McQueen's Fall 2006's collection was called The Widows of Culloden and it was dedicated to his muse and friend Isabella Blow. The Alexander McQueen site says of this collection: "The inspiration here is highly personal – the designer’s own heritage – which goes at least some way towards explaining the exquisite hand-craftsmanship that goes into each piece as well, of course, as bird head-dresses and McQueen tartan. The collection is luxurious and romantic but melancholic and even austere at the same time. The silhouette – all nipped waists, bustles and exaggerated hip lines – is designed to exaggerate a woman’s form and each piece is unique, a one-off couture creation with emotional content intended to be handed down from generation to generation like the most precious of heirlooms." This was also the show where Kate Moss made the famous glass box closing look. Vogue described that feat by saying; "Only Alexander McQueen could provide the astonishing feat of techno-magic that ended his show. Inside an empty glass pyramid, a mysterious puff of white smoke appeared from nowhere and spun in midair, slowly resolving itself into the moving, twisting shape of a woman enveloped in the billowing folds of a white dress. It was Kate Moss, her blonde hair and pale arms trailing in a dream-like apparition of fragility and beauty that danced for a few seconds, then shrank and dematerialized into the ether." They went on to talk about the collection saying; "The quality of the performance—and the extraordinary workmanship in the clothes that preceded it—was a timely reconfirmation of McQueen's unique powers as a showman-designer, and a far cry from the more straightforward presentations he¿s given the last few seasons. For this collection, he delved into his past, revisiting his Scottish family roots and refining the contents of the rampaging tartan "Highland Rape" show with which he began his career in London in the early nineties. Shorn of its original rawness and anger, the result was a poetic and technically accomplished tale that involved romantic images of Scottish fantasy heroines wandering glens and castle halls in vaguely Victorian tartan crinolines, bird-wing or antler-and-lace headdresses, feathered gowns, and pieces made from brocades that might have been dragged down from ancient wall-hangings." I have also included a shot from one of the McQueen book pages that tells more on the show. This was one of his most extraordinary shows and this dress is the twin of Look 32 worn by Freja in that show. It is fabulous. 

This is an incredibly rare piece of McQueen history and may even make a dress for a bride looking to go the non-traditional route or as part of a wedding weekend. And of course it is something that any McQueen collector would be thrilled to own.

I love this dress. It is basically an elaborate silk net tulle piece that sits over an inner ivory silk chiffon lining. Over that he has added embroidered lace panels in black that have all been placed by hand. The dress is incredibly full and voluminous. The bodice is meant to skim over you and the neckline of the tulle overlay is set scooped under the neck. There is a scooped bodice built in underneath that has been stiffened for shaping. Having the net extend up and to the shoulder allowed him to also place the embroidery up and over the shoulder, giving the illusion that it is somehow suspended over you from a distance. The trailing panels of black embroidered flowers contrast beautifully over the deep ivory netting underneath. The waist is seamed and set just above the natural waist line. The embroidery trails past the seam to soften the line. The waist is cut on the more wide and generous side which helps to create the shape he wanted the dress to have. The skirt has yards and yards of tulle with two more layers under the top layer and over the inner silk lining. The embroidery work is even more spectacular around the skirt going all the way around you. I love how it becomes very dense and heavy by the hem and then it trails upwards towards the bodice. It is incredibly beautiful and the pictures do not convey how magical it is in person. It feels like wearing a magical cloud of tulle. Alexander McQueen was incredibly gifted and this dress really shows the extent of his talent. It was one of my favourite dresses at the show. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in an ivory silk chiffon and closes at the back with a button at the back of the neck and a hidden side zipper under the waist line. I see a couple small breaks in the netting and it looks like there are some minor repairs done near the waist seam. I have photo them all and I've been very picky because it presents as perfect once on. It's beautiful.

Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 43" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4851

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Fall 2006 Alexander McQueen, Look 32. Model Freja Beha Erichsen.  /  (4) From the book "Alexander McQueen" by Abrams and edited by Claire Wilcox.

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.

