This is the second time that I have had this dress in the shop and I love it even more now. Three versions of this dress in this print were presented on the Fall 2000 runway that season. The twin of this one was worn by Trish Goff. Vogue's review of the collection states in part; 'Fall 2000 was, overall, the season of the lady. One who had polish—and, likely, two homes and one eye on the fluctuating stock market. “With the Dow Jones and Nasdaq soaring and plunging like a late-sixties hemline,” wrote Sally Singer in Vogue, “it was perhaps inevitable that many designers would choose for fall 2000 to forgo fantasy and get back to basics—luxe basics, that is.” I think this was one of the best dresses in that collection and I am very pleased to have it again.

The dress is a stunning example of the work that Lagerfeld was doing during this time period. It has an easy sexy feel to it. It feels like the kind of dress that you just throw on and walk out the door in and feel fabulous. The silk chiffon is feather light and has an amazing print in pinks and purple that covers the entire surface. The fabric is draped and gathered over the body to create the very feminine silhouette that you see. There is an inner purple lining that goes to just below the hip so that the silk has something to attach to, and the dress is opaque enough to wear. Over that the silk is gathered in soft sweeps around the body. There is a curved panel of fabric attached along one hip that drapes down and around the hips and then another panel attached at the top that drapes over one shoulder and that you can wear straight down and over the top of your arm. Because all of the panels are unlined you get this interesting play on the overlapping of the pattern. The skirt that falls beneath where the lining ends has a touch if transparency that gives a glimpse of the shape of the leg underneath. It is cut on an angle to further play on the asymmetrical feel of the dress and slit up one side of the skirt. This means that when you walk and move the slightest bit of air catches that layer of chiffon and it moves beautifully around you. The famous double C logo is worked through the print for the perfect finishing touch. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a purple silk chiffon through the body of the dress and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Light boning on either side of the bust. Tagged a vintage Chanel 40. Because it is bias cut the length will come up once it is on.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Seam under bust: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Natural waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 6" from top of the bodice to the seam under the bus
Total length : approx 65" from top of shoulder to longest point on hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4928

Reference Photos/Video: Chanel Fall 2000 Runway Collection, Look 72. Model: Trish Goff.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

For the Cruise 2012 Karl booked the entire Hotel du Cap in Eden Roc on the French Riviera so that he had it at his full disposal for the show. This is remarkable in that it is arguably one of the most expensive hotels in the entire world. The show is also of note because he accessorized all the pieces with real diamonds and pearls. Vogue noted that he said "too much may not be enough" when asked about this extravagance. The twin of the suit walked the runway for Look 8 and was adorned with diamonds on the pockets and at the neck. It was sent to the shop with a beautiful crystal rhinestone and faux pearl button at the top of the neck and left to the clients to add their own personal diamonds.

This collection was a nod to old-school glamour and you can see that in the beautiful lines of the suit. It is constructed from an absolutely stunning ivory version of the Chanel signature boucle fabric. The weave is very tight and it is one single ivory colour. It has little bits of silver thread woven through it. These glitter in the light in this very subtle and beautiful kind of way. I know the still photos are not properly capturing it but in person it is magical. The collar is soft and rounded with a raw finish to its edges and then it is covered with the tiniest possible ivory sequins. He added another band of sequins under the collar to circle the inner shoulders near the neckline. A little jewelled clasp sits at the top of the neck that has crystal rhinestones and large faux pearls with the double C logo on their sides. I love the nod to the 1940s this little jewelled detail has and how it picks up on that old Hollywood glamour theme. The sleeves end at about the wrist depending on the length of your arms. The jacket has a beautiful curving seam at the front and two top set pockets. I photoed the jacket open as it was shown on the runway but there is one single little hidden snap so that you can close the jacket more if you wished. A second curved seam sits at the back. The construction is absolutely beautiful. Inside it has a Camellia flower embossed silk lining and a silver chain is hand sewn along the inner hem. The skirt is as beautifully cut as the jacket. It has a curved band around the waist and pockets on either side of the hip. It curves out to skim over the hips and then comes in at the bottom. There is a wide 7" band of the same fabric circling the bottom hem. He added a back vent that has three beautiful buttons and you could open those if you wished. The set comes with the matching belt that you see on the runway. The belt follows the same curve of the waist band. It hooks in place and it is completely covered on both sides with more of those tiny little ivory iridescent sequins. This is an exceptional Chanel. It would make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional or as a piece for an event surrounding the ceremony. Excellent condition.

