Ady Couture
Stunning 1980s Ady Couture Rich Sueded Pink Silk Dress w Elaborate Pink Feather Trim
This dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway. This dress would have been made during the time period my clients aunt lived in Switzerland, from the late 70s to 1993. The dress is completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and it is gorgeous. It is not perfect but the flaws it has are minor and it is still perfectly wearable.
This is a dress that as good as it looks on the dress form, the second it hits the body it really comes to life. It is made out of a rich and heavy sueded silk that drapes and falls over the body beautifully. The dress is cut to give the illusion that it wraps and closes around you but that is all just clever design. The bodice has a low V and it skims over the bust. The dress form it is on has a little less bust then what the dress really needs and I think on the proper size girl it will fill out and the dress will have even more of a hour glass curve to it. I love the way the drape comes from the low hip and works up to the nipped in bit at the waist. This is the exact opposite of how most dresses lie and is a little mini feat of engineering to accomplish. The skirt below that curves over the hips and is scooped up at the front. It is this crossed over stopping and draping that give it its wrapped illusion. At the back the dress falls into a low V with the silk crossed over itself. You have a mirroring of the drope at the waist and on this side it is more gathered and gives the dress even more shape. All of the gathers close in to the hand set zipper on that side. I think you might even be able to wear this dress backwards. It is so well made that I would not be surprised if it worked either way once on the body. If the cut and drape of it were not enough the skirt was then trimmed with a band of tightly spaced feathers that were hand dyed to match the silk. They almost act like a weight to keep the skirt perfectly in place and definitely add a shot of high glamour. The dress is gorgeous and that pop of bright colour is just spectacular. Inside it is completely finished to couture standards with every seam hand finished. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship. This is a very difficult fabric to work with and it is finished to perfection. It is an incredible piece and beautifully made. The pink is slightly different then how it photoed and even better in person. Presents as excellent condition but does have some flaws as described below
Unlined with couture finished inner seaming. The dress zips to close at the side with a hand set zipper. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all but does have some subtle discolourations from improper storage here and there and a faint mark on the back of one hip. The changes in colour are subtle. Slight foxing at the neckline. Again very subtle. Please see the photos after the label shot. The feathers are in wonderful condition and I see no signs of any shedding. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is bias cut so the measurements below are the comfortable range.
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 38" long but may come up a bit with the bias cut once on
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3735
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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SIZE GUIDE
Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.
