Dakota Johnson wore the twin of this incredible dress for the 2018 Golden Globes and it is a beauty. That was the year that all the stars wore black on the red carpet. The gowns were donated after and sold at a charity auction. This dress does have a showroom tag on it and another tag with Look 30 written on it and I wonder if this somehow made its way to my client. The place she purchased it from had no previous information  so without solid provenance I cannot say for sure but it seems that it is a definite possibility that this may be the actual dress worn by Dakota. If it is not it is identical. Dokaota landed on every best dressed list there was for this look and it is truly one of the mist stunning dresses I have seen.

Vogue said of this collection; "The Gucci girl (or shall we call her Guccy?) is a horror-movie buff. One of her favorite directors is the Italian Dario Argento, whose best work in the ’70s and ’80s celebrated Rome’s nocturnal dark side. Movies like The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, Inferno, and Deep Red have become classics of the genre. Alessandro Michele himself is a huge fan. With his help, for Pre-Fall the lovely Guccy roamed the Eternal City, touring a few of the bizarre locations where Argento shot his most sinister, spooky scenes, her adventurous looks a match for the quite extravagant backdrops." This dress was mentioned specifically; "Sipping a glass of Champagne at the majestic Art Deco bar, she looked her glamorous best in a trapeze-cut velvet dress embroidered with glittering shooting stars."

The dress is fantastic. The body of the dress is made from an inky black velvet and this fabric choice gives it a depth and richness that is gorgeous to see. It is cut in a chic sheath at the front with little velvet straps that curves up and over each shoulder. The bodice is cut straight across at the front and it skims over the bust. There is an attached belt at the waist where we see the first glimpse of whats to come in terms of crystals and embellishments on the dress. A buckle is made from diamond shaped crystals and pearls and adds shape at the front. It falls to the floor from there, gradually widening out as it nears the hem. Then when you turn around you get the full impact of this insanely gorgeous dress. The back is cut low across to leave the upper back bare and exposed. Then from the middle of the back are layers of tulle that cascade down and around you to the sides. There are three layers of tulle used to create the skirt. There is an inner black layer for support and than that is topped by a layer that has thousand and thousands of fused gold glitter dots onto it. The very top layer is just incredible. It falls from below a massive crystal detailing at the small of the back and it has streaming rows of rhinestones that create the tails of that 'shooting star' effect that Vogue mentions above. The detailing above that is astonishingly beautiful. It is an explosion of glass crystals that are topped by a 3D bow. As good as it looks in the photos it is even better in person. These catch the light from every angle and the skirts seem to flat around you. It really is an incredible piece. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk with a built in cupped corset. The corset closes with its own side set zipper and the velvet closes with a hidden set side zipper over that. No size on the label.

Bust: 15.5" 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
Bodice: 13.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 48" from waist to front hem,

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4041

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Pre Fall 2018 Gucci Collection, Look 30. Photo by Peter Schlesinger.  /  (2-8) Dakota Johnson, wearing Gucci, at the 2018 Golden Globes.

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

I have had a version of this dress in black before and was so pleased to now have this red one. The twin of this dress was used for the 1985 ad campaign shot by Helmut Newton that featured his long time muse Kirat Young. This is one of the iconic pieces of that season and I am very pleased to have found this. These were made in two versions for production, the deeply plunged version like you see in the reference photos and this more wearable version that has a deep V but that does not go right to the waist. Of course if you prefer the full plunge a tailor could easily open it for you in a flash.

The dress is made from a beautiful red silk jersey that has enough weight and drape to it so that is falls perfectly in the sharp angular lines that Yves wanted it to be shaped in. It is a beautiful representation of this time period with its 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. It hooks and snaps to close at the waist in behind that spectacular gold and jewel clasp. The low cut V of the front is if course what makes it so edgy and the addition of that strong shot of gold and red at the waist makes it an instantly recognizable piece of YSL. The clasp is based on a Robert Goossen design and suggests coral or branches, each tipped with a red rhinestone. The center is a large faceted red glass stone and the this hides the hooked clasp behind it that brings in the waist. The fabric is gathered in towards that clasp to give you shape while still keeping it very easy to wear. The dress skims over you from shoulder to hem. Each sleeve is long and cut to mimic the shape of the body of the dress by having them be cut wider at the shoulders and then narrow down to the wrist. It is amazing on the body and just a beautiful dress. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Part lined through the upper bodice in a red silk chiffon with the rest of the dress unlined. It slips over the head to wear, hooking in at the waist behind the jewel with a flat hook & eye. Snaps bring in the fabric under that. Each sleeve zips to close. Padding in each shoulder. Tagged a vintage YSL 42. The fabric does have stretch so will fit a variety of sizes, stretching to accommodate curves and draping on smaller frames

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: to 16.5" but meant to be slightly exaggerated
Bust: 17-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4035

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (3) Kirat Young for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche F/W 1985, shot by Helmut Newton, Vogue US March 1985.  /  (4) Another shot from the same shoot used for other publications that year.

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

Alessandra Rich is based in London and founded her self-named brand in 2010 after she designed her own wedding dress. She had no formal training and yet has managed to take her brand from the first 10 piece collection that took her eight months to put together to the mega brand that we know it to be today. This dress is the twin of Look 7 from her Fall 2017 collection. It felt like it was everywhere at the time yet at the same time it was  impossible to get your hands on one because it was sold out everywhere.

It is such a gorgeous dress. It is made from a turquoise stretch velvet that has a pretty floral print covering its surface. It buttons down the front and then she cleverly uses a combination of white and black to make it feel both feminine and edgy at the same time. The collar is wide and curved to follow the neckline. It is done in a double layer of a crisp white fabric which gives it a very sculpted formal feel while the curve of it keeps it feminine. The bodice is cut to skim over you to the waist that comes in just a touch to suggest shape. It curves over the hip and then down to the hem. Depending on your height it will fall to about the ankles so that your shoe can be seen. The sleeves are puffed and I love the black ribbon that details the cuffs. The ribbon is set so that it creates a pretty ruffle that I love. That same black ribbon outlines both of the top set pockets on each hip. Black  fabric covered buttons trail up the front to close the dress for the perfect final flourish. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a soft white fabric and closes down the front with the buttons as seen. The fabric has some stretch. Tagged a modern Alessandra Rich 40

Sleeves: 15"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17.5-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5-20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56.5" from neck to hem
Cuff: 10" around

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4032

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 2017 Alessandra Rich Presentation, Look 7.  /  (2) Model wearing Alessandra Rich for Matches Fashion Style Report, 2017.

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

This John Galliano dress is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. And yes - it is the dress that was worn by Ariana DeBose earlier this year to attend the West World HBO premier. I’ve included photos of her here from my various Instagram posts from that evening and you can see and read more on my Instagram. She even landed in the Vogue Best Dressed of the Summer season so far list in this one. It is spectacular. It is a stunning example of his work and is truly a beautiful piece. 

No matter how good you think that this dress looks like in photos and on Ariana, it is even better in person and moving. The silver metallic beads that creates the pattern on the silk catch the light from every angle when you move. The dress is made out of a deep red silk that has the slightest bit texture to it. The dress is cut on the bias so it just glides over the body. It doesn't even have any closures, it is made to just fall over you in a sweep of bias cut fabric. It is in its original supermodel length and has not been altered. It is cut to skim over the bust with a V neck plunge on both the back and the front. The V cut out are set just slightly off center and the back one scoops lower then the front. The dress is so well made that you could probably wear either side to the front and it works if not for the depth of the back plunge. The dress skims over the waist and hips and is cut so that the bias cut of the silk follows your curves and highlights the body underneath without it being too tight and fitted. Galliano was a genius when it came to this cut. Once past the hips the dress flares out as it nears the bottom and is incredibly long. Set in and around the full lower skirt are panels of the same silk that have been pleated. So when you walk or move these kick out and expand to add volume while still falling in a smother column when standing still. These glide and curve around you and add the illusion of even more height. That pleat work is picked up again at each shoulder where a ruffle of pleated and smooth silk wraps over and down the top of the shoulder for a pretty feminine touch. The final perfect detail is that spectacular design made out of a combination of silver tube beads and embroidery work that wraps around the waist and top of the hip. These cover each side of you and cleverly draw the eye in to add shape but without sacrificing the comfort of the bias cut. It is just wonderful. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined with an inner silk chiffon lining and slips over the head to wear. No size tag present. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. It is in its original uncut length. Being bias cut the length may come up a bit once on the body. The dress should work on a large range of sizes given the bias cut. On smaller frames it will drape more and be more fitted on larger frames. I think the pleats may have softened a bit over time but its hard to know if this was not an international design detail to play on its decadent thirties feel. The very slightest touch of a watermark here and there near the hem. You don't see this at all unless its laid out flat and the skirt opened completely.

Bust: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4029

Reference Photos: Ariana DeBose, wearing John Galliano from Shrimpton Couture, at the Season 4 Westworld Premiere, 2022.

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

This dress is from the Spring 2012 Valentino collection. During this time period both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were acting Creative Directors and it is interesting to see the collaboration that they did in these earlier years. This dress was not a runway piece but was produced for retail in a black, red and white. It has the feel of Looks 24 & 25 with that deep plunge at the front that is really fantastic. There is actually a Courreges mini dress that I am aware of that has this same scalloped front plunge and I always wonder if it was the direct inspiration for this longer version. Either way it is a fantastic dress. The show was a huge success and the Vogue review for this collection stated in part; "For Fall, the designers wove an enchanting, globe-trotting story through the sweetly feminine silhouettes they've established as their own over the last few ready-to-wear and couture seasons". Even if not a runway piece this dress was one of my favorites of the season and I was so pleased to have the red one come my way. It is just a fantastic dress.

This is such a gorgeous dress. Its simplicity combined with an almost shocking plunge at the front and its bright true red colour add up to an incredible piece. It is in its original supermodel long length and made of a beautiful silk crepe that gives it its sleek sculpted feel. The dress is very sexy and shows off some skin but still feels very elegant and refined. The fabric has just a touch of a bias cut to it through the body so its very comfortable to wear. It is really a dress meant to be on an actual body and not a mere dress form. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. I love the wider straps that curve up and over your shoulders and how all the edges of the bodice are set in a soft curving scallop pattern. The bust is set wide to the sides of the dress and then it opens up across the upper chest to the outer parts of the shoulder. The front plunges down from there to almost the waist. I love the band of the same fabric that sits part way down to keep it perfectly in place and creates just a subtle little key hole below the breast. This wraps all the way around you to add shape and structure. So it is a very deep plunge but a very wearable one. It is such a pretty and feminine touch. At the back it is scooped wide across there as well and then down into a V to leave most of your upper back bare. The skirt falls under that in a sculpted A line with that very specific shape. It widens out as it nears the hem and moves beautifully around you when you move while still holding that wonderful shape. A wide band of fabric circles all the way around the hem and this is what gives it a slight bit of added weight and structure to help hold the intended shape. It is a beautiful dress. Excellent condition.

The bodice is fully lined in a red silk and the lower panel of the skirt is a double layer of the same fabric. The skirt between is unlined. It closes with a back hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern Valentino 44

Bust: 17" flat across the back seam and each cup is 8" across at the widest point
Band under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 10.5" from top of shoulder to the top seam of the band under the bust.
Skirt: 52" from the seam under the bust (and including the 1" band) to the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4030

Reference Photos: Fall 2012 Valentino Runway Collection, Looks 24 & 25.

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

The Chanel Cruise collections have an interesting history. Gabrielle Chanel actually sailed and her love of the sport led to her inception of a 'cruise' collection in the 1920s. She was not the first to come up with this concept but hers were among the first to show a complete collection in a fully fledged show. They eventually fell off in popularity and it was not until Karl Lagerfeld took over Chanel that the cruise collections started again.

A one shoulder version of this dress walked the runway that season for Look 36. This was a very successful collection and was lauded by critics. Vogue said that 'It was like something out of a quintessential Riviera movie.... And like the carefree starlets and jet-setters they were channeling, the models traipsed down the street-cum-runway often barefoot, wearing seventies-ish diaphanous caftans, long crocheted dresses, ruffle-lapelled silk jersey trouser suits, and patchwork denim skirts.' They noted that 'Key, of course, is that lightness of touch, the sense of enjoyment and ease. And with fashion once again experiencing a 1970's revival, the show also ended up feeling—as Lagerfeld's Chanel outings often do—very much of the moment.' And the location choice? Karl said the location was a personal choice "I spent many years of my life here," he said. "I know Saint-Tropez like I know Paris. The collection is very casual, very down-to-earth." Of course only Karl and Chanel would think a gold knit ribbon dress is casual, to the rest of us this is an incredibly glamorous dress.

