Bow
I Have a Question
This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself 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 the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. 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 dress is from the Fall 1987 Haute Couture collection. Several variations of this dress where produced and we have included reference photos where you can see the strapless version from the runway. And a shorter version of this dress was also shown on the runway and one was worn by Audrey Hepburn as well.
The dress is made from the most incredible iridescent metallic fabric. It is purple first and foremost but when the light hits here it gets a highlight of a hint of the green that is just amazing to see. The fabric has enough weight to it to hold the shape that you see. The neckline is scooped and the sleeves are set into the shoulders so that you get a bit of a peak where they are gathered into the bodice. They are cut wider near the top of your arm and then taper down to the wrist. The bodice skims over you to the slightly dropped waist seam. Around the hip area is a wide band of gathered fabric that creates that incredible volume. A black velvet bow sits the front. The skirt is cut on a sharp angle that widens out to be quite full as it nears the floor. The cut is meant to feel sculptural and contrast the volume around the hips. The back of the skirt is fuller and set a little longer then the front. One version on the runway was belted and you could easily add a belt to add shape. The interior of the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every single seam done by hand. It is beautifully made and appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and there are hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards
Sleeves: 26"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 58" to the longest part of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD3808
Reference Photos: (1) A/W 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Silver metallic lame brocade strapless gown dress with a black velvet chest and bow and 2-layer puffy skirt. L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987. / (2-4) Fall 1987 Givenchy Haute Couture Runway. / (5) Audrey Hepburn, in Givenchy, at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City for the 17th Annual International Emmy Awards in 1989.
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.
james galanos
1970s Galanos Couture Custom Made Silk Chiffon Pant w Metallic Lace Detailed Dress Set
I Have a Question
James Galanos launched Galanos Originals in 1951. He was only 27 years old. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. When you covert to modern dollars the top end figure would be about $31,000 today. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and on par with the French couturiers of the time. Grace Kelly was a huge fan and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites and this set is an exquisite and very special example of his work.
This set was custom made for, and is from the estate of, 1950s model Betsy Pickering Kaiser. Betsy appeared on several Vogue covers in the 1950s and it was during that time period time period that she met Galanos. They were friends for over 60 years. She collected and wore Galanos pieces her entire life and was his friend and muse. He once told her husband ‘I would rather have Betsy wear my clothes than any other woman’. She was a constant presence on the International Best Dressed List and and was added to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame in the early 1970s.
This is gorgeous. It is made from a beautiful printed light weight silk chiffon that is combined with a red lace that has a metallic finish. The entire set combined weighs ounces. Huge flowers cover the entire surface of the silk chiffon. The pants are made from two layers of the chiffon and they are cut long and wide. An elastic waist makes them very easy and comfortable to wear. You then slip on that long piece over the pants. It is also constructed from two layers of silk that fall from under the lace bodice. Each side is slit open right up to the lace top. This gives the top piece a ton of movement and creates this fabulous floating effect around you when you walk. The bodice part is made of two panels of a metallic red lace that is connected along each side with a bit of a angled plunge above where they connect. The lace has that fantastic metallic finish to it for contrast against the pattern in the silk chiffon. The bodice has an inner nude silk lining so that from a distance you look like you are wearing nothing underneath it. The top is suspended by four tiny silk straps that curve over the shoulders. This set is tremendously good in person and it really needs an actual body to come to life. Cut supermodel long in length. Excellent condition
The pants are made of two layers of silk chiffon and close with a back zipper and elastic through the waist. The outer layer is lined with a nude silk chiffon through the bodice and the skirt is made from two layers of the silk. The outer layer closes at the side with hidden fabric covered snaps. There are a couple of very minor repairs and light snags near the hem of the overlay. This is a one-off, unlabelled custom piece made for Betsy and came from her estate.
Over dress
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 62" from shoulder to hem
Pants
Elastic waist: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Pant: 45" from waist to hem
Inseam: 32" from inner seam to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD2278
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.
hanae mori
Dreamy c. 1969 Hanae Mori Couture Printed Silk Chiffon Jumpsuit w Floor Length Angel Sleeves
I Have a Question
Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature and elements of her homeland. This is a stunning jumpsuit and when I find pieces like this one that is such a stunningly beautify example of her work I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work. We added a photo of a similar piece with the same cut but in a jersey and different print that gives you an idea of how this is on the body.
This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. The entire piece has one of her custom designed prints screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. It has all been printed with a really outstanding huge floral design and the colours are fantastic. That combination of turquoise and pink cannot be beat. The jumpsuit has a shallow V neck at both the back and front for just a little bit of skin to show there. The top skims over you and has one of the big pink flowers at the front. The waist is generous in cut the jumpsuit comes with its original silk ribbon belt. This belt is made from multiple pieces of silk piece together in rows and then the ends are all left as individual ribbons. When you tie this around your waist it helps to add to the drama of the overall set . The pants fall from under that and are cut to be very very wide and full so you get this incredible movement when you move. To make them opaque enough to wear each pant leg has an inner layer of silk twill with that same print on that inner layer. As with the best of Hanae's pieces the effect of having the same print on the top layer and the inner layer gives the design added dimension and depth as they float over each other. The added width of the pant also let them float and move at your slightest movement. The sleeves on this piece are spectacular. They are attached around the upper two thirds of the arm hole and each is made from two panels of fabric that float all the way down the length of the jumpsuit to just a little past the hem. They are open on each side so move independently from each other. Because each panel is a single layer of that bias cut silk chiffon this means that they catch the slightest bit of air and move and float dramatically around you. The beauty and drama that this creates is astonishing. The floral print that covers the jumpsuit is one of her best. The movement and beauty of this piece is extraordinary. This is a piece that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing it and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition
Fully lined through the bodice in a white silk and a printed silk twill for the pants. The sleeves are unlined. It zips to close at the back. The belt ties into place. All of the edges have been hand rolled and it is hand finished through out. Tagged a vintage 10. It appears to have been worn very little if at all
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Pants: 38.5" from waist to hem
Inseam: 25" from the inner seam to hem
Gusset: 32" from back of neck to inner seam
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4451
Reference Photos: Hanae Mori Ad in Vogue US, October 1, 1969.
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.
madame gres
1970s Madame Gres Haute Couture Wide Leg Pant Set w Metallic Gold Part Open Tie Top
I Have a Question
Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find. This set is from the early to mid-seventies and it is fabulous.
This is an amazing vintage set. I love the camel coloured wide legged jersey pants with their wide cut legs. The jersey they are made out of is the soft wool that she used extensively during this time period and it has a soft finish to it that looks and feels heavenly once on. The pants are banded at the top with a wide gathered sash of a pale yellow jersey for contrast to the camel colour below. This hooks to the one side and there is built-in boning at the sides to hold its shape around the waist. It is a touch wider on one side then the other to create a pretty curve. The pants fall to the floor and widen out to be 64" around at each hem. The top has a metallic finish to it and the contrast between the two fabrics is fantastic. The silk has actual metal thread woven through it and this gives it a subtle glint from all angles. A design runs through the silk and the metal thread is woven onto that in a floral design The neckline is scooped and it skims over you to the waist. The sleeves are long and simple. It ties into place at the back with ties made of the same fabric. These sit on an angle that starts at the neckline, run across to one side and then go straight down to the hem of the top. This leaves a little bare expanse of skin showing between the ties. I photoed the top un-tucked and tucked as it can be worn either way. Both pieces have a Haute Couture label in them and the top has an additional handwritten numbered tag inside. This is an incredible and rare opportunity to own a beautiful piece of her work and it is that much more versatile with the two pieces since you can mix and match with pieces from your exiting wardrobe. Excellent condition with a small note below.
Both pieces are unlined and have been completely finished by hand. The pants close with hook and eye at the band and a zipper under that. There's a small repair to the jersey inside the inner structure of the band and then one of the fold along one side. Neither is seen once on. The top ties to close at the back.
Top
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: approx 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 12" from shoulder to hem
Pants
Waist: 12" at top of band and narrows to 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam of true waist
Band: 3.5" high on the boned hook closure side and the other side will widen to approx 9"
Hips: open
Length: 40" from true waist to hem
Inseam: 29"
Rise: 15" from true waist to inner seam
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD4182
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.
christian dior
Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior by John Galliano Lookbook Mini Dress w Plunge Front & No Back
I Have a Question
The twin of this Dior dress was Look 5 in the Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2011 collection. This collection was shot as a look book that year. At the time Dior said this of John's collection: ”Dior’s Fall ready-to-wear collection takes its inspiration from the legendary love affair between Mrs. Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. English romanticism is channeled into Balmoral fringed tweeds and candy-coloured tartans with Prince of Wales checks. Ultimate luxury and expertise create evening glamour in elegant draped gowns and head to toe sequins to ensure that every head is turned.” Vogue commented that: "John Galliano galloped the Duchess of Windsor through This Is Your Life, with richly hued musings on what Wallis Simpson in her prime might've worn at specific times of day and across the decades." The Dior team styled the pieces in lavish settings to play on this theme. I think that this was one of the best pieces of the collection and I love having the photo reference so that you can see it on a body. This was John's second last collection for the house.
The dress is a play on a flapper dress with a soft oversized check pattern softened with more pastel coloured version of red and blue. It is printed on a silk chiffon to further soften the feel of the print and give it a bit of a vintage feel. The dress can be worn longer and more straight on the body or you can hike it up to be super short and have the top blouse over as I have done in most of these shots. The front plunges to the waist and then crossed over itself at the base where it meets the seam. It can also be worn long with the seam and the hips and I also shot it that way from the front, side and back. It ties behind the neck and the ties trail down your back. The back is completely bare and it is scooped open right to the waist. A band of the silk chiffon wraps around you at the top of the hips and this is what you use to hold the dress higher or lower on you. The skirt falls under that to the hem and the lightness of the fabric gives it tons of movement. His signature tightly spaced silk covered buttons run down one side of the dress and there is a little bow at the top of the skirt on each hip. These little details are always what makes a Galliano designed piece that much more special. The final detail is the green and red lace that edges the dress. The lace has been stiffened and has deliberate raw edges to further play on that feel of the dress being a piece from the past. It is laid out over a band of ivory velvet and this last little touch ties everything perfectly together. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a fine pink-salmon coloured silk. It closes with the buttons down the side and ties around the back of the neck. At some point someone added a snap under the front where it crosses to make it a little more secure. I have left it but it could easily be removed if you wished. I see a bit of residue on the lining on one side of the bust where a double sided tape was used to hold it in place. Tagged a Dior F 36, GB 8, IT 40, US 4. Note that this was very difficult to measure and depending on where you want the band to sit it should fit a range of sizes
Bust: no true side seam and each halter will easily cover a full range of cup sizes
Waist/top of hip at seam: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam and expanding to 17.5 at the bottom seam of the band
Bodice: to approx 21" from top of bodice to top seam of the waist/top of hip
Band: 4"
Skirt: 14" from waist to longest points of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4036
Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2011 Christian Dior, Look 5. Model: Alina Baikova.
