This dress is from the early 1990s and I think it is from around 1992. His 1992 collections featured a ton of dresses with this same boy short finish inside. It is interesting to note that his dresses from this time period were as well known for their prices as they were for their extreme shortness. In a 1992 article in Elle Magazine they reported that his collection was 'extraordinarily pricey with cardigans run around $1,400 and dresses between $2,500 and $3,500' (just under $7,000 in modern dollars). This was in part due to the specialized fabrics that Alaia was developing. In the text found in that same 10 page spread, Azzedine is said to have been 'delighted in the space-age fabric he used for his Spring 1992 collection. He calls the NASA-developed material 'Relax' for its purported ability to act as a screen against microwave emissions'. Azzedine produced two versions of this dress and I have both versions in the shop today. At first glance they look very similar. This version is the more couture of the two and the hem is finished with extensive hand beading and a real metallic thread. There are also hand placed mirrors worked into the hem. As a result this one is to more expensive but also the one that is more rare and harder to find. Less of these more elaborate versions would have been produced. 

The dress is made from one of Alaia's iconic black stretch knits. These were made to hug the body and define every curve while cleverly smoothing out everything underneath. The neckline is set wide across the front and it and scooped on a square off shape at the corners. It is cut low on the bust and it is finished with a touch of scalloping to the edge. This is a detail that he started to use around this time period and that you still see on the house's designs to this day. The way the knit has been made gives it a structure that is built right into it. Once on the body it shapes and molds the body underneath it while never feeling to constrictive. Alaia pieces are remarkably easy to move in and have more ease to them then some of the other 'bandage' dresses from other designers of this time period who were doing similar body conscious dresses. The sleeves and body of the dress are made from a more flat weave knit that is opaque. Under that the skirt starts low on the hip is cut to swing around you as you walk. It is very short and the knit has a more open weave to it that gives it a semi-transparent finish. The edge of the skirt is finished with an amazing combination of hand set glass beads and marquise shaped mirrors. The beads are done in little stacked horizontal rows on top of a raised vertical metal thread. Mirrors are set by hand in between the rows and and each mirror is held in place by metal thread using a North Indian technique called Abla or Shisha. This gives the skirt some weight and I love the fullness of the skirt and the movement it has once it is on. Under the skirt are attached and fitted knit boy shorts that snap into place. So when it is on you see through the skirt but are fully covered with the short shorts underneath. This is a very rare dress from one of the greatest designers of our time. It is entirely original. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. The inner boy shorts snap to close. There is the slightest bit of sheen to the fabric near the seam under each arm. The mirrors show some patina which is a natural part of aging with this type of paste mirror. Tagged a small and the fabric has stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements show the comfortable range laying flat. 

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 15-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length to inner boy short: 27-30" from shoulder to inner snaps of shorts 
Length: 33" from shoulder to bottom hem of skirt

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3001

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 was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland. Ady herself was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas. She would purchase the couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns and then make the actual dresses in her atelier. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway. I feel that this particular dress has a more Dior feel to it and it might even be a design that pre-dates the decades (the late 70s to 1993) where my client's aunt was buying and living in Switzerland. The dresses are completely made by hand to Haute Couture standards and are incredible pieces.

This dress is spectacular. The fabric is extremely high end and the workmanship is amazing. It is the perfect LBD. The design is very Dior and has the feeling of Dior's earliest work and in particular his last collection of 1957 where he used the shawl collar with a flower to anchor them. The collar is amazing. It is cut to wrap around you and sits high up and above the shoulders to frame the face. It is made out of a matte silk satin and I love the way that it drapes and folds into place. It creates a fabulous 'film noir' feel. At the front where is meets and hooks into place is a removable silk and velvet flower that adds detail and a touch of romance. I love that the flower was kept black so that the eye is not suddenly jarred. The tone on tone feel this creates is wonderfully dark and rich. Underneath is a simple pencil skirted dress that is made out of a moire silk taffeta in black. It skims over the bust, goes in with a seam at the waist and then falls in a sleek pencil to just past the knee. The shoulder have a light padding and you can see the hand done work and silk edging that they have added in the shot I have included here. The dress comes with its original silk covered belt that you can use to really add shape through the waist. Inside it is hand lined in a sensual black matte silk satin. The workmanship is of the highest quality and I had added an interior shot so that you can see how beautiful it is finished. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black silk satin and closes a back metal zipper. The belt buckles into place and the interior shoulders are lightly padded. It appears to have been for very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. 

Bust: 18" 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: 15" from top of bodice to bottom of band at waist
Skirt: 24.5" from bottom of band at waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD

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 early 1990s and I think it is from around 1992. His 1992 collections featured a ton of dresses with this same boy short finish inside. It is interesting to note that his dresses from this time period were as well known for their prices as they were for their extreme shortness.In a 1992 article in Elle Magazine they reported that his collection was 'extraordinarily pricey with cardigans run around $1,400 and dresses between $2,500 and $3,500' (just under $7,000 in modern dollars). This was in part due to the specialized fabrics that Alaia was developing. In the text found in that same 10 page spread, Azzedine is said to have been 'delighted in the space-age fabric he used for his Spring 1992 collection. He calls the NASA-developed material 'Relax' for its purported ability to act as a screen against microwave emissions'. Azzedine produced two versions of this dress and I have both versions in the shop today. At first glance they look very similar. This version is the more subtle of the two and the hem is finished with a grey knit finish and series of diamond shapes that run all the way around. As a result this one is less expensive then the other one I have today but you get the same feel as the more intricate version just not with quite the same level of workmanship at the hem. 

The dress is made from one of Alaia's iconic black stretch knits. These were made to hug the body and define every curve whole cleverly smoothing out everything underneath. The neckline is set wide across the front and it and scooped on a square off shape at the corners. It is cut low on the bust and it is finished with a touch of scalloping to the edge. This is a detail that he started to use around this time period and that you still see on the house's designs to this day. The knit has structure built into it and once on the body, it helps to shape and mold the body underneath it while never feeling to constrictive. Alaia pieces are remarkably easy to move in and have more ease to them then some of the 'bandage' dresses from some of the other designers of this time period who were doing similar body conscious dresses. The sleeves and body of the dress are made from a more flat weave knit that is opaque. Under that the skirt starts low on the hip is cut to swing around you as you walk. It is very short and the knit has a more open weave to it that gives it a semi-transparent finish. The edge of the skirt is finished with vertical rows of a raised silver grey knit that has a boucle feel to it. Little marquis shapes are created by shaping the grey knit around the black base. The knit detailing there gives the skirt some weight and I love the fullness of the skirt and the movement it has once it is on. Under the skirt are attached and fitted knit boy shorts that snap into place. So when it is on you see through the skirt but are fully covered with the short shorts underneath. This is a very rare dress from one of the greatest designers of our time. It is entirely original. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. The inner boy shorts snap to close. Tagged a medium and the fabric has stretch so should fit a range of sizes. The measurements show the comfortable range laying flat. 

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length to inner boy short: 30-32" from shoulder to inner snaps of shorts 
Length: 33" from shoulder to bottom hem of skirt

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD2976

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 68 on the Spring 2015 runway. In 2015 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. In the Vogue review for this collection they specifically noted the seaside themed dresses: 'The collection was poetic, graceful, and beautiful. Chiuri and Piccioli touched on many of Italy's patrimonies, from its antiquities all the way down to its kitsch... the designers lavished special attention on the seaside, printing some gowns with starfish and snails, and embroidering others with shells, sailing ships, and underwater creatures like the Portuguese man-of-war....as always, it was the workmanship that astounded, be it extravagantly done, as the feather-embroidered numbers were, or more naively wrought, like those sea creatures. "In this moment when everything is synthetic, digital, and flat, you need something more human. To dream, you need to feel something, not just to see," said Piccioli.'  The dress was an instant success and sold out worldwide. It has the added provenance of have been used for the Valentino ad campaign that season and it was featured in the Fed issue of Vogue. 

The dress is made from a fine silk chiffon that is entirely cut on the bias. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. When you walk the fabric catches the air and billows out around you. The design that is screened onto the silk is one of the labels signature coral patterns that was first seen in 1969 for the Haute Couture collection. The silk is a soft off-white and the coral print is finished in a soft neutral palette that plays perfectly against the pale ivory chiffon. It is almost weightless and yet constructed so that it drapes on the body perfectly. The skirt falls to the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. The skirt is made up of three layers of silk chiffon. There is the top printed layer and then there are two layers of ivory chiffon underneath that. This is what gives it its lightness and the floating effect it has when you move. The bodice drapes softly over you at the front. The waist is seamed for shape and the back is left bare with a low scoop that sits on an angled curve that swoops down one side. There is a silk covered elastic band that runs across the back to hold the dress in place. If you prefer it to be completely open you could easily remove this so you could get even more of an open and bare feel. At the front the top is cut in a classic one shoulder that curves up and then ties into place with long ties that meet it from the back. It is very beautiful. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. This would also make a stunning wedding piece for the bride looking for something non-traditional or for an event over a wedding weekend. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an soft ivory coloured silk chiffon that is also cut on the bias. The skirt is made up of three layers of silk chiffon as described above. It closes with a low back hidden set zipper. The strap that goes across the back is attached on one side and hooks to close on the other with a row of four hook & eye. The shoulder ties into place with long attached ties. Inner waist stay hooks to close. Tagged a US8

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 15" from top of bodice to waist and can be adjusted
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3022

Reference Photos: (1-3) Valentino S/S 2015, Look 68. Model: Irina Liss.  /  (2) Photo by Mario Testino, Vogue US, Feb 2015.  /  (3) S/S 2015 Valentino Ad.  /  (4-5) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon. Cherie is wearing a Magnetic Midnight X Shrimpton Couture 'Stardust' Headpiece.

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

It was during a visit to Tokyo in 1971 that Zandra first started sketching lilies after being sent lilies to her hotel room and the resulting print debuted in her 1972 Spring collection. The Lilly prints have become one of her most iconic and best known prints. Pieces from these original collections are hard to find and they are some of the most sought after of all her vintage pieces. The Lily prints also represent the introduction of handwriting and calligraphy into her textile designs. Another point of significance for Zandra is that the Lily dresses were the first dresses that she started applying beading to, which would become a future trademark. Zandra herself once said that she loved these prints and that they 'represent the best of my work'. I also found a reference to them in notes from the V&A Museum: 'Zandra Rhodes considers the Lily prints to be the best of her work, and particularly significant. It was while developing the Lily textiles that she developed the method of reversing the silkscreen to produce a mirror image of the print and create symmetrical patterns. This went on to influence many of her future significant prints, such as 'Lace Mountain', 'Cactus Volcano' and 'Scribble Turnaround'. This dress is a rare find and it is magnificent. 

This dress is one of the more complicated of her Lily dresses from that season. Versions of it with ruffled detailing at the collar and edging the sleeves were photoed on Twiggy and Anjelica Huston. I have also included two reference photos of the similar dresses from this collection found in her book 'The Art of Zandra Rhodes'. The skirt of this one is cut the same as those but with even more ruffled netting at the bottom. The sleeves have that same tremendously wide cut that you see on both examples and are gorgeous. Pat Cleveland was also captured modelling a version and you really get a sense of just how full the skirt is from that photo. 

The dress is gorgeous. The first thing that you notice is that parts of it are actually the palest mint green that has a touch of blue in it. The colour is brought out in the skirt even more when you wear the matching underskirt that goes with it. This is because the inner part of the underskirt is finished in a pale baby blue silk. When layer over each other you get this amazing depth in textures and colour. To wear the dress you slip on the inner petticoat and then the silk dress is layered over that. The bodice is cut loose and full. The front dips into a low plunge that goes right to the waist. The entire bodice has been hand painted and you can actually feel and see the paint on top of the silk. The front is embellished with her signature flower shaped palettes with a pearl finish. The sleeves are magnificent. They are cut to fall tremendously wide and full. They drop right past the hip at the their longest points and they give the dress that wonderful dramatic feel while playing homage to the trip to Japan that led her to the Lilies print and the culture there that she fell in love with. The waist is a wide gathered elastic band and the skirt below that flows full and soft to the floor. The skirt is a literal work of art. On the upper part of it are her beautiful lilies that have been hand painted onto the silk. Amongst those you see one of her very earliest field of lilies text that she is famous for. Ruffles made of silk netting run down each side and then the entire bottom of the skirt is finished with ruffled ad curved tiers of silk netting. This gives the dress tremendous texture and a sense of romance. The layering and mixing of the ruffles, the netting, the hand painted silk and the play on colours and textures is genius. It is a true work of art. There is some fragility to the silk netting at the hem of the outer layer so please read the condition report below carefully. It is still wearable with care. This is a very rare and special piece. It is a true piece of fashion history. This would be an incredible choice for a bride who does not want a traditional wedding dress or as part of a wedding event. Presents as excellent condition with notes to review below.

The petticoat is made from a blue silk that has layers of soft tulle attached over it. The top layer of tulle on the underskirt has a ruffled silk net lace at the edge of the hem. It closes with hook & eye at the waist. The outer silk chiffon dress slips over the head to wear with elastic running through the waist. I see repairs and changes to the weave in the silk netting all through and around the bottom hems and I would rate some parts of the netting as very fragile and the netting is fragile overall. The silk netting is almost gossamer to start out and it is very delicate. There is so much volume through the skirt that the repairs get lost in the folds and netting. I see one small hole on the top of the front near the shoulder. The decision was made to just steam it out and not have it cleaned to not do anymore damage to the silk netting. It is wearable with care as it is and is in clean sound condition otherwise. Please see the photos after the label shots for the shoulder flaw and examples of the netting. 

Note that the size is based on the outer dress. The inner petticoat is currently a XS-SML in size but could be adjusted so I deferred in some to the outer dress. 

Outer Dress
Shoulders: no defined seam
Sleeves: approx 39" to longest points
Bust: no trued defined side seams
Waist: 15-17" across
Hips: open
Bodice: 13: from neck to top of elastic at waist
Skirt: 51" from top of elastic at waist to longest point at the back hem

Petticoat/Inner crinoline
Waist: 11-12" flat across from side seam to side seam depending on how you hook it to close. You could easily add some fabric to the waist band to expand this if needed
Hips: Open
Length: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD3655

Reference Photos: (1) Anjelica Huston in Zandra Rhodes, Shot by David Bailey, Vogue UK, September 1973.  /  (2) Butterfly Dress no. 67, in 'Reverse Lily' print on silk chiffon; ruffles and frills on skirt in net; and satin sash.  /  (3) Twiggy on the cover of Vogue (top) and photograph for Harpers Bazaar (in Butterfly no. 67) (bottom).  /  (4) Butterfly Dress no. 70 - Off shoulder crinoline, in 'Reverse Lily' print on silk chiffon; net curtain ruching and frills in skirt.  /  (5) Pat Cleveland modelling Butterfly no. 70.  (Last four photos from the book "The Art of Zandra Rhodes").