The dress is so beautiful. For all the talk of the seventies influence on this collection this one definitely has a nod to the twenties, a decade that Karl often touched upon. The base of the dress is made out of a knit that combines a natural deep linen shade cord that has a gold metallic thread woven through it with a gold grosgrain ribbon. These two fabrics are what make up the whole of the dress. For the bodice, and parts underneath the ribbons parts, the two fabric are woven into a chunkier knit and the final effect is gorgeous. The weave is set vertically and then where each panel of vertical ribbons starts there is a band of that same woven knit applied horizontally. Between the panels are gold ribbons hung vertically and caught up at both ends. Interspersed with those is the same cord that was used to create the base. These together and strung like they are create this magical straw and raffia feel that gives the dress depth and movement. There are two rows of that stacked on top of each other with the top one not as wide as the one that goes around the hips. Under the bottom row the ribbon and cord are allowed to fall to the hem like a long fringe. So when you move these create incredible movement as they swish and swoop around you. I feel like this one is more flattering then the runway version was. It gives more shape and definition whereas the runway one added bulk through the middle to me. This one just falls over you and is super easy to wear and just a really interesting and unique dress. The gold gives it that added glam factor and you could easily wear this for day with sandals and then go all out for an evening look. It would even make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional or as a dress for an event surrounding the ceremony. It is just incredible. Excellent condition

Fully lined an a stretch lingerie feel jersey that makes it very comfortable to wear. No closures, it just slips on. Tagged a 38 but it does have stretch. I have given the comfortable range of measurements below. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.

Bust: 16.5-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4027

Reference Photo/Video: Chanel 2011 Chanel Runway Collection, Look 36. Model: Sara Blomqvist.

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

The twin of this incredible dress was shown for Look 62 on the Fall 2006 runway. This dress is quintessentially Oscar in feel and Vogue agreed with that sentiment with journalist Nicole Phelps saying; 'While other designers flit from one influence to another, Oscar de la Renta has made a four-decade-long career of staying true to his brand of ladylike elegance'. On the runway the dress was styled with long gloves and a wide expanse of black silk tulle wrapped around the neck. Once those styling elements are stripped away you really see how beautiful the lines of the dress are. 2006 was an important year in Oscar's history. This is the same year that Parsons awarded him with the Lifetime Achievement Award at their 58th Annual Benefit and Fashion Show. No matter how gorgeous this dress photoed it can't come close tot he impact it has in person. It is literally covered with sequins from top to bottom and is just mind blowing to see in real life.

This Oscar de la Renta dress is absolutely gorgeous. It is red carpet worthy and would even make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. The dress is made up of four layers of silk which give it the light floating quality it has. The top layer is a netting that you can see has been completely covered with sequins. Then under that are are three more layers of black silk tulle. The sequins that cover the dress are a mix of silver and gold. They catch the light from every angle and I love the mix of the metals as it gives you endless styling opportunities. All of the sequins are done in different shapes and sizes. They are set to overlap each other and are very tightly spaced over the top part of the dress and then as they run past the hips and down the skirt they start to be spaced further apart so that you get more of a sense of the black netting underneath. It gives it this amazing floating feel. It makes me think of stars and the night sky. Running around the the neckline is a dense band of large gold toned beads and crystals. A smaller band of the same bead and crystal work runs around the opening for each arm. The dress is cut to be fitted to the body to below the hip. from there it flares out dramatically around you in a pouf of skirting. The back is cut longer and fuller for a beautiful sweep of fabric behind you. It is very well made and absolutely stunning in person. Excellent condition.

The inner layers of the black netting act as the lining through the bodice and hips. Below that the skirt is constructed from four layers of silk tulle as described above. It has a back zipper closure and an inner grosgrain waist stay that hooks to close. Tagged a size 2. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam with the inner waist stay hooked, 13" of left unhooked
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from shoulder to front hem, 72" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3613

Reference Photos/Video: Fall 2006 Oscar De La Renta Runway Collection, Look 62. Model: Emina Cunmulaj.

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

This is a spectacular runway piece from the Spring 2012 collection. From the day the label officially launched in 1923 as a repair and made-to-measure shoe shop in Italy, the label has had a loyal following. Salvatore only designed his first bag in 1949 and added scarves in 1955. In 1960 Salvatore passed away and his wife took over the business. It was her that launched a ready-to-wear line in 1965 and began the label on the path to what we know it as today. Women like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot were huge fans of the label. The Ferragamo label has been known world-wide for pieces that incorporated gorgeous graphics and cutting edge designs. This dress is extremely well made and a very dramatic and bold dress that will definitely turn heads. 

I love that we found some runway footage so that you can see just how spectacular this dress is on and moving. The fabric is feather light so that your slightest movement causes the dresses to float and billow around you. It is made from a feather light silk lame chiffon with various animal prints across its surface. The gold is created by gold lame thread woven directly into the silk with some areas of the print having a denser application of the gold and some less. This causes the entire dress to catch the light and shimmer from every angle. The bodice is made from single panel of fabric that is attached at the front of the waist and then extends up and over the breasts to a high collar. An attached panel of the same fabric can be wrapped around the neck, tied onto a bow or be left to trail down the back. I love how the halter is set slightly in an off-set angle so one side of your collarbone is slightly more exposed than the other. Under that is a band set around the waist for definition and shape. This circles all the way around you and then above it at the back you are left completely bare for a very sexy exit. An attached softer belt in the same fabric wraps over that. The skirt is remarkable. It is in its original supermodel length and made out of three layers of silk. It is constructed to have this incredible fullness and movement. The fabric is so light and fine that when you stand still it falls in a pretty column around you without adding bulk. You still get a hint of the fullness that it has but when you move the many yards of fabric that is actually there allows the skirt to billow out around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. There is also a high slit on one side that allows some leg to flash. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. It is an incredibly beautiful dress and no matter how good it looks in the photos the sensation and tactile feeling of the fabric and lightness when you have it in hand is just phenomenal. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any big event. This dress was well over $10k when it was first released. Appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The halter is backed with gold silk so it is opaque and the skirt is lined in an layer of neutral silk chiffon and then a layer of a gold finished silk chiffon lies over that. It zips to close with a low set zipper at the back and then the attached waist band hooks to close with a slide hook. Another slide hook closes the collar at the back of the neck. The tie is attached to the collar. I see some minor repairs to the hem of the skirt. There is so much fabric that you would only ever see them if its laid out flat and looked for. There is a slight pull near the waist. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged a Ferragamo 40.

Bust: has no fixed side seams. The halter covers to approx 18" across at the widest point
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: Approx 15" from neck to bottom seam of .75" waist band
Skirt: 48" from bottom seam of band at the waist to hem
Neck: 13" from end to end
Slit: 32"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4026

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2012 Salvatore Ferragamo Runway Collection, Look 38. Model: Daphne Groeneveld.

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

This is a very chic 1970s Christian Dior dress from the Marc Bohan years.  I recently sold a black jersey one that was very similar and this one has the same feel but from a slightly earlier time period. it is a wonderful example of the work being done during this time period and shows the restraint that the label could have when it delved into minimalism. It dates to the mid - late 1970s and it is a very easy and comfortable dress to wear. Don't let the simplicity of it fool you. This is a dream to wear and the simple lines are offset  by the high quality silk chiffon and the ease and beauty it has once on.

The dress is made from a deep blue silk chiffon that drapes beautifully over the body. The bodice has an almost squared off feel to it with a straight across neckline at both the back and the front. I love how it dips lower at the back for a touch of sexuality and bare skin to offset the simple lines. It is cut to skim over the bust and then it widens out slightly as it nears the waist line. The waist seam is slightly dropped to lengthen the bodice. This play on proportion gives the dress a touch of an unusual feel but without needing anything extra in terms of ornamentation. It comes with a matching silk tie and you can tie this around the top of the hips where the waist seam ends or use it to have the dress sit higher up so that the top blouses over and shortens the skirt. Which is a nice way to extend the wear of the dress as it gives you two looks. The skirt is set into the dropped waist seam in a series of seamed pleats that then open out at just under four inches under the seam so the skirt has the ability to softly move around you when you move. And it has pockets. The inside construction is beautiful with primarily hand finishes making it made to demi-couture standards. This is a dress that you just slip on and it is perfect for day or evening. You can also extend its life by layering things under or over it for a full range of looks. Excellent condition.  

Fully lined in a hand set blue silk. It closes with a back set zipper and the skirt snaps to close over the zipper. Pockets along the seam of each hip. I see a couple of small marks along the seam of the skirt otherwise, it looks to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finishes throughout

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist seam: to 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from top of shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: 37" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4025

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

John Galliano was moved from Givenchy to Christian Dior in October of 1996 and stayed there until he was dismissed in February of 2011. This dress is from the Fall 2006 collection and was a piece that would have been produced in limited quantities. The dress appears to have never been worn. Every season a series of beautiful pieces were produced alongside the more flamboyant runway pieces and these really show the blend between John's talent and the heritage of the house.

This is a beautiful dress that showcases the restraint and elegance that the best of the labels work has always had all through its decades of its history. It is pieces like this that truly give the word timeless its meaning. The dress is cut to a supermodel length and that extended back skirt make it feel even longer. Everything about the cut is done to lengthen the girl wearing it and give her one long and beautiful line. The shoulders are slightly squared off, but not in an exaggerated way. The sleeves are long and and cut fairly straight with a neat little button in the same fabric at each cuff. The bodice of the dress is cut to skim over you with a bot of a blousing over at the waist. The waist is seamed for shape and it has a tie made from the same fabric that is attached at one side and then looped through an opening on the other. This lets you cinch in the waist as much as you need to but without having a full belt there. The end of that tie is very long and trails down the one side of the skirt for a pretty detail. The back is done in direct contrast to the coverage of the front. It is cut into a deep open V that leaves most of your back bare and open. It also blouses just a touch like the front did and I love the soft curve this creates and how it softens the starkness of the plunge. All of these design details are so subtle yet all add up to a stunning silhouette. The skirt falls from there to the floor in a great sweep of fabric. from the front it falls and widens out as it nears the hem and at the back it has extra panels so that it widens and extends out behind you. It is simple and refined and yet full on drama. There is not a single unnecessary seam and it is just a stunning dress that is beautiful to see in person. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a red silk and closes with a low hidden set zipper at the back. Each cuff buttons to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a modern US6, IT42, GP10, FR38

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam and can be cinched in with the tie as described above
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Skirt: 47" from waist to front hem, 60" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4020

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

Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find. This dress from her Spring 1966 Haute Couture collection is exceptional and also very sexy.

In the book 'Madame Gres' there is a section that talks about the direction of each collection. In the notes for Spring 1966 it notes that 'A reflection on the notion of the 'sexy' garment led Madame Gres to modify the very structure of her draped dresses by creating triangular cut-outs on their bodices, thus revealing the body between the folds. This play on a eroticism characterized the technique of a 'later' drapery in the fashion designer's business, from 1966 to go to 1988.' or in other words, it was the beginning of a new direction in the work that she was doing. The owner also provided a photo of the twin of this dress from L'officiel that season, making it a rare documented piece from this time period for her work. Whenever you have a dress that is photoed and a part of a key change in direction for a designer it makes it a piece of note. The fact that it is spectacular is just a happy bonus. It is truly a dress that makes you gasp out loud when you see it just because of how amazing it is. I was so pleased to have the reference photo so you can see just how fabulous it is on the body.

The dress itself is spectacular. It weight ounces. It is made out of a printed silk chiffon organza that has a touch of transparency to it. She meant it to have this effect so that you get a glimpse of the body underneath, but at the same time the dress is layered in places to give you some coverage. The colours mix deep reds, coral and yellows in curving swirls over the silk. The bodice is scooped and skims over you curving down into a point at the waist to meet the skirt. At the back it has an almost racer back feel with a curved cut out design that also curves down to meet the skirt and leaves the sides of your back bare. The waist is left exposed on both sides and I love how all of the edges are set on curves meant to flatter and shape the body. The skirt is suspended from just those two tiny points and yet sits perfectly on the body. It is genius really. At the front it falls in a column of silk that gently widens out as it nears the hem. At the back there is a high slit up the center but she has added a panel that falls over the center of the skirt to hide this. It's sexuality but in a very subtle way. This also gives the dress an extra bit of movement that it would not have otherwise. Inside there is a built in bottom that gives you coverage to off set the slight see-through quality of the dress. It is a piece that is literally meant to be worn on its own with nothing else underneath. There is not a single zipper to be found on the dress. It closes with hidden set hook & eye and snaps. The proper Haute Couture label is present and it is made by hand. It is a remarkable and rare piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined through most of the dress with a built in bottom. The back of the front bodice is lined with a nude silk and I suspect that this was added later by the owner as it looks to be done by a combination of machine and hand work whereas the rest of the dress is all done by hand. There is elastic looped through the edges of the bottom and it closes with a hook & eye on the top of one shoulder, at one edge of the top at the side and then along a curving seam at the waist. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. It is fantastic.

Bust: the spot where it hooks is 30.75" around and that sits approx 13" down from the shoulder so it is just under the bust

Top seam of skirt: 15" flat across from seams to seam and the side edge of that sits at approx 19-20" down from the shoulder
Skirt hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16.5" from top of shoulder to where it meets the skirt at the front
Skirt: 40.5" from center point of the waist to hem
Inner Bottoms hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner bottom gusset:

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4021

Reference Photo: Model wearing Madame Gres for L'Officiel, Spring 1966. Photo by Dominique Laporte.

