• This dress is very special and an extremely well documented piece from Spring 1988 collection. 
• It was made under the creative direction of Christian Lacroix.
• It has the special added provenance of being the twin of one of the four dresses portrayed in that instantly recognizable photo taken in his atelier that year. That photo is perhaps one of the most famous photos in the Lacroix history.
• The dress is from his Luxe label that was only produced the very first couple of seasons.
• It was very high end expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards and was available primarily to his couture clients and a select few beyond that. The label was the predecessor to his later regular ready-to-wear collections. It is said that this label only lasted a couple of seasons because some of the couture clients complained at how close the garments were to their Haute Couture pieces.
• We found numerous reference photos of the dress as it appeared on the runway so you have an amazing idea of how this dress looks on the body.
• The dress is made out of a printed silk organza that has a slight texture running through it.
• Onto that is a glorious floral pattern in pinks and yellow with pops of green. It feels so vibrant and beautiful with that gorgeous print.
• The sleeves are long and they are cut on a slight curve in the traditional couture manner.
• The shoulders are lightly shaped and the front falls into a shallow V.
• The dress has a little bit of gathering just at the bust area down the centre seam and then it falls smoothly  to the hem under that.
• It is cut to skim over you through the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist.
• At the back the bottom 9" of the skirt has an inset bustle. The fabric there is gathered into a curving seam and there are three black organza half bows stacked one on top of the other to create a bustle feel.
• This is one of his most famous dresses and its amazing. It can be considered to be Demi-Couture.
• The body of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the sleeves are lined in a white silk. The dress zips to close at the back and each cuff has a zipper to close it. Light padding in the shoulders. Laughing hilarious. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage Lacroix 44
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 22.5" and they are 13" around the upper arm
Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 35" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5714

Reference Photos: (1-5) Spring 1988 Christian Lacroix Collection.  /  (6-7) Models in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Atelier, Paris, 1988. Photos by Arthur Elgort.

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 set walked the runway for the Spring 1988 Jean Louise Scherrer Haute Couture collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Jean Louise Scherrer.
• The set would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• I love that we have reference photos so that you can see how phenomenal this is once it is on an actual body. 
• The silk it is made out of has a soft matte moire pattern finish to it and has just enough weight to hold the intended shape.
• The hand done workmanship on both pieces is phenomenal.
• The skirt is slim cut and on the shorter side. The fabric on it has been gathered up so that it has soft gathers near the top of the hip and the bottom hem at the front. At the back it is all gathered into the centre seam.
• The brevity of the skirt is in sharp contrast with the added volume and fit of the beautiful jacket that tops it.
• The jacket has a full built-in and hand made boned inner half corset tacked into the interior. It zips in place around you. The outer jacket hooks into place over that with a series of hidden set corset hooks. 
  
• The neckline comes down in a wide squared off scoop that leaves the collar bones exposed and extends out to the edges of the shoulders.
• The edges on the jacket are finished with an elaborate ruffle in a matching silk. The ruffle circles behind the neck, continues down the front, and goes all the way around the hem. It is fitted through the waist and meant to have a slight feel of a peplum over the hips.
• The sleeves are incredible. Each is extremely full and they balloon out substantially over the cuffs. There is an exaggerated cuff at their ends with a bit of the same fabric wrapped and tied in knot just above the ruffle.
• Three large fabric roses are placed down the front for the perfect feminine and romantic finish.
• This would make an amazing going away suit or a suit to wear as part of your wedding weekend.
• Both pieces are fully lined in a handset pink silk. The skirt zips to close at the back and the jacket closes as described above. The pink is a slightly paler pink in person. The jacket has its proper Haute Couture numbered tag in place and both pieces are completely made by hand to Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 
• There is no size tag present since it is true couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
  
• Excellent condition

Jacket
Sleeves: 20" and they are full around the upper arms
Slightly extended shoulders: 16" and meant to sit slightly off-shoulder
Inner bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 20.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 18" from neck to skirt

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5715

Reference Photos: Spring 1988 Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture.

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

• The twin of this dress walked the Spring 2009 Alexander McQueen runway for Look 24.
• It was made under the creative direction of Alexander McQueen.
• 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 dress is made out of an unusual fabric that 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.
• 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.
• It is an extraordinary piece of Alexander McQueen history.
• The dress is fully lined in a ivory tissue silk and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a McQueen 38. 
• Excellent condition

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# DD5716

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.