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.
oscar de la renta
Romantic 1980s Oscar de la Renta Backless Black Silk & Lace Dress w Killer Pouf Sleeves
I Have a Question
Oscar was known for his beautiful and feminine designs and this dress really showcases that. With our modern day obsession with all things eighties and nineties this play on proportions and fabrics still feels extremely of this moment fashion wise. Oscar had an amazing sense of aesthetics and his genius was in making women look and feel beautiful. This is the type of dress you can easily imagine in an editorial of the day on one of the reigning supermodels. It is just gorgeous
There are actually three fabric used in the making of this dress. The sleeves are a perfectly light in weight silk taffeta, the bodice is a black lace and then the skirt is a fine soft black silk with a very fine thin ribbing. The play on those three fabrics together is very romantic feeling. The neckline is scooped low and set wide across the shoulders at the front. At the back it has an even lower scoop out so that you get this great expanse of bare skin there. The sleeves are spectacular. They have built in tulle to help hold their volume and they are cut to be extremely full so that they billow out to just about the elbow. They have elastic running through the edges nearest to the shoulders and you can wear them up and on the shoulder like I have shot them here or I think you can also let them cascade down to leave each shoulder bare. The bodice is covered ion the black lace all the way around and I love the little lace peplum that circles the waist and balances out those sleeves. The skirt fall from under there in a beautiful curve to the floor. The skirt is finished in a fine stripe that I love. Inside the interior of the skirt there is an additional underskirt of silk organza that has a wide ruffled bottom that helps to hold the shape of the outer skirt. When you move the skirt shows it volume and movement beautifully. Excellent condition
The bodice is lined in a black chiffon, The skirt in a black organza and the sleeves have tulle inside them to hold the shape. It closes with a back zipper. Tagged a vintage ODLR 6
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 17" from natural shoulder to slightly dropped seam under natural waist
Skirt: 44" from slightly dropped seam under natural waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4444
Reference Photo: 1982 Oscar de la Renta.
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.
jean louis scherrer
Fall 2001 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture Original Runway Look 7 Sample Strapless Red Layered Panel Dress
I Have a Question
Stephane Rolland took over as Artistic Director for the Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture atelier in 1997 at the age of 31 which made him the youngest of the 20 official Paris sanctioned couturiers at the time. He remained as the head of the Couture division until the last showing in 2005 when the house officials shuttered is couture division. This dress is from the Fall 2001 Haute Couture collection and it is the actual runway sample for Look 7 that was worn on the runway. I have included several runway reference photos for you so that you can see just how spectacular the dress is once on an actual body. This dress was also worn by Alexandra Daddario and those shots really showcase just how fabulous this is on an actual body. It is a gorgeous piece of Haute Couture history.
Having the actual couture sample means that Stephane himself would have fit the model to walk the runway that day. Runway samples are as hands on by a designer as you can get. It is an amazing opportunity to own what few people ever even see; a dress that is straight from the atelier, overseen and fitted by the couturier himself for its debut on the runway.
The dress gorgeous. It is covered with various sized panels done in hand cut red silk that has a almost linen feeling texture to them. These have been hand set over the entire dress. The panels start out small and delicate around the bodice and then their size gradually become larger as they run down the dress to the train at the back. This layering technique of the panels gives the dress more depth and texture and movement. In person it is even lovelier then how it photoed. There is a subtle movement when you move that is not truly captured in the still shots. Each panel is secured to the body of the dress along its top edges only and this is what gives them that touch of soft movement as you move. The bodice is strapless and the panels are set slightly more towards one side so that they form a bit of peak. The front inner dress is cut to above the knee so that you get a flash of bare skin as you move or sit. The dress flows back and around you from there. The back is full and dramatic as it sweeps behind you. The interior is corseted and structured so that it firmly holds the dress on the body and gives you shape. This is an incredible piece of modern Haute Couture. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in a fine red silk and closes with two zippers. One is on the interior corset and the second is on the outer layer of the dress. The interior corset is boned and shaped. The skirt is lined in a red silk taffeta. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The hand written runway sample tag is present. Some grubbiness here and there at the hem and some faint marks on a few of the panels. I have photos some examples of them. They are mostly covered by the layers over top so make no impact when the dress is on. The inner zipper pull is missing and has been replaced by a ribbon. Perhaps the teeniest bit of fading to the edges of a panel here and there but this is natural to this type of fabric and is only mentioned for accuracy.
Bust: 15-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 11.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 26" from top of bodice to actual hem at the shortest point of the front and approx 92" from top of bodice to longest point of the back train
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD3054
Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 2001 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture Runway Show. / (5-8) Alexandra Daddario photographed by Storm Santos.
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.
valentino
Incredible 1998 Valentino Sample Black Dot Net Over Ivory Silk Taffeta Strapless Dress
I Have a Question
This incredible dress has it's original tag that appears to indicate that it was a sample from 1998. I have not been able to verify if this dress was produced for the shops or if it remained a one-off sample. If it is the only one that would be an incredible thing to have and even if it was produced it's so utterly beautiful that it would just be adding more beauty to the world if there was more than one. Of course I will continue to hunt for that information and one day I hope to send its new owner verification. Regardless of its production status, the dress is one of the best Valentino pieces I've ever seen.
This is a really stunning dress. And it shows how beautifully Valentino emphasize the female body will always stay completely elegant. The netting treatment on the dress makes you feel like you have been wrapped in the tulle. Underneath, the inner ivory silk taffeta layer gives the dress structure and it makes this beautiful, slight rustling sound when you move. The silk netting over that has a dot pattern over its surface. It is gathered down and along both sides. This creates this fantastic ruching all the way down that highlights your curves. Where it is gathered down both sides there is an elaborate line that has been beaded with two types of tiny black seed beads. The neckline curves around you at the top and then the dress is cut to skim over you with the shape all created by inner vertical seaming. The bottom skirt of the silk ivory underlay has been allowed to peek out from underneath the netting. It flares out and has an elaborate pleated ruffle all the way around. It is cut a little longer at the back and has extra fabric there as well so that you get this bit of a train effect behind you and a little fabulous kicking out of fabric as you walk. This is an incredible dress and one of my favorite Valentino pieces I've ever had in the shop. Excellent condition
The ivory acts as the lining through the body and then the bodice is lined with an additional layer of black silk satin. Lightly boned through the inner built-in bodice. It closes with a hidden set side zipper and the inner bodice piece has its own separate zipper. It has its original tag and appears to have never been worn. Tagged a vintage Valencia 40
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to front hem, 59" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4431
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.
yves saint laurent
Fall 1979 Yves Saint Laurent Unlabled Haute Couture Black Silk Dress w Sequin & Rhinestone Detailing
I Have a Question
This is an incredible Haute Couture dress that came to me from the niece of the original couture client and is unlabeled. In our hunt for more information on it we found the runway photos from the 1979 Yves Saint Laurent dress and you instantly see that it is its twin in all ways except for the length. It is always the prerogative of the couture client to change some elements of the dress to suit their needs and in this case, this woman attended many functions where a full length dress was required. She frequented the Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro ateliers. She often removed the labels to avoid customs and it is fantastic to be able to verify which designer and collection this one is from as many of the records she kept were lost. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is incredible. 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 crisp black silk and this fabric choice allows it to hold those beautiful lines that you see. It's beautiful shape is a testament to the level of workmanship that you only see in true couture pieces. At the front the neckline dips into a V and the dress is vertically seamed to follow the curves of the body. The sleeves are amazing. Each is cut on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of making a sleeve. 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. At the back the dress scoops low to give you a bare expanse of skin. The back has a low set seam under the open scoop and this allows the top of the back skirt to lift slightly off and away from the body. A tiny detail that feels very sensual on the body. That same seam curves around the hips and angles up towards the waist at the front and then the skirt at the front is cut on a stunning curve that widens out as it reaches the hem. The back is fuller and it also falls a touch longer to give it the feel of it sweeping out behind you. Built in underneath the skirt is a ruffled black silk net underskirt and when you move or sit you see just a peek of the ruffle around the inner hem. Built inside the top of the inner skirt are layers of silk net that help to hold the fullness around the hips. The dress is detailed with hand applied sequins to form little varying sized circles that run over the entire bodice, the waist and the top part of the skirt. Two types of sequins have been used, tiny silver sequins one and others that are an iridescent pale blue. The blue ones catch the light and range in colour from silver to an ice blue. It is incredible. Mixed into that are some circles that are made from little glass crystal beads. All are hand applied and the entire dress is completely hand made to couture standards. I have taken some detail shots of the interior seams for you to see the fine Haute Couture workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and just beautifully made. Excellent condition with a small note below
The bodice is unlined and the skirt is fully lined with a built in underskirt in a black silk net and taffeta. Built in panniers around the hip area that I have photoed. 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. There is the occasional sequin or crystal missing on the dots here and there and I have photoed one area for you to see as an example. Please see the last detail photo for that. Unlabeled. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction.
Sleeves: 24"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 60" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3677
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.
Ady Couture
1982 Ady for Givenchy Haute Couture Gold Silk Taffeta Dress w Hand Done Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
This is an incredible Haute Couture dress that came to me from the niece of the original couture client, In our hunt for more information on it we found the runway photos from the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture presentations and you instantly see that it is its twin in all ways. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body. This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself 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 the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. 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.
The dress is made from a deep copper gold silk taffeta and this fabric choice allows it to hold those stunning lines and volume that you see. It is absolutely beautiful and a testament to the level of design that you only see in couture pieces. The colour of the silk is even better in person. I have managed to almost capture it in these photos but in person it is even richer feeling then what you see here. At the front the neckline is set in a simple high scoop. The bodice is cut to skim over your curves and is simple in cut. 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 and the skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out from the waist slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. On the runway it was shown with a black velvet bow and I have added one to emulate that same look. 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 made into two attached sections. The top comes out from the pleats all around the waist and it poufs out around you. A seam brings the skirt in and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there. That second tier has many yards of silk in it so that it flares out as it reached the hem. 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. All of the volume and shape that you see is created through the way it is cut and the fabric choice. The skirt does not have extensive underskirts to shape it. 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. 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. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a slightly gold tinged silk organza. It closes with a hand placed 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 out is not original to the piece but will be 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.
Sleeves: 26"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
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 shoulder to waist
Length: 42" from waist to front hem, 45" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3685
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.
yves saint laurent
Exceptional Spring 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Vivid Printed One Shoulder Cotton Dress
I Have a Question
This dress is just exceptional. Its twin walked the runway that season and we found the barest second of it on the runway as the model walked back down the catwalk. We have included that little bit of film along with a couple of stills taken from the clip for you to see. They are not the best photos ever but we were still very happy to have confirmation that the twin of this one was indeed a runway piece. We also included an editorial shot from Marie Claire that season that shows a different piece from the show in the same fabric. This fabric in a variety of different colour ways was integral to the show and there was a an entire section of the show devoted to them. The dress is gorgeous and its so very rare to find these more exceptional YSL pieces anymore.