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

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 hos first official couture presentation. Ready to wear followed in 1970. He won the Golden Thimble in in 1978 and again in 1984. Women like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot were huge fans of the label. This is a wonderful dress from the early 1970s that shows his depth as a designer.

This is a gorgeous dress. It can be worn like a caftan or you can cinch it in with the matching braided belt. And of course being Haute Couture it is tremendously well made and very special. The dress is made from a fine silk and wool jersey that is so soft on the body that wearing it is incredible. The colour is a soft red that is just a bit lighter then the red in these shots. The dress is cut to be full and oversized through the body so it is exceptionally easy to wear if you choose to wear it without the belt and then when you add the belt it transforms into a dress with more shape. It's generous and open cut will suit a large range of body sizes and types. The sleeves have a touch of fullness to them so that they pouf above the cuffs. The neckline is cut into a very low notched slit at the front and is held in place by a series of ties that I have ties into little bows to run down the front. These keep it in place while still allowing a flash of skin to peek through between each one. It falls to the floor, gently widening out as it nears the hem. It is cut to be very loose and easy through the body. I love the silk lined pockets that sit along each hip. What takes the dress to couture level is the wonderful hand down sequin work that adorns the shoulders, cuffs and circles the hem. Each of these areas have a layer of an Indian printed tissue silk. The printed areas that you see would have all been done by hand and of a vegetable dye. Then the pattern on the silk has a hand embroidered outlined done in a silver metal thread. Tiny silver sequins detail the patterns and then various embroidery and beads finish the patterns. I have had it looked at by a couple of people and we all agree that he most likely sourced/had made original fabric from India for this piece. Inside it is entirely finished by hand and I have included a photo of the inner hand finished seams. It is stunning. Excellent condition with a note to review below

Slips over the head to wear with no closures. Ties at the front and each cuff also ties to close. Matching braided tie belt. Some of the silk overlay has shattered at the top of one shoulder and there are reinforcing stitches added that can be seen inside. With the placement and colour there you don't even see it once on.  See a spot in the back of one elbow. Please see the photos after the label shot. The dress is entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. The loose and easy cut should work on a full range of sizes. 

Sleeves: approx 25"
Shoulders: no true shoulder seam
Bust: to 28" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 59" from neck to hem
Width of upper sleeve: 16" around

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4022

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

This was the first collection after an incredible 50 year celebration the year before and Angela Missoni was clearly still celebrating the kaleidoscope of colours that the house is known for. Big silk cabbage roses were shown on several of the pieces throughout the show, including the twin of this dress which was Look 39 and worn by Erin Wasson. These were styled for the show this way and it would be easy to recreate if you loved the look. The show had many pieces that touched upon a caped feel which gave everything a wonderful pretty touch and added lots of movement. Vogue mentioned this dress specifically in their review that season saying; 'Dramatic evening gowns in colored Lurex or vibrant kaleidoscope prints, suspended from jeweled halters, suggested Sharon Stone's va-va-voom wardrobe in Casino, while a fringed knit dress looked as though the model had wrapped herself in a twenties shawl—a dramatic gesture worthy of the Belle Époque dancer Loie Fuller, actress Eleonora Duse, or society beauty Consuelo Vanderbilt, all of whom Missoni cited as influences." The dress is gorgeous and just an amazing piece of Missoni. It was obviously a favorite from that season as it was also used in their ad campaign featuring Kate Moss.

If not for the fringe, this dress would weigh ounces. The silk chiffon used is as fine and light as a fabric can be. It is completely covered in a print that mixes pinks and greens and corals. The edges are finished in a flat braiding that runs along the inner edge. This helps to give the dress some structure. The fabric has a transparent feel to it and it is the draping of the shawl part of the dress that make it opaque enough to wear while still having flashes of transparency between where it layers over. The bodice is suspended from the shoulder and there is a silk chiffon bralet inside that gives the barest hint of support. It falls over the body from there skimming past the waist and over the hips to an angled hem that is then finished with the long fringes. Both the front and back are plunged and scooped. A long attached piece is set on an angle at the back and it is this piece that you wrap around yourself to create the look that you want. I have shown it a few ways and if you added a clip or brooch I bet you could come up with dozens of more options. The fringe work is amazing and combines a soft green with ivory fringes. It is an incredible and versatile dress that has lots of impact and movement. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips on to wear. The back bralet hooks to close. No size tag present but it's easy cut should work on a variety of sizes. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.

Outer layer bust: No true side seams and approx 15" across
Inner bralet: is a stretch fabric and covers approx 7.5" across at the widest point of each cup. The band is elastic and stretches from 29-36" end to end. The cups will cover approx an A- B cup
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from shoulder to bottom of fringes on the main dress and the attached fringed shawl that you wrap around you extends out another 98" from the body of the dress to the end of the longest set fringes.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4018

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Fall 2004 Missoni Runway Collection, Look 39. Model: Erin Wasson.  /  (5) Kate Moss for Missoni Fall 2004 Ad Campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.

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

This exceptional dress is from the Marc Bohan for Christian Dior years and it is a wonderful example of the work being done for the house during this time period.  This dates to the 1973 and we found a similar dress in a green colurway that was shot that year.  This one is a more yellow based colour palette that we associate with that era. Dior under Bohan was integral to the label's development over the decades that he headed the atelier and even beyond that, it is just an extraordinarily beautiful dress.

The silk chiffon that has been used to construct this dress is wonderful. It combines several shade of yellow with soft pastel tangerines and ivory. The print runs over the entire dress and is very beautiful. The combination of the silk, the halter top and the ruffles give the dress a soft and romantic feel. The cut of the dress feels simple but the bodice is actually quite genius. The front bodice is made of two wide gathered triangle panels of silk that start from the empire waist and then extend up into wide straps. These curve up and around the back of the neck where each is attached to large round disc. The back of the dress has a third triangle that is cut wider to attach across the back waist. It also extends up to attach to that disc. The disc is made out of what looks like an early plastic that has been dyed to the palest green. The inner edge of the circle is finished in a gold trim. It is very pretty. The triangle shapes at the front create a low V shaped plunge that goes right to the high set waist there. The sides are left open and bare and I love that detail. There is a band at the waist for shape and then a separate sash that ends in a long bow that wraps and snaps into place around you. The bow sits at the front for a soft detail and the ends of it extend to trail down the front of the skirt. Under the high waist the skirt skims over the hips and then opens out to be very full. The hem is finished with a wide ruffle finish in the same silk chiffon and this adds to the feminine feel that the dress has. The volume through the skirt is achieved by the many yards of silk chiffon it is made out of. It's genius. The volume in the skirt really becomes apparent when you move and it billows out around you to give the dress a light and airy feel. The dress is gorgeous and even better in person. This is a piece that will really come to life once on an actual body. Excellent condition with minor notes below.

The dress is fully lined in a pale ivory silk chiffon through the skirt and the top is lined in the same fabric. The dress has an inner foundation piece through the waist and it hooks to close there. The lining then snaps over that and the waist hooks to close all of it. The bow sash snaps and hooks into place. Hand finished throughout and hand rolled edges. I see an area on the back of the disc where silk was used to repair / reinforce part of the attachment. You don't see this when on. I also see repairs and signs of shattering in areas of the silk lining of the skirt mostly along the seams and near the snaps but also in the body of the skirt that have been reinforced with invisible tape. I have left is as found since it is all original and it does not comprise being able to wear it as is now. The skirt lining could easily be removed or replaced if needed down the road. The dress is wearable but with care as parts are delicate.

Bust: no true side seams but each triangle is approx 9-10" at its widest point across
Empire waist under bust: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 9-10" from top of neck straps to high waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4019

Reference Photo: (1) Spring 1973 Christian Dior Runway.  /  (2-3) 1973 Christian Dior.

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

Thea Porter combined exoticism, embellished ornamentation and luxurious fabrics in her pieces and her work was a phenomenon during her day. This is one of her Gipsy dresses and it has been one of her most loved styles since it was first created in 1968. The Thea Porter book that accompanied the 2015 Fashion and Textile Museum exhibit "Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic" (for which over a dozen pieces were pulled from my archives) has many example of stars from that time period wearing their versions and Kate Moss is perhaps the most notable of modern girls who have one and caused a sensation when she wore her blue version for her wedding rehearsal in 2011. I was thrilled to find that The Met Museum has a near identical dress to this one on their archives.It is truly a very special piece.

The Thea Porter book states that the Gipsy dress was 'generally made out of A combination of three different fabrics, which give it an enduring variety. If the skirt was in plain cloth cotton, the bodice was usually in brocade… We made the dress in every conceivable fabric, from embroidered chiffon to liberty cotton‘s to velvet…. The silhouette of a slimmer torso combined with a full skirt (composed of 4.5 m of fabric) and sleeves became the basis for Porter‘s gypsy dress'. The book goes on to talk about the cut and design of these dresses saying that 'the bust became an integrated part of the body, ending directly below the breasts to create an empire line. The cut is such that the bust is held in securely, yet pushed up, removing the necessity of wearing a bra. The uneven hem of the Gipsy dress evolved as a form of collaboration between Thea and one of her first seamstresses, Meg Lake, who was self taught and didn’t realize that a circle of fabric cut on the bias would fall irregularly and need to be trimmed. Porter love that effect and the mistake became a design signature.' The bodice of the dresses often were crafted in antique brocade silk like we see on this dress and then Thea added velvet ribbon trim. This is a classic Gipsy dress that follows all of those design tenets.  The bodice is fitted and made from and antique silk. A purple velvet ribbon details the cut of the bodice and also is set all the way around the hem. The huge balloon sleeves are a single layer of a printed silk organza and have a touch of transparency to them. The skirt is two layers, An inner deep purple satin finish rayon cut on the bias and then floating over that is the same printed silk organza as the sleeves. The silk of the skirt starts just under the bust and is cut to accentuate the waist and the flares out in yards of silk. It has that perfectly imperfect asymmetrical hem described above so one side falls slightly longer then the other. It is just wildly gorgeous. Great condition with minor notes below

The bodice and sleeves are unlined and the skirt is lined as described above. It closes with a back set zipper and each sleeve has elastic at the cuffs. Slight rubbing to the purple velvet here and there. I see stress at some of the vertical seaming around the waist mainly at the back. There is a bit of invisible mend tape inside the top of one shoulder and the top of the other shoulder shows stress to the fabric but is sound. Stress to the fabric and a signs on a small mend on the side seam of the bodice where the skirt attaches. The dress is sound and wearable and these are all minor but mentioned for accuracy. Please see the five photos after the shot of the sleeve.

Sleeves: 22.5"
Shoulders: no true seam
Seam under the Bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from neck to seam under the bust, 15.25" to waist seam
Skirt: 30" from waist to shortest points of hem, 41" to longest

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4017

Reference Photos: (1-2) Kate Moss in Thea Porter, for her wedding rehearsal, 2011.  /  (3) 1970 Thea Porter Dress from The MET Collection Online.  /  (4) Jane Fonda in Thea Porter.  /  (5) Model in Thea Porter, credit unknown.  /  (6) Joan Colins in a Gipsy Dress, with her sister Jackie in a robe with trailing sleeves over trousers, in two versions of Sheila Hudson's butterfly print, at the opening of the musical "1776" in 1970. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (7) Floral cotton voila Gipsy dress, 1969. Photography by Willie Christie. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (8) Actress Sharon Tate arriving at a party with Peter Sellers. She wears a Gipsy dress with moire bodice and polka-dot chiffon skirt and sleeves. London, July 1, 1969. From the book "Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic" by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.  /  (9) Charlotte Rampling in Thea Porter, 1970s.

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

The level that this dress is made to is a beautiful thing to see. It has all those lovely details that you expect in a couture level garment. The entire dress is made from a light gold lame mesh and then it has been extensively beaded. The cut of the dress is fairly simple. The bodice is more fitted and the neckline extends up to a choker collar that wraps around your neck. It skims over your waist and then falls to around mid-calf to ankle depending on your height. The halter cut neckline leaves your entire upper back bare. It really has that feel of those fifties bombshell dresses to me in cut. The base fabric is a gold lame that is soft to the touch He has used the same fabric without beading to line it and this gives it an extra depth and metallic feel that you don't normally get when you just use a single layer backed in silk. The dress is entirely covered in thousands of floral beads, tiny little beads to add dimension and gold tube beads that form little leafs around the flowers. It is incredible and very elaborate. These are scattered over the entire dress and then the collar and hem are densely covered in the same bead work as the rest of the dress, but done so that there is no fabric showing between the beads. This dense coverage gives the feel of wearing jewels at the neck and adds weight to the hem so that it fall perfectly no matter how you move. A gold pipe bow with extra long ties sits at the back for a little detailing. The hours of work that it would have taken to implement the detailing on this dress is mind boggling. It is extraordinary and the kind of quality and beauty that you will only find with vintage. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in the same gold lame fabric as the exterior. It closes with a hidden set zipper down the back and the collar snaps to close. Hand finished throughout. The fabric has slight stretch.

