• The twin of this dress walked the runway as Look 44 in the Spring 2017 Emmanuel Ungaro collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Fausto Puglisi
• Puglisi referenced the 1986 video called "Ouragan" by Princess Stephanie of Monaco. "Stephanie was the rebel royal and Decades later it looks like Puglisi aesthetic was in some part formed by that spirit". The review continue to say "we've entered the period of peak ruffle. That means it's a good time to be at Ungaro, a label synonymous with the high flying 80s, which is the last time the world saw frills and flunces on the scale we're witnessing now." Vogue especially noted the purple and yellow combinations he used.
• The dress is made out of a brocade that has a slight 3-D dimension feel to it with race parts within the pattern.
• Joyful flowers and purple and yellow cover the fabric on a ivory backdrop mixed with gold thread. Inside the dress is lined with a bright green muslin that adds a beautiful pop against those already bright colors.
• The front and back are cut into a V and it looks like someone has added a little stitch at the front. If you wanted that front plunge even more that could easily be removed. The shoulders are soft and a double band of ruffles cascade over each shoulder and then sweep down the front and back to the band at the waist.
• The waist has a 2 inch band of the same fabric for shape. On the runway it was belted and if you wanted to really cinch in the waist, you could add a belt.
• The skirt is just fantastic. It curves over the hip and then it's finished with two layers of ruffles that sweep all the way around the hem.
• The ruffles come up on one side and it all perfectly balance is out the ruffles on the shoulders.
• Hidden underneath that one side of the skirt is a very high slit that goes right up to the waist underneath. It is partially wrapped over itself, so you get a flash of leg but not full exposure. It's very sexy.
• This is a gorgeous little dress that combines the joyful for feel of spring with a little bit of sexy.
• The dress is fully lined in the green and closes with a back zipper.
• There was no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of the shoulder to the top of the 2" band at the waist
Total length: 34" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5665

Reference Photo/Video: Spring 2017 Emanuel Ungaro, Look 44.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for Look 55 for the Fall 2019 runway show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Pierpaolo Piccioli
• The Vogue review for this collection touched on Pierpaolos's inspiration for the show saying; "(he is) a man on an intuitive mission to place fashion on a positive plane. 'I feel that people are looking for emotion and dreams—but not distant dreams,' he said today before his ready-to-wear show was about to take to the runway. 'I want to create a community for Valentino. I mean something different from ‘lifestyle,’ which is about owning objects. It’s about people who share values.'"
• I love that we have the runway reference photos and video so you can see just how spectacular this one moves once it is on the body. It is one of my favourite dresses he ever made.
• The dress is made out of yards and yards of a feather-light yellow silk chiffon that is an exceptionally pretty colour. This fabric choice keeps the dress extremely light in weight and easy to wear.
• The neckline is scooped wide across so that the straps sit more on the edges of the shoulders. 
• At the back it is scooped even lower to leave your back bare and exposed. 
• A wide ruffle follows the entire neckline and gives it the prettiest flounce all the way around you. It continues down to follow the scoop at the back and it creates a bit of a pretty caped feel to the upper part of the dress.
• Underneath the ruffle the bodice skims down to the more generously cut waist. These more generous waists became a signature of Piccioli's work and made his pieces exceptionally easy to wear and fit.
• I love that except for that very top ruffle that edges the neckline all of the other ruffles are set in long vertical ruffles that run the full length of the dress all the way to the hem.
• The ruffles start underneath that ruffle around the neckline and then fall in long rows that follow vertical seams set from there to the hem. As they run down the length of the dress they widen out both in how they are spaced apart and also in the width of the actual ruffles.
• The incredible amount of ruffles covering the skirt combined with the lightness of the fabric gives you the prettiest movement when you move. 
• The final perfect touch is that he extended the skirt out past the hem at the back. This gives you a beautiful sweeping effect behind you. 
• This is an absolutely stunning dress and this particular cut of dress is one of my favourites.
• The dress is fully lined in a marching coloured silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set back zipper. The main Valentino tag is missing but it still has its inner tag which I have included in the photos. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a modern Valentino 38
• Excellent condition

Bust: the front bodice covers to 16" flat across from side to side
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to front hem and the back extends another 12" past that.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5621

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2019 Valentino, Look 55. Model Kris Grikaite.