Christian Lacroix launched his Haute Couture house in 1987 and instantly caused a sensation around the world. A ready-to-wear line soon followed along with perfumes and menswear. His collections are always exotic, lavish affairs and his designs seemed to span the decades with their eccentric glamour pulled from multiple sources of inspiration. This dress is from the Spring 2001 collection and Vogue raved that "It's a very good moment for Christian Lacroix, now that graphic colors, feminine dressing and '80s references are a constant on the catwalks. The designer seized the moment and delivered one of his strongest, most consistent collections in seasons.Lacroix played up his masterful use of color with sexy patchwork strapless numbers and "painting-print" dresses with beaded insets, dangling chains and straps, and embroidered patches. Punky layered chiffons and muslins, ruffled, feathered and pleated, proved that Lacroix can move way beyond his signature pouf." A slight variation on this dress was shown for Look 46 in the show. I think this one is even better.

This Lacroix is magica;. A painted deep pink silk chiffon sits under a more open weave black lace netting and the effect that this creates is fantastic. The inner pink chiffon feels like it has been hand-painted and there is a beautiful abstract flower design running over its surface. One side of the bodice has a wider shoulder that curves up and then ties into place at the top of the shoulder. The other side is a thinner strap and the entire bodice is set on a deep angle at the front and again at the back. All of the seaming on this dress is set on angles and curves so that it feels very reminiscent of the old Hollywood days of the 20s and 30s. An angled panel runs across the waist and down to one hip and then the skirt is set into that coming up on an angle on one side. The skirt is phenomenal. There are yards in yards of silk and lace netting that cascade down and over the body fantastically. One side has a high slit so when you walk you have tons of leg showing. Ruffles cascade across all of the the angled seams that make up the skirt and this adds tremendous movement as you love. The skirt is cut longer at the back to trail out and around you and this combined with the lightness of the silk lets it billow out around you. It is an absolutely astonishingly beautiful piece and feels like a work of art. Phenomenal. Excellent condition.

There is a black silk chiffon through the bodice and a partial inner black silk chiffon inner skirt. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. There may be the occasional break in the lace but nothing I can see that is outstanding to note. Tagged a vintage Lacroix 38. It is all cut on the bias so there is a bit of give and I have measured the comfortable range when laying flat.

Bust: 16-18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to inner pink hem and the lace extends past that. 75" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4846

Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2001 Christian Lacroix, Look 46. Model Malgosia Bela.

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

This is a gorgeous Fall 2005 John Galliano that has the added modern provenance of being the exact dress that Brie Larson wore to the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival in June of this year. It is a dress that was made for the shops but you can see its runway influence in the floral piece shown on the runway that season for Look 47. It is a dream dress and I love that we have now added to its history. 

This dress is absolutely dreamy. It is meant to skim over the body and it has that beautiful movement that Galliano is so well known for. It is made out of a combination of black netting for the upper bodice and then a bias cut black silk chiffon that it has texture in it for added interest. The netting covers the upper bodice and then curves over the shoulder to also cover your upper back. Attached to that is the long silk chiffon bodice that runs from the net to a dropped waist at about the hip level. The silk  is cut on the bias and you can see that the slight pattern in the chiffon is all set on an angle. Where this meets the skirt the seam is set on a curving angle that is reminiscent of Old Hollywood dresses from the twenties and thirties. The skirt is made of two tiers and each tier has lace edging with ruffles of the chiffon. Some also have added ruffles made of the black netting. I love how this ties all the elements of the dress together. The skirt has an amazing amount of fabric in it and it is light as a feather over the inner silk skirt. The smallest bit of air will catch the skirt and let it billow out around you as you move.  The final perfect touch are the embellishments that are applied by hand onto the bodice. Black and white flowers made of silk chiffon petals have been secured onto the silk with bursts of tiny little silver sequins. All of the edges on the flowers and the ruffles have been left raw in that beautiful way that Galliano loved to do. When this is on and you are walking the movement it creates is absolutely gorgeous. This is John at his best and it is a tremendously beautiful dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk. It slips over the head with no closures. Comes with its original Galliano hang tag and was only worn once briefly by Brie and then cleaned. There are a couple of tiny black sequins near the edge of the neckline on the dress and we have left them to not risk causing a hole in the netting. We believe it’s intentional. The flowers have been hand applied. The silk is cut on the bias, so we put the comfortable range of measurements when the dress is laying flat below.

