Berkshires - Fashion

Among the Greek-goddess inspired mini dresses that Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) designed for his first French haute-couture Givenchy collection in 19...

British Stella McCartney for her eponymous brand's second collection for Fall/Winter 2002 designed this airy layered silk-chiffon empire-waist cap-sleeve rose-color pullover blouse, ...

John Galliano, while Christian Dior Artistic Director for French haute couture and ready-to-wear, designed for his Fall/Winter 2005 collection this bias-cut, layered, silvery semi-tr...

Golden mink stole of simple, yet novel, design, it sits around the shoulders and gracefully frames the upper chest, neck and face. Constructed of three skins, the longest hugs the ba...

These 1990s Casadei limited edition black patent-leather, calf-leather and ornamental-Chinoiserie metallic-embroidered satin-bound mules with towering five-inch heels are supported by a unique platform with cut-out sides. The pair pays homage to traditional Japanese geta sandals...

While also Gucci Creative Director, for his first collection for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford designed this Spring/Summer 2001 black two-layer peek-a-boo delphos-silhouette draping evening gown. It features a Ford-signature plunging V-neck above ruched center-seams that support side-draped cut-out opaque panels. For discrete see-through effects under the draping, it overlays a fully attached black semi-transparent figure-hugging stretch-silk maxi dress. At this turning point in fashion history, French founder Saint Laurent (1936-2008) planned to retire by early 2002 with his last haute-couture collection--after selling his Parisian business to luxury conglomerates that named American Ford its director. Crystalizing the iconic brand's sex appeal at his first YSL show, Ford debuted in Paris tuxedo-inspired womenswear in mostly black or white, which included this dress that conjures an ancient Greek female sculpture...

Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014) for his Spring/Summer 1982 collection created a number of styles of bold vibrant uniquely handpainted crepe-de-chine caftans that helped define his five...

While John Galliano was artistic director of Chistian Dior haute-couture and ready-to-wear, he designed this hip-accentuating bateaux-neck sleeveless sheath dress with characteristic...

Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022) designed this corset-style hourglass-shaped red velvet evening cocktail dress with its outsized double bow and sheer moire faux-underlay for her Dressed To Scale collection in 1998 with then decade-long protege Andreas Kronthaler. A design from this collection set a Westwood clothing auction record at Christie's London when a corseted silk gown fetched over $41,000. This fresh interpretation of the classic Marilyn-Monroe silhouette was dubbed the "MM Corset Dress" for Westwood's semi-couture Gold Label, while it can still be made to measure as a bespoke dress (see photo of model wearing version as a white wedding gown...

Clearly inspired by early-20th-Century French designer Paul Poiret (see our photo from TheMet museum exhibit of a 1911 ensemble), Stella McCartney designed these one-off balloon pant...

With intricately hand-embroidered pink-tone ombre reflective rose flowers and 20-inch hand-knotted tassel fringe on all sides, this museum-quality antique 85-inch-square ballet-pink ...

As arguably the most versatile garment that former fashion designer Martin Margiela made with his eponymous Paris-based Maison Martin Margiela, this convertible double-faced semi-tra...

Handmade by legendary New York Times fashion-scene photographer and prior mid-century couture milliner Bill J. Cunningham (1929-2016), this rare asymmetrical black supple leather hat...

This vintage amusing enameled silver pendant adjustable-chain unsigned necklace, belt or novel interior decoration features heart-shaped two-inch...

As a variation of the traditional waiter apron that Belgian former fashion designer Martin Margiela reworked with his eponymous Maison Martin Margiela since its first collection for Spring/Summer 1989, this transparent black chiffon rectangular garment, which can be styled as a tied face veil, jabot, wrap skirt or dress, was part of his first retrospective collection in 1994. The iconic corner-stitched textural white cotton brand label is stenciled with seemingly contradictory text, which notes the Fall/Winter 1990 collection in which the original design debuted. Instead of the blank label that had become internationally recognized among progressive fashion buyers during the brand's initial five years, this black print was added in this manner for only one collection during its founder's tenure. This distinct typography identifies the garment as one of his favorites that he reproduced from his first 10 fashion shows. This season-less self-curated retrospective collection without any new designs was unprecedented in the ready-to-wear luxury-fashion industry, which sold only newly-designed clothes typically two to five times annually. In the early 1990s, this old-made-new-again collection was astonishing for a Paris-based high-end brand, for which any lack of fresh designs for Spring had otherwise been attributed to the loss of an artistic director or the outbreak of war. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences of color, material and draping possibilities that distinguish our garment from the 1990 one and from later "replicas", which was the term that Margiela printed on a different kind of label for his second self-curated retrospective of 10 more collections in Spring 1999. Aside from the text-printed brand label with four characteristic hand-sewn corner stitches, the only other element that unified Margiela's first collection of favorites was that all the items were overdyed a darker color so that the clothes were various shades of grey, blue or black depending on the original color of the textile and how much dye the thread/yarn absorbed. More so, the materials of the retrospective garments differed from their debut collections. In a silk-like floaty gossamer fabric suggesting a dress lining, our matte synthetic garment in an extraordinarily fine weave was cut and sewn with hems and topstitched ribbons at two corners on one of the longer sides, which gives the noted women's US-size 6 the most styling possibilities--although it can be worn by virtually anyone in more than one way. The flat stiff woven ribbons may be repurposed tailoring or bias tape. As we have sold multiple Margiela apron...

