valentino
Spring 2020 Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli Runway White 'Le Blanc' Tuxedo Front Dress
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The near twin of this dress walked the runway for the Spring 2020 show for Look 2. It was one of 12 pristine white looks that Pierpaolo opened the show with. When asked about this, he said “I wanted to work on something universal, to get back to the essence of shape and volume,” he said. “So I worked on the idea of the white shirt, but treating it with a couture sensibility.” Vogue called it "a long gulp of fresh air and optimism centered on something known." and noted the nod to the Renaissance in the "starched bibs, shirt collars, billowing sleeves, and ruffs" all of which this dress has in spades. It was also a nod to the 1968 all-white collection by Mr. Valentino. The show ended with a standing ovation for Piccioli.
I love the traditional feeling tuxedo bib front of this dress. It buttons to close down the front with little mother-of-pearl buttons but these are all hidden behind a flat panel of crisp cotton. That contrasts perfectly with the starched waffle weave of the front bib. The collar is small and neat and the entire body is cut to billow out over you in an almost tube shape to the low seam at the hip. On the runway they showed it belted with a braided leather rope belt. That belt was sold separately and to show you how the dress looks belted I have added a little silk chiffon tie belt that I had here. The sleeves are beautifully full. For the cuffs he used that same crisp starched waffle weave cotton. The skirt is in total contrast to the top of the dress and is made from three tiers of feather light silk chiffon that are set exceptionally wide and full. This causes the dress to move around you with the slightest movement. There is another layer of chiffon underneath that to keep it from being completely transparent. It is a beautiful dress from a very special collection. I love how the label specifically denotes it as being from the Le Blanc collection. This dress was sold in two lengths and this one is slightly shorter than the one shown on the runway. Excellent condition.
The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear. It buttons down the front to the seam where the skirt starts. Each cuff has a single button to close. It is meant to feel oversized through the body and you can cinch it in with a belt or the little silk sash that I will include. Tagged a Valentino 38S. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.
Sleeves: 22" from the dropped shoulder seam and are 16.5" around the upper arm
Dropped shoulders: to 19"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at seam: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 25" from neck to seam at top of hips
Total length: 52" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG
Item# DD4938
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2020 Valentino, Look 2.
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This dress is a production piece based on the similar sequin work done for Look 41 of the Fall 2022 collection. Vogue said that the show was his darkest and most unnerving show to date, as well as his most ravishing. Pieces focused mainly on nightwear. I love that when the collection went to production he made this dress very easy to wear for most, but still added the touches and feel from the runway to give it that dose of high glamour.
This is a truly gorgeous dress. The fabric is a creamy almost nude silk organza that is lined with a silk crepe in the same colour so that it is opaque enough to wear even while giving the illusion of being quite bare from a distance. Onto the top layer he has added large sequin flowers on trailing stalks and these have been applied over the entire dress from shoulder to hem. The flowers are made from silver and pewter sequins that are set to overlap each other so that they sit up and off the dress to create a slight 3D feel that is fantastic. In the centre of each flower is a cluster of prong set glass rhinestones that are a mix of sizes and colours. The colours ranging from a clear glass, to a smoky grey topaz, a bright clear blue, and black. The effect this creates is just absolutely stunning when you see the dress as a whole. The sequins catch the light from every angle. The neckline is scooped and the shoulders are soft. The sleeves are long and simple so that the sequin work on them takes centre stage. It is cut to skim over the bust with just a little bit of shaping through the waist. It curves over the hips and then falls to the floor from there. It is cut with a little extra fabric at the back of the skirt for a sweeping feel behind you. It is like wearing a bouquet from head to toe but one that is slightly edgy feel. It is absolutely lovely. In its original uncut length and appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in a matching silk crepe and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a modern UK12, US8, IT44, FR40
Sleeves: 25" and are 13" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 63.5" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4923
Reference Photos: Fall 2022 Erdem, Look 41.