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

Jacques Fath showed his first collection of just twenty garments in the spring of 1937. It was received well and he steadily built a strong clientele and became of of the busiest ateliers in Paris. He eventually expanded into the America through the American manufacturer Joseph Halpert. In 1949, Fath signed an agreement to produce two ready-to-wear collections a year with Halpert. This dress is from that early label and it has some extra historical significance since this agreement was one of the first of its kind between a couturier and a RTW company. The Fath label was shuttered in 1957 after Fath's death three years earlier. One of his signature looks was a low plunging neckline and this dress has just that. 

The dress is not perfect bit it is still so beautiful that I hope that someone can love it for its history and beautiful lines. The fabric that it is made out of is incredible. It is a silk organza and it feels like it has been treated with something that has added a touch of stiffening to it. Silk organza already has an incredible ability to hold its shape while being virtually weightless and this fabric seems to have just a touch more hold then usual. The silk has been dyed to the perfect nude blush pink. The fabric is semi-transparent and but there is so much of it that there is a real illusion effect created. A modern woman could wear this with a full structured underdress, choose a simple light slip or even just wear only nude undergarments under it if she dared. The dress curves over the shoulder with wide straps and then crosses over itself at the front. There are tiny pleats that you see as it gets closer to the waist. The waist is cinched for shape and then more of those tiny and perfect pleats circle the hips and open to the extraordinary skirt. There are yards and yards of fabric in the skirt and it is cut to perfection. The hem is cut so that the sides are slightly longer then the front and I love how it has volume even without anything underneath. There is so much fabric in there that you could easily add a crinoline if you really wanted it to be very full. The dress does have some flaws. It is sound and wearable but please review the full condition report below.  

The dress closes with a side painted metal zipper and is unlined. I see a small tear in the fabric near the waist and another near the base of the arm opening. There are stains throughout the skirt that are primarily near the hem but there are some higher up as well. I see a couple of small well done repairs. Please see the photos after the label shot. There looks to be older repairs to parts of the seams on the bodice and a repair beside the zipper at the back. It is sound and wearable as is with care. It could be easily worn as is for a shabby chic feel or perhaps dyed to hide some of the discolourations.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 57" from waist to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3656

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 recently had a red checked set by this same label in the shop and that one ended up going to museum. It's very exciting to have a second set in the shop so soon. This is a very rare example of the work of Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin. The two young women were staunch feminists and they were determined to launch a label without having to have a male name on the masthead. They quickly became known for their tailoring, lean cuts and outerwear. In 1962 Vogue featured one of their pieces and their customer base instantly expanded outside of London. Their work was featured regularly in the 'Young Ideas' section of British Vogue. The label closed in 1972 and pieces from the label are a very rare find. This is a highly documented set from 1971. The V&A holds an example in a similar fabric and we found photos of both a skirted version with the same jacket and a dress/pant set done in the same fabrics. British Vogue also ran a story that season using pieces from the collection. 

This was a key label from the British Fashion movement and this is a rare example of their work from right before they stopped producing the label. In the September British Vogue editorial on their work these sets were described as 'Pajama' sets that were meant to be worn outdoors. The first thing that strikes you about this is that it was made by hand and has an arts and crafts feel to it. You can easily imagine the young pair of designers making it themselves in their studio for some client. The pants have a flat front and zipper and are cut straight and wide all the way down to the hem. They will be cropped depending on your height. The jacket slips on and ties to close at the front. It is cut straight through the body and the sleeves are the cropped to just above the elbow. A large front pocket sits on either side. The fabric used for both pieces is a royal blue that has a bright floral print. Their signature red and off-white check has been used on the interior of the jacket, for the tie at the front and as edging. The top of the pants have a bit of a different red pattern to edge the waistband. All of the fabric has been top stitched into big quilted diamonds. The fabric gives it a touch of structure so that it sits on the body in a very straight and angular way yet the fabric itself is still soft and pliable. This set is extra special because it comes with its original hat. The hat is made from the red checked fabric on the crown and top brim. The blue floral fabric was then used underneath. It is seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen. Great condition  

The interior of the pants are finished in a black cotton and the jacket is finished in the red checked fabric. The top slips on to the wear and ties at the front. The pants have a front zipper.  It looks to have been worn very little if at all but still has a slight soft patina feel to it that I suspect was purposeful from day one. Some small areas of the quilting top-stitching has come off here and there on the interior. 

Top
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: widens out to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from neck to hem

Pants
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 35" from waist to hem
Inseam: 25"

Hat
21.5" around with a rounded crown to 5" and the brim is 4" 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3652

Reference Photos: (1) 1971 Trouser Suit & Blouse by Foale and Tuffin from The V&A Collection.  /  (2-3) Credit Unknown.  / (4-6) British Vogue, Sept 15 1971.

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 gorgeous set would have been designed by Jules-Francois Crahay, who headed the Lanvin ateliers from 1964-1984. He has been noted as one of fashion’s 'great colorists with his colorful patterns making his 1970s Lanvin designs hugel​y ​desirable and influential.' His time at the Lanvin label is one of my personal favourites for the house. I especially love the his work during the period through the late sixties and into the early 1970s. He was a genius at print and colour and he pushed the envelope in his work with colour and cuts. This set is from the early part of the  1970s and it is incredible. 

This Lanvin set is utterly fantastic. It looks like it could have been pulled from a collection this very season it is in such remarkable condition. I am in absolute love with it. The colour, the design, the workmanship; everything about it is perfection. The fabric that has been used to create both pieces is a fine silk twill on par in quality to the silk twill that you would see used to make Hermes scarves. It has a hand screened with a gorgeous and vibrant print that was applied and pre-planned for panel before piecing it together. Anywhere a seam is necessary, the pattern has been lined up along them so they are barely seen at first glance. The beauty and brilliance of the colour is equaled by the fine workmanship that has gone into constructing it. The top has a loose and easy shape that has been created by a straight cut through the body. The neckline is high and has attached ties that extend out from the neckline that you can then wrap and tie as you wish. The pants are more fitted around the waist and hips and then flare out to be incredibly wide. By the time they reach the hem they are a full 46" around. When you are standing still you get the feel of a skirt and then when you move you have the ease of wearing a pant. They are gorgeous. The choice of fabric has allowed it to retained the crispness of the colour even after all of these years making it feel  new. At the same time it is feather light so once on the body it is is easy to wear and it moves beautifully with you. It is far better on person then how it photoed and like the best of all high quality vintage and couture pieces, it will only really come to life once on an actual body. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. This is a set that is really like wearing a work of art. Excellent condition

The pants are unlined and close with a back zipper. The top closes with painted metal zipper that runs part way down the back. The top is lined in a bright yellow silk. All the inner seams are hand finished. Hand finished throughout. Made to couture standards. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.

Top
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24.5" from neck to hem

Pants
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 41" from waist to hem
Inseam: 29"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SMl-MED

Item# DD3654

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 the cover of Vogue. A Coty award followed a year later and in 1984 the Council of Fashion Designers created the annual Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in honor of Beene's fashion legacy. This dress is from the Fall 1984 collection and we found an amazing editorial photo of it in the September issue of Vogue that year. It is one of my favourite things in the shop and it is even better in person. 

I am completely in love with this dress. It is so representative of his work and is just a gorgeous little dress in its own right. The silk that he chose for the dress is a fine silk taffeta that holds the volume and shape that he wanted while still keeping the dress light and airy feeling once on the body. The colour are a blend of a silver toned grey with a large black floral print over it. The sleeves are puffed and they have lots of volume built into them. The neckline is high and the bodice is cut to to be more fitted. Into the silver silk taffeta below the neckline there is an inset made out of a semi-transparent silk that has a metallic lame finish. This angles up into a peak at the front and then wraps around the sides. It goes from the top of the peak in height right down to the waist seam. Set along the angle of the front peak is a long panel of the same metallic silk chiffon. These extend out into extra extra long ties. You cross them over each other and then you can wrap them around your body. For the shots here I have tied them at the back but they are long enough that you could wrap them around you and tie at the front as well. Depending on how you tie them you will get a glimpse of skin through the inner front panel. You can style the ties to take advantage of that and show more of the transparent panel or tie them so that it completely covers it for a fully opaque feel. This play on transparent cut-outs is a staple of Beene's work as he progressed into the nineties and I love seeing it in this earlier piece. Below the waist the skirt falls to the floor in a cascade of silver and black. There are many yards of silk that have been used to construct the skirt so when you move you can really get a sense of its fullness. You could probably add an underskirt if you wanted it to be even fuller. Underneath the top layer of the skirt is built in silk chiffon underskirt that is edged  in a wide panel of black lace. The lace is finished with a curving scalloped edge and when you move or sit you get just a peek of it from underneath. Square polished buttons down the back are the perfect finishing touch. It is gorgeous. Appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition.

The skirt is fully lined in a black silk chiffon that is edged with a wide panel of scalloped black lace at the hem. The bodice is also lined in a black silk chiffon. It close with a series of buttons down the back and a low back zipper at the waist. The inner waist hooks to close. Each sleeve has elastic in its cuff and they are cut wide and easy. The ties are attached at the front as described above. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little.

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 18" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Seam at low waist: 13.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from shoulder to low waist seam
Skirt: 40" from waist seam to bottom hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD1904

Reference Photo: Vogue, September 1984.

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 Balmain transformation from what it was originally to what it is today began when they hired Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer that gave it its edgy feel that has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing, the label's current Creative Director. When the Fall 2008 collection showed Vogue's Nicole Phelps said in part: 'And as promised, Spring's haute hippie feathers, fringe, and tie-dye were replaced by an all-Billy Idol soundtrack and enough leopard-print chain mail, python-pattern denim, and crystal-embroidered lightning bolts to make you wonder if there was anything at all left on the shelves at Trash and Vaudeville. To be fair, Decarnin's creations are much finer than the East Village emporium's, but they appeal to a similar kind of chick, one with a killer body and an active nightlife.' The twin of this dress closed the show and it is perhaps one of the most memorable and significant pieces that Decarnin designed for the label. It was produced in very limited quantities and instantly sold out world wide despite a very hefty retail price. 

The dress is incredible and the skirts are all still their original lengths. I note that as I have only ever seen one other of these for sale and it had its skirts shortened at some point. The length is integral to the design in many ways. The skirt panels are incredibly long and light in weight so that when you move they float and billow around you as you can see in the runway footage. Above the skirts it is extremely fitted long curving bodice that is constructed to highlight your every curve. On the interior of the bodice there is a full boned corset with built in cups. The corset is cut to run from the bust to the top of the hips so that you are molded and shaped into place. On the outside the silk is hand draped and placed into position to form soft gathers that run around you. A huge zig zag bolt runs down the front. It is densely covered in crystals and it separates the prints on either side of you. The silk on one side is zebra and the silk used for this is a light scarf weight silk. The other side is finished in a black and white leopard print. On that side the silk is more of a silk faille and slightly heavier in weight then the zebra printed silk is. This change in weights of the silk is genius because it means that the way the silk moves in the skirts changes and you get more movement. The crystal covered panel that divides the two printed sides curves over just one shoulder and then runs down the front in the dramatic zig zag that you see. At the back it extends just past the shoulder and curves to the side. To close the dress Decarnin  has used one of the signature chunky Balmain zippers to divide the two prints. The zipper is set on a curve that follows the curve of your body and it becomes an incredible design detail in itself. The dress is fitted to the top of the hips and then the skirts flare out into long trains of fabric. The predominant part of the skirt is made from the leopard print and this is set on a curve at the hem that extends out to the side and to the back. There is a smaller panel at the front that is made out of the zebra print silk that also extends out and back. Where the two fabrics meet at the front side, they are only attached at the to and not together. This means that an opening is created that goes right up to the top of the thigh. When you move your entire legs shows. We have included the runway footage for reference so that you can see just how incredible it is when it is on and you walk. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The inner bodice has a fully built in boned corset made from a nude colored lingerie stretch corseting nylon fabric that has built in cups and is finished by hand. The fabric is hand draped over this and the crystals and lightening bolt have been attached by hand. It closes with a curved set zipper that allows the form fitting construction of the dress. Tagged a 40. There are a couple of small repairs along the hem of the trained skirts. Some tiny pulls in the silk of the bodice. Please see the photos after the label shot. Hand finished throughout. The inner foundation garment does have some stretch. You might be able to squeeze out a bit more room when on a real body.

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11.5-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 33" from top of shoulder to bottom of inner foundation garment
Skirt: 28.5" from bottom of inner foundation garment to shortest hem, 53" to the longest hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3115

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Balmain Runway, Final Look.  /  (3) Iman in Balmain, photographed by Steven Meisel, for Vogue Italia, July 2008.

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 rare example of Hanae Mori Haute Couture from the Spring 2000 collection. This dress is an especially  interesting couture example because it illustrates how couture pieces are made specifically for the client when they are produced and are not always an exact copy of what was shown on the runway. The dress itself is a sleeveless version of Look 7 from the Spring 2000 runway but the print on the silk was shown in the Fall 1990 Haute Couture collection. I have included a reference photo of both of those for you. I love the idea that the client had this dress made but somehow saw or remembered the print from a full ten years before this and asked to have it made in that earlier print. It just shows how much love and care goes into couture and how it is truly made for each individual client. Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York Runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Haute Couture examples by her are a rare find and this one is exceptionally beautiful. With its level of customization it is most certainly the only one that would have ever been made. 

The dress is entirely made by hand and is stunning. It is suspended from the shoulder by two tiny silk straps. These curve over your shoulders and meet the peaked bodice at the front and the dropped edge at the back. The bodice is hand draped to create soft folds that follow the curving angle of the panels. I love how she has mixed two shades of silvery greys there. The front is set in high peaks above the breasts and it dips at the front into a V. It then curves around the back to leave the upper back exposed. The silk hugs in and around the lower back. The skirt is set into that structured bodice giving it a touch of an empire feel. It has one of her custom designed prints screened onto feather light silk layers on both the exterior layer and on the inner dress. The print is a beautiful forested mountain scene that is done in grey-scale. This runs from the hem to to about the hips all around the dress. In the ivory above the forest print you see her signature butterflies floating on the imagined air currents. Some of the butterflies are almost ghostly in the way that they are printed onto the silk and they are incredibly beautiful. The scene is printed on both the silk chiffon top layer and the silk twill inner layer. This allows the two prints on each layer to be slightly offset as they float over each other giving the print an extra dimension of depth. Doing this layered technique is one of her signatures. By using a slightly transparent silk chiffon for the top layer she also builds in that sense of lightness that the dress has. The skirt widens out as it nears the hem as the front and has a softness to it as the chiffon floats over the inner layer. At the back it is cut longer then the front and flows down and past the ground beautifully. The movement and drama this creates is extraordinary. This dress came with a huge single layer silk chiffon shawl that has that same forest and butterfly print screened onto it. It is so large that it creates a caped effect if you decide to wear it simple draped over the shoulders. You could wrap and style it many different ways for different styling effects. It just adds to the air floating feel the dress has and it is wonderful to have this little extra bit of romance. The dress is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. Finding her true couture pieces is rare. This would even make a beautiful wedding dress for someone looking for something non-traditional. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a hand set cream silk. It has a fully built in inner boned bodice that closes with its own independent zipper. A second hidden set zipper closes the exterior. The top silk chiffon layer of the skirt hides the zipper below it and closes over the zipper with her signature teeny tiny fabric covered snaps. An inner waist stay hooks to close. Hand finished throughout to Haute Couture standards. The proper Haute Couture label is present and it has its hand written couture tape underneath marked #C 1109 5.4.2000. There is the very faintest of tiny marks to the silk just below the waist line. Perhaps the tiniest of pulls to the fabric here and there and a small bit of scuffing to the inner lining of the train. Please see the photo after the label shot for the exterior mark noted here. All minor and other wise is appears to have been worn very little if at all unworn.