The dress is made from a feather light cotton voile that that has enough weight and structure to it to perfectly fall into the line that Yves desired it to have. The fabric has just a touch of transparency to it but at the same time the print and the way it wraps around you covers everything and perfectly the transparency feels like more of a suggestion of sensuality. I love the bold use of all those brilliant colors that covers the entire dress. The print is a stunning abstract and it is just a piece of art in itself. There is a soft strap that curves over one shoulder on an angle from the other side. Inside the bust there is a soft bodice piece built in that has a bit of boning for shape. This zips and hooks into place to hold the dress in place on you. The outer where is gathered in under the strap and then it falls over you to the floor. Part of the fabric at the waist wraps around and snaps in the place and this gives just a suggestion of shape there. The shape is soft as it falls over you and meant to have a bit if a sarong feel. It is cut to skim over the body loose and easy with the only fitted place being that inner built in bodice. The skirt wraps over itself and part of it is longer then the other. This does two things. First, when you walk or sit that opening will open a bit to show some leg and second it allows the skirt to the air and billow around you when you walk. I love that way it drapes around you at the top. It is fantastic on the body and really showcases his genius at both print and cut. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Unlined and closes in the inner bodice with a zipper and flat hook and I as described above. The waist snaps and hooks in place. Light boning in the inner bodice. Tagged a vintage YSL 40.
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hooked waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: variable because of the wrap
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to inner hooked waist
Length: approx 50" from top of shoulder to shortest part of from hem and approx 67" to the longest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4411
Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Runway. / (5) Yves Saint Laurent Editorial, Marie Claire, June 1991
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
1973 Loris Azzaro Couture Black Flame Sequin Detailing & Feather Light Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. 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. It was a label that defined sexiness and 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 utilized the same jagged flame pattern and sequins against silk chiffon. This one actually looks like a sleeveless version of the one shot on Marisa Berenson. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces from.
This is a gorgeous dress. It is really one that will come to life even more once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins and these catch the light from every angle. This covers you from that jagged design on the bodice down and over the hips. The sequins extend right from the flame design at the front and then are set in long vertical rows to the hem. The top of the bodice is a single layer of black silk chiffon. This bit of transparency adds an incredibly sexy feel. He used that same silk chiffon down the back where it dips into a low scoop. I love the way that the jagged flame pattern defines the bust and that low scoop at the back. A high slit up one side lets you have the perfect flash of skin when you walk or sit. It is fabulous once on an actual body. Excellent condition
Fully lined through the body in a black silk and it zips to close at the back.
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 2.5" turned under
Slit: 19.5" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL
Item# DD4403
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. / (7) Spring 1973 Loris Azzaro 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.
john anthony
Extraordinary Fall 1975 John Anthony Couture Ivory Silver Hand Beaded Runway Sample Dress
I Have a Question
John has dived into his archives once more for me and today I have two of the dresses he sent for you with more to come. This is the actual runway sample from the Fall 1975 collection and you can see how fantastic it is on the body on the reference photo we found. The bead work on it was done by hand by Madame Gandini who did beading for many of the Couture houses of the day. John is one of my favorite American designers and right out of the gate he won the Coty Award for his work. The first time in 1972 and then again in 1976. He designed clothes that were simple and elegant but glamorous. His work veers towards minimalism with sharp tailoring. Striking evening wear was his signature and he is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. It is an extraordinary privilege to have pieces directly from his archives and these are things you will never see again. This one might even make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event. It is a work of art.
John's business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces like this sold for over $10,000 even in the 1970s. If you convert that to modern dollars you get to about $68,000 which is incredibly still less then a modern couture pieces done to this level would be. Having this actual runway samples that John pulled from his own archives to share with you is just amazing.
This is an amazing dress that is heavily and densely beaded. The base of the gown is made of an ivory silk chiffon and then onto that are hundreds of vertical chevron bands of a silver coloured glass tube beads laid out in to fully cover every square inch of the dress. The dress is already spectacular on its own and the addition of the thousands and thousands of glass tube beads give the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour. Every square inch of the dress catches the light and sparkles. As a result the dress is fairly heavy off the body. We weighed it and it is almost 10 pounds because of that extensive bead-work. Yet once on the body it perfectly drapes over you in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The impact of all those silver ivory toned beads from head to toe is stunning in the light. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will gasp to see it in real life. This needs a body to give it a life of its own and the camera cannot capture just how gorgeous it is and how the beads catch the light. The cut is sublimely simple. The bodice is cut with a V and there is a border of the bead work following the V to highlight it. The rest of the dress falls from there is a beautiful column of beads to skim over you all the way to the floor. There is just a suggestion of the waist and it skims over the hips. The sleeves are long and equally as simply. They widen out as they near the hem and this graceful line of the sleeves with their bordered cuffs is perfection. The back is just one long column of the bead work. The skirt widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. As good as it photoed the effect that this dress has once it is on an actual body is far more dramatic and fabulous. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so much better in real life. It is completely made by hand and you would never be able to find its modern equivalent. It is stunning. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in an ivory silk chiffon and it closes at the back with a metal and nylon zipper. Hand finished throughout. As noted above it has a good weight to it since it is fully beaded from top to bottom with glass beads but feels balanced when on and comfortable. There is perhaps the occasional bead missing here and there - a bit of the top row on the back of the collar is missing - but no bare areas. There is a slight darkening to some of the beads just above the hem. Please see the photo after the label shot. It feels more ivory silver in person.
Sleeves: 22" and 12" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4398
Reference Photos: Fall 1975 John Anthony 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.
givenchy
Resort 2019 Givenchy by Clare Waight Keller Red Crepe Dress w Angel Sleeves & Sequin Detailing
I Have a Question
This was Look 54 of the resort collection and one of the best of the evening pieces from that collection. It was shown in black for the collection and then was also produced in this spectacular all red version for the shops. I love Clare Waight Keller's time as Creative Director for the house. Even though her time there was short there are many really stellar dresses that came from her time there and this is on of them. It is a dress that will only gain in importance as time goes by and it is a definite show stopper.
Clare said of the collection that year “There’s a powerful woman in there that I really love; she’s a very strong character who loves a strong shape—something that gives a real sense of fashion.”, and in the Vogue review of the resort collection, fashion journalist Amy Verner mentioned the black version of the dress in particular along with another comment from Clare; "This marks the first season since the passing of Monsieur de Givenchy in March and Waight Keller hinted that a more intentioned homage might be forthcoming. In the meantime, the collection’s evening looks—specifically the long-sleeved black dress showered with silver embroidery, and the gradient celadon and rust plissé lamé gown—further the couture spirit we’ve seen most recently at the Met Gala and at Cannes. “It’s a real joy to be able to work at both ends of the spectrum,” Keller said. “It’s what I believe in: everything from the really simple everyday to the absolutely fantastic and fabulous.”
The dress is amazing. It is made out of a light weight red crepe through the body mixed with a silk faille for the inset on the lower skirt and silk chiffon for those amazing sleeves. There is also the addition of the teeny tiny sequins and beads at the neck. The red is gorgeous and it is that vivid true red that will flatter most skin tones. The the dress is cut in a long minimalist sheath that widens out softly as it near the hem. The neckline is scooped and the dress is meant to skim over you from bust to hips before it starts to do that soft flare out on the lower skirt. The upper portion of the bodice is finished with vertical rows of tiny red sequins topped with tiny round red seed beads. These are set across the shoulders and then angle down to a point. The lower skirt is finished with a panel of silk faille that is just a touch of a shade lighter than the crepe fabric. This runs across the full front of the skirt and angles up on an angle so that it is the opposite of the angle of the sequins at the neck. This is a very subtle detail that adds beautiful impact to the dress. The sleeves are the absolute star of the show. Starting at each shoulder a silk chiffon caped sleeve Falls over the top of your arm and then widen out to cascade all the way to the hem and slightly passed. They are open underneath so this gives them the ability to catch the slightest bit of air in billow out around and behind you when you move. It's the perfect touch of drama that softens the rest of the dress. All this extra detailing shows the high quality in making this. The dress appears to have never been worn and it is in its original extra long supermodel length. It is absolutely amazing and the dress originally retailed at just under the 9k mark. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a red silk and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. The address is in its original length and appears to have never been worn. Tagged a modern Givenchy 36
Sleeves: 63"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from neck to longest point of the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4378
Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2019 Givenchy, Look 54. / (2) Credit unknown.
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.
philip hulitar
Exceptional 1950s Philip Hulitar Couture Chanpagne Silk Satin Strapess Dress w Elaborate Gathered Panels
I Have a Question
Philip Hulitar designed under his own namesake label from 1949 to his retirement in 1964 so his pieces fall in a very defined window for dating. He was known for his sophisticated dresses and evening gowns. Shortly after the launch of his label a journalist gushed that; 'The star of a gifted designer has risen recently on the fashion horizon'. Prior to launching his own label, Mr Hulitar was the in-house designer and head of the women's dress division for Bergdorf Goodmans for 18 years. His work is amazing. This would absolutely make for an amazing wedding dress for the bride or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event. It is just beautiful.
This dress so beautiful to see. The fabric is that rich ivory champagne colored silk that seems to have been done nest during this time period. The cut of the dress is magical. The bodice is fitted and strapless and I love how it has a slight curve across the top of the bodice. Inside it is boned to help to hold the shape that you see. There is a little bow at one side for detailing that is so pretty. It is cut to follow your every curve. The waist is brought in but there is no horizontal seam there to break the eye. Instead it is held in place inside so you just get this beautiful unbroken curve to shape the body. The skirt curves over the hips and then widens out to fall to the floor in a stunning expanse of silk. The entire dress is shaped by the seam and the use of long vertical panels which give the skirt the volume that you see. You cod make it even fuller by adding a full crinoline underneath too. On the front and back are those inset panels of the same fabric bit for the panels they have been hand gathered across. This creates these long and wide panel of intricately gathered silk that run the full length of the dress. I love how they are used to add to the hourglass shape of the dress by being set wide across the bust, coming in at the waits and then expanding out across the width of the skirt. It does the same at the back but in a not so exaggerated way. The back is cut slightly longer for a beautiful sweep of fabric there. It is just a beautiful and rare piece of 1950s couture. Excellent condition with small notes below.
Fully lined in a tea coloured silk organza and closes at the back with a hand set metal zipper. Hand finishes throughout. Boning through the bodice. Beautifully made. The inner lining has a variation throughout that of course does not effect the outer dress at all. I see a tiny foxing mark on one side of the outer skirt and the edge under the arm has started to give on one side and it is just starting a tiny on the other. These could easily be altered out by reducing the width of the band there a little. Please see the photos after the label shot. The construction throughout is to demi-couture standards. The colour is a bit more ivory then how it photoed. You could easily alter this one down if needed
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with room to a C cup at the front
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 53" from top of bodice to front hem and 62" to the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4373
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.
hanae mori
Gorgeous 1968 Hanae Mori Strapless Pastel Peach Floral Print Chiffon & Silk Dress w Shawl
I Have a Question
Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at the beautiful prints that she created and they always have a hauntingly organic feel to them as she was constantly inspired by nature. This set is just absolutely gorgeous and pieces like this from her are getting increasing hard to find so it is a true treasure. This one is dated, based on similar one with the same print that had a dated label inside and we found a photo of another similar one from that year.