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from base of neck collar to hem
Neck: 13.5" around and 2.5" high

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4015

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

This dress is a version of his famous wrap dress that you see in the add I have included here. This is a more structured, supermodel long version of that and made of an incredibly beautiful gold silk charmeuse. The dress is very sexy and shows off some skin but still feels very elegant and refined. It has a bit of a bias cut to it through the body. It is really a dress meant to be on an actual body and not a mere dress form. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The pale gold silk charmeuse that he has chosen as the fabric drapes like a dream and it is heaven on. It just glides over your body and falls like nothing else. It is cut on the bias so once you slip it on, the seaming and bias cut drape the dress over you and it feels like you are wearing nothing. I love the wider straps that curve up and over your shoulders and how he has put a little band of fabric to gather it in where it meets the bodice. It is such a pretty and feminine touch. At the back it is scooped down into a V to leave most of your upper back bare. The front plunges down right to the waist for a very sexy feel. The silk is then gathered in toward the base of the plunge at the waist and there is a knot made of the same gold silk there for detailing. The skirt falls under that in multiple curving drapes of gold down the front. It widens out as it nears the hem and flows beautifully around you when you move. There are actually several yards of fabric in the skirt and it has more volume then it looks just standing still. It is pure golden magic and one of the best silk dresses I have seen. It has this wonderful feel of the thirties while still feeling nothing less then modern. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any big event. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale gold tissue silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper. It has an inner waist stay that has a hook. Cut on the bias and hand finished throughout. Made to demi-couture standards. There is the slightest bit of grubbiness here and there on the hem from storage but other wise looks to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 67" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4014

Reference Photos: (1-2) John Anthony Ad for Bergdorf Goodman, October 5th, 1980.  /  (3-5) Crystal Reed in this dress for the premiere of Teen Wolf, January 2023.

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

This silk chiffon and lace dress is insanely sexy on the body. It has a definite nod to a lingerie piece and it is extremely beautiful. The dress somehow manages to be very sexy and yet very feminine and romantic at the same time. It is made from a deep blue silk chiffon with a dark brown layer of silk that lines the bodice behind the lace and is layered into the skirt. This choice of fabric gives the dress a beautifully lightness as it floats over the body and highlights your curves. The silk chiffon that the skirt is made from is topped by a fine lace used for the bodice. The bodice is cut in a halter at the front that glides over you and then curves over your shoulders and down the back. The front plunges almost to the waist but you have full coverage with the width of the fabric across the bust. The sides are the same lace and this gives you more support despite the low plunge of the dress. At the back it plunges right to the waist to leave a bare expanse of skin showing. All of the edges follow the natural pattern of the lace and this adds to the feminine feel that it gives. The lace is fully lined on this one in a dark chocolate silk chiffon. It is just tremendously beautiful. The lace and chiffon has just a slight touch of stretch so it conforms to your bodice. The lace is set over the fabric of  the skirt and the workmanship is exquisite where they meet. Under that the skirt is made up of multiple layers of silk chiffon. There is an inner layer of the blue and then a brown layer followed by another blue layer. Each of the layers has a slight transparency but when overlapped they make it opaque enough to wear. The top two layers are split up the center and curve up to the waist from the hem. This allows them to have incredible movement and lets you see that brown layer peaking out between the other two. There is a little bit of hidden sexiness there as well since as you move you do get glimpses of that innermost layer and its touch of transparency. It feels very naughty. Bias cut silk chiffon is incredibly difficult to work with and layering it like this and having it all fall so perfectly is an achievement. The skirt has a tremendous amount of fabric in it so when you move it will float and move around you. It is cut supermodel long in length and is just gorgeous to see in person. The photos cannot capture the lightness and movement of the fabric that it will have once on the body. It is made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Fully lined as described above and closes with a hidden set low back zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished throughout.

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 52" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4011

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

This dress is absolutely stunning. It is very light in weight once on the body and is made from the most beautiful silk chiffon. Bias cut silk chiffon is incredibly hard to work with and for this dress he has layered it with each layer falling perfectly over each other. The innermost layer is a black chiffon, then the middle is a deep purple burgundy and the very top is a deep steel blue. When layered over each other this gives the dress its unique colour and I love how you can see the different colours peeking out at the side with the ruffle. Once on, the front halter plunges with those same three layers of silk chiffon used to create a ruffle that follows the edge of the halter and give the front a soft and feminine finish. The back is equally incredible. The front halter curves up and over the shoulders and hooks to close behind the neck. The back is left completely bare under that and I love the curving cut of the sides. A braided belt wraps around the waist and closes at the front with two sparkling jet bead encrusted domes. The skirt falls from under there using the same three layers of silk. These wrap around you and then are set in a ruffle down the one side, This ruffle detail curves down and around to meet the hem. The ruffles hide a very high opening at the side so when you walk you will see a mile of leg. The silk is so light that your slightest movement causes it to float around you. To keep it from being completely scandalous he has hand sewn in weights along the side seam of the longer hem side of the skirt that keep it in place so you get movement through the skirt but it doesn't fly out so much that you are not covered. Just genius. Excellent condition.

Fully lined as described above and closes with a hidden set side zipper. Hand finished throughout. On the underside of the base ruffle layer there is a small area that looks like a glue on the fabric. You don't see it at all when on but mentioned for accuracy. There is also a very small amount of the same on the inside of the bust area. Please see the photo after the label shot.

Bust: no true side seams
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 47" from waist to longest point of the hem
Side opening: 38" from longest point of hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4013

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

This jersey and lace dress is insanely sexy on the body. It is almost unbelievably light in weight. It is made from a deep blue stretch jersey that allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve. That is then combined with a fine netted lace for the bodice and sleeve. The slight stretch that these fabrics have allow the dress to show off your curves while still feeling wildly comfortable once on. The bodice has an almost sculptural feel as it glides over you and then extends down to the one single long sleeve. The front and back of the bodice curves across you to leave the other shoulder and arm bare. All of the edges follow the natural pattern of the lace and this adds to the feminine feel that it gives. The lace is not lined. So it has a transparent feel to it and your skin peeks through the netting. You could wear something nude under it, use a colour for contrast or be very daring and go bare with just nipple covers. There is strategically placed lace at the front to make the bare option work. It is just tremendously beautiful. The lace has a touch of stretch so it conforms to your bodice then then is set around the waist on an angle. The lace is set over the fabric of  the skirt and the workmanship is exquisite where they meet. The dress then glides down past the hips to fall to the floor in a beautiful drape of deep blue jersey. The jersey is light and soft. It is almost like a very opaque, very fine silk jersey T-shirt fabric. Just incredible and it feels amazing against the skin. It is cut supermodel long in length. There is a high slit that runs up the same side as the one bare shoulder so that everything on that side is about that flash of bare skin. It is incredible and I love it. It is made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes with a hidden side set zipper. The cuff of the sleeve snaps to close with hidden snaps. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished thgouhout. The fabric does have some stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.

Sleeve: approx 25" with no defined shoulder seam
Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 65" from neck to hem
Slit: 34.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4009

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer these exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives. I have included a reference photo of Janet Jackson wearing a similar version of the dress that he made for her Today's Black Women cover in 1998. That design was based on this original piece from 1984. It is stunning

The dress is very light in weight and the fabric is absolutely beautiful. The innermost lining is a blue silk chiffon and then a blue net lace is layered over that. Then onto the are thousands of blue iridescent sequins that follow the pattern in the lace and cover the entire dress. This allows the dress to catch the light from every angle. The effect that it creates is stunning. The dress is strapless and the bodice is set on a curving sweetheart shape to emphasize the bust. The edges at the hem and bodice are done to follow the pattern of the lace and I love the touch of romance this gives to the dress. To wear the dress, the closures have been set down the front of the dress with a hidden zipper. Tiny little hidden set snaps are set to follow the edges of the lace and these snap into place over the zipper. So once you have it on there is no zipper line to break the eye. The snaps under the lace run to about the mid-thigh. This leaves a subtle slit under the overlapping sides. This gives you a flash of leg when you move or sit and it is very sexy. The lower hem is set on a curve so that it comes up slightly at the front and is longer at the back. The skirt is lined in a blue silk chiffon and this gives it a slight transparency in the light. I love the little rosette sitting at the side at the waist for the perfect finishing detail. It is a wonderful dress. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a hand set deep blue silky rayon through the bust and a silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes at the front with a hidden set zipper and a series of hidden fabric covered snaps. Lightly boned through the bodice. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9" from the top of the bodice to waist
Length: 46" from the top of the bodice to longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3831

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 1984 John Anthony Runway.  /  (3) Janet Jackson in John Anthony for Today's Black Women, June/July 1998.

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives.

This jersey and lace dress is insanely sexy. Like the other listing today this one is also unbelievably light in weight. It is made from a deep blue stretch jersey that allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve. This is combined with a fine blue coloured netted lace and a black lingerie netting. The slight stretch that these fabrics have allow the dress to show off your curves while still feeling wildly comfortable once on. The upper bodice is made from the netting and it is done so that there is minimal seaming. It has an almost sculptural feeling to it as it glides down and extends out to make the sleeves. There is a hook at the top of the neck for a little keyhole and another at the back of the neck. The one at the back tops a long slit that runs down to the zipper at the waist so that you get a bare flash of skin along its length. A panel of lace is set in a curving angle to just cove the breasts at the front and then it curves down to the low back at the back. All of the edges follow the natural pattern of the lace and this adds to the feminine feel that it gives. The lace is not lined. So it has a transparent feel to it and your skin peeks through the netting. You could wear something nude under it, use a colour for contrast or be very daring and go bare with just nipple covers. There is strategically placed lace at the front to make the bare option work. It is just tremendously beautiful. The lace has a touch of stretch so it conforms to your bodice. The lace panel is set around the waist on an angle. It is attached over the fabric of the skirt and the workmanship is exquisite where they meet. The bodice on its own would be a full on wow but he then extended the lace down on one side so that the full side of the skirt is finished with a wide panel of transparent lace right to the floor. It is insanely sensual. The rest of the skirt glides down past the hips to fall to the floor in a beautiful drape of deep blue silk jersey. The jersey is light and soft. It is almost like an opaque, very fine silk jersey T-shirt fabric. Just incredible and it feels amazing against the skin. It is cut supermodel long in length. There is a high slit that runs up the opposite side to the lace side so that you get a glimpse of skin through the lace on one side and a flash of bare skin on the other. It is one of the most incredible dresses I have ever seen. Made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes with a low hidden set back zipper. It hooks to close on the front and back of the neck as described above. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished throughout. The fabric does have some stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.

Sleeves: approx 25""
Shoulders no defined seam
Bust: 17-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from neck to hem
Slit: 32.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4010

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives

This dress is gorgeous just on its own with its one sleeve cut never mind the fact that every square inch of it is completely covered in thousands of tiny sequins. The sequins are all placed in a way that they slightly overlap each other which uses twice as many then if you laid them out side by side. This heavy coverage means that it catches the light from every angle and looks like liquid once on the body. They cover every inch of the dress and create a moving, sculpture as they fall and drape over the body. The cut of the dress is chic and simple so that the sequins can take center stage. The The neckline is cut on an angle to leave one shoulder and arm completely bare. On the other side the fabric extends out to a single long sleeve. The bodice is cut to skim over you. It extends down past the waist with an easy cut and skims over the hips. The skirt ends at just about the knee depending on your height. The base fabric under the sequins and the inner lining are both made from a stretch silk mix jersey so the dress is extremely easy and comfortable to wear.  It is just the easy, super flattering dress that has lots of impact that you can wear over and over. It is just beautiful. It is finished by hand and made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a back hidden set zipper and the fabric has some stretch. Hand finishes. I see some tiny areas of missing sequins near the edge of the neckline. The slightly larger area is at the back. With all the sequins on the dress you would not even notice this once on. Please see the two photos after the label shot. There are literally thousands of sequins covering the dress. It is even better in person. The stretch of the fabric should allow it to fit a range of sizes and the measurements below are the comfortable range when lying flat.

Sleeve: 26"
Bust: 16.5-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 38.5" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4007

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives

This is an absolute dream piece. This is the type of dress that you will only ever find in vintage. I really cannot gush about it enough. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The cost to produce this level of construction now would be sky-high. The level that this dress is made to is a beautiful thing to see. It has all those lovely details that you expect in a couture level garment. The dress combines a metallic bronze colored lace that is fused onto a black silk netting on the bodice and sleeves and then is used for the top layer of the skirt. Under the skirt's top lace layer is a full deep brown silk satin skirt. The skirt is full with built in netted underskirts and the bodice is very elaborately finished. These fabric choices help to hold its intended shape and give it a high glamour feel. The bodice is more fitted and the neckline is cut high. The collar is an elaborate affair with the lace fused onto the black silk netting to circle your neck and run down the front a touch. It is almost like wearing a piece of jewellery. More of the metallic lace is fused over the bodice and circles around the waist where it narrows to a band at the back. The lace there is backed with an extra layer of silk chiffon so that you can wear it without being completely see-through. The sleeves extend down from the shoulders with no seam there to break the eye. At the wrist there is a long panel of lace that follows the curve of your lower arm and goes up to the elbow. It is fantastic and very beautiful. The top is cut to skim over you and then the waist is cinched in. The skirt under that is equally well made. It curves out from under the waist and is wide and full around the hips and front but is not as full at the very front so you get this sleek feeling of volume rather then a cupcake shape. At the back it is far fuller and you get more of that true full skirted feel. I love how the lace layer wraps around the skirt and then separates at the back down the center so you get to see the silk skirting underneath. Inside the skirt is a built in crinoline to help give it shape and volume. Under that is an inner silk skirt so that it feels good against the skin. This built in volume through the skirt technique helps to hold the shape of the skirt and when on the body it poufs out perfectly and stays that way. The hours of work that it would have taken to implement the detailing on this dress is mind boggling. It is extraordinary and the kind of quality and beauty that you will only find with vintage. Made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

The skirt has a brown silk inner lining topped by a built in netted crinoline with a double layer hem. The silk satin skirt is backed in a silk organza and the top lace layer is backed in a silk netting. The lace in the bodice has an additional layer of silk chiffon backing it. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the waist at the back and then hooks to along the lace panel above that. More hooks at the back of the neck which leaves a keyhole slit between the neck and waist. Each sleeve's cuff closes with a series of hook & eye. Hand finished throughout.