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to shortest point of front hem, 59" to the back hem
Shawl: 36" x 124"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3020

Reference Photo: (1) Hanae Mori F/W 1990 Haute Couture Collection.  /  (2) Hanae Mori S/S 2000 Haute Couture Collection. (3-4) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon. Cherie is wearing a Magnetic Midnight X Shrimpton Couture 'Shooting Stars' Headpiece - available on the site here >

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 coat would have been designed while Youssef Rizkallah headed the company. Youseef joined the Malcolm Starr label in 1969 and remained as the head designer until 1975. The years that Youssef headed the line are among some of my favorites and in particular his pieces that utilize quilting and patchwork are truly iconic. Rizkallah was born in Egypt and studied at the Ecole de dessin appliqué and the Ecole des arts decoratifs in Paris. His designs seem to combine that sense of couture lines that he gained in Paris with the color and vividness of his homeland.

This is a wonderful piece that can be worn as either a coat or a dress thanks to the zip front that completely opens. It has the added provenance of being the twin to the one featured in the ad campaign for 1970. The base of the coat is a black fabric that feels like a light wool that has a slight ribbed texture in it. The entire coat is detailed with a combination of a red braiding and red ric rac that follows the lines of the coat to emphasize the pattern and cut. Elaborate designs run over the body of the piece and all around the hem. Pops of a white cotton are used to  create even more drama. A floral patchwork is set into all of this on big curving and angular cuts. This anchor all the various parts of the design and give a pop of contrast to the the starkness of the red, black and white colour combination. The collar has a beautifully curved cut out to it and it flares out dramatically at the bottom. The sleeves are deliberately kept simple so that all you see is that spectacular design through the body of the coat. It is so dramatic and like wearing art. I love it. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a hand set red silk and closes down the front with an unpainted silver zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage 8

Sleeves: 22"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 44" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C536

Reference Photo: "The Malcolm Starr All Starrs" Ad, 1970.

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 in a red colour is held in the permanent archives of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and that red version was exhibited in the 'The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion' Exhibit in 2009. The dress also has the added provenance of being the twin to the metallic version that Halston custom made for Bianca Jagger. I have included several photos of her for reference. Photos of her in the dress also appear in two of my Halston books and it is fabulous to have found this very versatile solid navy version. This is classic Halston from his main label couture line. It is one of the most instantly recognizable looks that he ever created because of the Bianca connection. It is an incredible example of his work from this time period. 

This is an amazing couture Halston dress and a very rare and special find. It is entirely cut on the bias and utilizes his signature minimal seaming. Halston defined how woman dressed in the 1970s and these jersey dresses that he did were tremendously flattering to the body. It is also insanely sexy while still being extremely comfortable to wear. The fabric is a beautiful deep navy silk jersey that moves and drapes beautifully. The dress is made to be one long tube with two extra, extra long ties that extend out from one end. At the front the fabric divides into two pieces to create the ties and this leaves a low V there. At the back the fabric dips in a graceful curve and the entire back is exposed to leave it bare. You can then wrap and tie those long ties in a variety of ways. I have shown a few ways to wear it on the dress form and I bet you could come up with more. Those ties make it incredible versatile and really it is like buying several dresses in one. They allow you to control how low the back dips and the the plunge at the front and this also allows you to control the overall length of the dress. You have the versatility to wear it with the ties wrapped around you for more shape through the waist or you can let the ties fall down the back so the the dress simply skims over the body instead of hugging your curves. It is spectacular. This is a rare example of Halston at his very best and it is easy to see why it would be favoured as a piece worthy of being in The Met. I would not be surprised to see the red version showcased in the upcoming Met Gala themed exhibit on American fashion. Excellent condition

Constructed from a single bias cut layer with the ties extending out from one end. The dress slips on to wear with no closures. It can be wrapped and tied several ways as shown. Hand finished. It is all bias cut which should allow for a larger range of sizing. I see a couple of tiny marks where the fabric has darkened a touch but nothing that would photo or that you see unless super looking. The fabric has stretch and I have put the comfortable range of measurements laying flat. You could probably get a little more if needed

Bust: the fabric is approx 16" flat across but there are no side seams so it will fit a large variety of bust sizes
Waist: 12.5-17"
Hips: 17-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 58-59" from shoulder to hem but you can adjust it up or down depending on how you choose to wear it 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-LRG

Item# DD3651

Reference Photos: (1) c.1977 Halston Dress from The MET Collection Online.  /  (2-6) Bianca Jagger and Halston at The MET Costume Institute Dinner, December 12, 1977.  (5) From the book "Halston" by Phaidon. (6) From the book "Halston: An American Original" by Elaine Gross and Fred Rottman.

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 1951, 27 year old James Galanos launched his first label called Galanos Originals. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. That said, his ready-to-wear was made to almost true couture standards and were made with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper and he used many couture techniques in the construction of his dresses and gowns. Grace Kelly was an early fan. His work is held in all of the major museums around the world and he is one of my personal favourite designers. 

This particular dress has the added provenance that its twin was worn by Nancy Reagan on two separate occasions. The first time was at a party in London where she was photoed with Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Princess Grace of Monaco. She then wore it again to the premiere of Annie in 1982. It was obviously a favourite and for good reason. The dress is absolutely gorgeous. It has a long slim cut with just a suggestion of shape through the waist. As it nears the hem it widens out just a touch and there is a high slit on the side that the shoulder is bare on. This allows you to walk and also lets a flash of leg show when you move or sit. It is lined with a very fine, high end red silk that feels like heaven over your skin. The top is angled up and over the shoulder. It is cut wide at the top of the shoulder and this curves over you and then dips down to follow the same angle at the back. The edge of the neckline and the arm are both finished in a small ruffle of the same silk faille that the rest of the dress is made out of. For detail he has added a gorgeous design that follows the angle of the angled front and back. The design is done to suggest leaves and grapes perhaps. It was created by utilizing a trapunto quilting effect where two layers of fabric are used, the underside of which is slit and padded, to produce a raised pouf effect on the top layer. It is a tedious method that would have added several hours to the dress to do this by hand. The dress is stunning on and the reference photos of Nancy included here give you an idea of how much it transforms once on an actual body. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a red silk and closes with a zipper at the side. Ribbon edge inter seams. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. The colour in person is a little darker then how it photoed. In person it is between the colour of the shots here and the pics of Nancy in the reference photos 

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56.5" from top of shoulder to hem with approx 2" turned under
Slit: 26.5 from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3649

Reference Photos: (1) Nancy Reagan with Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Princess Grace of Monaco at a party in London, 1981.  /  (2-4) Nancy Reagan at the premiere of 'Annie' at Radio City Music Hall in 1982.

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. It is from the 2011 Resort collection and was Look 29 of the presentation. In 2011 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. Vogue's Nicole Phelps said of the show; 'Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli have won the hearts of the Hollywood and social sets. For proof, one only need look at the red carpet—Sarah Jessica Parker and Dree Hemingway wore Valentino couture to the New York premiere of Sex and the City 2 and the Cannes amfAR gala, respectively.....Taking cues from both the late sixties (when Valentino Garavani was one of the first couturiers to use logos on ready-to-wear) and the current runways...for the eveningwear, in which cheery garden party florals slowly fade to black on the hems of sleeveless dresses and strapless gowns. Well, most of the eveningwear. There were a few perfectly pretty flower-strewn frocks for occasions when edge is out of the question.' This is one of those flower strewn dresses and it was an instant success selling out worldwide. It has the added provenance of Michelle Williams choosing its twin for the Golden Globes Red Carpet. 

This is the kind dress that you see in real life and it makes you swoon. As good as it looks on the red carpet you can also imagine it working as a wedding dress or part of a wedding event for a bride looking for something not quite as traditional. It is made out of a silk organza that is a light nude cafe au lait colour. This is layered over multiple layers of silk. There is an inner silk lining topped by two layers of chiffon and then a layer of solid silk organza between those and the very top layer. The detail and care put into it is just incredible. The very top layer of silk has been printed with that gorgeous daisy print that you see. It has been printed onto the fabric so that it appears to have been hand painted. These bright pops of white are fantastic against the nude silk and give the dress its fresh and romantic feel. At the front the dress is cut to be fairly sleek in feel with a v cut neckline and high waist seam. It flows to the floor in a long column and you get just a suggestion of the ruffles that you will see when you turn around. The back skirt is cut to be far more full then the front. It is finished with a double layered of ruffles that start at the base of the low back and then curve out on each side all the way to the hem. The effect this creates is wonderful. The back is cut to be longer then the front so you get just the hint of a trained effect. The back is cut right down to the waist to leave a bare expanse of skin showing. The straps are the perfect finish. They curve up and around the shoulder and then angle gracefully in towards the centre of the low back. Each is finished with a combination of 3D embroidered and white leather flower embellishments. It is so pretty and even better in person. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in silk and constructed as described above. It closes with an off-set back zipper that is hidden along a side seam. No size tag present. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. It retailed for $7900 in 2011

Bust: approx 18 " flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulders to seam under bust
Skirt: 48" from seam under bust to front, 50" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3648

Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2011 Valentino Collection Presentation, Look 29. Model: Tati Cotliar.  /  (2-4) Michelle Williams in Valentino at the 2011 Golden Globes.  /  (5) Resort 2011 Valentino Dress. Photo: netaporter.

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

Fashion journalist Alexander Fury saw this on my Instagram when it first landed and helped me to identify this jumpsuit as being from the very first show that John Galliano designed for Dior. He designed the pre-fall ready to wear collection just before he presented his first couture show. Fury told me that the show was not actually shown publicly since they were in the middle of the switch over and they wanted the Couture show to be his debut to the public. He also pointed out that many of the elements in this show are seen in the next two couture collections that he did as well as the next few RTW shows. This makes this a significantly important piece that is very special and a rare and interesting piece on terms of the history of Dior and Galliano. This was sold but did not fit my client and is currently on the ay back so if you are interested in purchasing it please contact me. 

The jumpsuit is made out of a black crepe that is slightly textured. It is cut to skim over the body and feel easy to wear. It's easy through the waist and then the pants skim down from there. Each leg is shaped into the perfect boot cut with just a hint of a flare by the time they reach the hem. Depending on how tall you are they will sit slightly cropped. Slung on each hip is a flap of fabric that gives the look of a peplum or perhaps a flap pocket but this is actually a design element that wraps all the way around the back and runs hip to hip. I love that this leaves the front sleek and flat so there is no bulk added yet at the same time it gives a bit of shape through the hips. It is like a design detail all on its own and makes wearing a belt optional. The bodice is cut to be fitted and hugs the body with a slight sweetheart shape at the top edge. There is a double strap that curves up and over each shoulder and these are made with a series of glossy black, faceted beads for the subtlest touch of high glamour. The cut of this is perfection and the fabric is exquisite. I love how it looks like you are wearing a chic little top and pants but being a jumpsuit makes it effortless to wear. It is so versatile and chic. It can be worn with flats for lunch or heels for evening. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black silk and closes at the side with a hidden interior zipper and a second exterior zipper on the top part over that. Tagged a Dior FR38 or US6 and looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from top of shoulder to the hem of the pants 
Inseam: 28" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3545

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 a great little black dress by Yves Saint Laurent. It is strapless and cut to hug your curves. The fabric is a black cotton that is heavy enough to give the dress some structure. To put it on you first do up the bandeau that is inside the dress. This is made from a black muslin and this inside piece zips into place so that the dress is held securely around you. Then you simply button it up down the front. I love the flap finish that runs all the way around the top of the dress. There are two big pockets on each hip that are finished with that same exaggerated flap. They not only add detailing but also add the illusion of more shape. The flap at the top adds shape to the bust and the ones on the pockets help to give the hips a flare out for an hourglass feel. The hem is cut short to that you get miles of legs showing. Everything about the cut of the dress is done to highlight the curves of the body. It is wonderful. Excellent condition

Unlined with an attached interior bandeau as described above. Buttons to close. Pockets are functional. The fabric has a very very slight fade feel to it at some or the edges that is a natural component of this fabric as it ages. 

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist at inner waist stay: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 26.5" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3641

Reference Photos: S/S 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche 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.

The twin of this dress walked the 1997 runway. It looked amazing on the runway that season and I am so pleased to have this one in the shop. Finding runway references for Mugler's work is not always easy as he would often change designs for production and produced many pieces that were not shown on the runway. It's an extraordinary find and a gorgeous dress.

I love the sharp fitted lines of the dress and how the lingerie feeling ruffles on the bodice give the dress an almost scandalous feel. This is classic Mugler and the ruffles gives the dress that overt sensuality that he so often worked into his creations. The dress is made out of a black jersey that is a touch thicker then normal so really molds and accentuates your curves. It is then seamed to further create that fitted shape that you see. The seams are all set into curving lines that curve down the body to create an hourglass shape. The seams also help to give the dress structure, shape and support. The waist nips in and the hips curve out following the lines of the body. Pockets are set to curve around each hip, which is a brilliant way to give the hips more shape. The skirt is cut above the knee and curves in slightly at the hem for a more fitted silhouette. The bust is spectacular. It is seamed and molded like a bra cup and then little ruffles in an ivory silk are applied to the edge at the front. The tops of the ruffle is jagged and finished with an embroidered edging. So you are completely covered but at the same time it has that French maid, lingerie feel to it. You only have to look at the runway photos included to know how wonderful this one is. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk and closes with a back zipper. Tagged a vintage Mugler 38. The cups will probably fit up to a small B

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 34" from top of straps to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3518

Reference Photos: Spring 1997 Couture Thierry Mugler Runway Collection, Look 15.

