Each piece that John Anthony made was on a made-to-order basis, which means that each piece is the only one that exists, or in the very occasional circumstance that there are similar pieces made, only a very limited amount of pieces were done. All of the pieces I currently have in the shop come directly from John's archive. 

He is one of the great American couturiers and he was known for his sharp tailoring and striking evening wear. He launched his atelier in 1971 and he quickly rose to fame, winning a Coty award in 1972 and then again in 1976. This is the original sample of this piece from his archives. We found a series of photos of pieces with the same bead work so you can get an idea of how beautiful they are on the body.

The dress is made out of a feather light deep brown silk chiffon. Glass tube beads are set in vertical rows over both pieces and all of the beads have been applied by hand in perfect little rows onto the silk. I love how they catch the light from every angle. Both pieces have a simple and easy cut so that they are easy to wear and are very flattering on the body. The neckline is scooped and closes with a hook and eye at the back of the neck above a keyhole. The sleeves have the same bead detailing and then they fall in a straight cut to the wrist for a touch of fullness. The bodice is cut to skim loosely over you to the waist. The waist is finished with elastic which lets the silk pouf under a touch. The skirt has a banded waist and falls to the floor under that. It flares out a touch as it nears the hem. It has a high slit on one side for a flash of leg to show. They are gorgeous when worn together. The work has all been done by hand and the workmanship is fantastic. They fall like a dream once on the body. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a second layer of nude silk chiffon. The top closes with a hook and eye above a keyhole at the back of the neck and has elastic at the bottom seam. The skirt closes with hook and eye at the waist and a zipper under that. A tiny area of missing beads here and there but nothing major. Please see the photo after the label shot. The sample tag is stitched inside the cuff of one sleeve.

Top
Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom seam: 14-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 45" from waist to hem
Slit: 27" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4571

Reference Photos: Fall 1981 John Anthony Ready to Wear Advance Preview.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This remarkable dress is the twin of the one that walked the runway for the Fall 1986 Rive Gauche collection by Yves Saint Laurent. I was so pleased to find a shot of it on because it really shows you just how much it comes to life when worn. He did several variations of this look for that season and this deep brown velvet with its leopard print within the velvet is one of my favourites. I am obsessed with his work and this one is so well known, especially since other designers have copied it (most notably Gucci when they did a green version of this dress). It is a pleasure to have it in the shop.You can see that they belted it on the runway and you could certainly add a belt to add more shape to this one as well.

This gorgeous dress is made out of a brown silk velvet with a leopard print done in a different finish of velvet within the fabric. This pattern gives the velvet an extra depth and richness, and also catches the light as you move. It is stunning. It drapes absolutely beautifully over the body. It is really an outstanding fabric. The bodice is set into a deep V that crosses over itself where it is set into the waist. Without a belt it has a more deeply plunged feel but you could cross it over a bit more and have a sash or belt hold it more closed if you wished. In a classic Yves shape, it drapes loosely over you at the front with a touch of extra fullness. The waist is seamed and cut slightly on the more generous side. The top of each shoulder is gathered and the sleeves start out very wide and then narrow down to a zippered cuff. The skirt falls to the floor in a pretty sweep of fabric. Extra fabric has been gathered down the centre of the front for a little added detail. It makes it so glamorous and it gives the dress a bit of a wonderful 1940s feel too. It is a gorgeous dress and a wonderful piece of his fashion history. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a side set zipper. Each shoulder has very light padding and each cuff has a hidden set zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage YSL 42. 

Sleeves: 23.5"
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" across lowest seam at very top of hips, open under that
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to slightly dropped waist
Total length: 59" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4855

Reference Photo: Fall 1986 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

I had a dress similar to this in the past and I think I love it even more this time around. It is a beautiful example of the genius of Mr. de la Renta's work and his attention to detail. It has a beautiful elegance to it and is quite striking. This sense of refinement is a constant in Oscar's work and I particularly love these earlier examples of that aesthetic. You can see how many of the elements you see in pieces like this were carried forward through his entire body of work.