Bust: 13-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4842

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Fall 2005 John Galliano, Look 47. Model Caroline Trentini.  /  (3-7) Brie Larson in this dress at the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, June 2024.

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 Fall 2007 bridal look from Oscar de la Renta has runway roots. The dress in a more beige taupe was Look 68 on the runway for the Spring of 2006 and then a version in this ivory was included as part of the Fall 2007 bridal presentation. I love that he loved this dress so much that he repeated it. This dress was a stand out and has an beautiful romantic feel to it. My client wore the dress on its own but if you love the look of the runway you could easily add a little cropped cardigan to get that same feel.

This Oscar de la Renta dress is stunning. It would obviously make an amazing wedding piece for the bride but I think it is also a dress that could cross over and be worn to other events. The dress is made from an off white silk organza that has a swirling design applied onto the fabric by hand. The design that is set onto the dress are little curving panels of silk ribbon that have been gathered and placed onto the silk. You can clearly see the hand work from the back and I have shot a photo of that for you to see. These ribbon embellishments run around the top of the bodice, past the waist and then are placed over the entire skirt. The silk used for the dress is ultra light in weight and it is backed by a single layer of silk chiffon through the skirt. This gives the dress this feeling of lightness and airiness that is very beautiful. It feels almost weightless once on the body. The silk is just heavy enough to hold the shape and structure of the dress. It has a full built in boned corset inside the bodice so you don't have to worry about additional underpinnings. The skirt is very full and for most of these photos we added a light crinoline to the dress to show you that. Without an added underskirt it still has enough shape that it falls on its own perfectly and the last two full length shots are of the dress with no added underskirt for you to see. The bust is strapless and fitted across the bodice. It is cut to follow your curves and there are cups inside to lift the breasts. It tightly hugs the bodice and then nips in at the waist. The skirt flows directly out from the waist and is cut to have volume all the way around you. Every angle is drama and gorgeousness. It is cut slightly longer at the back so that it flows out behind you just a touch. I love the bareness of the shoulders that the strapless silhouette gives you. It is the perfect balance to the fuller skirt. It is a very stunning gown and is a beautiful example of Oscar's work. Excellent condition

There is a full built in corset that closes with its own zipper and then the dress closes over that with a hidden set zipper. The skirt is lined in an ivory silk organza. The crinoline that is in some of the photos is not included. I see one tiny area near the hem where the fabric has a slight change in texture. Please see the photo after the label shot. Tagged an ODLR 8 

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 9.75" from top of bodice to waist
Total length: 51" from top of bodice to front hem, 54" to back hem. 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4839

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Fall 2007 Oscar de la Renta Bridal.  /  (3-5) Spring 2006 Oscar de la Renta, Look 68. Model Lily Donaldson.

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.

Anna Molinari and husband Gianpaolo Tarabini launched the Blumarine label in 1977 out of Capri and had their first catwalk show in 1980. By the 1990s they had opened their first stand alone shop. This is from the 2000s Sposa wedding collection and it is ja really gorgeous dress.

This dress is so pretty and romantic feeling. The design is quite unusual. The body of the dress has a V at the front and the back but then set inside and attached is a little chiffon under piece. It gives the dress the feel that you have layered it over a little semi -transparent chiffon bodice. It peaks out at the V at the front and again at the back. Then you have long sleeves that are made out of a single layer of the chiffon. These sit under the body of the dress and are set off the shoulders. They have cut outs at the top of each shoulder for a little bare skin there and then each one ends with a ruffle at the cuffs. The body of the dress skims over you from the bodice to the hips with a touch of shape near the waist area. It falls to the floor from there and gradually widens out as it hears the hem. The back is cut longer than the front so that it trails out behind you a bit and gives you that beautiful sweeping skirt. The main body of the dress has two feather light layers of chiffon covering an inner layer. This makes the entire dress feels light, airy and romantic. A pretty bow sits just under the bust and the edges have lace and ribbon detailing for the final perfect touches. It is absolutely gorgeous. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a silky feeling ivory rayon and closes at the back with a zipper. Each cuff has a hidden set snap to bring it in. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a 46

Sleeves: 21" from where they open at the shoulder so they hang longer once on
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approx 11" from top of shoulder to the seam under the bust
Total length: 57" from waist to front hem and extends another 17" beyond that at the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3848

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.