Sleeves: approx 22" with no defined shoulder seam
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Skirt: 22" from waist to hem
Neck: 14" around

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4008

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John pulled from his own archives

This is another spectacular example of John's work during this time period. It is insanely sexy on the body and just an unbelievable dress. It is made from a black stretch jersey that allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve. The stretch in the jersey and the netting at the waist allows the dress to show off your curves while still feeling wildly comfortable once on. The dress is made from a black jersey that has some stretch. The bodice has an almost sculptural feel as it glides over the bodice and then extends down to the one single long sleeve. The sleeve is cut long and depending on the length of your arm is meant to bunch up on the arm slightly at the wrist. This gives it a subtle bit of detail. The front and back of the bodice curves across you to leave the other shoulder and arm bare. This plunging side opening has been cut on a steep angle. It is done so that curves around you slightly and the base of the plunge ends slightly behind the waist at the back. This leaves a wide expanse of skin bare at the front side and even more at the back. He then mixed in an angled cut out made out of a fine black mesh netting that angles across and into the opposite side of the waist. This transparent panel makes the dress even more sexy despite even though the dress is completely covering you. An attached swag of fabric wraps around the hips and it has the illusion of buttoning into place at the side of the hip. Above the mesh there are more buttons to give the illusion that the top does as well. But these are decorative only and there for detailing. The dress skims over the body and glides down past the hips to fall to the floor in a beautiful drape of jet black jersey. It is cut supermodel long in length. There is a high slit that runs up the same side as the bare shoulder so that everything on that side is about that flash of bare skin. It is incredible and I love it. It is made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips on to wear. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished. The fabric does have stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.

Sleeve: approx 25" with no defined shoulder seam
Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 67" from neck to hem
Slit: 33" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XSS-SML

Item# DD4003

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

This Roberto Cavalli dress is from 2007 and is gorgeous. It has an interesting backstory to it. The dress comes to me from the closet of a former stylist and she was part of the team that worked on the Bulgari ads that season that featured Kate Moss. She told me that they made and brought to set 6 dress options for the campaign shoot and that this is one of them. It was not one that was ultimately chosen, though it certainly could have been. It is incredible. It was never worn outside of being tried on that day and still has its original hang tag. She believes it was a one-off. We did find a similar dress from the Spring 2006 that this one is obviously based off of. This one has a bit more structure to it and would be more secure on the body but I have included that reference photo here so that you can see it on the body. Victoria Beckham wore that version that year as well. It is an exceptional and extremely beautiful dress. I personally love this black version more. 

The dress is made from a black silk chiffon with an inner body suit built into the dress to keep it in place once it is on the body. The dress is very sexy and shows off a lot of skin but in the best possible way. The silk chiffon that was chosen as the fabric is very lightweight. Once it is on it feels almost weightless. It is cut on the bias so once you slip it on the seaming and bias cut drape the dress over you and it feels like you are wearing nothing. The bodice is made up of two curving triangles that are set so that they plunge right to the waist. The interior of the front halter is all backed and structured so that they stay in place and give you shape. A panel of black lingerie netting extends out from each side and curves and narrow sot the back for extra support and shaping. The silk is gathered over the halter in soft gathers and then this ends at the center of a crossed knot of fabric at the waist.  These then wrap around you and secure at the back and the bottom parts of the gathered fabric are attached and a part of the dress that works its way over the top of your hips. Everything about this dress is done deliberately to give you curves. It is suspended by small clear plastic straps that curve of the shoulders and cross at the back This gives the illusion from a distance that the dress is somehow magically suspended over the body. These curve up and over each shoulder and then cross over themselves at the back. The rest of the back is left completely bare and open and at the front it plunges insanely low to right above that front knot detail. Inside the bottom extends out to a body suit made from black lingerie netting and snaps into place. The skirt flows out from under that and is spectacular in its own right. It is cut so that the hem curves around with the front cut into a high slit. The second you move or sit you get a glimpse of leg almost to the upper thigh as a result. There are yards and yards of silk chiffon in the skirt and it extends out at the back to form a train behind you. It is only one single layer so the entire skirt has a touch of transparency to it. This gives the skirt incredible fullness and movement. When you are standing still you still get the feeling of fullness but when you move this construction technique allows the skirt to billow out around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The dress is in its original supermodel uncut length. It appears to have never been worn and still has its original hang tag attached. Excellent condition

The halter is fully lined in a black chiffon and black silk. It has built in cups and boning. The dress closes with a hidden side set zipper. The waist detail and inner body suit both hook to close. Tagged a modern Cavalli 40. The fabric has stretch so should fit a range of sizes. There is one tiny repair in the skirt. Please see the photo after the label shot 

Bust: has no fixed side seams. Each halter covers to approx 5.5" at its widest point

Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 67" from shoulders to shortest point at the front hem, 92" to the longest point of the back hem
Front slit: 31" from the shortest point at the front hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4004

Reference Photos: (1) Kate Moss, in Roberto Cavalli, for the Bvlgari Spring 2007 Ad Campaign.  /  (2-7) Desi Lydic, in this Roberto Cavalli dress, for the 74th Emmy Awards, September 2022.

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

John Anthony is an award-winning American fashion designer best known for simple, elegant clothing with a strong sense of chic. His work veers towards minimalism, with sharp tailoring, striking evening wear being his signature. He is renowned for his cutting and tailoring. From the day that he launched his atelier in 1971 his design philosophy is a fusion of function and purpose. The function is his logical, wearable approach; the purpose, his pared-down ideas. As a designer, he considers it his job to make things easy for the customer. He designs with focus and a narrow palette for both day and night, so items can easily intermingle. He uses natural fabrics and is noted for contradictory daywear fabrics in his evening collections. In the early 70’s he was one of the first designers to promote the idea of easy-to-travel clothes that resist wrinkling. By 1976, he was showing soft, liquid separates in muted colours that became his trademark and received 2 Coty awards, one in 1972 and one in 1976, as recognition. His business was all done on a made to order basis. That means the majority of pieces you will find are a one-off, or if there are similar pieces, very few of each piece exist. This personal attention to each dress is clearly seen in the workmanship of his pieces. His work is very expensive and beaded pieces did, and still do, retail for over $10,000. His work is a personal favourite of mine and I am thrilled to begin to offer this second round of a dozen exclusive pieces and samples that John has pulled from his own archives. 

This dress is amazing though difficult to truly convey on the dress form. It is absolutely one of those dresses that will only truly come to life when on the body. It is made from a light black wool stretch jersey that allows it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight every curve. The fabric choice also allows a touch of extra coverage so if you chose to go more bare underneath it would not be see through. The dress shows off your curves while still feeling unbelievably comfortable once on. The bodice has a beautiful and sensual feel as it glides over the bodice and then extends down to the one single long sleeve. The sleeve is cut long and depending on your arm length will bunch up slightly at the wrist for a pretty bit of subtle detail. The neck is scooped and high and the dress falls from there to the floor. It skims over the bust, waist and hips in a beautiful sleek column of jet black jersey. It is cut supermodel long in length. At the very top of the shoulder the fabric extends out into ties. You can do a more prominent bow there like I have done for these photos, or tie it towards the back and have the ties hang down the back. Then, in stark contrast to the full coverage the dress has, one full side of the dress has been fully slit open from under the arm to the hem. To keep the dress on you there are a series of attached flat black bows made of the same fabric. These run from under your arm to the base of the hips with the two sides of the dress secured in pace with those bows. This leaves full bare skin between the bows. There is also an extra high slit on that same side that runs almost to the final bow. It is just incredible and so sexy once on the body. I really cannot tell you to trust me enough on this one because it does not come anywhere close on the dress form to what it will look like on the body. It is insanely sexy and fabulous. Made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips on to wear with a tie at the top of the neck. The bows down the side are attached and sewn into place. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Hand finished. The fabric does have stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat.

Sleeve: approx 25" with no true shoulder seam
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 66" from neck to hem
Slit: 31" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4005

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

Madame Gres' work has had profound effects on Haute Couture and her influence still resonates to this day. Her attention to detail, master draping techniques and respect for the female form is unparalleled. She was known for designing and creating garments directly on her models and this became a signature of her work. She opened her first atelier, La Maison Alix in 1932. A partnership briefly changed the house's name to Alix Barton and then the label went to simply Alix. In 1942 she married, and the label made its last change to became Madame Gres, which was a partial anagram of Serge, her husband's first name. Her work spans over five full decades with the vast majority of it, with the exception of a short-lived RTW line begun in 1980, dedicated solely to creating Haute Couture. She is one of the greatest couturiers of our time and her pieces are very rare and hard to find. This one is exceptional

This dress is a wonderful example of the range that Gres had. She had a brilliant way of using of print and colour combined with soft fluid tailoring. This gorgeous little day dress is simple in cut but it is gorgeous once on an actual body. These little day dresses are often underrated when it comes to Haute Couture but they should not be. They are beautifully made and the quality is beyond anything you will find in modern Ready-to-Wear. The dress is made out of a fine high end silk that has a very 60s print print covering its surface. Shades of taupe and muted olives cover the silk for a pretty and refined feel. The sleeves are straight and cut to just above the elbow. The neckline is high and scooped. It skims over the bust, waist and waist and falls to just below the knee depending on your height. As you get closet you realize that it is made from four tiers of the silk constructed so finely that it is almost unnoticeable. The fall over each other in perfect overlapping layers to build a slight A-line cut into the silhouette. This gives is a loose and easy shift dress feel or you can cinch it in for added shape. The fabric is very light in weight and each layer is attached to an inner fine silk lining. It is made completely by hand to Haute Couture standards and is even better in person and on an actual body. Excellent condition with one note below about one of the zippers

Fully lined in a hand set silk of very high quality. It closes with two hand set, painted metal zippers. There is one that runs down the back on the inner lining and then the tier buttons over that with a row of silk covered buttons. The second tier that the zipper runs into at the back then snaps into place along its edge and then snaps to close down the side. There is a second zipper under those side snaps. This second zipper is broken and off its track. At some point it caught in the silk edging and took a piece out of that. Because of the snaps over it the dress is wearable without doing this zipper up as it does not affect the exterior. Since it is all original I decided to leave it as found. It could easily be replaced if preffered. Please see the shot after the label shot. Done by hand to Haute Couture standards. Proper Haute Couture label present. Hand finished inner seams

Sleeves: 9"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 42.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4002

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

This is one of the most iconic of Halston's designs and instantly recognizable as his work. Halston used this flat applied sequin technique predominantly between about 1977 to 1982. Instead of layering and overlapping the sequins, they were laid out flat in rows, side by side, to create a pattern over the silk base. It creates a beautiful visual effect. This is a stunning example of his work from this time period and was made even more famous when Rachel Zoe wore her longer version while pregnant for her Hollywood Reporter cover.

This dress is phenomenal and a rare find. The base is a nude silk chiffon that is cut on the bias and has a touch of transparency to it. That silk is then covered with thousands of tightly spaced iridescent sequins with a slight gold tinge to them mixed with glossy black sequins. Halston imported these sequin fabrics from India and during this time period India is where some of the best sequin work in the world was being done. The mix of the two colours create that fabulous tiger effect and the thousands of sequins  allows the dress to catch the light from every single angle. It is stunning to see. Besides creating that tiger effect, the sequin design also effectively highlights the curves of the body and visually create more curves. To wear the dress you slip it on and zip it at the back. The dress then simply falls into place over the body in his signature simple sheath silhouette skimming over you from bust to hip. It falls to just past the knee depending on your height. The sleeves are long and and straight cut. The have a slightly more gold feel then the rest of the dress and I love this tiny subtle contrast. The edges of the hem, cuffs and collar are edged with a band of back sequins for a near and simple finishing detail. It is very simple yet genius at the same time. You end up entirely covered and yet with the lightness of the fabric, it's slight transparency and bias cut movement of the fabric, is still very sensual and sexy. This is a balance that Halston excelled at. The dress is feather light and feels like a dream on. It is stunning and a wonderful and rare example of his work. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes below

Unlined and closes at the back with a metal and nylon zipper. Hand finished. Very minor sequin loss near the seam of the shoulders, which you don't see when on, and a teeny area on the back hip. Maybe the occasional sequin missing elsewhere but this is all very minor. A reinforced spot along the shoulder with invisible mending tape. A very rare dress.