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

Many people do not know that Emanuel Ungaro took a position with Balenciaga in 1958 and in 1960 he became the chief designer of the house, staying there until 1964 before he briefly went on to Courreges before opening his own couture atelier in 1965. The Ungaro label has fallen from its former glory of the sixties through to the eighties, but in its heyday, the label was a force in the world of Haute Couture.

This dress is a wonderful example of the range that Ungaro had. He had a brilliant way of using of print and colour that he 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 RTW. The dress is made out of a fine high end silk that has a lattice and floral print covering its surface. Pastel peaches and taupes cover a white backdrop for a pretty and refined feel. I love the very full balloon cut sleeves. Each billows out above the cuffed wrists and takes the dress a step up from the classic day dress. The neckline is high and yoked across the shoulders with soft gathers. It skims over the bust and then a silk tie runs around and through the waist. This allows you to wear the dress with a loose and easy shift dress feel or you can cinch it in for added shape. The skirt has two little slant pockets that sit on each hip. The fabric is very light in weight and backed in a fine silk. It is made by hand to Haute Couture standards and is even better in person and on an actual body. Excellent condition with one small note below

Fully lined in a hand set silk of very high quality. It closes with a hand set, painted metal zipper and hook and eye at the back. Each cuff has a fine hand set zipper and hook & eye. The belt is partially attached and snaps into place to close. There is a small amount of shattering under each arm of the inner lining. It appears to be stable and does not affect the exterior. Please see the shot after the label shot. Done by hand to Haute Couture standards. Proper Haute Couture label present and the tape is numbered under label #H205-5-74

Sleeves: 25" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from shoulder to waist
Skirt: 28" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item#DD2522

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 1951, 27 year old James Galanos launched his first label called Galanos Originals. Just three years later in 1954 he won both the Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. His ready-to-wear was made to couture standards and with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper and he used many couture techniques in the construction of his dresses and gowns. Grace Kelly was an early fan. His work is held in all of the major museums around the world and he is one of my personal favourite designers. 

Here we have a piece that dates to the late 1970s or early 1980s. It is absolutely gorgeous and as good as it looks in the photos, it is even better in person. The texture and quality of the fabric is remarkable. The skirt is cut to be one long and lean line. It has a high 19" side slit that allows for a good amount of leg to show and for you to be able to walk. The cut is curved and fitted. The fabric is very unusual. It it is a black silk jersey that has a puffed 3-dimensional quality to it. This unusual finish has been created by hand stitching the top layer into the bottom layer to  create the puffed pattern that you see. This extra volume adds incredible texture to the dress and it contrasts perfectly with the pleated bodice. There the fabric has been seamed with teeny little pleats that are all set on a curve. These are then hand gathered and placed over the inner corseting so that the bodice wraps and curves around you. He then inset a curved panel of black lace into the bodice. The lace is not backed with a lining so that it is transparent and allows your skin to peek through. This curved bit of lace begins just off centre between the breasts, curves under the bust, around your waist and then runs halfway down the low back to expose a sliver of the waist and hip. It is very sexy. Two skinny straps extend out from either side of the lace at the top and curve up and over the shoulder. It appears to have been worn very little it at all. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black and metallic stretch silk jersey through the bodice and it is lightly boned and formed. The fabric of the skirt is self-lined and the interior seams ribbon and piped finished. It closes with a side zipper. All hand work inside.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of straps to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2510

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 exquisite Christian Dior Couture dress was designed during Yves Saint Laurent tenure at the house. It is from the Fall 1959 collection and comes to me from the grand daughter of the woman who owned it. Prior to her passing she had donated many of her things to one of the major museums in the US but had held this one back. Which to us feels like this one meant something a little extra special to her. This is a couture piece that would have been ordered through I. Magnin's couture salon, made to her measurements at the Dior ateliers and then sent to the US. The theme of the 1959 collection was the 'new woman' to hail in the advent of the new decade. Audrey Hepburn famously sat in the front row of the show. Yves mentioned the skirts in the collection specifically saying 'The secret of my silhouette is on the skirt and the way it is worked'. Many of the evening pieces had this high low cut skirt in several variations so that you get a glimpse of the leg. Vogue said at the time that it was 'the most French collection in Paris'. This dress is a variation on the highly documented strapless version of it that was presented in the show. The model name of the dress is 'Labia' which is scandalous in itself. The dress was photoed on China Machado, appears in the Dior coffee table book published by Assouline. House muse Victoire wore it for Vogue that September. We even found one of the original sketches of the dress and the dress was a part of the 2015 exhibit at the Bowes Museum. The exhibit, Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal, was done in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Bergé and was the first exhibition in the UK to present a comprehensive display of the French fashion designer's work and life. This version has the identical cut to the strapless one but my client's grandmother ordered hers with the amazing poufed silk taffeta sleeves that set to sit off the shoulder. 

The dress is extraordinary and is a testament to master techniques used in couture construction. It is made out of a black silk taffeta that is feather light yet holds and retains the intended shape. The bodice is fitted and comes up slightly at the front in a soft curving line. Inside the the bodice the work that creates its foundation is exquisite. There is a full boned inner bodice that wraps around the wearer and holds the dress in place. This inner corset hooks into place and then the exterior dress zips over this. The sleeves are attached along the side and each is a work of art on its own. There is hidden netting placed between the layers of the silk that hold the sleeves up and off the body and give them the incredible volume that you see. The sleeves are the only detail that differs from the runway model and I love them. I think they are an extremely clever addition to the dress and add even more drama and balance the skirts better then it is without. I love the gathered silk at the top of each sleeve that add that little extra detail at the top of each shoulder. They are cut to leave the shoulder exposed and bare. The skirt is set to feel full at the front and there is an exaggerated, almost empire feel there with multiple soft gathers that bring the fabric in towards the waist and create the fullness that you see. The skirt is cut to fall shorter at the front and then curves around and down to trail out behind you. The bottom edge is finished with a handmade French Chantilly lace. Under the skirt are multiple layers of silk tulle that are also finished with that same chantilly lace edging. These fall in just slightly different lengths around you and add both volume and also fill the inner space under the skirt. The silk taffeta is so light that when you walk the skirt has a billowing effect behind you that it just magical. Around the waist is a wide flat bow that cinches you in and adds a pretty touch of romance. The matching shawl is long and rectangular in shape with three sides of it edged in the same wide panels of Chantilly lace. All of the work on it is to Haute Couture standards down to the hand finished inner seams. This is truly a once in a life time dress and one of the most well documented pieces of Yves time at Dior. It is extraordinary to have the connection to both China Machado and Victoire Doutreleau along with all of the other documentation on it. Excellent condition  

The dress is made to couture standards. The bodice is interlined with a combination of muslin and silk and then there is a full boned and lingerie net corset attached. The corset closes with a series of lingerie hooks and the dress zippers to close over that. Each sleeve has netting between the exterior and the lining. The belt is partially attached and hooks and snaps into place. The inner skirts are made from multiple layers of a netting silk tulle edged with hand made French Chantilly lace. Hand finished inner seams. Appropriate numbered couture label for a couture piece ordered through I Magnin for this time period. I see one small repair to the silk net in one of the inner skirts but otherwise looks to have never been worn or worn very little. There is a panel on either side of the hooks that looks to be a later addition to expand the size of the dress. There is some machine working one side of where the sleeves attach. The family always remembers the sleeves being on the dress that may be a later reinforcement. All the work is otherwise done by hand to Haute Couture standards. Sourced from the grand daughter of the original couture client 

Bust: 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 8" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 31" from waist to shortness point on the front hem, 58" to the longest point at the back hem
Shawl: 21" x 86" including the lace edging

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3638

Reference Photos: (1) China Machado wearing the Labia dress, photographed by Richard Avedon, August 1959.  /  (2) Previous photo as seen in the book "Dior: Yves Saint Laurent. 1958-1960." by Assouline.  /  (3) Victoire in paper-thin silk taffeta gown with raised hem in front with deep lace ruffles and lace stole by Yves Saint Laurent for Dior, photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 15, 1959.  /  (4) Christian Dior, 1959.  /  (5) Bergdorf Goodman Custom Salon sketch of a House of Dior black evening gown, Christian Dior, Inc., 1959, from the FIT Collections.  /  (6) Christian Dior A/W 1959 Labia gown, Bowes museum 'Style is Eternal' exhibition.

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

As a collector it is always nice to have museum validation to know that you are buying an important and relevant piece. For this Pierre Cardin short set I found similar examples that share the same grommet detailing that are held in the Goldstein Museum of Design. I have only seen one other short set like this many years ago and it was in a darker colour. I think that the bright yellow colour of the two pieces make it even more fabulous and collectible. It is a fantastically fun piece to wear.

There are two pieces to this set. The top is cut into a sleeveless tunic and then there is a pair of shorts that are worn underneath the tunic. Both pieces are made out of a textured linen and silk that give is the perfect summer feel. The colour is extraordinary. It is a bright sunny yellow that you cannot miss. The shorts are simple in cut with sleek flat front and easy fit. They simply slip on and zip up the back. They are cut straight and full. Over this goes the tunic and it also slips on and zippers up the back. It is cut to sit loose on the body with just a suggestion of shape through the waist. The neckline is notched at the front and it sits quite low. Huge gold coloured grommets are set all the way around the collar and down each side of the front opening. Each of the grommets has an open centre so that you get a dot of bare skin showing through. A second high notched slit runs up the centre seam from the bottom of the tunic hem. The two slits balance each other out nicely. On each hip there is a big oversized top set pocket that give the set that classic Cardin feel. It's the perfect finish to this spectacular set. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

Both pieces are fully lined in a yellow silk. Each closes at the back with a painted metal zipper. The grommets have mottled as they aged. This patina is a natural occurrence of this age. Please see the photo after the label shot. The colour is a bit more saturated in person. 

Tunic
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side 
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28.5" from neck to hem

Shorts
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 13" from waist to inner seam
Length: 15" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2896

Reference Photos: Pierre Cardin 1958-1962 Dress with Belt & c1960s Pantsuit - both from the Goldstein Museum of Design.  /  1960s Pierre Cardin (credit unknown)

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 2005, when this coat came out, it was an instant must have on everyone's wish list and the coat instantly sold out worldwide. Only a limited production was done of the coat and they are virtually impossible to find. They were so scarce and hard to find and so iconic that in 2018 Christopher Bailey was inspired by his own work and sent a tweaked version of the 2005 coat down the runway. For me this collection really marked the point where Christopher Bailey came into his own and really started to push and raise the bar with Burberry as a whole. Vogue's Sarah Mower said in her review; 'Accolades go to Christopher Bailey for being one of those rare young designers who can orchestrate the components of a collection—clothes, accessories, brand identity—and infuse it all with a sense of lightness, as well as originality. At Burberry, he said, "the whole thing is to look as if you've just thrown it on". This coat was mentioned in particular; 'Take Bailey's constant reinvention of the iconic trench: Now, it's a puff-sleeved smock' and on the print; 'Bailey makes sure to add in some Britishness; this season, with Wedgwood blue-and-white and Clarice Cliff Deco ceramics for print inspiration'. On the runway its twin was shown belted on the beautiful Gemma Ward and was presented for look #6 in the show 

The coat is a play on a trench coat. It has some the classic trench coat elements to it but Bailey has played with the proportions and cut the coat to have a far more dramatic smocked baby doll feeling silhouette. It sits across the upper shoulders with no defined seam there so it has a lovely drape. The rest of the coat swings out from there with remarkable fullness. Panels runs across the shoulders at the front and the back for that nod to the trench and they are held in place with big mixed gold metal buttons. More of the same buttons run down the front. The sleeves are cut wide and each ends in a very wide open feel. There is a low dropped seam at about the hip line and the bottom portion of the coat is set into place with series of soft gathers that give it even more volume. Top set pockets sit on either side of the hip. It does all the way up at the front and I think you could have it play double duty as a dress. It could easily be worn closed to pull this off and you could also belt it if you wanted more shape. The fabric is amazing. It is a high end linen that moves very well while still retaining its intended voluminous shape. The print is stunning and covers the entire coat. Scattered in and amongst the flowers is the Burberry name written out in script. It is a gorgeous piece. It looks to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition.

Unlined and made from a logo embossed printed linen. It closes with the buttons at the front as shown. Tagged a size 42. It is meant to be oversized on the body. The loose and easy should fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: open
Hips: open
Length: 43" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# C568

Reference Photos: (1-2) S/S 2005 Burberry Runway. Model: Gemma Ward.  /  (3) Karen Elson for S/S 2005 Burberry Ad Campaign.  /  (4) F/W 2018 Burberry Runway, Look 57, Model: Milena Ioanna.  /  (5) F/W 2018 Burberry.

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 absolutely gorgeous and it is very well documented. It was sent to me by someone that worked for Bill Blass. The dress was purchased from the company archives when the original label shuttered in 2012. Which means that this could very well be the same dress that actually walked the runway since it was from the Blass archives. It still has it's original tags from that sale and I have left them in place since they add historical accuracy for the dress's provenance. Kristen McMenamy looked spectacular in it as she walked the runway. I have included the runway footage here so that you can see just how wonderfully this dress moves. The dress was shot for an editorial for Mirabella magazine and it appears twice in the book 'Bill Blass: An American Designer'. It is truly one of the most spectacular dresses I have seen by him and is wonderfully pretty and romantic feeling as well.

The dress is made out of a combination of a pretty floral and a checked gingham. The floral part makes up the main body of the dress. It is a warp printed silk taffeta chine that is finished in a soft peach blush. This then has romantic bouquets of pretty spring florals trailing across its entire surface. The silk has the feel of an antique 18th century gown and I love this reference back to the past. The top is a fitted slip style bodice and the dress is suspended from the shoulder by thin silk straps that curve up and over and then inwards towards the centre. The beck is set very low so that you get a wide expanse of bare skin. The waist is set to have a slight drape to it as it wraps around you. The silk curves around you down the front of the skirt and then curves back up to meet the waist at the back. This gives the front of the dress a more long and lean feel but with a hint that something special might happen as you turn. The back is the star of the show. A checked underskirt flares out and back in a tremendous sweep of fabric. The underskirt is made out of a slightly heavier weighted silk faille in a yellow and white gingham check. The heavier fabric and sheer volume of fabric used causes the back to have a full beautiful feel to it. Many yards of silk have been used its construction and it designed to have massive volume at the back. From every angle of the dress you get these wondrous sweeping views. The combination of the two prints is just amazing. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen. Excellent condition with some a small note below.  

The bodice is lined an a blush silk and the gingham part of the skirt is interlined with silk in some parts and backed with a second layer of the silk gingham in others. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and then the skirt snaps into place over that. Hand finished throughout. Original atelier tags attached. The straps have been hand tacked at their base to shorten them and could be let out. The tops of each strap is delicate and shows some shattering but they are wearable as is. Slight grubbiness to the edges the hem and to the straps. There is a piece of fabric missing from the underside of a seam on the floral layer that does not show but that I am mention it for accuracy. The slightest of wear to the silk near the top of the zipper where it looks like someone pinned something there art some point perhaps. Please see the photos provided after the label shot.  