The dress is made from a sheer brown silk chiffon with a built in under-dress done in a lightweight brown silk chiffon. This makes it wearable, but still gives you the depth of the top layer that has a slight transparency to it. The fabric is beautiful. Depending on which direction the pile of the velvet is in, the colour morphs from a deep charcoal grey to a more taupe grey colour. Stitched in and around the velvet is a deep reddish copper metallic thread that gives the entire dress a subtle glint. The sleeves are incredible. They are unlined and they are incredibly full so that they pouf out above the cuffs. The bodice is cut to skim over you and then is brought in so that it blouses up and over the seam at the waist. The waist has elastic running through it so it is incredibly easy to wear. The skirt falls to the floor from there. The shape is fairly long and slim with just a touch of widening out at the hem for a lean silhouette. At the back there is an open keyhole under the closure there. I love this little unexpected and subtle flash of skin. It is a beautiful example of his work during this time period. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with an inner built in dress made of a nude and black silk chiffon stacked on top of each other. The sleeves are unlined. The inner dress closes at the back with a hand set snaps. The outer fabric snaps and hooks over that. Elastic through the waist and each cuff has elastic. Hand finished throughout. In its original uncut length. It looks to have been worn very little if at all

Sleeves: 26" and they are 26" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Inner bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Elastic waist: 13-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 16" from top of shoulder to waist. The elastic at the waist will let you wear it up or down a bit as needed.
Total length: 64" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4764

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

Louis Feraud opened his first boutique in 1950 in Cannes selling sundresses to the jet set. When Brigitte Bardot was photographed in a white pique and lace number, he became the darling of the fashion world. By 1956 he had moved to Paris and opened a couture atelier and in 1960s made his first official couture presentation. Ready-to-Wear followed in 1970. He won the Golden Thimble in in 1978 and again in 1984. Women like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot were huge fans of the label. This is a wonderful sequin and silk chiffon dress that showcases his depth as a designer. It is just exceptional.

The dress has the bit of a high glamour vibe to it that is fabulous. The sequins make it feel so special and I love the use of the silk chiffon for the upper shoulders and sleeves. The chiffon is set wide across the neckline so you get just a hint of the tops of your inner shoulders showing. It runs down to the bodice on the front and back where the sequins start and it also extends out into those phenomenal sleeves. The body of the dress is made out of a dense application of black sequins, set on top of a chiffon, which gives it a touch of structure but still keeps the dress feather light. It is cut fairly straight over the body so that it just floats beautifully over you once on. A slit on one side that runs up from the hem allows for a bit of leg to show. Outside of the glamour of the sequins it is the sleeves that are the star of this dress. Each sleeve has three tiers of pleated silk chiffon added to it. These start just under the base of the arm and are stacked over each other to the wrist. It gives it a stacked pagoda sleeve feel that is just insanely good. The contrast between all of that detail on the sleeve, the sequins and ease through the body of the dress is the perfect mix. Excellent condition

The body is lined in a satin finish rayon and the upper bodice and sleeves are unlined. It closes with a back zipper that starts at the sequins and there is a button to close behind the neck. Tagged a Feraud 40

Sleeves: 24" and are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 57" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4854

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

Well sourcing the collection for this dress we found an example in 1988 that felt close but I think it is most likely from the Fall of 1991. He showed several of these dresses with jackets over them at the end of that show and this feels more similar to those. You can also see the similarity in the one that we had that was worn by that Olivia Culpo. This feels like it's younger sassier sister. We have included reference photos from both collections here and either way, it is an absolutely fabulous little black dress. It is incredible and very sexy.

The dress is strapless with a pretty bodice that curves up at the front and down slightly at the back. It is boned and shaped to curve around the bust at the front and then hug the body to the waist. The exterior is made of a black silk and it has a little lace ribbon all around the upper edge for a little romantic touch. The skirt is made from two layers of a fine black netting that has a very smooth to the touch feel. The layers give you touch of transparency and you can see this in the 1991 show that this was deliberate. He meant it to be worn over an undergarment and tights that gives you some coverage and just have the transparency that shows your entire leg. If that does not work for you, you could easily add something underneath to lessen the transparency that the skirt has. It zips to close at the back and I love how you can see that the zipper has been hand set. The inner lining is also handset and it is just a beautiful example of how well these little dresses are made from Chanel. Especially in these early years of the Karl era. Excellent condition.

Lined in a handset silk through the bodice and closes with a back, hand set zipper. There are little loops inside the dress that suggests that it had a inner elastic stay through the bodice at one time but that is now gone. I have left them because it would be very easy to add one in if you feel that would make it more secure on you. There is a stay in place around the waist that hooks to close. Tagged a vintage Chanel 38.

Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 10" from top of bodice at the front to waist
Total length: 32.5" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4837

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Spring 1988 Chanel.  /  (2-3) Fall 1991 Chanel, Look 98. Model Emma Sjoberg.  /  (4) Olivia Culpo in Fall 1991 Chanel from Shrimpton Couture.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.