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
Cruise 2010 Christian Dior by John Galliano Pink Silk Chiffon Crossed Over Bodice Dress
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During John Galliano's years from 1996-2011 at the house of Christian Dior he arguably produced some of the most amazing bias cut and chiffon dresses in the house's history. His work often has a feeling of the decadence and abandonment of the twenties and thirties with their beautiful cuts. This is an amazing example of his work from the Cruise 2010 collection and it is gorgeous. "For Resort, Galliano had a series of softly draping floor-length evening dresses." said Vogue's review and that "Galliano's light touch...made the retro shapes look modern". A near twin of the dress in beige was a part of the presentation and then this is a dress was made for the shops in this stunning colour. It is so classically Galliano for Dior in its shape and cut. It is a real beauty.
The dress is made out of the prettiest pink silk chiffon that has a touch of texture running through it. It is all cut on the bias which is one of his key signatures. The bodice is beautifully cut. Twisted silk chiffon straps made of the same fabric curve up and over each shoulder and then they extend into the panels that go over the front. They crossover each other and this gives the dress that fabulous plunge. It drapes over the bodice and comes in at the waist. From there the dress drapes the the floor widening out as it nears the hem. At around the knee there are these long, triangular shaped panels sewn into the lower skirts. This is what gives it that the volume that you see. The seaming is a nod to the work you see from the twenties and thirties. The panels help to hold that pretty volume through the lower skirt and the lightness and incredible amount of fabric through the skirt gives you so much movement when you walk or move. It is stunning. A signature row of tightly spaced silk covered buttons run up one side for the perfect finish. The dress is even better in person and on the body as the static photos cannot fully convey how the dress moves once on the body. Excellent condition.
Fully lined in a matching silk and closes at the side with a hidden set zipper with a series of silk covered buttons over it. There is an extra 5 inches of the straps inside the back so you can adjust them to the perfect fit if needed. Tagged a vintage Dior F38, GB10, IT42, US6
Bust: 15-17" flat across with no true side seams
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 8" from shoulder to seam under the bust
Total length: 62" from top of the shoulder to the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4627
Reference Photos: 2010 Cruise Christian Dior Collection.
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This Roberto Cavalli dress is from the recent Spring 2024 collection under the creative direction of Fausto Puglisi. A version that looks like it was cut shorter walked the runway for Look 12 on Adut. The exuberant feather print that you see on this dress in shades of pinks and coral was an integral part of the show and ran over several of the pieces. This is the kind of dress that you slip on when you want to make a statement.
The dress is easy-to-wear and very flattering once on the body. The stretch jersey fabric and brilliantly coloured feather print are the perfect combination. The lines are simple and it has that perfectly easy but very sexy feel. There is an inner body suit to hold the dress perfectly in place and you just slip it on, hook the band at the back of the waist and button the button at the top of the neck and walk out the door. Once it is on, it moves with you and highlights your curves. The dress has a deep front plunge that is held in place by that inner bodysuit. The sleeves are long and simple. When you turn there is a long open cut out for an expanse of bare skin to show. A band wraps around the waist and hooks into place at the back to hold that opening in place. Another cut out is done on each side of the dress to expose the skin above the waist band and the top of the hip. From there it falls to the floor in a column of jersey. The entire lower portion of the skirt has been set in so that it flares out and when you walk, you get a kick of fabric. You can see that in the runway video and because these were sent in a longer length to the stores, it is even better in my opinion. It is one of the dresses that you just slip into and walk out feeling like a million bucks. Very sexy on. It appears to have been worn very little at all. Excellent condition
Unlined and slips on with an inner bodysuit that hooks to close. The band at the back of the waist also hooks into place and it buttons to close at the back of the neck. The fabric has stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range of that stretch when it's laying flat.
Sleeves: approx 24"
Shoulders: no true shoulder seam
Bust: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4880
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2024 Roberto Cavalli, Look 12. Model Adut Akech. / (4-7) From the Roberto Cavalli website. / (8) Loujain Adada in Roberto Cavalli for Dubai Fashion Week, 2024.
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.