Bust: approx 16" flat across but there are no true side seams
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from top of shoulders to front hem, 65" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3635

Reference Photos: (1-3) Spring 1995 Bill Blass Runway. Model: Kristen McMenamy.  /  (4) Sheila Metzner for Mirabella magazine, May 1995. Dress by Bill Blass.  /  (5-6) From the book "Bill Blass: An American Designer". 

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 wonderful dress is a beautiful example of Gianfranco Ferre's work during his time as Creative Director for Christian Dior. The near twin of this piece walked the Spring 1996 runway and I have included the runway video as well as still from the runway for you here so that you can see how it moves once it is on. On the runway is was worn by Shalom Harlow and it was the closing look of the show. Shalom also appeared in it for an editorial for Vogue Magazine that season and it also appeared in British Vogue. It's modern provenance is equally exciting. Emily Deschanel wore this exact dress to the 91st Academy Awards where she walked the Oscar's red carpet with her sister Zoe to support their father, Caleb for his nomination for Best Cinematography for Never Look Away. It is an amazing piece of fashion history and the dress is absolutely stunning.

The dress is a beautiful example of Ferre's work during his time as Creative Director for Christian Dior. The dress is fitted through the bodice with a neckline that curves down in a slight scoop. This version has little straps that the dress is suspended from but if you prefer the strapless look of the runway you could easily tuck them in or remove them. I am not 100% sure that they are original to the dress. It is very heavy because of the extensive underskirts and they may have been added for additional support. I have included a photo where I tucked them in so that you can see how close the neckline is to the runway dress without them in place. The neckline curves wide and flat across the bust with two peaks set on either side nearer to the arms. There is no waist seam to break the line of the dress. It is shaped by long vertical seaming that curves over the body to the hem of the skirt. Hidden inside the dress is a built in corset that is boned and adds more shaping. Slanted and curved faux pockets sit on each hip to add a little extra shaping there. The skirt flares out dramatically with a bit of a Spanish feel to it and there is an elaborate set of built in underskirts to help achieve the flare and volume there. The underskirts are made with a netted silk with lace finished edges and there are multiple layers of these ruffles attached to the inner skirts. The skirt is cut shorter at the front and then flares out dramatically back and away to make a trained effect. The inner underskirts are all attached to the inner corset so essentially there is a full built in structured dress inside and then the top black layer is cut to lie perfectly over that. I love the hidden bow at the back of the underskirt. It is a sweet little detail that you just catch a glimpse of when it is on but you will know it is there. The length it will fall on you is dependent on your height. If you are shorter you will get that same feel as the runway video and the editorial photos where it touches the ground, or sits just above it, at the front and then trains out behind you. If you are very tall it will sit more like how it did on Emily. Emily is quite tall at just over 5'7" and with heels on top of her own height the skirts lifted off of the ground more like you see in the photos. Excellent condition with a small note below

The dress has a fully built in structural inner dress. The bodice is boned all around and the inner skirts extend to lie past the top black layer. These are finished with tiers of tightly pleated netting that is edged in lace. The inner portion of the skirt is finished with stiffening to give it structure and help to keep the volume. There is a wide inner waist stay that hooks to close and the inner dress zips to close. A hidden set zipper then closes the top layer. The dress was temporarily tacked to have a more open back for when it was worn by Emily to the Oscars. There is the very slightest of stitch marks on either side of the zipper. There is a tiny bit of greying feel to the underskirts that I feel is just a natural effect of this fabric and how it is aging.

Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12.75" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 51" from top of the shoulder straps to front hem, 60" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3155

Reference Photos: (1-4) Emily Deschanel at the 91st Academy Awards, Styled by Penny Lovell / (5) Shalom Harlow for Vogue, 1996 / (6) Dior SS 1996 Runway  /  (7) Photo by Jacques Olivar for British Vogue, 1996.

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

Paco Rabanne was a Spanish designer who became known as "l'enfant terrible (unruly child) of the 1960s French fashion world. He began making jewellery in unusual materials for many of the French couturiers and in 1964 at the age of 30 presented his first collection. In 1966 he had his breakout show: 'Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials.' and it was with this show that he found his calling. He was quoted as saying 'sewing is a bondage,' and made his dresses out of paper, plastic and metal, which were pieced together with wire and glue. By 1968 some of the most famous women in the world were wearing his pieces and along with André Courrèges and Pierre Cardin, he helped to create the 1960s Space Age movement. Dating his pieces can be incredibly difficult but I did find a 1967 photo of Actress Noele Noblecourt wearing a dress that used strips of mirrors and a similar bead technique where they linked. Based on the information given to me by my client I believe that this dress was made in and around this time period. 

The dress is absolutely incredible. The main part of the dress is made up of mirrored triangles. These are hand linked together one by one to create the shape and form that you see. The work and hours that would have went into pre-planning thee shape and figuring out how to lay out the pieces, drilling each hole and linking them together, is mind boggling. As you look closer you realize that the dress is made out of grouping of the triangles and that there is a pattern within the pattern. Each of these shaped sections are made from six triangles that have been linked together. At the centre where they all meet there is a huge crystal tear drop that has been suspended from a metal loop. He then took one of the triangles within each these six triangle clusters and wrapped a length of clear faceted beads over it. The beads have been twisted and curved over the top of that single triangle so gives the dress an even greater 3D feel that is already has. You can see on the back of the triangles that that beadwork was added with silver wire that was hand wrapped around its triangle to secure it into place. The six triangle cluster were then all linked together to form the shape of the dress that you see. To create the shoulder straps he used a linked metal chain set with large glass rhinestones. Each one is prong set within its own casement and then these are linked together by wire. The rhinestone straps are set so that they lie across the top of the front bodice, curve over the shoulders and then lie across the back. The dress skims over the body and ends in an ultra short mini length that shows miles of legs. At the back it closes with Rabanne's signature metal clips that are set to organically down the back, hidden between the triangle clusters, so that there is no apparent line down the back to break the eye. The dress comes with a matching bag that is made out of the exact same technique and has a matching rhinestone chain as its strap. Both piece are very heavy. The dress and bag combined weigh just over ten pounds. The way that this dress catches the light and the soft sound it makes when you move is extraordinary. With your slightest movement the tears drop beads move and the mirrors reflect the light. Most examples from this time period are a monochromatic silver chainmail and it is unusual and rare to find such an ornate example like this, never mind one that still has its matching bag. It is incredible and easily one of the best pieces I have ever seen in all my years doing vintage. Early examples of Rabanne's work are held mainly in museums around the globe and really ornate pieces like this rarely come to market. It is exceptional and appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Slips on to wear with metal clamping hinge hooks at the back. The linked together pieces give it an almost bias cut feel as far as the way it sits on the body. It is in incredible condition and appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Completely assembled by hand. Note that this dress is a final sale due to the value and shipping considerations

Dress
Bust: approx 15-16.5" flat across from side to side
Waist: approx to 15" flat across from side to side
Hip: approx 16-18" flat across from side to side
Length: 31" from shoulder to hem

Bag
6"H x 9"W and linked flat together, It expands out because of the links. The rhinestone strap adds another 6.5" to the height of the bag

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-SML

Item# DD3630

Reference Photo: Noele Noblecourt in Paco Rabanne, February 1967.

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

Yves play on the tuxedo and 'Le Smoking' suit is one of his most famous hallmarks. He first presented the now famous suit in 1966. His play on traditional menswear is lauded by many as 'having empowered women by giving them the option to wear clothes that were normally worn by men with influence and power'. This is a stunning example from the Rive Gauche collection of 1992. It was captured on Beverly Peele backstage at the show and you can see in that photo how stunning this is on.

This one has a full length skirt in a rich silk that beautifully balances the cut of the jacket. Yves did variations of this suit every season for both his Couture and Rive Gauche presentations and mixed the play on a men's tuxedo jacket with skirts and pants of varying lengths and cuts. They were shaped and tweaked by Yves to be immensely flattering on the female body. I love this more formal full length skirt version and the fact that you can mix and match the pieces. That combined with the sequins on the jacket make the suit feel so bold and yet still elegant and refined in feel. The jacket is tailored with a sleek cut that follows the curves of the body. It has his signature matte satin tuxedo collar. Yves produced many versions of this suit over the years but what I find remarkable is that each version is distinct in how it closes at the front and the way that the collar is shaped. This one has one over-sized faceted and glossy jet button below that amazing collar. Two flap pockets are top set on the hips and the shoulders are sharp and perfectly padded. The entire jacket except for the collar was then covered in a dense application of glossy black sequins. This catches the light and is fabulous in person. The skirt is cut in a long column of the same silk used for the collar of the jacket. It falls to the floor in a long and lean line and there are pockets hidden on each hip. His suits change the way we approach woman's wear and any example of the Le Smoking version is collectible. They are a particularly wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was and vision for a woman's place in the world. This is an important piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Both pieces are lined in a black silk. The jacket has a single button at the front to close. The skirt has a zipper and hook & eye at the waist with pockets on each hip. Two pockets on the jacket that still have most of their original tacking to keep them closed. Padding in each shoulder It looks to have been worn very little if at all. The jacket is tagged a 36 and the skirt has no size tag present.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Padded shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from neck to hem at the front, 22 at the back

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3624

Reference Photo: Beverly Peele wearing Yves Saint Laurent. Photo by Roxanne Lowit, 1992. (As seen in the book "Roxanne Lowit Photographs Yves Saint Laurent".

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 2008 Oscar de la Renta Bridal collection was amazing and this was one of the stars of the show. One of my clients recognized the fabric on the skirt when I posted a preview photo of this dress in my instagram stories and she actually got married in the twin of this gown. She shared with me that the dress was just under $20,000 USD when she purchased it. Oscar launched his first bridal collection in October of 2002 and his wedding pieces have been worn by some of the most famous women in the world. He once said 'In the same manner that she fell in love with that man, I hope she's going to fall in love with that dress.' Countless brides have done just that and I think this may be one of the most beautiful wedding dresses I have ever seen from him. It literally takes you breathe away when you see and hold it in person.

The dress is strapless and cut to hug your curves from the bust to below the hips. From there is flows into a stunning skirt that sweeps around you and trains outwards at the back. Inside is an intricately constructed corset with boning andand built in cups to shape and hold you and the dress in place. The fabric on this one is just extraordinary. The base is an ivory silk organza that has just a touch of transparency to it so it feels light and feminine. Onto this is a complex design that is made up of stiffen silk ribbon folded into flower like designs that run over the entirety of the dress. These are all placed so that they sit up and off the fabric so that it has this wonderful 3D feel to it. Interspersed around these are white thread embroidery and then more embroidery is done in the same ivory tone as the silk base. The ivory embroidered parts are a combination of knotting, to add to the dimension of the design, and flat embroidery work. The tiniest seed beads are then worked into this pattern to add yet another element to the design. The end result is that every inch is covered with this amazing hand work. The dress has a true old world haute couture feel to it and I have never seen a wedding gown done so elaborately over every bit of the fabric. No matter how good it looks in the photos it is better in person and on the body. It is wonderfully traditional in some ways but still feels fresh and modern. It is definitely a dress that will cause gasps when you walk down the aisle. It was never worn. Excellent condition with one note below 

Fully lined in an ivory silk. The bottom hem of the skirt is finished with a wide band of stiffened netting along the inner hem and the dress closes with a hidden set back zipper. It has a built in interior corset bodice that is boned and shaped all the way around. The interior corset closes with its own zipper. Finished to couture standards and tons of work by hand. There is a darkened mark on the back of the skirt and I have included a closer shot of the areas and also one where you can see the placement. You could wear it was is, replace the ribbon that is discoloured or it may come out with specialty cleaning. It was never worn. No size tag but best suited for a 0-2 or small busted/ narrow ribbed 4

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 55" from top of bodice to hem at the front and the back extends to 70" 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3615

Reference Photos: 2008 Oscar De La Renta Bridal 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.

Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor. He dressed several first ladies including Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton and both the Bush first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. 

This dress is especially interesting for two reasons. The first is that a very similar version that was done completely in silver was done for Elizabeth Taylor. She wore the dress to the 20th annual Fifi Awards in 1992 and I have dated this one based on that dress. Shortly after her death in 2011, her all silver 'Platinum' version was sold through Christies as part of the 'Collection of Elizabeth Taylor' auction. Due to the association with her name it realized a incredible $72,000USD hammer price. The second interesting thing of note about this dress is that when I posted a preview of the fabric of skirt in my instagram stories I had many people think that the dress was actually the 2016 Balenciaga dress that I have included a photo of here. I ended up getting into a discussion with fashion journalist Alexander Fury about it and he suspects that both fabrics were done by the Jakob Schlaepfer company who has been creating fabrics for the most prestigious fashion brands in the industry for over 100 years. The Balenciaga team most likely selected the archive fabric that the Scassi dress was originally made out of and then had it recreated and tweaked for the Balenciaga dress. This is a common occurrence with the older more prestigious fabric houses and it is fascinating to see such a clear line of the progression between one dress to another. All of this makes this dress a very historically interesting piece. The dress is from his main label and these were made to couture standards.

The dress is a showstopper. The skirt is made out of the silver embroidered and sequinned fabric that you see and the dense application of the embroidered work along with the underlying structure gives it a definitive and structured shape. That shape is all achieved by the inner structure and built in skirting and I did not add any additional underpinnings. The bodice is made out of a deep green silk velvet. It is shaped and fitted to the body. The waist is cut to nip in sharply. I love how the silver embroidery on the skirt is set on a sharp upward angled point at the front and then the neckline angles down towards that in its own sharp point. The sleeves are amazing. Each is set high on the shoulder and explode outward in hand gathered high poufed silhouette to create maximum volume. They are wonderfully dramatic and full with inner built in layers of silk and tulle to hold the volume. The inner construction of this dress is as amazing as the exterior. The very inner skirt is made from a fine deep green silk with a broad band of horsehair taping inside the bottom hem. Between that and the outer layer of silk are layers of stiffened white netted tulle. The sleeves are equally incredible and are shaped to have that gorgeous fullness to them. Each has an inner finish of tulle netting to hold the shape. The bodice is corseted and boned. The inside is exquisitely constructed and it is all hand finished. This is a stunning dress and the history associated with it makes it that much more fascinating. Excellent  condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a fine deep green silk. The skirt is finished with attached inner skirts as described above. The sleeves are finished with tulle inside the lining. It closes with a hand set back metal zipper. The bodice is boned and shaped all the way around. Finished to couture standards by hand. At some point a repair was done to the edge of the inner tulle of the skirt. Otherwise looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem with approx another 4' turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3614

Reference Photos: (1-2) Arnold Scaasi Spring 1992 Made-to-Order Fashion Show. /  (3) Elizabeth Taylor wearing Arnold Scaasi at the 20th annual Fifi Awards, 1992.  /  (4-5) 1990s Arnold Scaasi Dress from The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor's Auction for Christie's.  /  (6) F/W 2016 Balenciaga Runway Collection.  /  (7-10) Ruth Negga wearing this dress to the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures Opening Gala, September 2021.