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.

• Note that due to new customs regulations this piece can only ship to a Canadian address. If you need assistance with this please touch base.
• This is a gorgeous set that dates to the late 1950s - early 1960s.
• It has a Town and Travelwear label that tells us it was bought from the hotel Statler – Hilton in Dallas.
• Hotels in the 1950s and 1960s often had their own in-house label and teams of seamstresses on hand to fit their guests.
  
• Both the dress and cape are made out of a deep yellow embroidered cord and net lace that sits over a deeper yellow inner base.
• The lace is embellished with a little tiny faux seed pearls and glass tube beads. Iridescent sequins are sprinkled into the mix as are the occasional faceted bead and rainbow coloured prong set rhinestone.
• The cape and the dress are both highlighted with pale yellow feathers. On the dress the feathers are set in little tufts that circled the lower portion of the skirt and on the cape they edge the entire hem all the way around you.
  
• The dress has a sweetheart neckline at the front and I love how the embellishment is a bit heavier around the upper edge of the neckline. Inside it is formed and shaped though the bust. It has tiny piped straps that curve over the shoulders but it could also be worn strapless if you decided to tuck the straps in or remove them.
• The waist is shaped through the vertical seaming of the dress and then from there it curves out and over the hips. The skirt falls to the floor and narrows in slightly as it nears the hem. At the back there is slit to allow you to walk.
• The cape sits over the shoulders and is a single layer of the lace with no lining. I love that this lets you see the hand work at the back. All of the embellishment was applied by hand.
• It has a single clasp at the neck and the feathers have a pretty movement as you move.
• Its a gorgeous set and I always love when you have more than one piece because then you can mix and match things in your existing wardrobe.
• The dress has a yellow silky rayon structure behind the bust area and the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes with a back set zipper. The cape is a single layer of the lace with the feathers attached directly to it. It hooks to close at the collar. I see a small amount of fraying at the top of both straps the dress and some marks on the inner upper lining of the dress . Please see the photo after the label shot. 
• There are no size tags present. Please go by the listed measurements below.
• Excellent condition 

Dress
Bust: to 18" 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
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Cape
Neck: 16" around
Total length: it falls to approximately 17" from the neck to the end of the feathers

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5622

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• The label on this dress gives us a date range of 1963 to 1977 for it to have been made in. 
• It was made under the creative direction of James Galanos.
• In 1951 Galanos was only 27 when he launched his first label called Galanos Originals. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award.
• His custom pieces were made close to couture standards and with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. He was truly one of the great American designers and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world.
• This is a dress that is extremely well made with a very high level of construction techniques.
  
• The body of the dress is made from a yellow silk crepe that is cut on the bias and that has a slight texture to it. This is topped with a hand beaded bodice that is completely covered in a combination of yellow and blue glass tube beads.
• The straps are detailed with handset rows of the yellow beads set vertically and stacked side by side as they curve over the shoulders. 
• Over the bodice the beads are set horizontally to form stripes in different thicknesses. I love that they have mixed the deep royal blue beads with the yellow. These run all the way around the entire bodice from front to back.
• At the front, the fabric extends down at touch to attach into the waist and more beads are added there to form a thick band that runs all the way around the waist. Below the seam where they attach there is another inch of beadwork that wraps around you.
• At the front the bodice extends out into the straps and is meant to be more fitted to you. Starting at each side the fabric and beads split and this creates a full cut out open at the back so you get a strip of bare skin exposed. It is fantastic.
• The skirt skims over the hips and then flares out dramatically as it reaches the floor. The extra fabric in the skirt gives you beautiful movement as you move.
• As good as this dress looks in the photos, I think that it is so much better in person it is almost ridiculous. It is a really outstanding piece by him.
• The dress is fully lined in a handset yellow silk chiffon. There is elastic around the inner waist that just helps to hold it in place so it doesn't dip too much at the back. It closes with a side zipper on the bodice and then a second side zipper from the waist down. All of the bead work is done by hand and there are hand finishes throughout the dress. This is made to Demi Couture level.
• There is no size tag present.  Please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem with 1.5" turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5623