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 46.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4000

Reference Photo: Rachel Zoe for The Hollywood Reporter March 2011

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

This Roberto Cavalli dress is from the Spring 2007 collection and is gorgeous. It's twin walked the runway that season and I am happy to have a video clip from the show so you can see how spectacular this dress moves when on the body. The first half of the Spring 2007 show was surprisingly soft and romantic for a Cavalli show and I loved the pieces. This was look seven for the show and I think it was one of the most beautiful dresses of that collection. The dress comes to me from the closet of a former stylist and it was never worn. It is exceptional and extremely beautiful.

The dress is made from a light silk cotton gauze that combines its natural off-white colour with a pale blue that hints at turquoise. Onto this is a secondary pattern that is hand-painted onto the fabric. You can feel the paint on the fabric and this extra layer gives the dress added texture. The bodice is made from two simple triangles that extend out from the waist and tie behind your neck with a long gauze straps. I love how the blue design on them comes out from the bottom of each triangle to highlight the shape of the bust. These are then backed in extra layers of silk so that you can safely wear the dress with nothing underneath. Under that is a band at the high set waist for definition and shape. This tapers down to almost nothing at the back as it curves around your waist. The skirt is remarkable. It is im its original supermodel uncut length. It is constructed so that when it reaches just above the bottom hem it is caught up and gathered up in under itself. A seam holds it in place and then the very bottom of the skirt extends out from under that. This gives the skirt incredible fullness and movement. When you are standing still you still get the feeling of fullness but when you move this construction technique allows the skirt to billow out around you. The fabric is so light and airy that when you walk it creates this incredible floating sensation. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The halter front leaves the back completely bare so that you your entire back is exposed and bare. The design that runs over the dress has a soft, romantic feel to it and the pale turquoise on the natural linen colour is spectacular. It is an incredibly beautiful dress and no matter how good it looks in the photos the sensation and tactile feeling of the fabric and lightness when you have it in hand is just phenomenal. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any big event. It has an inner hand written tag still attached and looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition.

The halter is backed with silk so it is opaque and the skirt has an inner attached lining in a solid ivory version of the same silk. It ties behind the neck and closes with a low hidden set zipper. Tagged a Cavalli 40.

Bust: has no fixed side seams. Each halter covers to approx 7"
Waist band under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: Approx 15" from top of bodice to bottom seam of 2" waist band and can be adjusted with ties
Skirt: 52" from bottom seam of band at the waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3997

Reference Photos/Video: (1-7) Spring 2007 Roberto Cavalli Runway Collection, Look 7. Model: Marija Vujovic.  /  (8) Gong Li at the Cannes Film Festival 60th Anniversary Dinner, 2007.  /  (9) Leona Lewis at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards, 2007.

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

This is a gorgeous dress from Alexander McQueen. It is from his Spring 2010 collection and it is a one of the original variations of a dress that they still make to this day. Julianne Hough recently wore a black version from my archives and I have included some shots of her so you can get an idea of how amazing it is on the body. The one that she wore was from a later collection released under the creative direction of Sarah Burton but it was based on the dresses released from this original 2010 collection. I have two versions of this dress in the shop from this season at the moment, you can find the other one here. It’s a spectacular example of his work and it is still brand new with its original tags. It is like finding a time capsule piece.

The dress is made from a floral printed silk crepe that has an explosion of flowers in a variety of pale pastels covering the entire dress. It is strapless with a built-in inner cupped bodice that gives you support and holds the dress in place. The cups are shaped and these cups are one of the things that you see that is different from the later versions of this dress. In this version the cups are shaped almost like a 1950s bullet bra. The seams in the inner cups are exaggerated and this gives them this beautiful curving angle shape at the sides and peak at the front. The silk is all bias cut. The dress glides over the inner structure and falls in column to the skirt. The waist is just a suggestion created by the seaming and it skims over the hips. At the hem you see one of the biggest differences between this dress and later versions. He has gathered the hem up and underneath so that it is sewn to the inner lining. This gives it a slight bubble effect. It is also slightly twisted so that it narrows in around you at the hem. However, the fullness of the skirt is still there so that you are able to walk with ease. It is quite genius. It also creates this incredible movement when you walk and has the added bonus of always immediately going back to that long lean line. The print that covers the dress is spectacular. It is a beautiful and romantic floral print done in dreamy shades of blue-greys, pale purples, pinks and blue. It has its original tags attached and was never worn. It also comes with a detachable pair of matching straps if you don't wish to go fully strapless. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk and has a built in cupped corset. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 42. It has its original hang tag still attached. The inner corset has some stretch. You could have the inner corset adjusted if you needed more or less room.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Inner corset waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3998

Reference Photos: Julianne Hough in Alexander McQueen from the Shrimpton Couture Archives for the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, 2022.

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

This fall 2004 John Galliano dress is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. And yes - it is the dress that was worn by Claudia Sulewski earlier this year to attend her SXSW film premier. I’ve included photos of her here from my various Instagram posts from that evening and you can see and read more on my instagram. This dress was a production piece made for retail and is infinitely more wearable then the pieces shown on the runway that season. It is spectacular. It is a stunning example of his work.

No matter how good you think that this dress looks like in photos and on Claudia, it is even better in person and moving. The silver metallic thread that creates the pattern in the silk has a glow and glint in the light that is not quite caught on camera. The video that I have included here gives you a much better idea of the dress once on. The dress is made out of a fine silk chiffon that has a slight texture to it. The colour is a soft pale baby blue and the silk chiffon ruffles are a paler shade of the same blue. Silver lame thread is woven through the silk to create stunning medallions that run over the entire dress. The dress is cut on the bias so it just glides over the body. It is in its original supermodel length and has not been altered. It is cut to skim over the bust with a V neck plunge on both the back and the front. The dress is so well made that you can actually wear either side to the front and it works. The dress skims over the waist and hips and is cut so that the bias cut of the silk follows your curves and highlights the body underneath without it being too tight and fitted. Galliano was a genius when it came to this cut. Once past the hips the dress flares out as it nears the bottom and is incredibly long. That bias cut is further highlighted by the curving angled seams edged in a pale blue silk chiffon ruffle. These glide and curve around you and add the illusion of even more height. The transparency of the chiffon used for those ruffle gives the dress another layer of texture and dimension. The final perfect detail is a row of his signature tightly spaced silk covered buttons and loops that run down one side. It is just spectacular. This would make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration and of course it would work for any red carpet event or gala. Other then being worn for a couple of hours on the red carper I don't think it was ever worn. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a matching silk chiffon. It closes down the side with a row of silk covered buttons and loops. Tagged a size US8, FR42, GB14 but the boas cut should allow it to work on a variety of sizes. The measurements given below are the comfortable range when the dress is laying flat. It is in its original uncut length. Being bias cut the length will come up a bit at the back. The dress should work on a large range of sizes given the bias cut. On smaller frames it will drape more and be more fitted on larger frames.

Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 69" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3999

Reference Photos/Video: Claudia Sulewski at the SXSW Premiere of "I Love My Dad", 2022 from Instagram. She was styled by Jared Ellner that evening

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

When dating this great little Couture Yves Saint Laurent we noticed that the fabric is a variation of pieces for the Fall 1994 show and that also fits the style and feel of the dress. I also dived into my folio collection book and there were pieces in that collection that used this same fabric as evidenced by the swatch. I have included these reference photos for you hear so that you can share that bit of detective work with me. The dress is gorgeous and in person the fabric seems to have an inner glow. It really is a beautiful piece and owning a piece of his couture work is really one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.

The dress is amazing and a classic Yves Saint Laurent cut and silhouette. It is made entirely by hand and the silk is of the highest possible grade. It feels stupendous on. The top is cut to skim over you and blouse over the waist. The shoulder have light padding just at their outer edges to slightly extend them outward. The shoulders are set into the bodice with gathers so that they slightly pouf above the shoulder line. The sleeves are full and voluminous above their ruffled cuffs. It does up along the neckline to one side and buttons to close. The buttons are hidden under a flap of silk and the fabric is matched on the side it buttons to. The neckline is high and there is a long attached scarf that wraps around your neck. It is set so that one side is longer then the other so that when you tie it is sits properly. Each end of the scarf ends with a two color silk fringe that I love. The waist is finished with elastic so it is incredibly easy to wear. You can add a belt over it if you wanted a really cinched in look. The skirt falls under that in a simple pencil to just about the knee or above depending on your height. There ore hidden set pockets along each hip. The colour of the silk is the best thing about the dress. It is a mix of a bright pink fuchsia and a deep purple with the pink acting as a design that runs over the entire dress. It is truly a brilliant dress and when you see it in person you will fall in love with how good it is in person. And it is just so good on the body. A masterpiece. Excellent condition with a note below.

Unlined with hand finished inner seams. It slips over the head to wear with elastic at the waist and hidden set buttons at the neck as described and shown. Each cuff buttons to close. Completely made by hand. Proper Haute Couture numbered label present. Once of the buttons on the cuff has chipped and I see one small repair under the arm near the seam and a teeny on on the back of one shoulder Please see the two photos after the label shot.

Sleeves: 25" but will pouf up
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist but mean to blouse a bit
Skirt: 20.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3996

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1994 Yves Saint Laurent Couture Runway. / (3) From the book YVES SAINT LAURENT. Haute Couture. L'OEUVRE INTÉGRAL 1962-2002.

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

This is an incredible set that dates to the time period when Marc Bohan was head of the Christian Dior atelier. It is a beautiful and early example of the work being produced by Christian Dior in this time period. This is from the Christian Dior-London label and it was considered to be demi-couture from this time period of Dior's history. Pieces with this label where made for the London based Dior shops and the designs were based on the Paris collections. They were produced with many of the same high standard finishes that the Haute Couture pieces incorporated. The line was overseen by John Langberg who was the Artistic Director of Christian Dior London. Langberg would tweak the Paris looks of the house to meet the needs of Dior's London clients. All under the eye and approval of Mr. Bohan. It is exceptional and an excellent investment piece as well. Dior prices continue to skyrocket and finding early and stunning examples like and in this condition is getting harder and harder to do. 

This suit is exceptional. It is actually two pieces. A skirt that has an attached upper body lining and then a top that zippers into place over that. The inner part of the dress has the skirt attached and suspended from a sleeveless inner top made out of an early silky rayon lining. This is a technique that you no longer see done because of the extra fabric it uses and the longer zipper requirements, both of which add to production cost and time. But this was the proper way to have a skirt hang perfectly during this time period and be the most comfortable for the wearer. The top just skims over you and then the skirt is cut in a sleek little flare that skims over the hips and flares out with hidden flat inverted pleats at each side for volume. The actual width around the bottom hem stops just short of a full circle skirt. This is all achieved by the cut because there is no pleat work done around the waist. This would have taken a tremendous amount of fabric to achieve and wouldn't be done in modern production. Around the waist the silk lies flat and neat. It is very flattering once on the body. When you stand still the skirt lays flat and smooth but when you move you get an incredible burst of movement and volume. Over that goes the little top that closes at the back with a zipper. It is cut to perfectly fall just over where the skirt underneath begins. It is cut with the slightest of curving in at the waist. It is beautifully constructed and it is cut to fit and flatter the body. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are capped and simple. The neckline is set in a wide cut scoop. A large bow has been set off to one side at the back and partially snaps over the zipper. At the front it is gathered in slightly towards the middle and there is a little strip of fabric at the center for detailing. The fabric is a very high end silk twill dyed to a beautiful bright fuchsia pink. A white design is woven through the silk and it is stunning to see in person. It is chic and elegant yet still feels glamorous because of that stunning colour and fabric. Excellent condition with a note below

Both pieces are fully lined in an ivory silky rayon. The top zips to close at the back and the skirt with its attached lining also zippers to close. A bow snaps into place over the zipper of the top. There is some minor shattering of the inner lining of the top under the arms but they are clean and fresh otherwise and the lining is very stable. Please see the final shot after the label 

Top
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17" from neck to hem

Inner Dress/skirt
Bust: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 25" from waist to hem with 4" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3847

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

This is an instantly recognizable dress from Prada. Erin O'Connor wore its twin as she walked the runway that season for Look 39 of the fall 2002 Prada show Style.com's review of this show in part said said: In a show that was densely layered with references to the history of fashion, Prada cut a strong, curvaceous and erotically charged line to give grown-ups a whole new reason to buy. ... Revisiting structured tailoring—which is where she began in the '90s—was only one of her ideas.  Prada referenced many of her own past collections, from her bourgeois ladylike phase to her militaristic moments and her love of vintage lingerie. But her achievement was in making something inspiringly new out of confronting a personal taboo. "I was fed up with people saying I can't do sexy clothes!" she stated backstage. It was said with a laugh, but the designer has done nothing less than change the fashion agenda overnight.' Anne Hathaway wore one that season and it is important enough that it is held in the permanent collection of Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I own the twin of this dress myself and its a fantastic dress

The dress is made from a super fine, super soft silk that is woven to feel like a high end thin t-shirt. This fabric choice makes the dress incredibly easy to wear. Choices like this are part of Miuccia's genius. The fabric has been vertically knife pleated and then that is gathered up and along an elastic neckline. The elastic allows you to slip the dress over your head but then draws the neck up and inwards once on the body so the the slits that are left open on each side for the arms are set on a flattering angle. The dress falls from there with minimal seaming. The shape that you see once it is on the body is made by the leather straps that are attached to the fabric. The one under the bust is fully attached and set on a curve that glides under the breasts. The ones at the waist and hips open on one side and are adjustable with metal loops that you can loose or tighten around you. This allows you to control where the leather sits on your body and how much shape you want to add to the dress. Under that the skirt falls with a slightly asymmetrical hem and is longer at the sides. When you move the movement it has is incredible. This is iconic Prada and an amazing piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined and slips over the head with a hidden set zipper at the side. The leather straps close as described above. It appears to have been worn little if at all. Tagged a Prada 44

Bust: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Strap under the bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3994

Reference Photos/Video: (1-4) Fall 2002 Prada Runway Collection. Look 39. Model: Erin O'Connor.  /  (5) Anne Hathaway in Prada at a special screening of "Chicago" to benefit GLAAD and Broadway Cares at the Ziegfeld Theater, New York City. December 18, 2002.  /  (6) Fall 2002 Prada Dress from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Collection.