This is a gorgeous Hanae Mori piece. It has a wonderful custom designed print that is screened onto feather light silk on both the top chiffon layer and the silk twill layer underneath that for the skirt portion. It also comes with its matching extra large scarf / shawl piece that I love. It gives you the option to cover your shoulders with it, wear it around the neck or even use is as a head scarf or turban. The dress is strapless and there is just a hint of the print that curves over the bodice here and there. The bodice has a slight padded feel to it and it is banded under the bust to separate it from the skirt. The skirt fall to the floor under that and gently widens out as it nears the hem. The skirt has two layers. There is an inner silk twill skirt that has that same pretty floral print on it. Over that is an attached outer layer made of a feather light silk chiffon that has the same print screened onto it. The two prints layer over each other and create the prettiest effect. This layering technique with silk & chiffon is one of her signature techniques and she was a master at it by this point in her career. I love the floral design on the silks and the pretty effect is has as it goes from the field of flowers to the green at the bottom. Using silk chiffon for the top layer is what gives the piece its light and airy feel and when you walk that layer billows out around you. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. It even has hidden weights set inside the inner skirt so that it falls perfectly. Excellent condition with a minor note below
Fully lined in white embossed silk and has a built in lightly boned and shaped inner bodice. Both the inner bodice and outer dress closes with their own back set zippers. Unlabelled but the lining is embossed with the Hanae logo throughout. The inner hem of the dress shows some grubbiness along the edge and there are marks on the lining. There is a slight darkening near the edge of the bodice along the sides. Please see the photos after the inner logo shot. Hand finished throughout with hand finished inner seams. The scarf has hand rolled edges.
Dress
Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for up to a small B cup at the front
Inner waist: to 13.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from top of bodice to inner waist, 6.5" from top of bodice to seam under bust on the exterior
Skirt: 45" from seam under the bust to hem
Scarf: 104" x 34"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4371
Reference Photo: Hanae Mori window display at Bergdorf Goodman's in New York, 1968.
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.
geoffrey beene
Stunning c 1990 Geoffrey Beene Strapless Sequin Bodice & Floral Silk Taffeta Dress w Shawl
I Have a Question
Geoffrey Beene was one of the most awarded designers in the US. There is a currently an exhibit running of his work for the 2023 year titled MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene. I wanted to share the exhibit notes because they sum his career so well saying 'At his core, Beene was a fashion rebel who ignored trends, instead preferring to design garments that began as geometric shapes and evolved into silhouettes that moved naturally with the human form. His intuitive understanding of the body informed fashions that were unparalleled in their combination of luxury, thoughtful design, and comfort. Beene’s colorful, imaginative creations have been recognized with many accolades, including eight Coty American Fashion Critics Awards and three Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards. His work has also been celebrated through various exhibitions at institutions across the nation.'
This was a favoured silhouette of Geoffrey Beene that he was doing primarily through the late 1980s and into the very early 1990s. When looking through some of the images from the exhibit on his work there were dresses with very similar cuts from the 1990 season. It is a very pretty dress and very striking once on. The bodice is strapless and then it is completely covered in overlapping glossy black sequins at the front. At the back it is the same silk taffeta as the rest of the dress and I love how part of that extends and wraps around to the front just under the bust. This is all attached and adds a beautiful detail that really reflects his work from this time period. The bodice is meant to be fitted and has light boning inside to hold it in place. The top of it dips in the center and peaks slightly on either side to emphasize the bust. The waist is nipped in and then from there the skirt is cut beautifully full to the hem. The silk is all gathered into the waist and this is what helps give it that shape that you see. I love the oversized floral print that covers the silk and how there are these little woven dots running over the very top of the silk. These catch the light differently and are also a subtle nod to his love if dots in his work. Inside there is a black silk lining and the edge of that lining is finished with a sequin detailed lace. This peaks out from below the curving hem of the skirt and ties all the elements of the dress together. The dress can be worn on its own or with the matching shawl piece that is original to the dress. This extra wide shawl is caught up at each end in an elaborate twisted fabric flower that anchors it and allows it to open between for the volume you see. It can be worn numerous ways and I have photoed some of those here. You could also wear it over the head for a very glamorous look. It is so pretty. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a fine black silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper. Ribbon finished hem. Light boning through the bodice. The shawl is unlined with no closures
Bust: 17-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from top to waist
Skirt: 36" from waist to longest points of hem
Shawl: 100" x 46.5"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4353
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.
jean paul gaultier
Exquisite Fall 2000 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Nude & Black Net 3D 'Script' Dress
I Have a Question
This dress is a work of art and instantly recognizable as being a Gaultier. His career spans decades. His first show was in 1976 and his avant garde designs quickly gained him the reputation of being fashion's 'l'enfant terrible'. His designs mixed cultures with abandon, gender norms were blurred and the body was presented encased in ways unimaginable prior to his own unique vision. His first Haute Couture collection debuted in 1997 and his final show where he was the designer was in Spring 2020. He has since then had guest designers come in for his couture collections and I love this solution for him as a designer. Gaultier couture rarely comes to market and this one is exceptional. It is also very well documented.
The Fall 2000 Haute Couture presentation was called 'Paris and its Muses'. I have included the original runway reference photos here and tyou can see that this is the twin of the runway look. Doutzen Kroes was photoed in it for Vanity Fair that season and in 2013 its twin dress was featured in the exhibit "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk". I was invited and attended the opening of that show in San Francisco and I love having this dress in hand now. This dress was obviously a favourite of Jean Paul's because he also chose to recreate a version of it for his Fall 2018 Haute Couture collection. That 2018 version was then worn by Rita Ora for the 2018 MTV VMAs. I believe that this may have been the only dress that was produced beyond the runway version
The dress is made from a layer of fine black silk netting that falls over an interior nude coloured lingerie weight stretch silk. This makes it very easy to wear and be comfortable on despite the dramatic feel it has. Onto the silk netting are hand made and hand applied letters made of a black silk chiffon shaped over stiffened netting inside them. This is how they get that 3D dimensional feel that you see. It is fascinating to think that the entire dress would have had to have been careful planned out prior to its creation. Every single word that you see running over its surface would have had to have been laid out and placed on the netting for it to all work before it was even started. The degree that each word would need to curve over the body would have had to be planned for and then each word meticulously sewn onto the netting by hand like a puzzle. The letters cover the dress from head to toe and include 'Cherie', 'Mon Amour', 'Jean Paul Gaultier', 'Paris' and more. It falls from the shoulders and skims over the body and then widens out dramatically as it nears the hem. Where the words are set along the hem the hem is actually done to follow their shapes. A stunning couture detail. The letters also cleverly act as support to hold the fullness of the dress and are in a way like having a crinoline but one that is done in letters and attached on the outside of the skirt rather then worn underneath and hidden. The entire dress is suspended from the shoulders from straps that are just wide enough to accommodate the lettering that runs over them. The front has a low scoop and the back dips into a low V for some bare skin to show. It skims over the waist and then it flares out dramatically to the hem. The entire dress is bias cut so moves beautifully over the body. All of the seams are finished with proper couture techniques and it is as beautiful to see as the outside. This is a dress that would have taken hundreds of hours to complete and you really are wearing a piece of art. I am obsessed. Excellent condition with some very minor notes below
Composed of two layers, the inner nude lingerie weight stretch silk and then the netted layer over that. The inner layer closes with a zipper and the outer layer snaps to close with a tightly spaced series of tiny snaps. There is some minor stress to the netting around the seam of the armholes. I see a couple of the ends of a word that have popped through the silk a bit and some small tiny snags/ stress to the netting here and there. All of these are very minor. Please see the photos after the Couture label. The dress otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. Made by hand to Haute Couture standards. It's proper Haute Couture tag is present and it comes to me direct from the original couture client . It is extraordinary and rare.
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3612
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2000 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Runway Collection. / (4) Doutzen Kroes in Jean Paul Gaultier couture from the 2000 collection for Vanity Fair, 2009. / (5-9) Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Grand Palais, 2015. / (10) Fall 2018 Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Runway Collection. Look 34. / (11-13) Rita Ora in Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2018 MTV VMAs.
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
Incredible 1973 Loris Azzaro Couture Black Flame Sequin Detailing & Feather Light Silk Chiffon
I Have a Question
Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and quickly defined his trademark looks by using ornate fabrics and avant garde ways of defining the body. 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. It was a label that defined sexiness and 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 utilized the same jagged flame pattern and sequins against silk chiffon. I've included those so you can get an idea of how great this looks on a body. This is a label that I really love and am always happy to find pieces from.
This is a gorgeous dress. It is really one that will come to life even more once on an actual body and I hope the photos convey enough of how fabulous it is because when worn this one will be even better. The entire body of the dress is covered with densely applied black sequins and these catch the light from every angle. This covers you from that jagged design on the bodice down and over the hips. And because of the way the pattern is done on the bodice the sequins also extends down to cover each arm. I love it. Where it meets the skirt is finished in the same jagged pointed pattern all the way around. And then what is perhaps my favourite detail is that the skirt is actually made up of individual patterns that are each sat up and into the points. There are 12 of them all together and they go all the way around you. Each panel is a single layer of black silk chiffon that is incredibly light in weight. When you move sit or walk they have tremendous movement around you. And because each is an individual panel that is only attached at the top you also get glimpses of bare skin between each panel. It's incredibly sexy. He then used that same silk chiffon at the top of the chest and down the back where it dips into a low scoop. It buttons down the back can you see a hint of skin between each button. I absolutely love the way that the jagged flame pattern defines the bust and runs all the way around the scoop at the back. It makes it instantly recognizable as an Azzaro piece. It is really gorgeous. If there was ever a dress that needed a body inside of it to bring it to life, this is it. It is stupendous once on. Excellent condition
Fully lined through the body in a black silk and the rest is as described above. Each sleeve is unlined so you get a bit of transparency between the sequins. It closes with a buttoned back. Each sleeve has a small zipper closure. Where is one of his signature strapless bras attached inside the bodice which could be easily removed if you wish. The colour is a perfect solid black. Any green or any other colours you see are just the light reflection from the camera
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.
bill blass
Fabulous Spring 1984 Bill Blass Runway Purple One Shoulder Silk Dress w Pink Bow & Ruffle
I Have a Question
Bill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seemed to have a way of flattering the wearer. He knew how to walk that line perfectly. This is a gorgeous example of his work from this time period. It is beyond gorgeous and it is one of my favorites from him. I have had this dress in the shop before and at last we have been able to date it. It is from the Spring 1984 collection
I have had the twin of this dress in the shop in the past and I love it more every time I find it. The main body of the dress is made from a deep royal purple silk that has a vivid pink ruffle that runs all the way down one whole side. The way that the pink is attached to the dress gives the dress the feel that that it has been wrapped around the bust and then tied into a dramatic bow at the shoulder with the ties trailing down your side. It actually is all attached and a part of the dress but I love how it makes the dress feel. The pink is gathered and warps all the around the bust and then is caught up at side to create that gorgeous bow that you see. The other shoulder is left completely bare for a little skin to show. Under the bow the pink silk runs down the side of the dress in an extravagant ruffle finish all the way to the hem. The inner bust has boning to support you and there is a little hidden strap under the bow to keep it in place. The body of this is cut loose and easy and it widens out it falls to the floor. It is extraordinary. Even more beautiful in person. It appears to have been worn a very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a deep purple silk. The inner bodice closes with its own zipper and then the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Lightly boned through the inner bodice.
