In 1952 Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman stores and was eventually available at other retailers as well. The line was high-end and extremely well made. He launched this line to expand his customer base and it made to appeal specifically to his non-couture clients. This label continued until 1992. When researching this piece we found its twin from the Spring 1977 runway and it is definitely a piece that was very well documented and photoed that season. It is easy to see why as it could not be more gorgeous.

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway and editorial reference photos 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. Over the bodice the fabric has been draped and gathered into place with a large soft tie at the centre front for detail. More gathered silk wraps around the waist from under the bust. This gives the entire upper body of the dress a soft and romantic feel. I love the shape it creates around the waist. The skirt falls to the floor from there. It widens out as it near the hem and the soft gathers that set it around the waist give it beautiful movement as you move. The sleeves have a touch of transparency to them and this gives the dress a very subtle sexiness to have the fabric feel so light and have that hint of transparency. It is killer. The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little. Excellent condition  

The dress is lined in a red silky rayon and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a side set zipper. Elastic around the top of the shoulder and cuffs. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little. It is all cut on the bias so has some room in the measurements. The comfortable range is listed below. 

Sleeves: approximately 24" from the drop
Bust: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bust: approx 18" from the top of the natural shoulder to the slightly dropped waist
Total length: 59" from top of the natural shoulder to hem with 4" turned under the hem and another 2.5" turned under that. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4951

Reference Photos: Spring 1977 Givenchy. (Photos 3-5 from the Spring 1977 RTW Advance & Photo 6 from the Spring 1977 RTW runway).

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In 1952, Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season, he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman stores and was eventually available at other retailers as well. The line was high end and extremely well made. He launched this line to expand his customer base and it made to appeal specifically to his non-couture clients. This label continued until 1992. This dress is a gorgeous example from the time period. I love it. 

The dress is a fantastical confection of dotted silk organza tiers that run from the top of the dress to the hem. The bodice is suspended from the shoulder with straps made of the same silk. Each strap curves over the shoulder and then the first ruffle of silk starts from around the top edge of the top. The neckline is cut fairly straight across on both the front and back. The ruffles continue down the entire length of the dress and each one gets wider than the one above it. There are eight ruffles in total and it is just spectacular. The movement that the ruffles create as you move is fantastic. The dress underneath is made from the same dotted fabric and it also follows that widening line of the dress all the way to the hem. The skirt falls to the floor in a dramatic sweep that widens out as it near the floor. This cut is incredibly easy to wear and flattering. I love how the silk ruffles move around you beautifully with the slightest movement. There is a little silk flower attached at the base of one strap that gives the dress a little extra pop of colour for the perfect finishing touch. Tons of hand finishing throughout. It is truly magical. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Fully lined in a red silk and closes with a back set zipper and then each tier has tiny snaps to close each of the ruffles over the zipper to hide it. Tagged a vintage Givenchy 8. I see one tiny hole near the hem of one ruffle near the bottom. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finishes throughout. 

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner seam under the bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4935

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 1952, Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season, he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman stores and was eventually available at other retailers as well. The line was high end and extremely well made. He launched this line to expand his customer base and it made to appeal specifically to his non-couture clients. This label continued until 1992. This dress has the Givenchy Boutique label without the Nouvelle added and as far as I am aware this label was usually reserved for special orders that were made in the atelier and then shipped to the client without any Paris fittings. All the ones that I have ever seen are machine stitch for the main long seams and then hand finished throughout otherwise. This dress is made exactly like that and it could not be more gorgeous.

This is the kind of dress that makes my heart flutter when I see. I love this particular silhouette from this time period and this one is a beauty. The dress is made out of a beautiful silk brocade that has pink and copper flowers woven throughout the fabric. The pink and slightly coral parts of the flowers are done in a more matte thread and then the copper and gold parts are done with a metallic thread. As a result the flowers almost seem to glow off of the silk. It is an incredible vintage fabric. The top of the dress is equally as stunning. It has a low squared off neckline at the front that is made from a black velvet. It curves up and over your shoulders and has the same squared off opening at the back. At the front it dips slightly at the centre and placed exactly in the middle of that dip is a large black bow of the same velvet that has stiffened netting inside to help hold its shape. The sleeves are gorgeous. Each shoulder is shaped into a high cap. To help support the bit of a rise above the shoulder there is a stiffen thicker grosgrain ribbon that is pleated and stitched into place along the edge of the inner shoulder to add support. The sleeves are cut so that they curve over your arm and narrow down slightly to a zippered wrist. The top is meant to be more fitted and create a more empire feel. The dress is shaped through the waist area with vertical darts to bring the fabric in and create the curve that you see. The skirt falls to the floor from there. It flares out quite dramatically by the time it reaches the hem and I love how the width of the lower skirt perfectly balances the shape through the upper bodice. It is spectacular and the cut and design are phenomenal. This is classic Givenchy for this time period. Excellent condition

The dress is backed in the same velvet where it goes over your shoulders and then the bodice and rest of the dress are lined in a black silk chiffon. It closes with a back zipper and there is a zipper at the end of each cuff. Hand finishes throughout and very well made. 

