1950's Mr. Blackwell Black & White Velvet Trained Evening Gown

The vibrant rainbow-stripe used on this ivory silk rayon 1930's "Cartwright" designer dress ensemble has a whimsical allure that I find irresistible. The sleeveless bodice has a flir...

Gorgeous graphic green print dress, dating back to the early 1970's, by the famous Jean Varon label. John Bates started the Jean Varon label in 196...

Andre Courreges launched his Space-Age collection in 1964. The shapes of his clothes were geometric: squares, trapezoids, triangles. The main features of his ultra-modern, uncluttere...

Gorgeous Halston Couture metallic lurex knit dress ensemble dating back to the mid 1970's. Throughout most of the seventies he epitomized the glamour, as well as the decadence of the...

Jean Desses couture garments are rare, unique and highly collectible. This exquisite ensemble dates back to when Jean Desses closed his couture house at 17, Avenue Matignon and conti...

This gorgeous House of Worth haute couture cocktail ensemble, dating back to the early 1950-52 time period, is in a class of its own. The House of Worth was an elite French...

With the original hand-sewn off-white unbranded rectangular label of Paris-based Maison Martin Margiela, this asymmetrical plunging v-neck black jersey pullover gown was designed in 1994 by Belgium fashion-designer-cum-artist Martin Margiela. In his early deconstruction style, it partly appears to be a ruched halter dress that is positioned on a bias to add curves to shape the waist, while its open overlapping wrap skirt enables ample draping on one side that conceals a high slit from the waist down. Recalling the construction found in two of Martin Margiela's seminal collections--both the upcycled-split 1950s ballgowns of Spring/Summer 1991 and the draped "Stockman" garments of Spring/Summer 1997--this stretch-viscose dress is likewise a bodice with a split skirt, while its 3/4-length sleeves can recall Margiela's famous "shouldered arm bands" if worn with protruding breasts fully exposed. The top has a wide deep gapping chest or back, along with the option to position the looped "halter" cord that hangs from the torso in one of several ways by pulling over the head. For example, if the dress is worn "backwards" with the brand label resting on the upper chest, the cord from the ruching that is positioned in back can be pulled overhead and under the arms, which can secure the front shoulders of the top by pulling the loop overhead again in the other direction to rest on the back of the neck--like the Martin Margiela Spring/Summer 1997 "Stockman evening dress" in the museum collection of TheMet (see our pic of its smaller open-front black halter and half skirt with the neck strap worn this way.) No doubt the buyer will try more creative ways, too! You may be inspired by our other listing for arguably one of Martin Margiela's best Artisanal Line 0 pieces--a couture body harness--that, like his fashion manifesto, enables endless repurposing of button-down tops to create a plunging v-neckline with a distinct rolled collar. The Italian-size 42 dress...

While at Balenciaga in late 2007, Nicolas Ghesquiere designed this 100%-silk bias-cut paneled dress that explodes with a grey and pale-yellow flower print and features unique technic...

▪ Chanel red cashmere wool knee-length dress ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Faux 'fantasy' fur skirt and sleeves ▪ Funnel neck backed with brown lambskin leather ▪ Two front pockets...

Saint Laurent F/W 2018 Black Dress by Anthony Vaccarello features a lavallière tie-neck collar detail. . Cut out along the chest neck . Rushed skirt . invisible zip closure . Pointe...

Monique Lhuillier's sleeveless tulle gown is designed with flutter straps, a sweetheart neckline and glitter throughout. Tailored to a maxi length, its ruched fitted bodice is comple...

▪ Rare Christian Dior yellow graffiti-printed silk evening dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Smocked chiffon overlay ▪ Frayed edges ▪ Red cotton r...