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the outer waist goes to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from top of shoulder strap to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4109
Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1984 Bill Blass Runway, Model Dalma Callado. / (3-4) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.
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
Extraordinary 1969 Thea Porter Black Silk Chiffon Dress w Red Print & Huge Balloon Sleeves
I Have a Question
This same print was used on dress from one of Thea's very first fashion shows that was held at her Greek street shop in London. But the label on this dress was unusual and did not match the ones that would have been used for that show so I reached out to fashion historian and author Laura McClaws Helms. Laura wrote the book on Thea Porter released a few years back and she also curated the museum exhibit on her work. She told me that in the very early days Thea would sometimes meet with boutique owners and agree to sell select pieces to them. This dress is from one of those collaborations and that makes this dress a very rare piece. Once that was known we ended up finding a photo of the twin of this dress within Laura's photo archives dating it to 1969. It is a stunning and early example of what was to come and it is just a beautiful dress besides.
The dress is stunning. It feels a bit like her 'Faye' dress in its design but with the addition of those incredible sleeves. I love the stark mix of black white and red and how the print is done in panels that run down the front and back of the dress. The the sleeves and side of the dress are made from a semi-transparent black silk chiffon and that touch of transparently is very sexy. The printed parts are also a silk chiffon that has been completely covered in a graphic swirling pattern of red, white and black. The body of the dress is backed in a layer of silk chiffon to make it slightly more opaque and wearable but the sleeves are a single layer of chiffon. Their volume is partly created by how they come out from the waist and because of how they are set from the waist like that you get a glimpse of the transparency along the sides of the bodice when you move which is just insanely sexy. It is still subtle though because of how full the sleeves are cut. Each one falls from the shoulder and connect down right to the waist. Each wrist is finished with a tie made from the printed chiffon. Once on they will sit up more and billow around you. There is banding at the slightly empire set waist and this extends out at the back into long ties that you can cinch to add more shape. The print runs down the front of the entire dress, circles round the hem and then meets the panel that runs down the back. Beyond its rarity and place in fashion history it is just a gorgeous dress. Excellent condition with a small note below
Fully lined in a black silk chiffon except for the sleeves which are unlined. The dress zips to close at the back. Stiffened tulle set into each shoulder to hold the shape. The band at the waist extend to ties that you can cinch in the waist as desired. Hand finishes throughout. One of the ties at the wrist has a tiny bit missing from its edge that you do not see when it is tied. I see a couple of tiny pinholes near one shoulder. Please see the photos after the label shot
Sleeves: approx 28"
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: no true side seams
Seam under the bust: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to seam under the bust
Skirt: 45" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD3491
Reference Photo: (1) Model in Thea Porter, 1969. Photo courtesy of Laura McLaws Helms. / (2) 1969 Thea Porter 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.
arnold scaasi
Exceptional Dated 1986 Arnold Scaasi Strapless Floral Print Silk Gazar Dress w Full Lower Skirts
I Have a Question
This dress is by Arnold Scassi and I love the choice of sequin and net that he used for this one. Scaasi worked under Charles James at the start of his career and many of his dressed reflect this early influence. His boutique line was launched in 1984 and was high end ready-to-wear and very expensive. Pieces from it often have a demi-couture level finish and really are an extension of his couture line. This one is especially fabulous and just is one of those pieces that feel joyful to look at.
Yards and yards of a brilliantly coloured floral silk gazar have been used in this Arnold Scassi dress and it is just exceptional. This particular piece is a little extra fascinating because it actually has Bergdorf Goodman tag inside with the exact date this dress this dress was delivered so we know that it was is from 1986. I love that. This dress varies from his usual boutique pieces as it was an obvious special order piece and it has mote the feel and construction of his main couture line. I would get that it was based on one of his ready made pieces, but then was a special order it would've been a one of as far as measurements and perhaps she even changed the design as well. So it was most likely made in his atelier for this specific woman so is half way between his RTW and couture line. The silk used for this dress is just incredible. It is feather light but the gazar has enough structure to it that it holds that beautiful shape perfectly. All the fullness that you see are because if the fabric choice and the seam work and yet it sill moves and floats around you effortlessly once on. It is strapless and on the bodice the silk has been gathered over to one side. This adds detail and also is how he has shaped the dress to create and highlight the curves of the body. The bodice glides over the waist and then extends past and below the hip.Again a trick to exaggerates your curves. The skirt is set into the seam there and it has a wonderfully full feel. When you walk the movement that this creates is exceptional. It is as good inside too. The innermost skirt is made from layers of a fine green silk with a broad band of horsehair taping inside the bottom hem of both the exterior skirt and the inner silk lining to help hold the volume. Between those layers is a third layer whose bottom is finished with layers of silk net tulle. It is just exquisite. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a fine green silk organza and the skirt is lined as described above. Lightly boned through the bodice. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. Hand finishes
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam with room to a B or small C cup at the front
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52.5" from top of the bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4314
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.
Pretty Little 1950s Jobere New York Brilliant Green Silk Satin Dress w Bead & Rhinestone Detail
I Have a Question
I am very excited to bring you our latest mini capsule collection. This is one of nine dresses from a single owner collection. Her collection was lovingly sourced over decades and she has decided that it is time let them back out into the world for others to enjoy. For this capsule we have moved forward to the 1940s and 1950s. Really good examples from this era are becoming increasingly hard to find and these are all gorgeous little examples of that time period. This is just a tiny sampling of her overall collection and I hope to have more of these capsules for you in the future.
This stunning little dress is from the Jobere label out of New York and it is made from a bright emerald dress silk satin mixed with a cotton muslin and beaded detailing. This is a fabulously beautiful little labelled 1950s piece. It is very well-made. The colour is spectacular and I love the contrast the green has with that detailing that runs around the top of the bodice. The panel there is made out of a pale nude cotton muslin. Its edges are finished with hand done bead-work and prong set glass rhinestones. The neckline sits wide across so that you see the collarbone. It curves up and over the shoulders to create tiny cap shoulders. The green falls under that and there’s a bit of an illusion that it’s extremely low busted by the way the green is curved underneath the bust. The waist nips in and then the skirt flares out. The dress has its own built in underskirts so it is full on its own. For some of these photos I added a light crinoline but it is full even without. It is very pretty and fresh feeling. Excellent condition with a note below.
The dress is fully lined and has its own attached inner tulle skirts. It closes with a back zipper. The beads and rhinestones are hand applied. Slightest barely fade at the edge under the arm. There is light fraying to the very edges of the shoulders - please see the photos after the label shot.
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# D644
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.
arnold scaasi
Stunning 1980s Arnold Scaasi Couture Black Silk Strapless Dress w Shocking Pink Ruffle
I Have a Question
Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. The dress is from his main label and these were extremely well made pieces. It is so dramatic and in being so also so very Scaasi. He himself once said 'I am not a minimalist designer! Clothes with some adornment are more interesting to look at and more fun to wear.'
You can easily see the influence of Arnold having worked for Charles James in this piece. The lines are dramatic and yet elegant. The silk is that incredibly rich feeling silk that drapes and sits beautifully. The dress is strapless and is gathered from there to just past the hip. The gathers are all held in place along the side and this brings in the cut so that it follows and highlights your curves. The skirt is set under that and the seam is done on a slight angle to add visual length to the dress. On the opposite side that seam extends down and into a deep point to give the body length there as well. The skirt is quite full and the shape and volume that you see is held by the inner construction which is quite amazing. The innermost layer closest to you is a fine black silk that is finished at the hem with a broad inset band of stiffened netting so that the shape is kept. Over this lay four full layers of tulle netting and then the outermost layers sits over all of that and even that top layer is self-lined in a black silk organza. The final perfect touch is that extraordinary ruffle that is set along the side and runs down the front all the way to the bottom of the gathered bodice. The ruffle is black on one side and then the other is finished in a shocking pink silk. This unexpected shock of color is fantastic. I have placed it to one side but the dress is so well made that you could wear it almost anyway around and just change where the zipper sits and the back or sides.Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a fine black tissue silk. The bodice is lightly boned on the ruffle side and it closes with a back metal zipper on the opposite side. The inner skirt construction is described above. Hand finished throughout.
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 18" from top of bodice to dropped seam
Skirt: 39" from dropped seam to hem with 4" turned under the top layer
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4305
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
Dramatic 1987 Loris Azzaro Black Strapless Dress w Low Full Skirt & Shoulder Flare
I Have a Question
Loris Azzaro launched his label in 1967 and his trademark look soon developed. He became know for his extravagant use of colour, beading, sequins and avant garde ways of defining the body. 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. It was a label that defined sexiness and had a certain French flare that women world-wide loved. By the eighties he was experimenting with volume and proportions and new cutting edge fabrics. This is a wonderful example of his work during this time period. We found a reference photo of an Azzaro dress with a very similar shoulder treatment and I think this one is even better.
This dress is nothing short of a bold and dramatic statement piece. The bodice is hand draped into soft rounded gathers over the bust. They continue all the way down under the bust to follow the curve of the body all the way to just below the hips. For this part of the dress he used a black stretch jersey that gives the dress it's fitted shape but also keeps it comfortable to wear. Inside the dress is one of his signature strapless underwire bras and this has been sewn into the dress for added support and shape. The top edge is shaped into a low sweetheart curve and the gathers are set to run horizontally down the body. Hand set vertical seams are tacked into place at points all the way around you to give the gathers a slight scooped feel and add length to offset the horizontal lines. It also keeps the gathers from adding bulk. Under that the skirt is set low and i is made out of a black textured silk that has a metallic finish. This is set over several layers of built in under skirting to help give and hold the volume you see in the skirt. On each outer side the panels of the skirt slightly lift up and away from the dress. To tie this into the top, the same fabric and swooping line is used to create that sweep of fabric on the one side of the bodice. I love how this flares out up and over the front portion of the shoulder. It is fabulous. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a black silk with a built in bra though the bodice that hooks to close separately. It closes at the back with a painted metal and nylon zipper. The interior bodice is boned. Layers of tulle and silk underskirts under the low set skirt. The flame/fan detailing on the bodice has wire inside to hold it up. It would be easy to add additional wire or stiffening inside if you wanted it to really hold even taller then it does now. Hand finished throughout
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the inner waist stay hooks slightly smaller then that
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD3680
Reference Photo: Model in Loris Azzaro, L'Officiel No. 734, September 1987.
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.
bill blass
Stunning Fall 1970 Bill Blass Pink Quilted SIlk Floral Pattern Metallic Dress w Banded Waist
I Have a Question
This is one of two dresses that I have in the shop from Blass from this time period and it is incredible. Bill Blass worked for the Maurice Retner label for 10 years as the chief designer. In 1968 the Bill Blass Inc label became a subsidiary of the Retner label. Then in 1970 he fully bought out his partners at the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name as Bill Blass Ltd. 1970 was the same year that he won his third Coty American Fashion Critics' Award and with it, his lifetime membership in the Coty Hall of Fame. By 1980 the company was doing 20 million dollars in revenue. He was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. By the eighties his work was even more ornate and luxurious than what he had done in the past. Prices for dresses could be as high as $5000 (which would be about $15,000 today). He was once asked why his clothes were so expensive and he replied, 'I'm an avid believer that we have to have clothes made in this country. Therefore we pay more money. ... The cost of labor and fabrication is what makes the clothing expensive.'