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

This is dress is the twin of the dress that walked the fall 1998 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche runway. I was so pleased to find a shot of it on because it really shows you just how much it comes to life when worn. That runway shot is a little extra special as it was captured with Yves in the photo with it during his final bow of the show. It is extraordinary. The dress has never been worn and still has its original hang tag attached. It is a stunning example of his work during this time period. I am in complete love with it

The dress is almost startling in its beauty and impact. It is made from a moire finished velvet in a deep blood red. The pile on this type of velvet lies flatter to the surface and the moire pattern in it is achieved by manipulation of the plush of the velvet in different directions when it is made. This allows it to catch the light much more then a normal velvet and it gives it a depth and texture that I love. The pattern is cleverly set over the dress to come in at an angle towards the center of the dress. This gives the illusion of extra height and curves.The colour is fabulous. Every line of the dress is perfection. It falls from the shaped off shoulders to skim over you and follow the curve of your body. From the waist it falls in one supermodel long sheath to the floor widening out gently as it reaches the hem. There are inset panels around the skirt set in so that the lower skirt flares out and balances out the shape at the top of the dress. When you walk the lower skirts kick out and add movement to the piece. The back is as sleek as the front. The sleeves are long and narrow in to the wrist. It has such impact to see it on person and the way the velvet catch the light from every angle. It is spectacular and a wonderful example of Yve's work during this time period. It was never worn and still has its original hang tag. Excellent condition

Fully lined in fine red silk and closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. Each cuff zippers to close. Tagged a 38. Light padding in each shoulder. Original hang tag attached.

Sleeves: 23.5"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 61" from neck to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3990

Reference Photos: Fall 1998 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Presentation.

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

Madeleine de Rauch founded her self-named couturier house in 1932. In the beginning she was known as a 'sportswear' couturier which in the context of that time meant that she focused more on day wear. As time progressed she turned to evening wear and became equally as known for her gowns. In the mid-1950’s, realizing the importance and the inevitable coming of mass production, she and eight other fashion designers established the Ready-to-Wear Association. She was also a supporter of young talent and helped a very young Yves Saint Laurent find his workshop space from which he launched his first collection. She designed until 1974. This is a stunning dress from the early 1960s and the workmanship on it is incredible.

This is one of those dresses that the closer you get to it the more you realize just how special it is. My photos are not coming close to doing it justice. This dress is is a spectacular example of the high end hand work that was being done during this time period in the world of Haute Couture. It is harder and harder to find these original pieces that are entirely sequinned and appliqued and with such a heavy covering, never mind that it is also a true Haute Couture piece. The instant you lift this dress up you know it is an early and well made original because it literally weights about 5 pounds. This is entirely due to the dense and heavy coverage of the rhinestones, pearls and sequins that cover every inch of the dress. The cut is simple but dramatic due to the stark white and silver of the appliques. It is cut to skim over your curves and falls in an elegant sheath to the floor. This creates a long lean silhouette that suggests the body underneath and gives the illusion of height. The neckline is a simple scoop at the front and the back is another scoop. The hips are cut with a slight curve to follow the curve of the body and the skirt falls to the floor from there widening out as it nears the hem. The hem has a wide internal band of stiffening that allows it to hold the sculptural shape. The entire dress is densely covered with hand placed white sequins, pearls and prong set rhinestones. These are so heavily applied that they cover the entire surface. Underneath that is a white lace netting that has bits of a silver lame thread woven through the fabric for added glitz. The effect that this create when you move is wonderful. I love that no matter what angle you look at it from it catches the light beautifully. The time and hours put into making this dress with all that hand work is astounding. The entire dress is made by hand and it is amazing. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any big event. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a hand set ivory silk with hand finished seams. It closes with two back metal zippers. One for the interior lining and one for the outer dress. There is an attached weight at the top of the zipper that flips over the edge so that it doesn't dig into your skin. All the sequins, pearls and beads are hand sewn into place. It weighs several pounds. There are some minor grubbiness to the inside lining near the hem but of course this is not seen when on.

Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3983

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

The twin of this dress was Look 57 on the Resort 2014 runway. In 2014 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. The show was based on the ease of resort but as Vogie's Nicole Phelps noted: 'They do it the Valentino way, of course. There's nothing undone about their new collection.' Where many of the pieces in this collection had a more casual feel, when it came to the evening pieces they stuck to the glamorous DNA of the house. This dress was one of my favorites of the show but is also one of the most beautiful and best cut with its simple lines and extravagant yet refined beadwork. 

The lines of this dress are wonderfully simple and yet it still feels glamorous with the head to toe beadwork.

it is even better in person and on an actual body. As with many Valentino piece this dress has a bit of a bias cut to it through the body and it is meant to be on an actual body and not a mere dress form. As good as it looks here it only really comes to life once on. The dress is made from a pale champagne nude ivory silk satin that is then covered in a nude silk netting. Then onto the netting the dress is completely beaded from the top of the straps to the hem.  It is very beautiful. The dress is suspended from two straps that are completely encrusted with the beadwork. The neckline is cut straight across and its fitted around the bust. The dress falls from under that to the floor. The fabric and the way it is cut and draped allow it to skim over you and highlight your curves yet is very comfortable and easy to move in. The skirt gently widens out as it nears the hem and at the back it expands out at the center with panels of fabric to give you a trained feel. The skirt has yards and yards of fabric in it. There is a smoky coloured layer of tulle under the top nude that and this very subtle pop gives the beads more impact. The bead work that covers the dress is stunning.  On the bust it forms a lattice with edging on the seam above and below. Then it progresses down the dress in a panels of different densities. The beads are this amazing shade of a pale pink nude. Mixed in with the bead work are little embroidered 'leaves' that are connected at their bases so that they sit up and off the dress for a sense of texture and depth on the dress. As it nears the hem the beads and embroidery are spaced farther apart so that the final bit is more light and airy and just the tulle. This gives it a bit of a floating feeling once on. It is a beautiful and glamorous dress that is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any big event. It has its original hang tags still attached and has never been worn. Excellent condition

The dress is fully lined in an ivory silk. The top layer is a fine netting and then is a layer of a palest grey netting between them. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the side. It appears to have never been worn and has its original hang tags. Tagged a modern 40. The original price tag would have been over $10,000 on this dress. It is even better in person then how it photoed

Bust: 16" across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14" across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from top of shoulder to seam under the bust
Skirt: approx 48" from seam under the bust to front hem, 53.5" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3981

Reference Photo: Resort 2014 Valentino, Look 57.

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

Karl's first collection for Chanel was in 1983 which makes this piece from one of his early collections. I was happy to be able to find a reference photo of the twin of the dress from the runway that season. Three pieces were shown in this gold metallic fabric and this was the third that walked the runway. In the photo of the models it is the one on the far right towards the back. We also found runway footage so you can see how it moves. The hand written tag on the dress is also dated to 1986 and there is also a special order tag from Bergdorf's with the exact date of September 1, 1986 along with the client's name who ordered it. I feel like that makes it that much more special. It is a wonderful example of the work that Karl was doing for Chanel during this time period.

The dress is made from a of a metallic gold thread embroidered onto a black silk net and then backed by a black silk chiffon. The gold thread absolutely glows off of the black silks and it is wonderful to see in person. It also gives it a gorgeous texture with the thread slightly raised off the netting. Really exceptional fabric. The cut of the dress is gorgeous and its simple lines are done to allow the gold to take center stage. The neckline is cut straight across and is set wide so you get a glimpse of skin across the top of the shoulder. The edges of it follow the lace pattern for a pretty scalloped effect. Inside the bodice is a tank that adds extra coverage across the chest but leaves the upper shoulders and arms covered in just a single layer of the chiffon and gold for a touch of transparency. The sleeves have this same touch of transparency to them. The bodice skims over the bust and waist. The lace is finished just below the waist with that same scalloped edge and then the skirt falls from under that. It gives the illusion that you are wearing a top and skirt but without an added bulk that you would have if it was two pieces. The front of the skirt curves up to a slightly shorter length and then it curves down at the back skirt to a true full length skirt by the time it reaches the longest point of the back hem. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition

Full lined in a fine black silk chiffon with an inner chiffon bodice suspended by tiny straps and in inner silk skirt. Hand finishes. The inner bodice has its own zipper to close it and then the outer layer closes with a series of buttons and loops down the back. Buttons and loop at each cuff. Cut slightly on the bias so may come up a touch in length when on depending on your frame

Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no true defined seam
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 49" from top of shoulder to front hem, 60" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3345

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 1986 Chanel Runway Collection.

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

Alexandros Pertsinidis is an Australian fashion designer who launched the Alex Perry label in 1992. His work has been featured on numerous the covers worldwide since then and is a favorite on the red carpet. It's been worn by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Lupita Nyong and countless others. This dress is from the Resort 2020 collection and looks to have never been worn. The original retail was just under $3500. It is a pretty spectacular dress.

The dress is made to give you length and curves. It has a sculpted feel to it that is incredible. The bodice is strapless and is seamed to be fitted and shaped around you. There’s light boning inside to help hold the shape and curves. It nips in at the waist and then the skirt curves around your hips and the falls to the floor in a chic sheath of sequins. His cut around the hips is actually done on a curve and when it is laid out flat you can see that hourglass shape sculpted into the dress. The dress is in its original super model length and there’s even a couple of inches turned up under the hem. The effect of that long sleek shape is all length and curves once on the body. At the back it closes with one of his signature chunky zippers which becomes its own design detail. To finish the dress there is a high slit that allows you to walk and lets a flash of leg show. The dress is covered in hundreds of thousands of gold sequins. These are laid out in flat side-by-side pattern set in vertical rows and they cover every square inch of the dress. The way that it catches the light is incredible. The dress is wonderfully made and it looks like it’s never been worn. It is in brand new off-the-rack condition. It is a stunning dress and you will definitely turn heads in it when you walk into the room. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silky rayon and closes at the back with a zipper as shown. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. No inner size tag.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-small  cup
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 9" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 47" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem
Slit: 27.5" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3978

Reference Photos: Resort 2020 Alex Perry

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

Geoffrey Beene was one of the great American fashion designers and he was recognized for both his artistic and technical skills. He launched his label in 1963 and a piece from his very first collection landed on the cover of Vogue. A Coty award followed a year later. In 1984 the Council of Fashion Designers created the annual Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in honor of Beene's fashion legacy. When researching this dress we found an editorial shot from Vogue that year of one of his dresses in the same fabric which verified the date of this piece. It is absolutely gorgeous.

I love Geoffrey Beene's work and this one is a beauty. It is made from an ultra soft leopard printed chenille velvet that is one of the softest things I have ever felt. It is very fine and very light in weight. It has this wonderful soft deep plush to it and is incredibly luxurious feeling. He then used a black silk netting to contrast that for the shoulders and sleeves. The netting is transparent and is detailed with a gold metallic thread and fused dots of a flat piled black velvet. The bodice is cut to curve around the bust and it is then cut on a sharp angle towards the neck on both the back and front. The netting is set on both sides of that so you get a glimpse of skin through it and then it curves over the shoulders and down to form the sleeves. From there the fabric skims over the waist and hips and then narrows down slightly to the hem. I have photoed the incredible seaming through the mid part of the dress. I also took a photo of the way the hem is cut from the side. It is just an incredible small detail that I love. A high slit runs up the center so that when you move or sit you get a flash of leg. Just an amazing dress and a fabulous example of his work during this time period. Excellent condition.