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• This is a phenomenal dress by Pierre Balmain from the late 1980s - early 1990s.
• At this point in history the Couture line was called simply Pierre Balmain and the main ready-to-wear line was called Ivoire de Balmain. Depending if it was late 1980s or early 90s, the creative Director would have been either Erik Mortensen (up 1989) or Alistair Blair (who joined in 1990 to over see the RTW line while Erik continued Couture).
• The dress is made from a beautiful silk that is extremely light in weight. When this is on it is almost like wearing nothing.
• Onto the silk is an over-sized check pattern that mixes pastel yellow with shades of soft blues. Some parts have an almost iridescent pale green finish to them and there are also muted deep golds and taupe.
• It is strapless and fitted at the waist. The lower skirt widens out considerably from there to the hem. There are yards and yards of silk making up the skirt. 
• The back is cut longer than the front so you get this beautiful sweeping feel behind you. The silk that was used is so very light in weight and it is all cut on the bias which allows it to float and moves around you with your slightest movement.
• I love the way there is extra fabric built-in at the back. The fabric wraps over itself for a few inches to hook into the inside the waist and also on the outer part of the waist. This adds extra fabric to the gorgeous sweep of volume of the back skirt.
• Inside the bodice is a lightly boned and cupped inner corset that holds the dress in place. It is made out of the same fabric. The rest of the skirt is unlined. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set zipper and an inner waist stay hooks to close. The silk at the very back of the skirt hooks over itself as described above.
• It is tagged a vintage Balmain 36
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open 
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to inner waist
Total length: 55.5" from top of bodice to front hem and the back extends another 14" beyond that.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5385

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The program notes told the audience of the Spring 2009 runway show that Mcqueen had been thinking of Charles Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest and 'the deleterious results of industrialization on the natural world'. The show was title 'Natural Dis-tinctions, Un-Natural Selection' and the McQueen book notes that 'the cat walk was filled with antique taxidermy, including an elephant giraffe tagger zebra and polar bear, in an art space that was formally of Paris morgue.' The twin of the dress was a part of the second portion of the show that was meant to 'continue to draw inspiration from natural forms, flowers, crystals and minerals, but here they were engineer with a hard as an enhanced to convey the synthetic qualities associated with modernity and human touch. Prints were angular and invoked crushed crystal, metallic structures such as the Eiffel tower and a granite mountain that was borrowed from a Dan Holdsworth triptych.' This collection was noted as being one of his most commercial to date during this time period and these print pieces especially had instant appeal.

This is a very recognizable piece that can instantly  identify as being a McQueen. The colours are amazing. The fabric is almost like a neoprene in the way it looks and feels and yet it is not a true neoprene. It is lighter and thinner with just enough weight to it to hold the shape but without it feeling restrictive on the body. The shape is built into the dress beginning at the shoulders. Each is lightly padded so that they sit up on top of the shoulders. It skims over the bust, nips in at the waist and then curves out at the hips. Even when laying flat you can see the shape built into the dress. At the neckline there is a keyhole that has a nude netting in behind it. I love the way that the seams at the hip curve in and over the waist to just under the bust. This precise seaming and cut are all done to give that exact shape that he wished the piece to have. When styled on the runway with the plastered hair around the face it had an almost alien feel to it that was fantastic. The dress looks to have never been worn and is in mint condition. It is an extraordinary piece of Alexander McQueen history and having a runaway pieces from him in the shop are always an exceptional thing. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a ivory tissue silk and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 38. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for an A-small B cut at the front
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 32" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4360

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2009 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 24. Model Alex Sandor.  /  (3) Page from the book 'Alexander McQueen' edited by Claire Wilcox.

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' 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.