This is an exceptional dress. It is a stunning example of his work during this time period and these metallic pieces are among my favorites by him. This one even more so with its pretty pink colour and extraordinary fabric. The fabric is the perfect shade of soft pink used to create a floral design and that is mixed with a soft green for the leaves. Some of the pattern is raised and has been embroidered into the fabric. The thread used is incredibly soft and this adds yet another dimenesion to the dress. Woven over and through the silk is a muted gold lurex thread that give the fabric its metallic glitz and makes it gleam and glitter in the light. This same thread is also used to create the horizontal rows that you see. The gold covers the dress from head to toe. The neckline is a cut into a high V and the bodice crosses over itself and skims over you. This is then is balanced beautifully by those spectacular sleeves. Each sleeve is cut extra long so when it is on an actual body it will bunch up a bit on the arm for added texture. Set just under the bust is a wide band of the same fabric that wraps all the way around you and snaps and hooks into place. The crossed over bodice above and this wise high set belt is what gives the dress its nod to a kimono and obi. This tops the skirt that is set to widen out as it nears the floor. On one side and extending down from where it crosses on the bust it has a soft pleat that falls all the way to the floor. This adds a little extra detail and volume and it also hides a small pocket set along the inner seam. The hem has been let down at some point and it is supermodel long as a result. Blass did a soft version of a kimono inspired dress for this collection as well and that one was photoed on Candice Bergen. I have included it here as they do share some similarities. This dress is an absolutely beautiful. Excellent condition with a note below.
The fabric is self backed in a muslin throughout. You step into it and then it closes with a series of hidden snaps. The belt is attached and it snaps and hooks into place. Hand finishes. The hem was let down at some point and it is ribbon finished. It poufs a bit at the edge as there are spots where it was stitch in to sit proper when it is hemmed. If you needed the full length you could just take those out. It could be worn as is but I've left it so you could redo the hem to your perfect length. You can see a slight grubbiness here and there were the hem was. The hem was very deep and the length turned up under the sleeves is also very deep.
Sleeves: approx 25" w 3" turned under. It is 16" around the widest part of the upper arm
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10" from top of shoulder to seam under the bust
Skirt: 52" from seam under the bust to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4293
Referece photo: Candice Bergen Wearing A Bill Blass Dress, Vogue 1970
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.
madame gres
Magical c.1958 Madame Gres Haute Couture Printed Silk Chiffon Dress & Hooded Cape Piece
I Have a Question
Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find.
This Haute Couture dress is exceptional. It comes to me directly from the family that the other recent Gres pieces have come from. Her son told me that 'Madame Grès would let her wear many dresses as she was size model and those she really liked she purchased afterwards.' This was one of those that she kept and it is a very special piece. He remembers her wearing this around 1960 to some galas. This is also the time period that she would have had that relationship with Madame Gres. In the course of researching the dress we found that the 1958 and 1959 collections in particular were ones that featured braided details and cape elements like this dress has. I have included here some examples other dresses by Gres that share some of those common elements to this one from those years for you to see.
This is one of the most stunning dresses I have ever had in the shop. It is made from a biased cut silk chiffon with a small abstract print on it. From a distance it gives you that beautiful mottled red effect. Then as you look closer at the fabric you see that there is a deeper red, coral, soft green and a blue that all work together to form a pretty abstract floral print. The dress itself is simple and minimalist. It falls from the shoulder with wide straps that are made from hand gathering the silk chiffon and hand stitching them in these incredible little curved sections to create the illusion that the silk has been braided. These curve over the shoulders and then follow the neckline for a square off feel at the front. At the back they run down to the mid back and then run across in a straight line there as well for that same squared off finish there. The body of the dress falls from under that detailing in a swoop of bias cut silk. By the time it reaches the hem it is quite full. When you are standing still you get a soft column feel but then when you move you get incredible movement. The dress is lined in a layer of biased cut ivory silk and this gives the top layer and that pattern more depth. The silk is as light as air. Every seam on the dress has been finished by hand. Working with a silk chiffon as fine as this makes that an incredible achievement that would've taken countless hours of handwork. The dress is stunning on its own but this is a set and it comes with a incredible matching caped piece that has such an unusual and beautiful design. Two wide panels done in a single layer of silk chiffon are sewn together at the top of the neck at the back and then they hook together at the front. The panels fall over each shoulder to the floor and just past the hem of the dress. It is incredibly light in weight. This allows the slightest bit of air to pick them up so that they waft and float around you as you move. If that was not already beautiful enough the cape is topped by an oversized hood made of the same silk chiffon. It is cut extra long at the back and in such a way that when it is off the head the ends twirl on their own. I have taken a photo of this for you because it is just such an incredible detail. It's something that happens naturally and on its own as a result of how the silk has been placed and sewn into place. When the hood is up it falls gently around the face to frame it. The dress is in incredible condition and appears to have never been worn. It is literally a work of art and one of the most special things I've ever had in the shop. This is truly an extraordinary piece of modern couture and is exceptionally beautiful. No matter how good you think it looks in the photos, it is better in person. Excellent condition.
The dress is lined in a fine ivory silk. There is handmade soft inner corset set inside and under the ivory layer and it closes with its own zipper. The ivory silk lining closes over that with its own zipper and then the outer layer of the dress closes with hidden set tiny snaps. The cape hooks to close at the front. An inner waist stay hooks to close with metal couture hooks. I see a very tiny and finely done seam at the base of where it snaps to close at the front and I'm not sure if it is there deliberately or if it was a repair at one time but it's invisible when the dress is on. Please see the photo after the label shot. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The dress is finished to Haute Couture standards and entirely made by hand. The proper Haute Couture label is present. The bias cut of the dress does allow for a range of measurements and I have listed those below to the comfortable range laying flat where that applies. Note that due to the value of this dress returns will not be accepted so that it ships only one time.
Inner waist stay: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem
Cape: 65" from neck to hem and will come up a touch when on the shoulders
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4254
Reference Photos: (1) 1958 Madame Gres Evening Dress in The MET Collection. / (2) Madame Gres evening dress, L'officiel de la mode, 1958. / (3) 1959 Madame Gres Evening Dress in the Chicago History 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.
oscar de la renta
Romantic Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Lace & Fantasy Tulle Skirt Wedding Dress
I Have a Question
This Oscar de la Renta dress is gorgeous. The Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal collection was amazing and this was one of the star looks of the show. His wedding pieces range from about $10000-$20,000 USD with the more elaborate ones like this tending to be in the upper range of that. Oscar launched his first bridal collection in October of 2002 and his wedding pieces have been worn by some of the most famous women in the world. He once said 'In the same manner that she fell in love with that man, I hope she's going to fall in love with that dress.' Countless brides have done just that. This gown is absolutely beautiful and if you are a bride looking for that very full princess feel then this is the ultimate dress for that. It literally takes your breathe away when you see and hold it in person.
The skirt of the dress is magnificent. It is made from many yards of multiple layers of a white tulle silk netting. The strapless bodice above that is a slightly more ivory colour and it is stunning. It is completely covered with tiers of lace and little scalloped silk chiffon rows. I took close ups of the work done there for you to see. The edges of the lace are embroidered and there are tiny curvy rows of ivory iridescent sequins mixed in. If that wasn't enough there are also little rhinestones set in rows over the bodice. The top curves in a pretty sweetheart neckline and it has a full built in hidden corset inside the bodice so you don't have to worry about additional underpinnings. The bust is strapless and fitted across the bodice. It is cut to follow your curves and there are built in hidden cups inside to lift the breasts. It tightly hugs the bodice and then nips in at the waist. The waist is detailed with elaborate appliquéd 'belt' that is made from various faux pearls, silver tube beads and glass cut rhinestones in different shapes. For the runway presentation it was shown with a simple sash and I believe that this was a custom add on. The skirt is extremely full and that beautiful volume would float all around you. There are 12 layers of tulle in the skirt and many of the inner ones have a double hem finish at the bottom. Under all of that there is a silk taffeta inner skirt in a deeper ivory. If you look closely you can see that under the top two layers of tulle the skirt has been gathered up all around in little drapes. This gives it this depth in fullness that is incredible. It's a subtle detail that you can see through those top layers of skirts that is just absolutely genius. I did not add any additional crinolines to the dress for these photos. It has enough built in layers in the skirt already that it falls on its own perfectly. Every angle that you look at this dress from gives you drama and gorgeousness. It is cut longer at the back so that it flows out behind you when you walk. If you wanted even more of a real princes gown feel I think you could have the inner layers starched and you would get even more volume. I love the bareness of the shoulders the strapless silhouette gives you. It is the perfect balance to that full on princess skirt. It is a very stunning gown and is a beautiful example of Oscar's work. Excellent condition with a minor note below
The bodice is boned with padded inner cups for structure and support. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Multiple layers of built in tulle and skirting as described above. The hem of the inner skirt is grubby and some of the very inner layers of tulle have some marks at their hems and i see the very occasional small tear near the hem. You see none of these once on. It otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged an ODLR 8 but seems to be cut small
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam if inner hook is closed 13" if left unhooked or the hooks moved
Hips: open
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to front hem, 50" to inner back hem and 5*" to the ends of the tulle at the back
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML maybe a smaller MED
Item# DD4222
Reference Photos: (1-4) Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Bridal Collection, Look 5. / (5-7) Solea, wearing this dress, for her tribute performance to Evita for PBS Great Performances, March 2023.
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.
yves saint laurent
Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Iridescent Purple Silk Taffeta Gigot Sleeve Dress
I Have a Question
The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1982 show and I love that we found photos of it for you so you can see just how spectacular it is one and how the sleeves sit once on a body. This silhouette with its dramatic sleeves and full skirts was an important element for that season. It is just a stunning example of one of his most recognized looks.
The dress is made from a combination of two of his favorite fabrics, silk taffeta and silk velvet. These became signatures of his and ran through his collections from the start of his career to the finish. It is a stunning piece. The top is cut to skim over the bust with a scooped neckline at the front. It is seamed at the waist and then extends down over the top of the hips. There is an attached silk taffeta sash that wraps around the waist and cinches you in for added shape and detail at the waist. The sleeves are full with a beautiful sweeping cut that starts at the shoulders and remains full to just past the elbow. At that point the fabric changes to to a velvet. Four glossy dome buttons detail the lower part of the sleeve. These are meant to be pushed up slightly to exaggerate that pouf of the upper sleeve even more. The skirt falls from under the velvet and it is beautifully full. The photos do not really do the amount of fabric in the skirt full justice. I love that under the top purple layer of silk there is a lining finished in a coral red silk taffeta. You don't see that inner layer when you are standing, but when you sit or move just right, you get that extra flash of color. It's a small detail that I am obsessed with. The fabric choices helps keep the intended shape and volume. Pieces by Yves from this time period have become an important piece of fashion history and having documentation like this one has makes it that much better. Excellent condition.
