Ella Singh for Escada Limited Edition dress
By Escada, Ella Singh
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Ella Singh for Escada Limited Edition dress Ella Singh was famous in Germany in the late 1980s early 1990s as designer for luxury label Escada.
Ella Singh for Escada Limited Edition Hand Beaded Cocktail Dress NWT Size 10
By Ella Singh, Escada
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This very limited edition dress was done for Escada by the extremely talented, Ella Singh. She deigned and had made a collection of intricately beaded dresses for Escada, Germany.
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Size: 10
1990s Bob Mackie Size 10 Black Crepe Sexy 90s Vintage High Slit Evening Gown
By Bob Mackie
Located in San Diego, CA
Sexy, yet sophisticated 1990s BOB MACKIE black crepe bodycon evening dress! Features an elegant sweetheart neckline, with satin trim. Figure flattering silhouette that hugs the body ...
S/S 2003 Roberto Cavalli Red Chinoiserie Print Silk Slip Dress
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a beautiful red chinoiserie print Roberto Cavalli dress. From the Spring/Summer 2003 collection, a similar dress in the same pattern debuted in the finale of the runway pr...
Oscar de la Renta Red and Black Tribal Print Dress with Ruffle Bottom
By Oscar De La Renta
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oscar de la Renta red, black and ivory tribal ikat batik print sleeveless pencil dress with flared bottom. A thin stiff mesh ring at skirt bottom and light boning at side bust and c...
UNWORN Christian Dior by John Galliano Hourglass Silk Evening Gown Maxi Dress 42
By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian Dior
Located in Switzerland, CH
An extremely luxurious and CHRISTIAN DIOR signature piece that will last you for years Gorgeous, couture-like piece hand-crafted by the seamstresses in Christian Dior's atelier in Pa...
1996Jean Paul Gaultier Velvet Gown with Large Fabric Beads
By Jean Paul Gaultier
Located in Austin, TX
1996 Jean Paul Gaultier maroon velvet evening gown with long straps and extra large fabric covered beads - 6 1/2" L x 1 1/4" W. 29" bust, 32" waist, 32.5" hips, 59" length. Co...
$1,265Sale Price|24% Off
Size: Medium
Sensational 1950s Demi Couture Crimson Red Crushed Velvet Vintage Mermaid Gown
Located in San Diego, CA
Sensational 50s demi couture crimson red crushed velvet full length mermaid evening dress! Features luxurious crushed silk velvet, with a form fitting bodice and skirt. Dramatic flar...
Beautiful Rare Thierry Mugler Devoré Silk Velvet Dress Black
By Thierry Mugler
Located in Berlin, BE
Manfred Thierry Mugler distilled the drama of midnight velvet and the intrigue of bare skin into this impossibly rare devoré cocktail dress: a piece that feels less like clothing and...
Vintage 1950s Emilio Pucci Cotton Dress
By Emilio Pucci
Located in London, GB
A fun vintage sun dress by Emilio Pucci . In a cotton print with self fabric belt., the dress has internal hooks so a shoulder strap or halter neck strap could be added. It has a s...
Valentino 98 Vintage black embellished tassel backless sequin maxi dress gown
By Valentino
Located in Milano, Lombardia
LOVE LALI Vintage An incredibly rare black embellished gown from Valentino Spring/Summer 1998 Beautiful fine silk crepe that is cut on the bias, means that the dress drapes and moul...
CHRISTIAN DIOR Galliano Vintage 2009 pink oriental floral jacquard dress FR36 S
By John Galliano, Christian Dior
Located in Hong Kong, NT
CHRISTIAN DIOR Galliano Vintage 2009 pink oriental floral jacquard dress FR36 S Reference: TGAS/D00244 Brand: Dior Designer: John Galliano Collection: 2009 Material: Wool, Silk Color...
Rare Chanel Vintage S/S 1989 Grecian Goddess Ivory Gold Pleated Gown
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Chanel
Located in Jersey City, NJ
An ethereal and rare Chanel creation from the Spring/Summer 1989 collection, designed under Karl Lagerfeld’s direction. This gown embodies timeless elegance, drawing inspiration from...
$38,141
Size: approx. FR36 - UK8 - US4
Azzedine Alaia Gold Lamé Couture Gown with Sequin Mosaic Detail, FW 1990
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in London, GB
This rare, likely one-of-a-kind Azzedine Alaïa couture dress from the Fall-Winter 1990 collection is crafted from metallic gold lamé with a mosaic-like sequin overlay, creating a str...
Christian Dior Gianfranco Ferre Autumn Sequin Gown Fall/Winter 1990's Size 44FR
By Gianfranco Ferré for Christian Dior
Located in Saint Petersburg, FL
Christian Dior Gianfranco Ferre Autumn Sequin Evening Gown Fall/Winter 1990's Size 44FR
S/S 1995 Ralph Lauren Runway Off-White Floral Crepe Silk Flare Mini Dress
By Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren
Located in West Hollywood, CA
From Ralph Lauren’s Spring/Summer 1995 collection, this off-white crepe silk mini dress features a vibrant floral print in shades of pink, red, and yellow. The silhouette is defined ...
2014 Gucci Silk Printed Tunic Style Dress
By Gucci
Located in Toronto, Ontario
2014 Gucci silk printed tunic style dress from the Frida Giannini era. Beautiful multicoloured fabric with prominent areas of oranges, yellows, purples and turquoise. In excellent vi...
MARCHESA Red Floral Lace Off-The-Shoulder Gown US 2
By Marchesa
Located in Brossard, QC
This exquisite gown is topped with a diaphanous floral appliqué across an off-the-shoulder neckline, mirroring the florals in its lace overlay. It has a subtle drape at the hip and a...
With entire museum exhibitions dedicated to examining fashion designers and their creations, we’re finally recognizing that costuming is art. Evening dresses over time have conveyed specific statements about social class, position and beliefs. Fashion is a powerful means of self-expression, and sophisticated vintage evening dresses and gowns by our favorite couturier play no small role in making us feel wonderful but, perhaps more importantly, making us feel like ourselves.
In the 16th century, dresses and gowns were so important that England's Queen Elizabeth I defined rules about what dresses women could wear — guidance included long skirts and fitted bodices. Forward-thinking designers have responded to this history.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel reimagined traditionally masculine garments for feminine shapes, and her elegant evening dresses and gowns promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by layers of fabric. Christian Dior's gowns celebrated luxury and femininity in the late 1940s — and gave to women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of the war. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent introduced innovative and highly coveted dress designs in the 1960s while at the same time challenging sexist stereotypes about which members of society could wear tuxedos.
Works by unconventional British designer John Galliano — featured in houses like Givenchy and Dior — redefined limits that dressmakers faced in terms of material, construction and vision during the late 20th century. From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless Dior newspaper dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably collectible and newsworthy
Today’s designers target an increasingly broad audience with their boundary-crossing work, and their tendency to play off of each other’s ideas means that every walk down the runway is also a walk through an entire history of fashion design and dress craftsmanship.
Whether you gravitate toward backless maxi dresses or silk charmeuse gowns by Alexander McQueen or embellished, ruffled floral-print designs by Chloe or Versace, there is an extraordinary collection of vintage and designer evening dresses and gowns waiting for you on 1stDibs.