Sleeves: 24" and are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 12" from top of shoulder to where the velvet ends under the bust
Total length: 57.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 59" to the back hem with 2" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4893

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 very rare runway documented Givenchy Couture dress from the Spring 1998 ready-to-wear collection "Rhinestone Cowgirls". It is the twin of the one that walked the runway. This is from the small period of time that Alexander McQueen was the Creative Director for the house. At just 27 years old he succeeded John Galliano as head designer in 1996. In 2001 his contract ended and he departed, telling the press that his creativity was constrained. His appointment had been tumultuous from the start. Hubert de Givenchy had describe his appointment as a "total disaster” and McQueen had shot back that the founder was “irrelevant”. Of course now in hindsight we see his collections for the genius that they were. It also showed his ability to design Couture. He said in later interviews that he walked away from the label with a greater knowledge about the process and techniques of couture, which benefited his own label afterwards. 

In the 'Givenchy Catwalk' book they note that the collection was heavily influenced by Westerns and said that "the hairstyles were inspired by the 1970s, especially Farrah Fawcett's iconic look with thick hair and flicked out ends. Dresses and suits made out of dip, lambskin, covered with flames and star motif created with insets of fabric appliqué." This is one of the most recognizable dresses from the collection and its photo also appears in that same book.

This dress is remarkable. It is strapless and the body of the dress is beautifully seamed. The upper edge of the bodice is finished with a dusty pink suede and the inner bodice is boned and shaped to hug the person wearing it. It is held in place by that inner corset and then it skims over the waist and down to the hips. I love how the skirt is set into the hip with a series of curved scalloped designs. This allowed him to do long vertical panels to make up the skirt. There are eight of them in total and each one spans out to be a full 25" across by the hem. That makes the bottom of the skirt incredibly full and if you lay it out flat, it is more than a full circle skirt. To emphasize the fullness of the skirt he had the model hold the skirt up and flick it around her as she moved. You can see in the photos here that when you are standing still you do have some idea of the fullness that the skirt has but this is really a piece that it is when you have it on and you see it moving that the amazing amount of fabric in the skirt gives it an entirely new dimension. The bottom of the skirt has been inset with the same dusty pink suede in the flame motif that ran so prominently throughout the show. I laid the dress out with the skirt extended so that you can get an idea of just how much fabric is in there. This is an amazing piece of both Givenchy and Alexander McQueen's history. Excellent condition with a note below.

The bodice and body to just past the hip is lined in a black silk. The skirt is backed in black. The dress closes with a hidden set side zipper and the inner bodice is boned throughout with a built-in corset to the waist. A waist stay hooks to close. The suede shows some very slight minor fading and light grubbiness here and there. There is a small area on the bodice where the black has slightly lightened to have a reddish tint and there are a couple areas on one part of the skirt that has done the same. Please see the photos after the label shot. Tagged a vintage Givenchy 40

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13.25" flat across from side seam to side seam. Note that the outer waist is up to 15" so you could adjust the corset if you needed more room.
Hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9.5" from top of bodice to inner waist of corset
Total length: 56" from top of suede edge of the bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4872

Reference Photos/Video: (1-5) Spring 1998 Givenchy Runway.  /  (6) From the book "Givenchy Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Anders Christian Madsen.

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The book 'Givenchy Catwalk' says of this collection that "the new collection was heavily influenced by the fashions of the 1940s and was the height of sophistication." Several pieces walked the runway that season that had these Trompe L'oeil ribbons adorning their silk surfaces. The book notes that "the exclusive bow and ribbon prints on some day wear outfits reference the motif that had made Elsa Schiaparelli's name in 1927, but it was after dark that these features truly came into their own. In the evening were large ribbons tied into bows or loosely draped, decorating the bust like a tie or nipped in the skirts of extravagant colourful designs." This dress, or a very near version of it, was shown on the runway under a white jacket nipped in at the waist. We have also included a photo from the book that shows some of the other designs from that season that featured these sequin bows as well. It is a beautiful piece.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4870

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture.  /  (2) Spring 1979 Givenchy Haute Couture Looks from the book "Givenchy Catwalk: The Complete Collections" by Anders Christian Madsen.