Fully lined through the bodice in a black silk satin. The skirt is lined in a deep red silk taffeta and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the side with a metal and nylon zipper and each cuff buttons to close. The sash is attached at the back. Slight flattening to the velvet here and there along the waist seam that is covered by the belt once on. Tagged a vintage YSL 40.
Sleeves: 29"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43.5" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD2856
Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1982 Yves Saint Laurent Runway. / (3) Alice Englert wearing this dress for Harper's Bazaar, 2023.
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.
chanel
Incredible 1990s Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Haute Couture Blue Organza Silk Dress & Jacket
I Have a Question
I am starting to work through a collection of couture pieces that I am handling at the moment for my client and all she could recall for this piece was this it was her mothers and that it was from the 1990s. I have not yet found a photo reference for this one but when I do I will add it and send to the new owner. The set is incredibly beautiful on the body. True Haute Couture pieces by Chanel are an extraordinary find as they are so very rare and hard to come by. It is an incredibly beautiful example and historically important example of the work that the Chanel ateliers were doing during this time period. It is absolutely gorgeous to see in person.
The ability that this set has to transform once on the body is fabulous. With the jacket on the set has that classic Chanel suit feel and it feels very elegant and reserved. But once you take the jacket off it takes on more of the feel of a more sensual evening piece. The dress has that easy dropped feel of the twenties that Karl so often touched upon in reference to Coco's initial designs for the house. Both pieces are made from a deep blue silk organza. This fabric allows it to keep the shape that he intended while still keeping both pieces extremely light in weight. The dress is dropped from the shoulder from wide straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The bodice is easy fitting and cut to skim over you with a shallow V at the front. It is hand pieced together in a pattern of panels that are meticulously sewn together. The waist is dropped and then from under that the pleated skirt flows out to the floor with incredible movement. The combination of this fabric choice with the pleats gives the skirt incredible movement. The pleats open and flare outward as they reach the hem and this allows the skirt to swing out around you. Two layers of silk tulle are built-in underneath the skirt to add to and create the volume that you see. The lightness of the fabric and the pleats combine to make the skirt move at your slightest movement. I think it's incredible to see this on and moving. The jacket sits over top of this and it has a soft and simple cut. The neckline is cut wide across to follow the neckline of the dress underneath. The collar is wide and notched for that bit of a 20s feel to the design. The sleeves are long and each has a notch that runs up the inside seam. It hooks and snaps to close down the front. It does have structure but it's meant to look soft on the body. There are small shoulder pads in each shoulder but they are soft and light. There is a signature Chanel chain at the base of the jacket so that it hangs perfectly. All of the work is meticulously done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It is an incredible piece of Chanel couture. It's very beautiful and even better in person. Great condition with a note below
The jacket is fully lined in a blue silk and closes with hidden snaps and hook and eye at the front. A signature Chanel chain runs around the inside hem. The dress is lined in the same silk organza through the bodice and then the skirt has two layers of silk tulle. One layer is black and the other is a matching blue. The dress closes with a zipper and then there is a separate set of snaps to close on each of the three layers of the skirt. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Some of the edges of the seams have slightly faded. Mainly on the jacket and bodice of the dress. It gives it a kind of degrade look. It almost feels intentional because it's so even everywhere but I can't say for sure that it is. Please see the shots after the label shots and on the general shots as well. Some of the pleats have softened slightly in the skirt. Both pieces have an appropriate Haute Couture number and tape
Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem
Dress
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 18" from top of shoulder to slightly dropped waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4139
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.
yves saint laurent
Extaordinary Fall 1990 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Look 126 Purple & Bronze Silk & Lace Dress
I Have a Question
This dress is from the Fall 1990 collection and came to me directly from the original couture client. In the book Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk they said this of this collection; 'Yves Saint Laurent allowed himself to be truly audacious for this presentation of 137 designs. The Baroque style was evident in outfits were the a fairy tales.' Elle magazine summarized Saint Laurent's work as 'insouciance elevated to the rank of fine art.' .... and of the colours that he chose for the collection the New York Times noted that 'He works with a painter's eye, and the results are always satisfying, never soporific.' They also said that 'Lace is a cornerstone of evening dressing. Sometimes it is thick velvety guipure lace, sometimes spidery Chantilly. It never looks matronly.' This was one of the final dresses of the show and a beautiful example of all of those comments by the press. I am also very happy to have found the runway photo. With 137 looks shown finding this exact one from the handful of shots that are out there of the collection is almost miraculous. In addition to tall of that I have included a snap of the original sketch and fabric swatches from the boxed book set "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: L'oeuvre Integral 1962-2002". The dress has so much structure and form to it but once on the body it sits just perfectly and transforms into something magical. It is an exceptional and well documented example of Laurent's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period.
A silk taffeta in a jeweled toned fuchsia sweeps across the top of the bodice and then extends down to form each sleeve. The fabric is gathered and ruched down the length of each arm. The shoulders are left bare to balance out the volume underneath and have that expanse of skin for a touch of sensuality. Under the fucshia is a wide band of a slightly metallic copper silk that goes from the top of the bust the the slightly dropped waist. The silk has been gathered along each side to create soft pleats that wrap around you. The skirt comes out from under that in a series of soft gathers that open up to allow it to be quite wide by the time it reaches the hem. The underskirt is made from a pale purple silk and that is covered in a top layer of French black lace. The lace is hand made and has a stunning floral design set within medallions. These are repeated throughout the lace 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. To finish Yves wrapped a wide green silk ribbon around the waist. This unusual colour choice is spectacular when you see it all together and on the body. This is a spectacular example of his work and a piece you would only ever normally see in a museum. Excellent condition
Fully lined through the bodice in a black silk. 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 that 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. 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". It looks to have been worn very little if at all.
Sleeves: 20" from where they start off the shoulder
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to slightly dropped seam at the waist
Skirt: 38" from the slightly dropped seam at the waist to the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3598
Reference Photos: (1) Fall 1990 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway Collection. / (2-3) From the book "Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture: L'oeuvre Integral 1962-2002"
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.
valentino
Incredible 1980s Valentino Haute Couture Pale Blue Silk Chiffon Dress w Elaborate Gathered Bodice
I Have a Question
There are hints of this dress from both the 1986 collection and in the 1988 collection. The original owner did buy it in the 1980s but I do not have the exact day. I tend to lean towards the earlier date for it but I have included reference photos from both the above mentioned collections. It is a stunning example of Valentino's work during this time period.
The dress is beautiful to see in person. It flows over the body from the more fitted bodice and the lightness of the silk allows it to move and float around you when you move. The bodice is a stunning example in shaping and couture techniques. Inside it is boned and has built in cups. This interior structure holds it perfectly in place over the body once on. On the exterior the silk is hand set and gathered over the bust and all the way around you. Each individual gather is meticulously hand stitched into place. Above this more structured part of the dress is a single layer of the chiffon. At the front it scoops in a higher set neck and at the back it is set with a keyhole running down to the top of the gathered bodice. The skirt flows out under that in four layers of the silk and each layer is bias cut. This is what allows it to have such beautiful movement when you move. The final touch are those pretty sleeves that are cuffed at the wrist and pouf out around the arm above that. It also has its original very large silk shawl piece. It is beautiful. The dress does have some flaws but is structurally sound. Please review the notes below.
The interior bodice is finished is boned and corseted. The skirt has four layers of silk as described above. The interior corset closes with hook and eye and the silk layer zips to close over. Each cuff buttons with two silk covered buttons and loops. Three buttons at the top of the back neck. There are areas of fading through the skirt that go through the layers. I have photoed the worst of them. There are some faint areas of the same fading in areas on the silk above the corset and on the sleeves. I see one tiny repair near the hem at the back of the skirt. Some stress to silk near the shoulder. I think you could potentially remove the sleeves and upper bodice and use the shawl to create a layer over the worst of the fading or just have it redyed and it would be perfect again. Sold as found and final and the price is according to the description above
Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16.5" from top of neck to interior waist stay
Skirt: 45" from interior waist stay to hem
Shawl: 54" x 52"
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD3018
Reference Photos: (1) From the book "A Grand Italian Epic, Valentino", 1988/1989 collection / (2-3) The "Degradè" Dress from the Valentino Haute Couture 1986 collection. (4) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon taken on location at JohnMel Stables
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.
guy laroche
Rare Fall 1994 Guy Laroche Haute Couture Wide Sleeve High Low Dress w Cumberbund
I Have a Question
Guy Laroche began working for Jean Desses in 1949 and eventually launches his own Haute Couture label in 1957 as a full member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Parisienne. He became known for his color sense and the young, sexy look of his clothes. In 1985 he won the Haute Couture Golden Thimble award and two years later he was awarded the insignia of Chevalier de L’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur. His second Golden Thimble was given posthumously after his death in 1989. Michel Klein took over the couture division where he remained until 1996. This dress is from Klein's tenure as the Haute Couture director and label and it is a beautiful example of the work he was doing during his tenure there. Laroche once was quoted as saying “It is my intention to try and adapt haute couture to modern requirements: to make dresses that are simple and chic.” and I feel that this dress tries to live up to that thought while still maintaining the feel of couture during this mid-nineties.
This is the type of piece that is so bold and edgy that you will only ever find it in a Haute Couture piece. I feel like whoever ordered this one had it tweaked slightly from the runway presentation and made it better. The bodice is scooped across on a more graceful line (I don't love how it fits Kirsty Hume who is the model in the photo) and the back skirt feels longer. They also eliminated the bow at the front, opting instead for a single long panel falling at the back that matches the colour and fabric of the skirt. These small details add up to a big difference in how it presents. I also feel that the fit overall is far better then how it appears on the runway. It makes me wonder if there was a last minute substitution of the model for this piece, because in person the dress that I have here is a far better cut and fit overall then how it looks like in the runway shot. The dress is a mini dress that has an attached long panel on the skirt that wraps part way around you to leave the full front open under the mini skirt. The bodice is scooped wide and low at the front and made from a pale taupe silk. It extends down past the waist so a very short mini skirt that has a slight flare to it as it reaches the hem. The long skirt wraps around and is attached at the side of the waist. It is a soft olive toned green and done on that same rich heavy silk that has a slight satin finish. It falls to the floor in a long smooth drape of fabric. A wide silk cummerbund wraps around the waist to give shape. This narrows down at one end and hooks into place under a long swooping gold brooch which I believe is gold plated. The cummerbund has a long panel attached at the back and I have left it hanging as an extra panel. You could probably be clever and wrap /tie it to create a bow effect if you wished to emulate the runway photo more. The darkness of the sash around the waist is then picked up by the spectacular sleeves. Each is made out of a deep blue-black silk chiffon and are cut extra long. They are also cut wide and full to fall at an angle at the end of each sleeve. This bit of softness and transparency the sleeves have contrast sharply to the rich silk the rest of the dress is made from. It is a very unusual dress and shows the experimental side of couture. This is one of those dresses that when the right person wears it, it is going to blow people away. Excellent condition with a minor note below.
