• The twin of the dress walked the runway for the Spring 1988 collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix
• I love that the runway shots show just how phenomenal the dress is once on the body. It feels as relevant now as it did then.
• Lacroix's Luxe label was only produced the very first couple of seasons after launching his label. It was a very high-end (very expensive) ready-to-wear line that was made to demi-couture standards. It was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. It was the predecessor to his regular ready-to-wear collections. The label only lasted the first two seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces. Very few pieces were made so they are almost as rare as finding one of his Haute Couture pieces.
• The dress is spectacular.It is made out of a cotton pique that has a gorgeous texture running through it. A white dot pattern pops off the red backdrop.
• It is meant to be fitted to the body. The inner bodice is boned and shaped and I love the two black grosgrain bows that sit on the top of each peak. The back dips quite low to expose an expanse of bare skin. 
• Black grosgrain straps have been tacked into place at some point. The dress was shown originally and produced as a strapless piece. It would be easy to tack the straps if you prefer it that way or just tuck them in so you can wear it either way.
• It curves in at the waist and the inner underskirt is attached there and acts almost like a bit of a corset around the waist. 
• The skirt has wide inverted flat pleats that open out to achieve the fullness that you see and this falls over an inner attached underskirt.
• The underskirt underneath is what gives the dress its incredible volume. It is made out of a stiffened white net and all the volume that you see is from the underskirt. It has added built-in side panniers inside to add extra volume and hold the width of the skirt. The very lower edge is finished with a stiffened netting and then that is covered with a band of black lace that peeks out from under the edge of the skirt.
• The best part about the dress is that it still has its original little removable 'sleeves'. Each is made out of the same red fabric and slips over your arm to sit high on the upper arm. They are lined with organza inside so once on the arm, they hold their gorgeous puffed shape. 
• The dress is fully lined in a white silk through the bodice and has built in boning to hold it in place around you. The inner attached skirt hooks to close around the waist and the dress zips to close over that. Hand finishes throughout. I see a couple of extremely minor marks on the inner lining and a couple of the dots on the exterior have just slightly faintly yellowed. It is extremely minor but mentioned for accuracy. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: the openings are elastic. The larger opening is 12" around and will stretch to a mass of 18" around. The smaller opening is approximately 10" and will stretch to 18" around.
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approximately 11" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 32" from from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5781

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.

• A gorgeous and striking piece that can be worn as a jacket or a dress.
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix.
• The fabric has a black backdrop and then has beautiful flowers woven through it in a deep red and an almost purple colour.
• Fabric is heavy enough to hold the shape that you see, but not so heavy that it feels cumbersome on the body
• The piece zips up at the front and when it is unzipped you can fully open it. This is what allows the piece to potentially be worn as either a dress or a jacket.
  
• The neckline has no collar and the front is detailed with a wide band on either side of the zipper that has a swooping pattern made out of a cord applied onto the fabric.
• A matching panel extends down the full length of the back with more cording detailing that panel as well.
• The waist is brought in and seamed and then the skirt under that is pleated into that seam. This allows the skirt to be very full and create the shape that you see.
• Little pockets sit on each side of the hip so you can put your hands into the pockets and exaggerate the fullness of the skirt even more.
• The sleeves are wonderful. They are set into a slightly dropped shoulder and they flare out to be quite wide by their ends. I love how the flare of the sleeve picks up the flare of the skirt.
• It is lined in a black silk and there is light rounded padding in each shoulder for shape. It zips to close at the front. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage Lacroix IT40, FR38, GB32, US6
• Excellent condition

Sleeves from the drop shoulder: 17" and are 13" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 20"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 36" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5780

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 special edition dress from 2012
• It was made under the creative direction of Dolce and Gabbana.
• That same year its twin was worn by both Katy Perry, Sonam Kapoor, Mariela Garriga and was shot for a few editorials. I love that these gives you the chance to see just how gorgeous this dress is once on.
• The label later made a less expensive version that you will often see because it was made on a more mass produced scale, but this is the original fully corset and attached underskirt version that was only made in limited quantities.
• Dolce and Gabbana launched in 1985 by founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana who still run the label to this day.
• The dress is made out of a deep red velvet that gives the dress an extra depth and rich feel.
• The top is meant to be very fitted to the body. The bodice is peaked at the front and the velvet is placed over it to drape and wrap around the body in the most flattering way possible.
• Inside it is boned and shaped so that everything stays in place. The waist is cinched in and the illusion of a tiny waist is made even more so by the elaborate skirt that billows out all around you.
• Under the top layer of the skirt there are multiple layers of net and tulle that are built-in to add support and shape. The volume you see in these photos is actually the volume that the dress has. It is an extraordinary dress.
• The dress is fully lined in red silk with boning and a cupped inner corset. Added layers under the skirt as described above. It closes with a back zipper and then the skirt snaps to close over that starting under the waist. The zipper pull was not present on the dress and we replaced it with twisted black rubber finished wire. Please see the photo after the shot of the label. Other than that one small detail, it appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage Dolce & Gabbana 36
• Excellent condition with the minor note above.

Bust: 13-15"" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from top of the peak on the bodice to waist
Total length: 38" from top of the peak on the bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS

Item# DD5779

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.