The jacket is fully lined in an ivory silk embossed with the Chanel camellia flower print and has a clasp at the neck and a hidden set snap halfway down. The skirt is lined in an ivory silk and closes with a hidden set zipper. The belt hooks to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. All three pieces are tagged a Chanel 38. The very subtle bit of metallic silver thread that runs with through the boucle is more apparent in person.

The Chanel boucle is created with their proprietary method of weaving that they themselves describe as "by weaving the warp and weft, using a variety of different kinds of threads which creates a unique and somewhat irregular appearance. The warp – vertically strung – is the background of the fabric, the base that will support the assembly of materials. There can be up to 12 different threads used for a single warp. The weft – woven horizontally – gives the fabric its unique character and can have an unlimited number of threads. Tight, perforated, textured, thick, with a relief, plaited, random, twill… the potential number of effects is endless". 

Jacket
Sleeve: approx 21" from the natural shoulder and is 17.25" from the dropped shoulder scene. They are 14.5" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: 19"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 21.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from waist to hem

Belt: It currently hooks to close at 28" and you could move the hooks if needed. it is 30" in total from end to end.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4911

Reference Photo/Video: Resort 2012 Chanel, Look 8. Model Sigrid Agren.

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.

Well sourcing the collection for this dress we found an example in 1988 that felt close but I think it is most likely from the Fall of 1991. He showed several of these dresses with jackets over them at the end of that show and this feels more similar to those. You can also see the similarity in the one that we had that was worn by that Olivia Culpo. This feels like it's younger sassier sister. We have included reference photos from both collections here and either way, it is an absolutely fabulous little black dress. It is incredible and very sexy.

The dress is strapless with a pretty bodice that curves up at the front and down slightly at the back. It is boned and shaped to curve around the bust at the front and then hug the body to the waist. The exterior is made of a black silk and it has a little lace ribbon all around the upper edge for a little romantic touch. The skirt is made from two layers of a fine black netting that has a very smooth to the touch feel. The layers give you touch of transparency and you can see this in the 1991 show that this was deliberate. He meant it to be worn over an undergarment and tights that gives you some coverage and just have the transparency that shows your entire leg. If that does not work for you, you could easily add something underneath to lessen the transparency that the skirt has. It zips to close at the back and I love how you can see that the zipper has been hand set. The inner lining is also handset and it is just a beautiful example of how well these little dresses are made from Chanel. Especially in these early years of the Karl era. Excellent condition.

Lined in a handset silk through the bodice and closes with a back, hand set zipper. There is a stay in place around the waist that hooks to close. Tagged a vintage Chanel 38.

Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice at the front to waist
Total length: 32.5" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4837

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Spring 1988 Chanel.  /  (2-3) Fall 1991 Chanel, Look 98. Model Emma Sjoberg.  /  (4) Olivia Culpo in Fall 1991 Chanel from Shrimpton 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.

I have a small grouping of Chanel pieces that will be listing over the next week or so and they all come from an avid Couture and Chanel collector. Many of these pieces were extremely difficult to source when they were released and were only made in very limited quantities. They are in pristine condition and all but one have their original shop packet that has the extra fabric and style information. These are exceptional pieces for the collector and each is extremely special.