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 walked the runway for Spring 1991 and we found just a second of footage of it as the model walks back down the catwalk. We have included that little bit of film along with a couple of stills taken from the clip for you to see. They are not the best photos ever, but we were still very happy to have confirmation that this was a runway piece. Marie Claire shot a different piece from the show done in the same fabric and that is also here for you to see. The dress is gorgeous and its looks like it was never worn. Truly a time capsule piece. 

The dress is made from a lightweight cotton voile that that has just enough weight so that it falls and drape perfectly over you. I love the bold use of all those brilliant colours in the print. There is an angled strap made out of the same fabric that curves over one shoulder. Inside the bust there is a built in, lightly boned bodice, with its own zipper that holds the dress in place over you. The dress drapes over the inner bodice and wraps around you almost like a sarong. Part of it wraps around the waist and snaps in the place for a touch of shape. It falls over the body in a loose and easy-to-wear way. The entire skirt wraps over itself and the wrapping of the fabric gives the hem an asymmetrical feel with one side hanging lower than the rest for a beautiful trailing feel. The wrap lets the slightest bit of air catch the fabric and lets it billow out around you when you walk and move. It is fantastic once on the body and really showcases his genius at both print and cut. Excellent condition

The inner bodice acts as the lining there and the rest is unlined. The built in, lightly boned bodice, closes with a zipper and flat hook and eye. The waist snaps and hooks in place. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage YSL 40. 

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to inner hooked waist
Total length: approx 50" from top of shoulder to shortest part of from hem and approx 67" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4411

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Spring 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (5) Yves Saint Laurent Editorial, Marie Claire, June 1991

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Louis Feraud opened his first boutique in 1950 in Cannes selling sundresses to the jet set. When Brigitte Bardot was photographed in a white pique and lace number, he became the darling of the fashion world. By 1956 he had moved to Paris and opened a couture atelier and in 1960s made his first official couture presentation. Ready-to-wear followed in 1970. He won the Golden Thimble in in 1978 and again in 1984.

I love this pretty and unusual dress. It is made out of a black jersey that has an inner dress that you step into and zip to close at one side. At the front there is an attached panel that runs down the full side of the dress and you wrap this over that inner dress and two long attached ties hold it in place at the waist. I love that you can just tie them at one side as I have or you can also wrap them around your waist if you want a really cinched in feel. The dress is suspended from two tiny straps that curve over your shoulders and drop into a V at the front. The back is scooped and you can control how loose or cinched it is at the waist. It skims over the hips and down to that very unusual hemline. The entire bottom of the skirt is made up of cut out circles that have been strung on long strings at different lengths all the way around you. This gives it tremendous movement as you move and is a very unusual treatment. I love how unique the dress is and how it is so easy to wear. Excellent condition.

The inner dress that the panel wraps over is lined with its black own silk chiffon lining. It zips to close with a hidden set zipper at the side and then the panel wraps over and ties into place that with attached ties at the waist. Tagged a FR38, D36.

Bust: 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam and then you can cinch it with the ties
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 56" from top of shoulder to the longest point that the detailing piece is dangle.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4971

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Richard Tyler was the designer to wear in the 1990s. He won the Council of Fashion Designers of America New Talent award in 1993 and in 1994 and 1995 he won the Council's Womenswear Designer of the Year award. Julia Roberts, Janet Jackson and Sigourney Weaver were just a few of the stars who loved his work and wore it on various red carpets. He was known for his impeccable tailoring and finishes. He employed some of the best tailor and seamstresses in the business at the time. This is a stunning example of how much impact one of his minimalist pieces could have.

This sleek little number is in perfect condition and is cut beautifully. It is suspended from the shoulders by tiny straps that curve over and down the back. The dress is completely bias cut to follow the curves of your body but without being super tight. The neckline dips in a V at the front and I love the detailing that you see there. The front bust has an inset that angles into a point to about the waist area. The inset is made from little strips of a black velvet that have been applied over a black silk chiffon and then backed in a nude silk chiffon. So you have coverage but there is still a touch of transparency. It is very sexy. Another V dips down for a bare expanse of skin to show at the back. The shape through the waist is created by vertical seams that curve over the body. The silk skims over the waist and hips and then falls to the floor. The lower part of the skirt widens out as it reaches the hem and extra fabric has been worked into the back so you get a bit of a sweeping feel as you walk away. It looks so simple on my dress form but this is a dress that is a bombshell piece once it is on an actual body. It is so good. Excellent condition.

The panel at the front is lined in nude silk chiffon as described above and the rest of the dress is unlined. It closes at the side with a hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Richard Tyler US8.

Bust: 17-19" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4948

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.

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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.