Gorgeous Spring 2020 Alexandre Vauthier Yellow Silk Jersey Dress w Plunge & High Front Slit
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Alexandre Vauthier launched his label in 2009. He started his fashion career in 1993 working for Thierry Mugler as an intern and working his way up to assistant designer to Mugler himself. In 1997 he joined Jean Paul Gaultier where he in charge of the Couture collections for the following eight years. He left in 2008 to open his own couture atelier showing his first collection in 2009. From 2011 to 2014 the label was a designated guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de haute couture and since December 2014 he has been a full Couture member. He also designs ready-to-wear and this gorgeous dress is from that part of the label. Versions of the dress where made in a pale blue and this beautiful yellow.
The dress is made from a beautiful yellow stretch jersey that has enough weight and drape to it so that is falls perfectly in the sharp angular lines that he intended it to be shaped in. I love the precisely shaped strong shoulders and how the shape of it narrows in as it reaches the hem. The dress is cut to skim over the body and highlight it everywhere. The sleeves are cut extra long so that once on the arm they bunch up a touch. The low cut V at the front goes right to the waist. The dress is shaped around the hips so that it sits snugly on the body and there is an inner body suit bottom to hold the dress and the plunge perfectly in place. The fabric is gathered in towards one hip under the plunge and a large panel wraps around you for a bit of a sarong feel. The skirt is crazy sexy. It is slit right up to the base of the panel that wraps around the hips for a mile of leg to show. The skirt itself is cut in an almost long triangle shape that trails out past the hem. It is amazing on the body and it is just a beautiful and very sexy dress. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Made from a double layer of the jersey so it is opaque. It zips to close at the back with a hidden set zipper. The inner body suit snaps to close. Padding in each shoulder. A tiny darkening near the end of the skirt hem. The fabric does have stretch and is meant to stretch to accommodate the curves of the body
Sleeves: 29"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 67" from top of the shoulder to waist
Slit: 45" from hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD4654
Reference Photo: Spring 2020 Alexandre Vauthier, Look 10.
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
Pre-Fall 2020 Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli Runway Look 3 Blue & White Silk Organza Dress
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This dress is the twin of Look 3 for the Pre-Fall 2020 collection. For this collection Pierpaolo paid homage to the Fall 1968 Haute Couture collection and I have included the reference photos of those original pieces here. This famous print was originally done by Mr Valentino and were inspired by the blue and white in Chinese Delft print vases. It is also very close in style to the 2013 Valentino dress that was a part of the in the Met Museums 2015 "China: Through the Looking Glass" exhibit. When speaking of this collection to Vogue Piccioli said; “I want to maintain couture’s values even in the pre-fall collection. I like the idea of breaking its rules and translating them into a modern, spontaneous wardrobe, making something historical become contemporary.” and they went on to mention this print in particular saying that 'he picked from the archives... a beautiful print of Delft blue vases from a sophisticated 1968 couture collection. “I want Valentino to be lively and joyous,” enthused Piccioli. “For me, beauty means life, emotion, something that vibrates and is full of energy—not something removed that you look at from afar, as if on a pedestal.” Mary Holland wore its twin to a premier that season as well. It is beautiful and very special.