This skirt is exceptional. It's from the Pre-fall 2020 collection and it's twin walk the runway for Look 37. This is a wonderful piece of Chanel and is extremely well-made. The was a Metier d"Art collection which are always the most expensive at retail as they feature work from all the tiny maison d'art houses. It was also Virginie Viard's first Metier d'Art Pre-fall collection. She titled the show 'Paris – 31 rue Cambon' which is of course where Gabriel Chanel first set up shop as a milliner in 1910. She later expanded her fashion empire by taking over six buildings to house her Haute Couture salons one of which was Number 31. In tribute she mirrored the black, beige, crystal and gold that evokes Chanel's apartment, and the famous mirrored staircase. When asked about it backstage, she said that the show was meant to be "the things we like, a mix of Karl and Chanel – the Chanel codes."

In this skirt we see the high workmanship of the luxury suppliers of the fashion industry. At first glance, you might almost think it to be a tweed Chanel piece but then as you look at it closer you realize that every inch is covered with overlapping silver sequins. The sequins are held in place by an ivory, gold and black thread and this is what gives them the appearance of that classic Chanel tweed. The sequins catch the light from every angle. It is exceptional. Running down the front is a panel of glittering crystals that are bordered with faux pearls on either side and the pearls are all caught into a black corded cage. That same detail runs down the centre of the skirt at the back. It is fitted around the waist, but without an added band so you lose no detail of that stunning design, and then it glides over the hips and flares out to the hem. The skirt has never been worn and has its original Chanel packet. Excellent condition

Fully lined in black silk and closes with a hidden set zipper under the back centre detailing. Tagged a 34 and has its original Chanel packet. Current Chanel fantasy skirts start at $5500 and range up to $8500USD + for pieces with this level of detailing. 

Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4545

Reference Photo/Video: Pre-Fall 2020 Chanel Runway, Look 37.

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.

I have a small grouping of Chanel pieces that will be listing over the next week or so and they all come from an avid Couture and Chanel collector. Many of these pieces were extremely difficult to source when they were released and were only made in very limited quantities. They are in amazing condition and all but one have their original shop packet that has the extra fabric and style information. These are exceptional pieces for the collector and each is extremely special.

This is a suit pieced together from the actual Chanel sample jacket for this look and then the pants were purchased at retail by my client. It is incredibly rare to find a sample piece so that is a little extra special. The twin of the suit was worn for Look 13 for the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. The show was set in the  Hamburg concert hall and that setting held an extra special place for Karl since it was his hometown. The concert hall had just been opened and for this show Karl mixed the modernity of the new space with his memories of Hamburg as a child “I’ve never left; this is part of me,” he reflected after the show. “I like Hamburg as an idea; something in the back of my mind.” Vogue noted 'You saw what that was, the essence of his inspiration, in a flash: Sailors in peaked caps on leave, girls in thigh-high boots and leather, the people who mill around docks and nightclubs. The clothes evoked ’60s beatniks, countercultural girls in sweaterdresses, smartly dressed officers in uniform, and naval ratings in sailor pants—looks that ran up and down the register of the cool, the hip, and the immaculately classic. It was an obvious, simple idea, really, but one marinated in a mind that has the sophistication to align the results with Coco Chanel’s heritage, and with what any girl would absolutely kill to wear right now.'

