Givenchy by Alexander McQueen black ruffled fishtail evening dress, ss 1999
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 34 - UK 6 - US 2 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140210884652
Alexander McQueen
British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.
The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.
McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.
“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.
It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.
Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.
Givenchy
Venerated French designer Hubert de Givenchy (1927–2018) made a splash with his first collection of mix-and-match separates in 1952, which launched his namesake fashion house, the clean lines and refined silhouettes of the pieces offering a contrast to the more structured shapes then dominating postwar women’s fashion. His roster of clients would eventually include Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, all of whom were drawn to the designer’s architecturally and materially simple dresses, handbags, shoes and other pieces that combined sensual femininity with elegance.
At the age of 17, Givenchy left his hometown of Beauvais, France, for Paris. There he studied drawing at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and apprenticed for the houses of Jacques Fath, Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli.
Givenchy earned his first high praise for the 1952 Bettina blouse, an embroidered, ruffle-sleeve linen shirt named for his publicist and model Bettina Graziani. The Givenchy label soon developed a following of fashion icons around the world, most notably Audrey Hepburn, who would serve as Givenchy’s muse for decades after they met in 1953. The couturier created pieces for many of her films, such as the iconic little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), as well as her personal life, including her wedding dress for her 1969 marriage to Andrea Dotti.
Givenchy formed a close friendship with his idol and mentor, Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, with whom he’d popularize such pieces as the sack dress, choosing looser forms over tailored ones. Throughout the decades, Givenchy expanded his empire to include fragrances, menswear, accessories and beauty lines.
In 1988, his house was acquired by luxury conglomerate LVMH. After Givenchy retired from fashion in 1995, he became an antiques expert, working with Christie’s and the Louvre, among other institutions. The brand then saw an impressive succession of head designers and artistic directors: John Galliano was the first to arrive, followed by Alexander McQueen, Julien Macdonald, Riccardo Tisci, Clare Waight Keller and Matthew M. Williams.
Today, the Givenchy brand, with its timeless fashions, continues to be a favorite of A-listers, including Cate Blanchett, Erykah Badu, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.
On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage Givenchy evening dresses, handbags, necklaces and other clothing and accessories today.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit bodycon dress and cardigan set, fw 1993By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit dress and cardigan 2 piece set ▪ Sleeveless bodycon maxi dress with lining ▪ Long-sleeve full-length cardigan ▪ Gold Medusa buttons ▪ Can be wo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood bronze stretch-velvet and gold foil printed dress, fw 1990By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood bronze stretch-velvet evening dress ▪ Gold foil neoclassical print inspired by Andre-Charles Boulle ▪ Concealed zipper at center-back ▪ Size Medium ▪ Fall-Winter...Category
1990s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana black priest coat and feathered velvet hat ensemble, fw 1997By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana black full length priest coat with button fastenings from collar to hem. Velvet fedora hat with pleated silk band and feathered motif. Fall-Winter 1997Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Valentino black beaded lace and ostrich feather evening top and skirt, fw 2001By ValentinoLocated in London, GB▪ Valentino evening top and skirt set ▪ Black beaded French lace ▪ Ostrich feather trim ▪ Spaghetti strap top ▪ Matching mid-length skirt ▪ US...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture embellished brown wool pant suit, fw 2001By Jean-Louis ScherrerLocated in London, GB▪ Jean-Louis Scherrer brown wool trouser suit ▪ Designed by Stephane Rolland ▪ Double-breasted blazer jacket ▪ Heavily beaded right shoulder ▪ Asymm...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace black silk evening wrap dress with lace underlay, fw 2000By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace black silk evening wrap dress ▪ Lace underlay ▪ Open back ▪ Beaded belt fastening ▪ Boat neck ▪ Pleated detail at waist ▪ Draped detail at back fastening ▪ IT 3...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2003 Corset Bustier Bra Bodycon Hook and Eye Black DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Naples, FLDolce & Gabbana Corset Bustier Bra Bodycon Hook and Eye Black Dress IT 38Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana Vintage Special Edition Bodycon Corset Black Mini DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Naples, FLDolce & Gabbana Vintage Special Edition Bodycon Corset Black Mini Dress IT 42 Dolce & Gabbana bodycon corset structured mini dress featuring lac...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mini Dress
- Gianfranco Ferre Favorite Avant Garde Beaded Blue Evening Dress NEWBy Gianfranco FerréLocated in Los Angeles, CAGianfranco Ferre's highly architectural avant garde creation, designed with an art deco influence, is truly unique and imaginative in an amazing innovative and structurally breathtak...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses
- Deadstock Bill Blass Fall 2008 Platinum Jacquard Evening Bustier Dress w TagBy Peter Som, Bill BlassLocated in Portland, ORThis is a Bill Blass beautiful deadstock platinum multi wood bustier evening dress from Peter Som's Fall/Winter 2008 debut collection for Bill Blass. The overall effect of the fabric...Category
Early 2000s American Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 2002 Gucci by Tom Ford Knit Hook Closure Runway Black Knit Dress SetBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a slinky hook and eye closure accented sweater dress set designed by Tom Ford for Gucci's Spring/Summer 2002 collection. This set debuted as look number 23 on Erin Wasson on the Spring/Summer 2002 runway and was seen on Debra Messing at the 2002 Screen Actor's Guild Awards and in the March 2002 issue of L'Uomo Vogue...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Mid-Late 1990s Gianni Versace Couture Black Dropped Hem Bias-Cut Wiggle Gown LBDBy Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a vintage midi Gianni Versace dress, designed by Gianni Versace. This is the little black dress your wardrobe is missing. Simple and classy, th...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.
The Best Ways to Dress for Your Astrological Sign
Makeup and astrology expert Linda Mason dispenses fashion advice for every zodiac sign. Does your wardrobe match your horoscope?