The fabric is self backed and the dress unlined. It closes with a hidden set back zipper. Each sleeve has a hidden set snap at the cuff. All of the inner seams are ribbon edged. It appears to have never been worn, or worn very little. Tagged a vintage size 6

Sleeves: approx 25"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 17" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to front hem, 58" to the back hem
Slit: 26" from hem up

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3484

Reference Photos: Valerie Celis in Geoffrey Beene for Vogue US, 1994. Photo by Ellen Von Unwerth

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

This was sold to me and dated as an unlabeled Yves Saint Laurent skirt and top set from the 1982 or 1983 seasons. While we did not find a photo of this exact version we did find a photo from the ready-to-wear collection that shows a similar draping technique around the waist and I found his sketch of a dress from the Spring 1983 that is similar in feel. I have included a photo of the inner seams so you can see the Haute Couture level of workmanship. It also still retains its couture hang tag loop that pieces from this period had added and has the appropriate X stitches at the waist bands to mark the front of the garment and which way it is to be worn. It is priced far less then what it would be if it had its label. Women often removed them during this period as this was well before our modern day importance that we give to them.

This is a wonderful example of Haute Couture utilizing a silk jersey. Both the top and the skirt are made from a fine black silk jersey that drapes over the body beautifully. This fabric is notoriously difficult to work with and when you add in that it was all entirely made by hand the level of workmanship takes on a whole new meaning. It is a set made up of a very low plunging top and a chic simple skirt that falls to the floor. The top is cut to skim over you and hooks to close at the hem of the bottom of the plunge at the back. The waist of the top is banded and you can wear it low to meet the band of the skirt so it looks like a dress or wear it higher to leave some bare skin showing between the top and the skirt. The front and the back fall from the shoulders where the fabric is gathered in a flat band there. This cleverly helps to add detail and also helps to hold the top in place when you wear it. At the front it plunges almost to the waist with just enough closure at the bottom to help hold it securely in place. At the back it opens right to the waistband to leave the entire center of your back bare. The skirt is made of the same high end black silk jersey. The waist is banded and there is a panel of fabric there that wraps around you to give it this fantastic gathered cummerbund effect and highlight the curve of the waist. It falls to the floor from there, gently widening out as it goes. If there ever was a piece that needed a real body in it this is it and I can guarantee you that once on this is as chic and sexy as they come. I also love that being two pieces the set gives you the versatility to break it up and wear it with other pieces you already own so that it extends the wearability of the set. This is a rare piece of fashion history. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition with one minor note

Both pieces are unlined. The skirt closes with a hand set side zipper and the top hooks to close at the back. Entirely made by hand. Unlabeled but has a hand written tape with RV155 written on it in the top and another faint number in the skirt. I see one tiny repair to the skirt

Top
Bust: open
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 16.5" from neck hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 39" from top of bodice to waist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item# DD3976

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1983 YSL Haute Couture Sketch. / (2) Fall 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.

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

This is a very chic 1980s Christian Dior dress from the Marc Bohan years. it is a wonderful example of the work being done during this time period and shows the restraint that the label could have when it delved into minimalism. It dates to the early - mid 1980s and it is a very easy and comfortable dress to wear. Don't let the simplicity of it fool you. This is a dream to wear and the simple lines are offset  by the high quality silk jersey and the ease and beauty it has once on.

The dress is made from a black silk jersey that drapes beautifully over the body. The bodice has an almost squared off feel to it with a straight across neckline at both the back and the front. It sits low on the bust at the front for a touch of sexuality to offset the simple lines. It is cut to skim over the bust and then it widens out slightly as it nears the waist line. The waist seam is dropped low to just about the top of the hips, This play on proportion gives the dress a touch of an unusual feel but without needing anything extra in terms of ornamentation. At the back it stays as simple as the front dropping just a touch lower for a bare expanse to show across the upper back and shoulders. The skirt is set into the dropped waist seam in a series of soft gathers and this gives it the ability to softly move around you when you move. And it has pockets. It is cut super model long and is in its original length. The inside construction is beautiful with as hand set silk lining through the bodice. This is a dress that you just slip on and it is perfect for day or evening. You can also extend its life by layering under or over it for a full range of looks. Excellent condition.  

Fully lined in a hand set silk through the bodice and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a side set zipper. Pockets along the seam of each hip. It looks to have been worn very little if at all

Bust: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam across the top hips: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 22" from top of shoulder to seam across the top of the hips
Skirt: 36" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3977

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

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 in 1989 he presented his first couture collection. The days that Gianni headed the label were heady, glamourous ones and set the tone for the label as we know it today. He remained at the helm of the brand until his death by assassination in 1997. This is from those years in the 1990s when the label was everywhere and everyone wanted to own and wear a Versace. Vogue recently added this show to its runway archives and in the show notes Gianni was quoted as saying; 'To use art in a flat way, without creative intervention, is in bad taste. I mix it up'. This top stitched bodice feature was an important part of that season's collection. The dress was shown in yellow on the runway and was worn by Yasmin Le Bon. There was also a jumpsuit that we found with the same bodice treatment. It is so good.

As good as the dress looks from the front as soon as you see the back you can't help but fall in love. The dress is made out of a linen silk mix and combines a bright tropical coral orange with black. The clever play on colour helps to emphasize the bust with making the waist and hips look slimmer. The bodice is a play on the bullet bra and intricately top stitched to follow the high rounded curve of the neckline. It is darted for shape at each side and then curves down in at the center. Under that is a band of the sane colored fabric that cinched you in just under the bust. The waist is set high in under that and the entire top portion of the fitted skirt is also top stitched so that you get that fantastic corseted lingerie effect. The skirt hugs the hips and then goes to about the knees, depending on your height, to fall in  a fitted pencil silhouette. Then when you turn around the dress gets even better. It buttons all the way down with a row of tightly spaced gold metal buttons. He has kept the closure on the bodice separate so that it is a like a front attached bustier. This leaves an open cut out of skin showing between the back strap and the skirt which is so sexy. The skirt then buttons all the way down from there leaving a bit of a vent below the final button to allow you to walk. It is fantastic. Excellent condition

Backed in a non top stitched version if the same fabric. It closes with the buttons done the back as shown. Tagged a vintage Versace 44

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for a B-C cup
Seam directly under the bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 5.5" from top of bodice to seam under the bust, 8" to waist seam
Skirt: 26" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3970

Reference Photos: (1) Yasmin Le Bon for the Spring 1989 Versace Runway.  /  (2) Spring 1989 Versace Runway Collection.

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

Some pieces just make you happy inside when you see them and this brilliant Pucci jumpsuit is one of those. It is an absolutely gorgeous Pucci piece with a classic Pucci color palette in shades of taupes and whites. It is made out of a silk jersey that glides and skims over your body perfectly. This fabric choice makes it extremely comfortable to wear and move in. The neckline is scooped at the back and front and the jumpsuit is suspended by two tiny straps made from the same printed jersey. It hugs the torso and the waist is seamed for some shaping. It has its original wide cut fabric belt so that you can cinch in the waist even more if you wish. Each pant has a straight fit so that they fall perfectly. This is a very rare Pucci that is instantly recognizable and very sexy. The print and colors all work with each other beautifully. Excellent condition with one small note below

Unlined and closes with a back zipper. The fabric does have some stretch but the waist is a firm measurement. The label and size tag were removed at some point in its history but the fabric is signed throughout. Original tie belt. It looks like it was let down around the waist a touch as I see a faint double line of stitches running around the seam, otherwise it appears to have been worn very little. Please see the final shot. This is completely covered when the belt is worn. 

Bust: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12.5" from top of the shoulder to waist
Pants: 37" from waist seam to hem
Inseam: 27"
Gusset: 13"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3972

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

This is a remarkable example of Courreges and the work that Andre was doing during that time period. I know we often associate his work with very mod and short pieces but he also did many dramatic pieces in fabrics like this. It is a highly glossed, thicker weight, smooth finish cotton. At the time this would have been extremely experimental. I love that this one takes the shape that we so closely associate with him and extends and exaggerates it to full length. This dress would not have half the impact it has if it was shorter. I am sometimes more excited to find these bolder and more unusual pieces from him then the more common mod feeling ones. A version of this one was also photoed just after the Spring 1974 collection was shown. Having documentation on it makes it even more special as so many of his pieces don't have any.

This beautiful dress is made out of a coated cotton in an ivory and it is just absolutely stunning. Onto that is a print that is done to look like it was hand painted onto the fabric. I love that the print looks like little abstract hearts though I have to say that some of them almost have the feel of little curled up cats too. Many of his pieces are a play on volume and proportion and this dress is an amazing example of that. It is a dramatic piece that 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 has enough weight to it to hold the shape. The exterior has a coating that gives it a slight sheen and then inside it is lined in an ivory muslin. The slight sheen combined with the absolutely superb seaming details and ruffles create a fabulous look. All of the seams are set vertically to help add to the feeling of length. The bust drops into a V and it actually zips up at the front along the seam so that the zipper is hidden. Following the neckline is a double ruffle in an organza in two different shades of brown. The organza is finished along it's edge so that it has a bit of structure and can stand outwards from the dress. The same ruffle treatment runs around each opening for the arms. I love the little bow at the base of the neck too. It is just the sweetest with it's shaped and curving feel. It is an extremely collectible and rare dress. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined as described above. It zips to close at the front at the base of the V neck. Tagged a Courreges B. In its original length. I see one small area of spots near the hem and some grubbiness to the interior neckline, otherwise it appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Bust: to 18" flat across the back from seam to seam
Waist: to 15.5" flat across from seam to seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from seam to seam
Length: 59" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3974

Reference Photo: Model in Courreges, November 1973.

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

The twin of this dress walked the runway for the 2019 season. This was the show where Maria took a look to the past for her inspiration for the collection. Vogue's Sally Singer noted that; "Chiuri sought inspiration for this collection from Britain’s postwar Teddy Girls, those working-class, rock ’n’ roll–loving beehived vixens who hit the clubs in a mix of men’s Edwardian jackets, full skirts, blue jeans, leather, velvet, and eyeliner galore. She was struck by the similarity in silhouette and the optimistic excess that characterized Christian Dior’s designs of the same period. She was also moved by Yves Saint Laurent’s addition to the Dior pantheon of a men’s black leather jacket for women in the late 1950s. So, heritage, hipsters, and herstory" This dress is one of the ones that felt most like a heritage piece from that show while still having a modern flare. It is just absolutely lovely.

The dress is gorgeous and I love that it can easily have a more elegant evening feel by styling it with heels and some statement jewelry rather then the cap and low boots it was shown on the runway with. It is made out of a fabric that has a puffed and raised texture that combines a deep blue with a black. This added texture gives the dress more visual interest and it is quite stunning. The lines of the dress are simple so that the woman wearing it will take center stage. The neckline is cut across the bodice with a slight curve. Straps extend out from the gathered fabric that edges the neckline and they are meant to be worn off of the shoulder to leave your shoulders bare and free. The fabric is gathered across the front and around you to the back. The waist nips in and you could add a belt to accent the waist more if you wished. The skirt falls from there and hearkens back to the era of Mr. Dior with a fullness through the hips. It falls to the floor in a soft arching curve that is quite beautiful. There are no added crinolines underneath and all of the fullness and volume that you see is achieved by the way the skirt is inset around the waist. There are yards of silk in the skirt so you could add your own crinoline under it and wear it very full if you wished. The dress appears to have never been worn or worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

There is a built in inner cupped corset and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML- MED

Item# DD3966

Reference Photo/Video: Fall 2019 Christian Dior Runway, Look 79. Model Louise Robert.

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

A version of this dress was shown on the runway in a printed chiffon. For production to the stores it was also released in this fabulous silk jersey version. This collection was shown in Marrakech and Vogue's Sally Singer said the collection was "about luxury, globalism, and culture". The dress I have here is simpler then its runway counterpart but that just makes it that much more wearable to that many more events. It is gorgeous.

The dress is a made out of a deep blue silk jersey that falls like a dream. It is heavy enough to feel like a high quality piece but still will move and flow as you walk and move. The front plunges into a low V just slightly crossing over itself where it meets the band of fabric at the waist. The tops of the triangle that cover the bust are twisted for detailing and then they fall into a deep V at the back. This leaves you bare on both the front and the back. There is a little jersey cord that runs across the back to hold the halter perfectly in place. The skirt falls to the floor at the front and the dress is in its original unaltered supermodel length. At the back the shoulders extend out to a caped panel of the same jersey. This also falls to the floor and is one long fabulous swath of jersey. At the sides the cape is curve back into itself and attached down the sides so that it is a part of the dress and not a separate piece. It catches the air and billows out around you as you walk. The effect this has once on and when you move is fantastic. It is fabulous on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

The jersey serves as the lining and it slips on to wear with an inner elastic at the waist. The elastic is what gives it its shape. If you needed more room or ease through the waist it would be very easy to extend it so that someone with a larger frame could wear it since the rest if the dress is really loose and easy. There is a bit of a ripple in the jersey at the back that curves across the fabric. I think it might be deliberate but it is taken into account with pricing. It is impossible to photo and there is so much fabric you don't see it anyway unless you lay it out flat and spread the fabric out. It is more a mention for accuracy then anything. No size tag present

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 48" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3968

Reference Photo: Resort 2020 Christian Dior Runway, Look 87. Model Lineisy Montero.

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