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 dress from the Fall 1984 season from when Marc Bohan was the head of the Dior atelier. It is a beautiful example of the work being produced by Christian Dior in this time period. In the book Dior; Catwalk, the notes on the fall collection state that the collection was placed 'under the sign of opposites' and that he had looked to the work of Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock for inspiration. Pieces were adorned in drip embroidery and motifs and then he did a series of long sheath dresses that were 'accessorized with 'Pollock jewels" in jet and multi colour stones'. We found several photos of the twin of this dress on the runway which shows you how fabulous it is on the body. The dress is a true Haute Couture piece and has the appropriate numbered label intact. It is gorgeous.

The dress is made out of a soft textured silk velvet in a jet black. Using a velvet that has this added texture to it is an incredible choice as the dress catches the light in different ways as you move and it really makes it come to life. The cut is simple and sleek with a low front neckline that dips from an angle created over each shoulder. It slightly curves down to the center and then the fabric is softly gathered down the center to the waist. This leaves it with a slightly bloused over feel over the the nipped in waist. The sleeves are cut long and they slim down as they reach the wrists. There is a slight volume built in at the outer part of each shoulder. On the inside I see hand made silk cases that at one time had light padding in them but the padding has been removed at some point to give it a softer shape. You could easily have some padding put back in if you wanted a stronger shoulder. Inside the bodice is a more fitted and boned inner silk corseted piece that holds you in place while the silk velvet simply drapes softly over that outside. The skirt is cut to feel sleek and simple and falls to the floor with just a touch of gentle widening as it reaches the hem. A vent runs up the back so that you can walk. It is a beautiful and dramatic piece despite its simple lines. It is meant to be slightly more voluminous through the top and then slimmer through the skirt as was the fashion at the time. Excellent condition with a very minor note below.

Fully interlined in a fine black silk satin and then has a built in bodice made of black silk. The inner bodice is boned and closes with its own zipper as photoed. The exterior dress closes with a back painted metal zipper. Each sleeve has a zipper at the cuff. The ribbon belt is not original to the dress and is just a length of grosgrain ribbon for shape. Appropriate numbered tag present with couture number 19469. Silk hand made pads that have no padding inside each shoulder as described above. Slight damage to the silk on either side of the zipper on the inner corset and there is a repair at the top of the vent. Please see the photos after the label shot. 

Sleeves: 23"
Soft shoulders: to 16.5"
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for up to a B cup
Inner waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13.5" from shoulder to waist
Length: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3611

Reference Photos: (1-3) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture Runway.  /  (4) Fall 1984 Christian Dior Couture, credit unknown.  /  (5-7) Krysta Rodriguez, in this dress, for the opening of Bad Cinderella on Broadway, March 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.

Andre Courreges introduced his Hyperbole label in 1970 as a ready to wear line. The contrasting white with the vivid orange is a predominant theme and gave the pieces a more sporty look. The unusual colour choice combined with his signature cuts make them instantly recognizable as being his work. Similar examples are held in museums worldwide and I am always pleased to have his original work in the shop. 

This is a really great coat that has some weight to it making it warm and cozy to wear. It is belted for a slight touch of definition through the waist and the big flap pockets with those white buttons at the front act as both a design feature and give it a sense of sporty utility. Big round white buttons do up the front and at the back there is a row of them that run down the middle of the back. These are all functional buttons which is remarkable and shows you the level of quality in RTW back then. It is cut to skim over the body and be more fitted through the top and then the bottom portion is cut on a bit of a flare to the hem. The neckline is structured and set high with a collar that is set back to the sides and curls over. Epaulets sit on the top of shoulder with more button detailing. The seams are topstitched in a thread that is the same colour as the wool. Inside, the coat is finished with a quilted padding that keeps you warm. Courreges once commented when asked about how his fit and cuts came about, saying that it 'was somewhere between a youthful and optimistic inventiveness, and a concept of fashion embracing the platonic ideal of perfect form. What was needed was to apply new technical and aesthetic rules and to create a modern style that was easy to wear.'  Excellent overall condition with notes to review below

The jacket buttons to close at the front and it has its original belt that buttons into place. More buttons run down the back vent and are set at each cuff. The pockets button to close as seen. It is tagged a Courreges size 00. There are a few grazes out of the wool near the hem and on the lower portion of the coat. All are stable and do not go fully through and did not worsen after being dry cleaned. A minor mark to the interior lining. Please see all the photos after the label shot. It presents as excellent. 

Sleeves: 23"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# C559

Reference Photo: Courreges (left) and Miss Dior (right) coats, L'officiel magazine, 1971.

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

Andre Courreges introduced his Hyperbole label in 1970 as a ready to wear line. The contrasting white with the vivid orange is a predominant theme and gave the pieces a more sporty look. The unusual colour choice combined with his signature cuts make them instantly recognizable as being his work. Finding a jumpsuit complete with its matching jacket is very rare and it is a fabulous set. His work is held in museums worldwide and I am always pleased to have his original work in the shop.

This is an amazing set that is made out of a wool that has a soft, almost fuzzy, feel to it. Andre was known for his unusual fabric choices and this would have been cutting edge at the time. The jumpsuit is cut to skim over the body and hips and then the legs are straight with a slight flare to them as they reach the hem. Depending on your height they will sit as a bit of a crop. Big round painted white snaps do up the front above a zipper. There is a double set of flap pockets stacked on top of each other. One set is at the waist and the other at the top of the hip. The jacket is cut in his classic cropped silhouettes. Big flap pockets sit on each side at the front and it closes with a huge chunky white zipper. This one has a belt that goes through big belt loops around the bottom of the jacket and then it closes in the front with a painted metal buckle. I love how once it is on it sits just above that lower flaps on the jumpsuit. White snaps close each cuff and perfectly tie into the snaps on the jumpsuit. It is an incredible piece and is even better on an actual person. This is a very rare example of his work. Presents as overall excellent condition with notes to review below

The jacket zippers to close at the front and it has its original belt that buckles into place. The jumpsuit closes at the front with snaps and a zipper under those. It is tagged a Courreges size B. The flap pockets are all decorative. The fabric shows minor pilling overall and this is a natural part of the aging of this type of fabric. There is a darkened mark on the inside of one leg and a couple of minor spots on the sleeves. Some yellowing to the inner lining of the pants at the inner seam. Minor paint loss to the zipper/snaps and buckle. Please see all the photos after the label shot. 

Jacket
Sleeves: 23.5"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 19" from neck to hem

Jumpsuit
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55.5" from shoulder to hem
Inseam: 28" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3610

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

Ferdinando Sarmi was an actual Italian Count and started his design career working for the Elizabeth Arden couture salon during the 1950s. In 1959 he ventured off on his own and launched his label. He designed for just over a decade before closing up shop. During those ten or so years he was especially known for his evening wear. The fabrics he chose were often opulent or very difficult to work with. This dress was obtained from the same source as the other Sarmi listing today and I have included that one's reference photo from 1964 here. Since listing it we also found a 1963 photos of the dress in a different colour way. Both dresses were purchased at the same time for a mother and her daughter. I have also included a photo of them wearing this dress and the other.

The dress is very representative of its time period. It has beautiful lines with a very full skirt that is feather light due to its fabric choice of an ivory silk chiffon. Using the silk chiffon for the dress gives it a feeling of lightness and fantasy as it floats around you once on the body. You can get a sense of just how much movement it has in that wonderful reference photo I have added here. The very top layer of the silk has a hint of transparency to it that adds to the feeling of lightness that is created as it floats over the other inner layers of cream silks that make up the skirt. The bodice is strapless and fitted and has been completely covered in a natural mink that wraps around the wearer. It dips down at the front in a sweetheart neckline. The waist is accented with a large chocolate coloured silk ribbon that is finished in bow at the front. From there the skirt gently widens to a beautiful fullness in a cascade of silk. It is very light and airy feeling when on but inside the construction is immaculate with a full inner corseted foundation made of lingerie netting to keep it perfectly in place. Excellent condition

Fully lined in an ivory silk through the skirt and the bodice is finished in silk with an inner corset made of a cotton net. It closes with a back, hand set painted metal zipper. Hand finished. Made to demi-couture standards. There is some very minor grubbiness to the hem here and there and some small marks here and there in the skirt.  

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 6" from top of bodice to top of band and the decorative band is then 2" wide
Skirt: 47" from top of band  at the waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3607

Reference Photos: (1) F/W 1963 Sarmi, photo by Bert Stern.  /  (2) Brigitte Bauer in chiffon evening gown with mink bodice by Sarmi, photo by Howell Conant at the Lunar Fountain in New York's World Fair, 1964. Shown in Life Magazine, August 1964.  /  (3) Original client photo.

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 a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

Norman Norell was known to say that the interior of a dress was the most important part of the dress. His inner seams were cut two inches or deeper. He went to great lengths to create couture like quality in his designs and this meticulous approach to his work stands up to time. Norell pieces are works of art and examples of how to properly construct a garment. Norell launched his independent label in June 1960 after a successful partnership with Anthony Traina under the Traina-Norell label. His trademark was simple but elegant clothing and he was a roaring success. This is a stunning example of his work and the dress is immaculate. It was sourced from the same woman who the Sarmi dresses I am posting today came from and it’s twin walked the runway for the Fall 1966 show. 

Norman Norell dresses were not only extremely chic and sophisticated, they are also cut with exception mastery. Every line and seam is placed exactly where it should be to flatter the body and create an air of sophistication. This dress is a fabulous example of that and the lines of it are amazing. It is a chic silk crepe sheath and the lines that it is made up from and cut with have a long and sleek feel. The neckline is high and curves and wraps around the neck. I have photoed how the collar is set in so that it dips into a angled seam at the back. This subtle little detail is just beautiful and shows just how much he paid attention to the smallest details. The shoulders are soft and the sleeves are long. Each sleeve widens out at it nears the hem and is finished with an extra wide cuff made out of a natural mink. The waist is open and easy. The dress falls in a sleek column that gently widens out as is nears the floor. At the hem there is another wide band of mink wrapped all the way around. This anchors the design and also is set so that it holds the shape of the dress so that you get that beautiful line that you see. Don't be fooled by it's simplicity - it is seamed and constructed to couture levels and the finishes within it are superb. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a fine ivory silk and closes at the back with a hand set painted metal zipper. Hand finished throughout and made to demi-couture standards.

Shoulders: 14.5"
Sleeves: 23"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3608

Reference photo: Fall 1966 Norman Norell

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 a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

Ferdinando Sarmi was an actual Italian Count and started his design career working for the Elizabeth Arden couture salon during the 1950s. In 1959 he ventured off on his own and launched his label. He designed for just over a decade before closing up shop. During those ten or so years he was especially known for his evening wear. The fabrics he chose were often opulent or very difficult to work with like fine silk chiffons like this. This dress was obtained from the same source as the other Sarmi listing today and I have included a reference photo from 1964 that depicts the twin of this dress. Both dresses were purchased at the same time for a mother and her daughter. I have included their photos here as well wearing the dress. 

The dress is very representative of its time period. It has beautiful lines with a very full skirt that is feather light due to its fabric choice of an ivory silk chiffon. Using the silk chiffon for the dress gives it a feeling of lightness and fantasy as it floats around you once it is on the body. The silk on the skirt of this one has been meticulously knife pleated for an added bit of texture. This also allows the silk to really open and move as you move. You can get a sense of just how much movement it has in that wonderful reference photo I have added here. The very top layer of the silk has a hint of transparency to it that adds to the feeling of lightness that is created as it floats over the other inner layers of cream silks that make up the skirt. The bodice is fitted and has been completely covered in an ivory coloured mink that wraps around the wearer. It is cut straight across at the neckline and has capped sleeves that are also made out of mink that curve up and around each shoulder. The waist is accented with a wide ivory silk ribbon at the front. From there the skirt gently widens to a beautiful fullness in a cascade of silk. It is very light and airy feeling when on but inside the construction is immaculate with a full inner corseted foundation made of lingerie netting to keep it perfectly in place. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in an ivory silk through the skirt and the bodice is finished in silk with an inner corset made of a cotton net. It closes with a back, hand set painted metal zipper. Hand finished. Made to demi-couture standards. There is some very minor grubbiness to the hem here and there. A little marking on the ribbon from where the original owner added a pin whenever she wore it. Unlabeled but verified by the reference photo attached and known history of the dress

Bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to top of band and the decorative band is then 2" wide
Skirt: 48" from top of band  at the waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3609

Reference Photos: (1) Brigitte Bauer in chiffon evening gown with mink bodice by Sarmi, photo by Howell Conant at the Lunar Fountain in New York's World Fair, 1964. Shown in Life Magazine, August 1964.  /  (2) Model wearing Sarmi, 1964.  /  (3) 1964 Sarmi Evening Dress in The MET Online Collection.  /  (4) Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt in Sarmi, 1964.

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 a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

I already had the documentation on this dress because I sold an unlabeled brown coloured version of it in the past. This one however, seems to be the near twin of the one that I have a reference photo of and have included here. It is an interesting piece because of the documentation and it also has an interesting design in the way that it wraps and closes. The dress is not perfect. The dye has faded substantially on parts of it. It may be possible to re-dye it but my client did not want to do that now in case it is important to a collector to have it stay as original as possible. It is an amazing example of his early couture work.

Regardless of its imperfections, the dress is amazing and the pink is an instant eye catcher. The inner dress is a long, sleek sleeveless sheath. Over this sits is an overlay that is made up of a long wide panel of the same silk as the inner dress. This overlay drapes down the front and then again down the back in a long stark column. The front overlay has straps that extend out from each side and these wrap and hook to close between the inner sheath dress and the back overlay. Down the front there is an extensive beaded design. The neckline is wrapped in curving bands of silver toned beads that circle the neck like a bib. Below that three huge diamond shaped medallions run down the front with the top one being the largest and the bottom and middle slightly smaller then the one above. In the centre of each beaded diamond are a mix of deep pink and paler pink prong set crystal rhinestone surrounded by pearls. The silver needs have been sewn into place using a matching pink thread to the silk of the dress and this gives them a slight pink tone. It's genius. That elaborate front is like wearing a jewelled bib and it is extraordinary. All of the work on the dress has been done by hand and to couture standards. The dress is wearable and sound outside of is obvious discolourations. 