The lines of this suit are crisp and sharp and the tailoring is immaculate. Both pieces are made out of a pinstriped virgin wool that allows them to retain the exact lines that Lagerfeld intended while still staying light in weight. The jacket is cut so that it is fitted across the shoulders and then falls in a more box shape to the top of the hips. The collar is neat and small and I love how there is an inset of a white waffle weave cotton for a crisp little pop. That same little pop of cotton is set within each cuff so that it feels perfectly tied together. It buttons to close up one side and the buttons themselves are incredible. I took a detail shot so you can see that they are especially done with both Paris and Hamburg noted on them. The bottom hem is banded and there is a little top set pocket on one side. Each sleeve is long and straight and they end in a notched slit held by a button rather than a traditional cuff which falls in line with the sleek minimalist feel of the rest of the suit. Beside the little pop of white at the end there is also a little 'hidden' surprise of another functional pocket that sits at the end of the one sleeve nearest the pocket on the front. I am obsessed with this little detail. The pants are sleek and simple in their cut. They are flat fronted with a slanted slip pocket on each hip under the waist band. Two more pockets are at the  back and each is still tacked shut. The legs fall wide to the ankle with just the tiniest bit of a flare at the ends. Each leg is finished with a precise wide cuff. The inside of the suit is as immaculate as the outside and it is lined in a deep grey silk embossed with the Chanel logo. A signature Chanel chain runs along the inner hem of the jacket. Every stitch is perfection. Excellent condition with a minor note below. 

The jacket is lined in a grey Chanel embossed silk and closes with the buttons along the front panel as seen. It has a Chanel sample label and is tagged a modern Chanel 38. A pocket on the front and on each cuff. Metal embossed buttons and the signature Chanel chain around the inner hem. There is slight yellowing and grubbiness on the inner collar of the Chanel. The pants zip to close at the front and have hidden hook & eye at the bands. Slip pockets on each hip and two tacked shut pockets at the back The pants have their original Chanel packet and are tagged a modern Chanel 40

Jacket
Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to head 

Pant
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40.5" from top of bodice to waist
Inseam: 29" from inner seam to hem
Gusset: 17" from waist to inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4540

Reference Photo/Video: Pre-Fall 2018 Chanel, Look 13.

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 incredible dress is from the Fall 2004 Yves Saint Laurent collection and its twin walked the runway that season. With it's brilliant rose print the dress has such a joyful feel to it. And it feels very French. I am always excited to find examples of Yves' work from this time period and this one is extra special with the addition of its runway provenance. We also found video of the show so you can see how the dress moves. I love it.

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway reference photos and video that we have found for you. It is made from a light silk chiffon that weighs next to nothing. The sleeves are cut to be very full above their elastic ends and this adds to the flowing feel the dress has. I love that the sleeves are cut to sit fully off the shoulders. This allows your entire upper shoulders to show and the bare skin of your shoulders balances the length of the skirt. The bodice has a built in inner corset that holds the dress in place and gives it hidden structure. Over the inner bodice the fabric is draped into place in a series of gathers and soft pleats. This gives the illusion that the dress skims over the body rather then being so fitted underneath with the built in corseting. The very front is cut into a deep V for a little flash of skin and then he has partially hidden this with a velvet bow that joins the two sides together. The waist is nipped in and I have added a wide grosgrain ribbon for shape. If you wanted to wear it like it was shown on the runway you could easily add a more structured belt. The skirt under the waist seam is quite full and falls to the floor. It widens out as it near the ham and the soft gathers that set it around the waist give it movement as you move. Underneath the skirt is a silk chiffon underskirt in the same print and the under skirt goes to just about the knee or above depending on your height. Both that underskirt, the top printed layer and the sleeves, have a touch of transparency. It is a very subtle addition of sexiness to have these fabrics be so light and with that hint of transparency. The result is that you get a stunning bit of volume through the skirt as it flares out around you and moves when you move and then both the lower skirt and the sleeves have a touch of transparency to them so you get a suggestion of leg and arm showing. It is killer. The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little. Excellent condition  

The built in corset acts as the lining through the bodice and it is boned and shaped. The skirt has a light silk chiffon lining in a matching fabric. The dress closes with a side set zipper on the inner corset and then the outer chiffon layer snaps into place over that. Elastic around the top of the shoulder and cuffs. The grosgrain ribbon belt is not original to the dress but will be included. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little. Tagged a YSL 42

Sleeves: approximately 25" from the drop
Inner bust: 16.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21.5 flat across from side seam to side seam
Bust: 14" from the top of the neckline to the waist
Total length: 59" from top of the neckline to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4936

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 1994 Yves Saint Laurent.