The dress is pristine and utterly beautiful. It is made of a feather light silk organza that has been printed with that beautiful blue and white design that gives a nod do the 1968 couture collection as described above. It is magical. The colour combines the soft ivory backdrop with that dreamy blue floral print. The print is beautiful and intricate. I love how he has placed the print over the bodice and skirt to accentuate the design and flow of the dress. The silk is feather light in weight and just floats beautifully over the body once on. It will softly move with the slightest breeze or movement on your part. The dress has a second layer of organza through the bodice and skirt which gives it just a touch less transparency and also helps to add to the airy and light feel that it has. The sleeves are a single layer of silk so you see your arm through the pattern. The neckline has a small neat collar and it buttons to close done the bodice with hidden set buttons. Note how careful the patterns has been lined up across the panel there. The bodice lightly skims over you to the nipped in waist. Each sleeve ends in a beautiful ruffles cuff. The skirt is spectacular. It is lazy gathered through the waist scene and then opens up to be very full to the floor. Because of the layering of the organza with the outer layer in the inner layer, it just floats and moves around you spectacularly when you move. It a just gorgeous and even better in person as you get more of a sense of the lightness of that stunning printed silk. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Lined in silk organza as described above. I buttons down the front with hidden set buttons under that front panel and zines to close with a hidden set zipper down the back. Tagged a modern Valentino 40
Sleeves: 21.5"
Shoulders: 14.5"
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: 15" from neck to waist
Total Length: 65" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
Item# DD4588
Reference Photos: (1) Pre-Fall 2020 Valentino, Look 3. / (2) Models in Valentino, British Vogue, September 1968. / (3) Valentino dresses at the MET Exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass", 2015. / (4) Model in Valentino Autumn 1968 Gown, photographed by Steven Meisel, 2015. / (5) Mary Holland in Valentino at the premiere of "Happiest Season", November 2020.
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.
luisa beccaria
Most Romantic Resort 2020 Luisa Beccaria Runway Look 24 Blue & Ivory Silk Chiffon Dress
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The twin of this dress was Look 24 for the Resort 2020 presentation and I love having that reference photo for you to show how amazing it is on the body. The Luisa Beccaria label is out of Italy and is run by the mother-daughter team of Luisa and Lucilla Beccaria. They are known for their incredibly feminine pieces that have an almost story book feel to them. The cost of their pieces run into the thousands and their clothing is very well made. This season was a coup for the label as they were fresh from designing the wedding dress Lady Gabriella Windsor. And well deserved. The label's pieces always have a sense of romance to them. Vogue said of the collection that; 'Beccaria’s style is at its most resplendent when she’s designing for elegant soirées and receptions with a sense of occasion. Resort offered plenty of choices in embroidered lace, layered tulle, macramé, and wispy organza.'
This is everything you look for in a piece by the Beccaria label. It has a stunning floral design print screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. The entire dress has been printed with that gorgeous and romantic flower design in pale shades of blue and I love it. The neckline is set in a higher collar around the neck with a long tie that you can let trail down the back as they did in the collection photos or wrap and tie it into a beautiful soft bow at the front like I did for most of these shots. The silk has been gathered into the collar for pretty detail on the bodice and this adds a pretty softness there. From the neckline it skims to the waist and it comes with a matching tie belt in the same fabric that has a cut out flower that matches the print on the belt. I love this extra little thought into the design and how this gives you the option of wearing it more cinched in through the waist. The skirt falls to the floor under that, and the silk is all biased cut and there is a ton of fabric in the skirt. It is so light and there is so much fabric that your slightest movement causes the skirt to float around you as you move. It is beautiful to see. It is also in its original uncut length so it is very long. The sleeves are fantastic. Each is an incredibly full balloon sleeve made out of a single layer of the silk chiffon. They pouf out dramatically above the cuff and each cuff ends in a split ruffle that is angled down longer on one side. The movement and drama the entire dress has is extraordinary. This is a dress 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 and very romantic example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. It comes with its original hang tags and was never worn. Excellent condition
The outer dress is unlined and it comes with a matching ivory bias cut silk chiffon slip to wear underneath. It closes with hook and eye at the back of the neck and a hidden set side zipper. Elastic through the waist and at the end of each cuff. The original tie belt is included. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. It will just drape more on a smaller frame and be more fitted on a larger frame. In its original uncut length, and appears to have never been worn. Tagged a modern 46 and has its original hangtags.
Outer Dress
Sleeves: approx 29" but meant to come up once on and 18" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total length: 67" from top of shoulder to hem
Inner Separate Slip
Bust: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 67" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD4590
Reference Photo: Resort 2020 Luisa Beccaria, Look 24.
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
Beautiful Pre-Fall 2020 Chanel by Virginie Viard Runway Look 37 Silver Sequin, Pearl & Crystal Skirt
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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.