Fully lined in hand set silk that matches the colour of the exterior silk that is being lined. The sleeves are unlined. The dress closes with a hand set hidden back zipper and then there is another zipper that closes the inner mini skirt. The sash at the waist wraps and hooks into place. The brooch is detachable and shows sight patina on the gold. Proper couture label present. The dress is entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. The inner silk of the long skirt is scuffed near the hem and I see slight grubbiness along the hem on parts. Please see the shot after the label photo.
Sleeves: 34" to the longest point
Inset shoulders: 12"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Mini dress length: 31" from top of shoulder to hem
Full Length: 60" from shoulder to longest point of the hem
Waist sash: 26.5" in length to where the hooks presently sit with an extension past that that wraps and hooks into place
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4012
Reference Photo: Fall 1994 Guy Laroche Haute Couture Runway Collection on Kirsty Hume.
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.
bill gibb
Stunning 1970s Bill Gibb Deep Purple Fuchsia Silk Chiffon & Glitter Dress w Deep Front & Back Plunge
I Have a Question
Bill Gibb was one of the most influential designers in 1970s Britain and his clothes were sought out and worn by the rich and famous. His work has a high fantasy element and he was crowned Designer of the Year in 1970. Much of his work verged on couture and he was unrelenting in striving for perfection. I love finding his worn becasue its rare and exceptionally well made. It represents the more fantastical side of British fashion during this time period and I love that.
This dress is amazing and a wonderful example of his work. It may not be what you typically think of when you see Gibb's work but it does show the range that he was capable of. The dress is made from a silk chiffon that has been dyed to a deep fuchsia that gradually darkens to a deep mauve. I love how the color deepens as it goes down the dress. The bodice is cut with a wide sleeve that comes out from the gathered and corseted waist. The neckline at the front and back dip in a deep V to meet the high set waist. This creates a beautiful shape that is far better on a real body then how it looks on my dress form. The front neckline is detailed with a little fabric flower that is finished with sequins to pick up on the detailing on the skirt and to tie the top and skirt together. The body of the dress is one large extra wide band. The silk is gathered over it and it is given support and shape by that gathering and the seam work inits construction. This runs right to the top of the hip. The skirt cascades to the floor from there in a sweep of silk chiffon. Fused directly minor the silk of the skirt is a fantastic pink glitter that catches the light every time you move. The inner lining s a pale silver blue silk and having that colour layered under the top colour gives it a very unique effect that is conveyed better in real life then how it photoed. It is gorgeous and really needs an actual body in it to bring it to life. Excellent condition.
The dress is fully lined in a pale silver blue silk and closes with a side metal and nylon zipper. There are hook and eye along part of the bottom seaming of the arm on that side as well. Big iridescent glass buttons on each cuff. Small areas here and there where the glitter has fallen off but its minimal and I am being picky. It appears to have never been worn, or worn very little
Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no defines seam
Bust: no true side seams so open and variable
Natural waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of gatherings 24" down from the shoulder: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, skirt is open under that
Length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3068
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.
christian dior
Exceptional Fall 2007 Christian Dior by John Galliano Champagne Silk Satin Dress w Crystal Beading Detail
I Have a Question
John Galliano was moved from Givenchy to Christian Dior in October of 1996 and stayed there until he was dismissed in February of 2011. This dress is from the Fall 2007 collection and was a piece that was produced in limited quantities for retail. In the runway we can see similar beadwork and the design used on the upper part of the dress referenced in look 26 in an shorter orange version. A shorter version in black with a slightly different bodice was also worn by Penelope Cruz when she attended the 2008 Cruise collection show. I have included photos of both of these examples here as it is always interesting to see the progression and variations on a theme that a designer chooses to do.
Vogue raved about the collection saying in part: "If you're getting into the forties this season (and that's definitely one way to go), John Galliano is the man to fulfill those latent Joan Crawford urges, no holds barred. His ready-to-wear collection for Christian Dior was virtually a camp-fabulous Hollywood spectacular—like a pumped-up 2007 remake of The Women (Cukor, 1939; ever a fashion favorite), but this time played out in full glorious purple, pistachio, electric blue, and fuchsia, rather than black and white.' This is one of my favourite Dior dresses that I have had in the shop to date and it is even better on person and on an actual body.
As with many Galliano piece this dress is entirely cut on the bias and it is meant to be on an actual body and not a mere dress form. As good as it looks on the form once on an actual body it will only be better. The dress is made from a rich looking champagne coloured silk satin that in certain light has a slight silver undertone to it. The fabric and the way it is cut and draped allows it to hug the body but without being tight. It skims over the body and highlights every curve yet is very comfortable and easy to move in. Once on an actual body and you start to move in it the dress moves with you. The dress molds itself around the bust and plunges at the front into the squared off neckline. A wide panel of fabric runs down the centre of the body to the bottom of the torso. All of the fabric on either side of that center strip is gathered and hand draped into and under the panel in big soft folds. Then he embellished it with little silver flat metal sequins meant to suggest tiny leaves, hand sewn tube beads and prong set glass crystal rhinestones. These catch the light and add even more glamour to the dress. As the draped silk of the dress nears the bottom of that center panel is starts to open up more into looser folds and eventually falls and expands out into the skirt. The skirt has yards and yards of fabric in it and I love how it is draped around the sides of the hips for shape and volume. It gives you this insane hourglass feel. At the back the fabric is lightly gathered into the zipper so it is fitted on the back and then it falls out to the skirt with a series of panels built into the back for added volume. It then extends out to a short train at the back for the perfect finish. It is one of the most beautiful and glamorous dresses I have ever had in the shop. It is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition
The dress is fully lined with a fine ivory tissue silk. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Tagged a US 8 but cut very small
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 64" to the lowest point of the back hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD3875
Reference Photos: (1-2) Dior Runway Show in Prague showcasing Fall 2007 RTW/Resort 2008 pieces. Dress shown worn by Miss World 2006 Tatana Kucharova. / (3) Fall 2007 Christian Dior Runway, Look 26. Model: Patricia Schmid. / (4-6) Penelope Cruz at the 2008 Dior Cruise Collection Presentation.
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.
james galanos
Stunning 1970s James Galanos Colour Block Silk Tafetta Dress w Ruffled Waist Detailing
I Have a Question
James Galanos was just 27 years old when he launched his first label called Galanos Originals in 1951. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. when you convert that to modern dollars and realize that it would be just under 30k for his upper range pieces. Part of the reason for those high price tags was that his ready-to-wear was made to couture standards. The workmanship and craft put into them were made to a level that was on par with the official French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper. Grace Kelly was an early fan and other couturiers looked to his work as inspiration. His work is held in all of the major museums around the world and he is one of my personal favourite designers.
This particular dress reminds me of the pink colour blocked one that was worn so famously by Gloria Vanderbilt. It has that same feel created by his use of different panels of colour through the skirt. This is a technique that he used on several occasions and in several fabrics. The Vanderbilt dress for example was a silk chiffon and I have seen a darker, more column cut version in a silk jersey. This one is made from a silk taffeta and that choice of fabric keeps the dress extremely light while allowing it to have that wonderful volume that you see. The dress is extraordinary and is a testament to the couture construction techniques that he utilized in his work. The bodice is fitted with a slight sweetheart feel to the neckline. It is suspended by two tiny silk straps. The top port of the dress is lined in a silk but has no inner boning. It is meant to skim and hug the body underneath rather then to force a shape. The waist nips in and the skirt is set to feel very full with multiple soft gathers around the waist to create the fullness that you see. The skirt is made of four panels of silk taffeta, at the front here is a green on one side and a chocolate colour panel on the other. At the back both panels are the same blue as the bodice. All of the edges are finished with a gold cord that has been hand applied stitch by stitch. At the front the skirt is split quite high so that when you walk or sit you get an very unexpected flash of bare leg. The silk taffeta is so light that when you walk the skirt has a billowing effect behind you that it just magical. There are no extra underskirts added for these shots. All the volume of the skirt that you see has been created by the cut and the fabric alone. Around the waist the fabric from the silk has been gathered and held in place by more of that gold cording and then the edges of the fabric is set in an elaborate series of ruffles above that. This creates the prettiest ruffled finish that wraps all the way around you, cinches you in, and adds a pretty touch of romance. The work is all hand finished and all the inner seams have a beautiful ribbon finish. This is truly a stunning dress. Excellent condition
Unlined and closes with a back zipper. Ribbon edge interior seams. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Front slit: 26" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS
Item# DD3736
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 wonderful little 1920s flapper dress was completely made by hand and a wonderful example of the level of craftsmanship being utilized during this time period. It has its original Made in France label still present and these pieces were always a little higher quality then some examples you see from the time period. It has no other label but it is not hard to imagine that it might have been a designer piece as well. The base of the dress is a black silk netting that is strong and sturdy. Onto this is an intricate design made up of gelatin sequins set boxes. Each is a combination of purple, pink & turquoise in an alternating design. The placement of each sequin is by hand and it is amazing to think of the time it would have taken to make the fabric alone. The center of each block makes me think of a cluster of little pink "hearts" that are then surrounded by an abstract shape. A metal based gold lame thread and tiny little gold tubes beads are then shaped around each to make the block design that you see. These are then stacked in rows to cover the dress entirely with the black netting serving as the separation between each. This combination of colored sequins, gold thread & beads is absolutely fantastic. There is an extra panel of netting inserted at each hip to give the skirt extra flare. Excellent antique condition
The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear. The edges of the side net panels are raw and at one time there may have an extension to them but it is now cut even with the hem. I see no other flaws and it appears to have been worn very little if at all and is wearble with the care it would deserve to be worn with. Even with that small defect the dress is remarkably sound and shockingly beautiful. It is almost 100 years old and is considered to be in museum quality condition.
Bust: 17" from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" from side seam to side seam
Total length: 40" from shoulder to bottom hem
Note that antique and twenties pieces are final sale. They will be packed exceedingly well and we only sell pieces that will stand up to the stress of shipping, however, having pieces potentially shipped multiple times through multiple customs and countries is too hard on garments that are historically important and deserve to be treated with love and care. Please purchase accordingly.
Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML
Item# E290
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.
Dresses Silks & Chiffons
- What's New
-
Clothing
-
All Clothing
-
Dresses
- All Dresses
- Cocktail Mini to Knee
- Day Mini to Knee
- Day Full Length
- Maxis & Gowns
- Caftans
- Wraps
- Flappers & Gatsbys
- Beaded & Applique
- Jersey & Bias Cuts
- Knits & Cashmere
- Lace & Net
- Lame & Metallics
- No Defined Waist
- One Shoulder
- Plunge Back or Front
- Sequins & Rhinestones
- Shirt & Button Front
- Silks & Chiffons
- Sleeveless & Halters
- Strapless
- Velvets & Chenilles
-
Caftans
-
Bottoms
-
Jumpsuits
-
Tops
-
Suits & Sets
-
Capes & Ponchos
-
Coats
-
Jackets
-
All Clothing
- Accessories
- Vintage Designers
- Shop by Era
- Shop by Size
- Shop by Color