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.

I recently had another of these Valentino dresses from the Spring 1993 show in the shop and I am very happy to find another twin from the group that walked the runway that season. Valentino did a series of these dresses that were all done with this touch on a Western theme of stars on them with slightly different upper bodices. We have included photos of the runway and of video many of the pieces, including this one, so you can see how fantastic this is on the body.

The front of this dress is a solid black crepe that extends all the way down the length of the dress. Where the first one had the interest at the front, this one is all about the back. The dress is suspended from skinny straps that curve up and over the shoulders to meet at the middle of your back. The neckline plunges into a low V at the front and then it curves in at the waist. From there it falls to the floor, expanding out as it near the hem. The shape on this one is all created by long vertical seams and the bottom skirt is quite full and generous. This creates a beautiful movement as you walk. Where the straps meet at the back you have two triangles of mesh. These extend out from each side to the centre of your back. This leaves the entire back open above and below the mesh and of course you can see skin through the mesh as well. I love how this makes the body feel bare but you are still somewhat covered at the same time. At the centre of your back you see the first of the five rhinestone encrusted stars that the dress has. Another star sits at the top of each of the mesh panels and then you have the fourth and fifth star sitting at the base of each of those panels. I love that because of how the stars are placed you can clearly see them from the side as well as the back. The stars make this dress instantly recognizable as being from this collection. It is truly a fantastic piece of Valentino history. Excellent condition with a small note below.

The dress is fully lined in a black silk and closes with a side set zipper. We see a couple rhinestones missing off of the very tips of the stars. Please see the photo after the label shot for an example. Tagged a vintage Valentino 6

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4929

Reference Photos: (1-6) Spring 1993 Valentino.  /  (7) Spring 1993 Valentino Ad Campaign by Walter Chin.

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.

In the 1980s and 1990s Gianni Versace ruled the catwalks. He was the favourite of the Supermodels and they were featured predominately in his runway shows and his ad campaigns. Versace launched his label in 1978 and by 1989 he presented a couture collection. The days that Gianni headed the label were heady, glamorous ones and set the tone for the label as we know it today. He remained at the helm until his death by assignation in 1997. Everyone wanted to own and wear a Versace. When looking for the date of the show, we found pieces with similar straps in both the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

This is a dress that is extremely simple in cut but every line is done with purpose to highlight and shape to the body. It is also a dress that really needs a body in it to truly come to life. I think it looks pretty great on my dress form but it is going to be even better once it is on an actual body. The fabric that it is made out of is light in weight and holds its shape well. It is a stretch fabric that is going to mold and shape itself around the body. That fabulously fitted shape that you see is all constructed by the bare minimum of seams needed. There is a seam that is defined by a silk satin ribbon right under the bodice. Simple little darts help to shape the bodice. The rest of the dress is as minimal as possible. Seams have been set in a curving line down each side and then there is one that runs down the back to create an hourglass shape. The waist nips in and the hips curve out following the lines of the body. The skirt falls to the floor and there are high slits on both sides of the skirt so that you get a flash of leg when you walk. The bust is fabulous in its simplicity. Straps curve up and over your shoulder and each one has a silver metal Versace Medusa medallion at the front. A subtle nod that you are wearing a Versace. The front dips down into a shallow curved V and the upper back is left bare. It is the ultimate simple and sexy dress. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on to wear with no closures. The fabric stretches into place around you. The stretch fabric will allow it to fit a range of sizes and I have put the comfortable range of measurements below.

Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Seam under the bust: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 11.5-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" to the seam under the bust
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem
Slits: 19" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4931

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1995 Versace, Look 33. Model: Helena   /  (2) Spring 1996 Versace, Look 74. Model: Linda

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 spectacular dress is the twin of the dress that was worn on the runway for the Fall 1995 Karl Lagerfeld show. The dress is from Karl Lagerfeld's own label. He launched his self-named label in 1984 and by the 1990s it was firmly established. Pieces from his personal label were far edgier then the work he did for Chanel. It was a label where he explored a more avant garde feel with his designs and pushed the envelope more. This is a fantastic example of his work for that label and I love that you can see how it moves in the video we have. 

This is a fantastic dress that is made out of a mix of a light weight black net that is backed in more layers of netting and silk chiffon. Then onto that is a pattern made from black velvet fused onto the netting.  I love that the velvet is set to really highlight the cut and lines of the dress. It has a slightly more bare and fitted feel through the upper bodice and then flares and widens out very dramatically to the hem. The fabric is light in weight but the layering underneath the top layer of netting gives it enough weight and structure to hold the shape. The bust drops into a V and the velvet details on the bodice are set on angles to work into a centre vertical velvet line. This same striping runs horizontally all the way around the hem. The line that runs down the centre of the bodice extends all the way to the hem and then more vertical lines go all the way around the skirt to break up it up into panels. The waist comes in a touch, but has a more generous feel to it, and the skirt swings in a a wide A-line. At the back, the dress completely opens with a series of silk covered buttons that run from neck to just above the hem. I absolutely love this unexpected detail. I also love how he used those little bands of velvet to highlight where the buttons are set. The buttons become an integral design detail in themselves. It is a very collectible and rare dress from the earlier years of his self named label. Excellent condition.

The bodice is lined in another layer of the same netting and the skirt has three more layers of netting under the top layer and an inner nude silk chiffon layer under those. It closes at the back with the series of buttons that you see. 

Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of the shoulder to waist
Total length: 55" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4926

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 1995 Karl Lagerfeld.

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 spectacular dress walk the runway for Fall 1998 and Mr. Valentino obviously thought it was one of the best pieces in the show as he also used it for the ad campaign that year. It is spectacularly beautiful and like many Valentino pieces, as you get closer to it you really start to see all of the incredible details it has. He was a man who lived in the fine details on even the simplest looking pieces and this dress is a beautiful example of what he could create. It is phenomenal and I love it.

The dress is suspended by two little lace covered straps that curve up and over your shoulders. The top of the bodice is cut straight across and that continues around to the back. The bodice is covered in a layer of fine black French lace that is layered over an inner ivory silk. and then that has a layer of fine ivory netting over that. This softens the black of the lace underneath and acts as a diffusion of the black colour underneath for a more romantic feel. The bodice is simple in feel and ends at a seam set just a touch above the natural waist. A dense one inch high band of the tiniest black seed beads are set just above the seam and then the beads continue up onto that top net layer. They are scattered over the bodice and getting more spaced apart as they go upwards over you. Under that band of bead work is a dense silk eyelash fringe that sits up and off of the dress from this incredible tactile effect. More of those tiny black seed beads have been scattered throughout the fringe. I have taken several close-ups so that you can see just how incredible this workmanship is. The skirt falls under that to the floor and it is made up of three more tiers of this same lace, silk fringe, silk net and bead work. Each tier overlaps the one below it. Each has that same net overlay as the bodice but he let it sit more as a separate layer rather than an attached one like it is on the bodice. So that softening effect is greater on the skirt and it also adds a little more volume than you see through the bodice. It is very subtle but this is where he just excels in the detailing. The edge of each layer is finished in the same manner of bead work, and that ivory silk fringe. When you move all of the layers softly move around you. It is very beautiful and an exceptional piece of Valentino history. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a white silk through the bodice and a silk crêpe through the skirt. I see a couple small layers where the lace has broken on the straps, but it's minor. Some very minor grubbiness to the edge of the inner hem. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8.

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" 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: 65" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4924

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1998 Valentino Runway Collection.  /  (4) Fall 1998 Valentino Ad Campaign.

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.