Fully lined in a pink silk with hand finishes throughout. The dress closes at the back with a hidden set metal zipper. The wrap around straps hook to close at the back and there is a series of hook & eye across the top of one shoulder. There appear to be some repairs to the beading near the neck, some of the rows are looser there and a small area of shattering to the silk on the inside back neck. The silk has faded in areas throughout. Please see the photos provided to get a good sense of the parts that have lightened. Sold as found and final sale. All hand done and made to Haute Couture standards. 

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2577

Reference Photos: Model in Pierre Cardin, 1969, credit unknown.

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 Balmain transformation definitely began while under the tutelage of Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer to bring 'more hard rock and punk' to the label, which has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing. The review from Vogue that year stated: 'Was it just coincidence that Christophe Decarnin showed his Balmain collection in the same room—the swimming pool at the Ritz—that Gianni Versace used for his couture spectaculars? There was certainly an almost Gianni-like gaggle of fans jostling outside, and a heated buzz of anticipation in the house for the man whose frank embrace of rock-chick bling, rounded "tennis ball"-shouldered jackets, and elaborate jeans have shot him to the position of No. 1 most copied designer in the space of two seasons. The choice of venue only added to the sense of expectation heaped on Decarnin's performance as fashion's latest appointed savior of good-time, high-sparkle, downright sexy dressing.... The cult peaked-shoulder Balmain jacket was reiterated in force: same signature shape, now manifested as a leather biker as well as a tuxedo jacket, and often paired with new drapey harem pants or skinny jean-cut black trousers. Every look was thrust into deep-cuffed suede boots with a stack of silver buckles running up the side. What is interesting is that just this past season this high 'Pagoda' shoulder was shown in the latest Balmain and Balenciaga runways for the Spring 2021 season. None of them hit the same mark as this does with its additional embellishments. I love this one and it is a very collectible piece of future vintage and is certainly important for the person archiving important pieces now. 

The jacket is made out of a black cotton velvet and this fabric choice gives it a rich edgy feel while allowing the exact shape intended to be kept. It has an almost sculptural feel to it. The shoulders are extremely strong and set in high peaks shaped by  extensive padding sculpted underneath. The sleeves fall from there and as you get closer to the piece you see how the fabric has been pieced together and seamed using proper couture techniques so that they fall perfectly. The bodice of the jacket is nipped in at the waist to give contrast to the amazing shoulders. This is all done by vertical seaming and shaping. Set inside the front edge is a lingerie inspired panel that hooks to close like a corset. This is a stunning detail that is hidden like a little secret from all but the wearer when the jacket is closed. Around the neck and running down the front is a raw edged silk tulle detailing that has a wide band of glass rhinestones, metal studs and silver chain set the full length of the jacket. Where it reaches the lower hem of the jacket it extends past another 11 inches to end in a raw edged tulle ribbon and chains. It is an incredible piece and you can see on the runway shots and video just how incredible it moves and sits on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a black textured fabric and closes down the front with metal hook & eye as shown. It is tagged a modern Balmain 40. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Padded and sculpted shoulders

Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: inset and approx 15" inside
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22" from neck to hem and the embellishments extend down past that 11"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S927

Reference Photo: Sasha Pivovarova for Fall 2009 Balmain Runway, Look 17.

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 comes directly from the original couture client and is an exceptional example of Valentino's Haute Couture work that he was doing during the 1980s. Finding pieces from this time period is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I am also pleased to have found several documentations of the dress from that season. The dress is featured in the book "A Grand Italian Epic: Valentino Garavani" by Taschen, which is considered to be one of the definitive volumes on Valentino's work. It was also featured in the March issue of Italian Vogue. That layout was photoed by Steven Klein and the dress was modeled by Monica Gripman. It was also shot on model Brynja Sverris for one of the Valentino campaigns that year. This is one of his most recognizable dresses that he has ever created and you instantly recognize it as being by him the second that you see it. It is an extraordinary and historically important piece of Valentino's couture work. This would also make an exception bridal dress for the non traditional bride or as a secondary dress to change into.

This dress is extraordinary. The lines of it are pure poetry. The front of the dress has been done with a minimalist feel and its entire design is deliberate to give you just a glimpse of what will happen when you turn around. The top overlay is made of a black silk faille and the neckline is high and slightly scooped. It curves and skims over the bust and nips in gently at the waist. The shape that you see is all done with beautiful curving vertical seams so that there is no line to break the sweep of the eye. This then extends into a long panel that lays over the inner skirting. It is cut on one side with more of a curved line, while the other side is set on a slight straigher line that runs up to the the detailing at the back. This slight asymmetrical cut is fascinating and it is done so subtly that at first your eye does not see it. Instead you only see how this allows the underskirt to sweep out slightly more on one side then the other. From under that the skirt flares out and back in a tremendous sweep of fabric. The underskirt is also made out of a heavy silk faille in a creamy ivory with black dots. Many yards of silk have been used its construction and it designed to have massive volume at the back. From every angle of the dress you get these wondrous sweeping views. At the back the black silk is cut into a V and set slightly to one side. Where each side of the front overlay meet, there is a huge ivory silk flower. The lines that lead up and towards the flower are all curving perfection and the way that the black sweeps up to meet the flower is a moment in itself. The flower is huge and sits nestled in the crook of your low back. The interior of the dress is made to couture standards and is as stunning as the exterior. There are attached inner tulles that give the skirt its shape and volume. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen. It is an amazing example of his earlier Haute Couture work. Excellent condition with a couple of minor notes below. 

The dress is lined in a black silk and there are attached underskirts in silk tulle. It closes with an inner zipper that is attached to the underskirt with a second exterior zipper over that. Inner waist stay hooks to close. The panel where the flower is set snaps into place with hand covered silk covered snaps. I see some grubbiness at the hem and on the flower and a repair to one of the tulle underskirts at the back. Near the base of the inner zipper the fabric has come away from the seam. All of these are minor. Please review the photos provided after the label shot. Finished with Haute Couture construction techniques throughout. 

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3604

Reference Photos: (1) Brynja Sverris in S/S 1988 Valentino Haute Couture by Gianpaolo Barbieri.  /  (2-3) Monica Gripman in Valentino Haute Couture for Vogue Italia, March 1988. Photos by Steven Klein.  /  (4-5) S/S 1988 Valentino Haute Couture Dress as shown in the book "A Grand Italian Epic: Valentino Garavani" by Taschen.  /  (6-7) Queen Sofia of Spain in Valentino, meeting Queen Elizabeth, at the Palacio Real de Madrid, in Madrid, for a state banquet in Spain, 18 October 1988.

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 particular dress was one of the standouts of the Fall 2009 Gucci presentation collection. On the runway it was shown as a mini and in Vogue's review of the show it was mentioned specficially; 'With the slicked-back hair, crimson lips, and mirrored shades, it was hard glamour for hard times, with the occasional half glance back at Tom Ford's heyday in a blue fox chubby or a skimpy one-shoulder black jersey dress with a slice of patent in the neck.' And it is indeed a dress that you might think was a Tom Ford at first glance. The shorter version was used in the extensive ad campaign that season as well. When it was sent to the stores they produced it in this longer version as well as the short. This one has its original tags and was never altered so is in its original supermodel length. 

The dress is made out of a silk jersey that has incredible drape and movement. It is cut supermodel length and then some. Even on my tall dress form it went well past and puddled on the floor. This is a dress that is meant to come to life once on the body. You kind of have to look at the runway photos and then imagine the skirt falling all the way to the floor and what an incredible impact that would make. It is cut with a single sleeve that come out wide from the shoulder and waist and then narrows down as it reached the wrist. The neckline is then angled across the front and at the back it dips into a low angled cut that is set quite deep to the side. This leaves the majority of your back exposed and is very sexy. The dress skims over the body from there and falls to the floor. At the back there is a very high slit partially hidden by the overlapping of the fabric and this lines up right under the post of the open back. The neckline is accented by a strip of patent leather that has a holographic finish to it that subtle catches the light in a rainbow of colours. It's fantastic. Still has its original tags attached and has never been worn. Excellent condition 

There is a second layer through the body in the same stretch jersey as the outer layer. It closes with a hidden set side zipper and there is an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The sleeve is a single layer of the fabric and has a button and loop to close. The dress has its original tags and even an extra button for the cuff. Tagged a size 44. The dress has stretch so should fit a range of sizes. 

Sleeve: approx 26"
Bust: is variable as there are no true side seams with how it is cut
Inner elastic waist stay: 13-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 69.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD3599

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Fall 2009 Gucci Runway. Look 33. Model: Freja Beha Erichsen.  /  (3-7) Fall 2009 Gucci Ad Campaign.

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 Valentino Haute Couture dress from the early to mid 1980s. It is beautifully made and a wonderful example of Valentino's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period. I love this backless version with its low front plunge. It is a little sexier then some of his couture work tends so be but it still has that refined elegance that you would expect from him combined with a bit of pure drama created in that moment when you first turn around and see that bare expanse of skin. 

This dress is wonderful. In person it is even better then how it photoed because like all couture it really needs to be on an actual body to come to life and sit properly. The cut has been kept fairly simply but is still sexy with its plunging halter bodice and long skirt that falls to the floor from under the banded waist. The dress is made from a lightweight bias cut silk in a deep charcoal black-grey colour. Onto the silk is a graphic floral leaf design in a deep ivory that covers the entire dress. The bodice is cut into a halter style with wide straps that curve up and behind the neck to leave the shoulders bare. The two panels of the front cross over themselves and dip into a V at the front. It then curves around waist at the lower back and this leaves the back completely bare. The waist is defined by a wide panel of black silk that is gathered and shirred. The ends of this banding extend into very long ties that you can wrap and tie or simply loop at the side and leave to hang long as I have down for the photos. Under that the skirt flows to the floor and gradually widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. The inner conduction is all down to Haute Couture standards and is interlined in a silk chiffon so that they dress stays wonderfully light but still very well constructed. It is a beautiful example of his earlier haute Couture work. Excellent condition with one minor note below

Fully interlined in a black silk chiffon and closes with a low set zipper at the side below the waist and then silk covered snaps and hooks above that. The hem looks to have been taken up at some point. Hand finishes throughout. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. Inner waist stay hooks to close.

Bust: to 18.5" flat across the back side seam to side seam with generous fabric at the front
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 16" from top of neck to top seam of the band at waist
Skirt: 44.5" from waist to hem with 2.25" turn up under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3593

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

Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. This set is a little extra special since it still has its matching jacket which gives you more versatility in how you can choose to wear it. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful floral prints and when I find pieces with one of her oversized florals done in a mix of her signature soft and dreamy pastels I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work.

This is everything you look for in a Hanae piece. It has that wonderful custom designed print screened onto feather light silk layers on both the exterior layer and on the inner dress. This allows the two prints on each layer to be slightly offset as they layer over each other. This gives the print an extra dimension of depth. Doing this is one of her signatures and she used two types of silks to achieve this effect. This one takes that concept even further with multiple layers used in its construction. The innermost layer is a silk twill that takes colour exceptionally well. This has been printed with the her customs design and then it is interlined in a layer of tissue silk. Then there is a layer of the palest pink silk chiffon that defuses the print between the top and bottom layer. The outermost top layer is a printed silk chiffon that gives the dress its light and airy feel and has a touch of transparency to it. The dress is suspended from the shoulder with two padded silk straps that curve up and over the shoulders. It dips into a wide flattened V at the front and scoops low at the back. From the neckline it cascades and skims loosely over the body, gently widening out until it reaches the hem. It is cut to be very long and I love how the pattern changes and gets more intricate as it nears the hem. Over this is a gorgeous little silk chiffon jacket. The sleeves are cut extra wide and have that same pale pink silk chiffon layer under the top layer. Slits run partway up the inner seam of each sleeve so that you get a very wide feel to them as you move your arms. The body of the jacket is loose and full with an inner pink silk lining and is cut to mirror the widening of the lower part of the dress. It has a high rounded collar and closes down the front with three large frog knots made out of the same silk chiffon over inner padding. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I have included a photo of the hand finished interior seams cut in the traditional couture manner. I love it. Excellent condition with a minor note below

The inner silk twill dress is interlined in tissue silk and then has two layers of silk chiffon over that. It closes with a back zipper and then each silk chiffon layer closes with her signature silk covered teeny snaps. The jacket closes with the frog knots at the front. The loose and easy bias cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. Hand finished throughout. Hand rolled edges. The very upper edge of the collar is starting to fray and I see the tiniest faintest of marks on the front that you would never see when on

Dress
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of straps to hem

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist- hips: open
Length: 24" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD3589

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

George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of multiple layers of silk done on a bias cut. He focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns 'seemed to float on air'. He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. The majority of his gowns are almost entirely made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s one of his evening dresses started at a cost of around $8500USD and they went up in cost from there. To put that in modern terms , that would be about $26,000USD now. Which means that when you buy a vintage Stavropoulos gown you are getting incredible value.

This dress is drop dead gorgeous with its wonderful pastel floral print in a gorgeous palette of light turquoises mixed with soft pinks, greens and lavenders. The print is screened over the entire dress and it is stunning to see in person. The silk chiffon is feather light and I love the airy feeling that this creates. This lightness has been achieved by layering separate layers made up of many yards of high end silk chiffon. This is a fabric that is notoriously difficult to work with and it shows just what a genius he was by the way that he was able to make it flow and sit so beautifully.  The majority of work is all done by hand and it would have taken many, many  hours of work to create this dress in this way. The silk is fully cut on the bias so that once you slip it on it simply drapes into place and swirls around you. The slightest bit of movement on your part or bit of air around you will cause it to move. The neckline is beautiful. It has a draped cape effect that follows all the way around the entire neckline. It falls softly over the shoulders and then drapes down the back and across the front. The neckline is softly scooped at the front and at the back it scoops lower for an expanse of skin to show. The waist is brought in a bit under the cape for shaping and then the skirt falls from there to flow and skim over the hips. As it nears the hem it widens out considerably and I love how the hem is cut so that it is slightly shorter at the centre and then on each side it is longer. The fabric is also set fuller at the two sides so you get a lovely sense of draping down each side. This is a dress that really comes to life when you move. It is very beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in turquoise silk chiffon. The inner skirt has two layers of silk chiffon under the top printed layer to make up the lining. It closes with a hand set, painted metal zipper. The inner seams are finished by hand to couture standards. There is one small repair near the hem that gets lost in the many yards of fabric. Please see the shot after the label shot. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Bust: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at Inner lining: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59" from top of shoulder to shortest part of hem and to approx 65" to longest parts of the side hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3591

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 comes directly from the original couture client and is in immaculate condition. This is an exceptional example of Valentino's Haute Couture work that he was doing during the 1980s. It is one of a group of dotted red chiffon dresses that Valentino showed on the runway that season. Finding pieces from this time period in such immaculate condition is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I am also pleased to have found runway footage of the group of dresses that he did. The twin of this one was a runway piece and you just get the tiniest glimpse of it on the video I have added here. I have also included a gorgeous shot of Daniela Ghione wearing the dress that year. Style icon Nan Kempner was photoed wearing a different version of the dress which gives you another idea of how fantastic the dress will be on. It is an extraordinary and historically important piece of Valentino's couture work

This dress is divine. The lines of it are beautiful and as good as it looks on the dress form it is perfection on an actual body. The bodice of the dress is fitted and nipped in at the waist. It is cut in a sweetheart neckline that softly curves at the top and is strapless. The bodice is done in an extremely intricate manner. Panels of the silk chiffon have been cut on the biased and then shirred and diagonally crossed over each other to form that complicated pattern that wraps around the entire bodice. The little striped illusion effect that you see in each curving panel is actually the white dot in the silk hat has been meticulously lined up to precision with the one above and below. This painstaking pleating and gathering technique would have taken hours and hours to accomplish. This then forms a shaped bodice that runs down past the waist and molds over the top of the hips. From under that the skirt flares out to the floor and is made up of many yards of the same bias cut red and white dotted silk chiffon. The fabric is feather light so that your slightest movement cause the silk to flow around you. On one hip there are panels of silk that are set to run down that full side to give it an extra burst of volume and movement. The interior of the dress is made to couture standards with a full built in cupped corset that is boned and shaped to just past the waist. From under the bodice the skirt is made up of three full layers of silk; two of the dotted silk and a red silk inner layer. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen and looks to have been worn very little if at all. It is an amazing example of his earlier Haute Couture work. Excellent condition. 

The bodice has a full built in boned corset made that hooks into place. The dress zippers to close over that. The skirt is made up of three layers as descried above. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. Inner waist stay hooks to close.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 52" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3588

Reference Photos: (1) Daniela Ghione in Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 1986. Photo by Oliviero Toscani.  /  (2) Valentino Haute Couture SS 1986. Photo by Lord Snowdon.  /  (3) Model in Valentino Haute Couture, Vogue Italia, March 1986. Photo by Albert Watson.  /  (4-5) Nan Kempner at Barbara Walters's Four Month Wedding Anniversary Celebration at The Pierre Hotel in New York, September 1986.

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

Christian Lacroix launched his Haute Couture house in 1987 and his work was instantly revered world wide. He defined an era and he was crowned the King of Couture. A ready-to-wear line soon followed along with perfumes and menswear. His collections were always exotic and lavish affairs. He drew his inspirations from across the decades and I doubt there was ever a more high glamour couturier. This dress is very special and a stunning example of his work during this time period. It has all the signature Lacroix drama that you could ask for. It comes to me from the original couture client. This is his main pink label that was still being produced in France at this point as opposed to later pieces that were manufactured elsewhere. It was very high end, expensive ready-to-wear that was made to near couture standards. For the Fall 1998 runway this dress was shown in a deep burgundy but my client purchased hers in this glorious all black version. 

The dress is classic Lacroix from his early years with all the high end drama we love about his work. The dress is sleeveless with wide straps that curve up and around the shoulder. The bust is meant to be fitted and the neckline is scooped at both the front and the back. There is a full built in corseted inner dress that is boned and shaped through the bodice and has extensive attached underskirts. It is attached all along the neckline and around the arms and then it falls under the outer velvet layer. The outer layer is made of a black velvet that is soft to the touch and very rich in feel. It is shaped with long vertical seaming to lie over the inner dress. On either side of the hip of the velvet layer the fabric has been gathered with extra long ribbons that you can use to adjust the length on the sides up or down as you wish. For the photos, I have put them up a little more so you can see the underskirt, while on the runway shot you can see that they styled it with one side a little longer than the other. I love that you can adjust it like that. The inner corset is made of a combination of taffeta, boning and a fine mesh netting. The entire lower portion of the skirt is finished with his signature gathered and puffed taffeta that gives it tons of volume. Each layer of the fabric is light but when all the layers, and the sheer volume of fabric that has been used, is combined the overall weight of the dress is substantial and it feels like a couture piece. The velvet at the back of the skirt is longer and slightly trained. There is a final gathered seam that runs from the mid-back to the centre of the back of the skirt's hem. For this one the ribbon ties at the top to add detailing there and again you can adjust it if you wish to be longer or shorter. You can see how stupendous this moves in the attached runway video of the burgundy version. This comes from one of his the original couture clients. Excellent condition 

Fully lined in a full corseted and skirted underdress as described above. It closes with a hand set side zipper on the inner dress and another zipper on the black velvet top layer. Each side and the back of the velvet layer are adjustable in length with the ribbons that you see. The interior corset is boned and the underskirt is made up of several layers for volume and shape. Tagged a 42

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner corset waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 59" from shoulder to front hem and the train at the back adjust to same length to up to approx 20" longer 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3585

Reference Photos: Fall 1998 Christian Lacroix 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 incredible dress is from the Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture collection and its twin walked the runway that season. The collection was lauded by the press. Marie Claire said 'Faithful to himself, Yves Saint Laurent has once again surpassed himself, without ever betraying the clean look that has become his signature.' The New York Times review by Cathryn Horn noted that the show was attended by ladies such as Nan Kempner who sat just a few chairs away from Catherine Deneuve and Lauren Bacall. Nan was seen in the audience saying 'fabulous' as the dresses paraded past. The Times review included remarks on all of the couture shows that season and said that the 'day belonged to Saint Laurent'. They also noted that "There have been a lot of Saint Laurent shows in recent years when nothing clicked and you thought, 'Okay, this is as good as it's going to get.' But the thing one realized the other day was how vast and deep are Mr. Saint Laurent's reserves of creativity compared with those of other, younger designers who blow themselves out early and then spend the next 10 or 15 years splashing around in the same puddle." This dress is exceptional and a rare piece from one of his final collections. That same NYT article also noted that during this time period, couture dresses had a start cost of $50,000 ($75k in modern dollars), and went up from there. This dress is sourced from the original couture client.  

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway reference photos that I have found for you. It is made from an inky black silk velvet with inset panels around the skirt. The sleeves are long and straight and the dress is cut to sit fully off the shoulders. This allows your entire upper shoulders to show. It skims over the body and the velvet lies over a fully built in inner corseting that gives support and keeps the dress perfectly in place. This inner corset is fully boned and closes with its own separate zipper. The dress skims over the body with vertical seaming all around for each panel that the dress is made up of. It is meant to sit so that your shoes show from under the skirt and this length also gives the skirt the best possible length to show off its fullness and the ingenious insets all around the skirt. Just below the hips he has inset panels that are made from knife pleated black silk netting. The are set in in such a way that each is very full. The result is that you get a stunning bit of volume through the lower skirts as these flare out around you and move when you move. They have a touch of transparency to them so you get a suggestion of leg showing as you walk. A wide silk satin ties at the waist for the perfect finish. Yves once said of the colour black "I love black because it affirms, designs, and styles. A woman in a black dress is a pencil stroke". The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little and was sourced form the original couture client. Excellent condition  

The outer velvet layer is fully interlined in a fine black silk satin. The built in corset is boned and shaped. It closes with its own zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The exterior layer closes with a hand set zipper. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The silk ribbon belt is not original to the dress. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little

Sleeves: 22"
Inner bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 56" from natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3586

Reference Photos: Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture 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 comes from the same collection of couture pieces that I am handling at the moment for my client and all she could recall for this piece was this it was her mothers, it was from Chanel and that it was from the eighties, maybe early 90s. I have not yet found a photo reference for this one but when I do I will add it or send to the new owner. The set is incredibly beautiful on the body. 

The dress is stunning. It is made up of two separate pieces. The top piece is an inky black tabard that is made out of a rich soft silk velvet. At the front it is cut in a simple sleeveless sheath that has a subtle seam just under the bodice. The back dips into a low square to show a bare expanse of skin. Inside it is lined in a hand set heavy black silk that feels amazing against the skin. It closes at the side with a zipper but only to the top of the hip. Under that it is completely open on that side. You then wear the skirt under this and the skirt acts as a bit of coverage to keep the top layer from being completely scandalous. The skirt is marvellous. It is as light as air and made of alternating squares of a very fine netting with a lace flower woven through the netting. The squares are set on their sides so they become diamonds and the lace diamonds are offset with solid black diamonds made of a fine black silk. The skirt is meant to be worn under the velvet tabard dress so that it just peaks out along the side of the dress that has that extreme slit. This still leaves your leg completely exposed underneath right to the hip so it is very sexy but in an insanely subtle and refined manner. The skirt is very light in a weight and very beautiful. I love that they did the same amount of work on it all the way around for the entire skirt even though you only see that bit down one leg when the pieces are worn together. These are the types of extravagances that you find and fall in love with in true couture. It is stunning on the body. Excellent condition 

The tabard over dress is fully lined in a black silk and the skirt is unlined. Both pieces close with side zippers and the skirt has hook & eye at the waist band. All the interior work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Sourced from the original couture client 

Tabard
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of shoulder to seam under waist
Skirt: 44.5" from waist to hem
Slit: 37" from hem up

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 43" from waist to hem
Slit: 17.5" from hem up 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3584

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 is held in the permanent archives of The Metropolitan Museum. It would not surprise me to find out that these were the only two samples of this dress in existence. True Haute Couture pieces were never produced in any significant quantities. The dress is as wearable now as it was when first made and feels very modern. It is entirely finished by hand and is from the time period when the house was run by Hubert de Givenchy himself. This is a wonderful and well documented piece showcasing Givenchy's work during this time period. I have included the dress that the MET has in the final shot here for your reference

The dress is made of a deep blue grey silk crepe. It is cut with a strong nod to the classic Grecian silhouette that leaves one shoulder exposed and bare. The construction details throughout the dress are exquisite. The bodice has been gathered by hand to create a series of soft pleats that run from the shoulder to the waist. These are set on a curving angle to follow the cut of the neckline as it works it way up towards the shoulder. The draping and soft pleat technique adds a beautiful detailing to the bodice of the dress. The waist is defined by a slim gold leather cord that wraps and ties to add shape. The skirt falls below this to the floor gently widening out a touch as it nears the hem. A second panel of fabric is draped over the skirt and set so that it angles softly down one side mirroring the angle of the shoulder. Slipping over this is a short cape that is made from the same fabric. It is cut on an angle to point down the front and the back and gives the dress a beautiful flowing feel. The colour is richer and deeper in person and on an actual body the entire dress really comes to life. Excellent condition with a few small notes below to review.

The dress is fully lined in a hand set blue silk of very high quality. There is a wide waist stay that hooks at the inner waist. It closes with a hand set, side painted metal zipper and from the waist down there are hidden set snaps that close the fabric of the skirt over the zipper. The bodice is lightly boned and there are small bust pads that are handset inside the bodice. The cape is unlined and slips over the head to wear. There are some light snags in the fabric here and there and some small areas pf darkening on the skirt overlay - the snags are most noticeably on the back of the skirt near the bottom - these are seen most when it is laid out flat but once on the color and placement make all of them negligible. Please see the two images after the label shots. All the interior work is done by hand to Haute Couture standards. Proper Couture tags on both pieces. Haute Couture tape label #55417

Dress
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder strap to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Cape
39" from neck to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2767

Reference Photo: (1) 1975 Givenchy Evening Dress from The MET Collection.  /  (2-3) 1975 Givenchy Haute Couture. Photo by Sammy Georges.

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 New York times said of this collection at the time; 'Yves Saint Laurent did it. With sophistication and authority in his collection for spring and summer, he gave validity to couture, the high end of the fashion industry. There was no desperate groping: this is the way the most expensive clothes in the world should look, he seemed to say. As the showings sailed into their final days, he re-established himself today as the king of couture." after their review of the day and suit looks they continued to say; "Preliminaries over, he was ready for evening dresses, the serious business of couture. His unerring eye for color came to the fore....One-color dresses were also effective, in fuchsia, bright blue or rose. Rarely did he resort to embroideries...His effect was achieved through line and cut." The review ended with this lovely sentiment; 'Saint Laurent knew his show was a success. "The couture lives," he whispered backstage after it was over. His mother, Lucienne Saint Laurent, told him he had never done better. He seemed to agree. It is rare for a designer to reinvent himself at the age of 56, the way Saint Laurent had just done. The show recalled his glory days in the 1970's, when he set the guidelines for couture and the rest of fashion. He has now done that for the spring of 1993." 

This particular style dress has incredible provenance. On the runway this dress was shown in a darker, more subdued blue and I have those runway shots here. The twin of the runway dress is held in the Met Museums' collection in both a red and the darker blue. The blue one in their collection was donated by Annette de la Renta and the red belonged to style icon Nan Kempner. There was another darker one produced for Catherine Deneuve who wore it to accept the Cesar award for Indochine. Such an incredible amount of history tied to the dress and it is exciting to have such a full and varied picture of who else ordered and loved the dress.

My client had the dress made in one of the brighter blues that was used elsewhere in the collection that year and I love it in this brighter bolder color. The dress is cut to leave one shoulder completely bare. Both sides have long slim sleeve and there is a panel of the same silk gathered along the top of the shoulder that then swoops down over the bodice and the back. That draped panel is very full and I love how it drapes over the sleeve on that side. The inner details here show is the genius of couture. The zipper on that side is set so that is softly curves under the arm and runs down the top of the inner sleeve. That way the person wearing the dress does not have an uncomfortable zipper pull right under their arm. It also keeps the sleeve perfectly in place despite the absence of a shoulder. The waist is seamed and detail by a matching, hand dyed silk satin slim belt. The skirt falls the the floor under that, gently widening out as it nears the hem. The side opposite to the bare shoulder has a very high slit so that you get a flash of leg as you walk. It is stunning and in person the colour is a touch richer and deeper then how it photoed. The silk also has a slight texture to it that adds detailing in person that the camera does not quite convey. This is a wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was in evening wear and an important piece fromm a collection hailed as a triumph. Excellent overall condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a fine blue silk. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques and closes with a hidden set side zipper under the arm that curves up and into the sleeve as described above. Inner waist stay hooks to close. The fabric is cut on the bias so there is some give. There is a slight fading along the top of the shoulder and down that same sleeve. Please see the two photos after the reference shot. It is light and because of the placement once on it is barely seen. The hem has been let down at some point. The belt is original to the dress and is in excellent condition 

Sleeves: 27"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 18.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3582

Reference Photos: (1-2) S/S 1993 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway.  /  (3-4) S/S 1993 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Dresses from The MET Online Collection.  /  (5-6) Nan Kempner in Yves Saint Laurent, May 1993.  /  (7-8) Catherine Deneuve receives the César of the best actress 1993 for her interpretation in the film of Régis Wargnier "Indochine", March 08, 1993.  /  (9) Maxime, Loulou & Lucie de la Falaise in Yves Saint Laurent.

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