Versatile c.1980s mink jacket that converts to a vest by removal of the sleeves. The thigh-length jacket features a light fox open collar that extends to the hem and furnishes a nice...

While sleek cloche hats were the rage in Art Deco "flapper" fashion, this fur felt hat was commissioned by Parisian couturier Elsa Schiaparelli and hand-crafted by an Irish milliner ...

Featuring his characteristic "couture a porter" innovative craftsmanship, Ermanno Scervino designed this guipure lace white viscose crochet knit mini dress for a resort collection. S...

Walborg Art Deco inspired evening bag composed of black and gold beads, both reflective bugle beads and mat seed beads, arranged in a geometric pattern of squares and rectangles. Bot...

This Comme des Garcons black flared-hip fitted shirt cum open jacket, which features a unique feminine bustle-like applique hand-stitched into draping bias-cut pleats layered around the inner hem, was designed by Japanese Junya Wantanabe for an early 2000s collection. Significantly, The Met museum made rare purchases of his similar experimental three-dimensional patterning for its Costume Institute after the designer debuted what he described as "techno couture...

For the late British designer's Spring/Summer 1999 fashion show, this Vivienne Westwood runway-look three-piece ensemble of a black corset-sty...

Black cardigan from the 1950s-'60s embellished with black beads and sequins. Sweater composition is lambswool, angora and nylon and has tiny spherical ...

Tom Ford for his Gucci S/S 2001 collection toyed with the mid-century concept of nude sex-appeal embodied by the initial Playboy-bombshell Marilyn Monroe, who inspired that season's designs and ad campaign. With the themes of bare skin and black-seamed sheer stockings, Ford's opening looks on his fashion-show runway featured ecru corset dresses with black transparent or leather overlays and stiletto heels. Our versatile ecru leather tuxedo-influenced sharp-shoulder dinner jacket is from the same award-winning collection. Significantly, 2001 was the year that Tom Ford (b. 1961) won the Council of Fashion Designers of America womenswear award for Designer of the Year, while The Met acquired Ford's signature corset dress for its Costume Institute collection. Purchased at the Gucci boutique on Manhattan's Upper East Side, this "Made In Italy"-labeled jacket is tagged size 40, while suiting a US-size 4 to 6 with the padded shoulder-to-shoulder seam measurement of 15.4 inches and 23.6 inches arm length. The jacket is streamlined by marked and angled peak lapels, sleeve vents with concealed buttons, back symmetrical vent, and single-point closure near the interior seam via a tiny Gucci branded silver-tone metal clasp. Notably, these elements are among the most technically challenging to tailor. Fully lined in ecru silk-blend fabric, the jacket's left interior chest pocket sports button-and-fabric-loop closure and a fully sewn larger black Gucci brand label. For styling inspiration, we added photos of the jacket worn over our not-included black-tulle-covered ecru strapless balconette corset dress, which was the Gucci Spring/Summer 2001 fashion...

Callaghan mid-calf-length dress crafted of purple cotton knit featuring a unique one-shoulder design with a long, fitted torso and a full, heavily gathered skirt that falls from the ...

A lightweight coat from the 1960s composed of a nubby off-white wool and featuring a straight cut with dolman sleeves, a small mink collar, and a single-breasted closure system with ...

Convertible clutch in faux tortoise shell features a textured goldtone clasp and gold chain. The chain folds away to convert to a clutch. Fabric interior with side compartment. Made ...

Designed by Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014) for his Resort 1975 collection, this deeply draping two-layer empire-waist maxi dress gown is hand-painted on white silk in a blue-and-cream...

Small 1960s crocodile handbag from Artbag on Madison Avenue, NY, features an envelope style top with snap closure and double handles that attach belo...

A finely woven shawl in ivory wool bordered with lace. Large square in excellent condition. Beautiful, lightweight hand. Bergdorf Goodman label.

As conceptual art while he transitioned to French luxury house Hermes Creative Director in 1998, Martin Margiela--whose creations today debut mostly in contemporary-art galleries--de...

Stella McCartney debuted for the runway finale of her Fall/Winter 2002 collection this unique ethereal lingerie-like transparent silk georgette blouse as Look 36 among the Vogue cove...

A profusion of multicolored beads and sequins adorns the surface of this eye-catching evening jacket. The mostly pastel beads cover the entire black silk surface in a riotous patter...

With Martin Margiela's original blank white textural cotton corner-sewn label from the early 1990s visible above the structural hole in the center of the circular knit, this openwork yarn top that is clearly a one-of-a-kind Artisanal "Line 0" garment by Maison Martin Margiela is crocheted from a brown soft animal-hair blend into a see-through changeante pattern recalling a collapsed spiderweb. A prominent European dealer sold a Margiela Fall/Winter 1994 similarly knit but longer deconstructed openwork mohair-blend dark grey cape-like "maxi cardigan" that also featured a circular knit hole and spiderweb aesthetic. Its remaining additional tag indicated that it was produced by Margielas' longtime Italian knitter Miss Deanna. Further, we have found similar one-of-a-kind Margiela openwork-knit and unraveled pieces, as well as one with oversized snaps like the fasteners on our top, dating back to his 1992 collection. Suggesting that our listing could have been from an even earlier collection, Antwerp fashion museum MoMu featured a pale deconstructed mohair sweater dating from 1990 that was most likely knit by his mother in its major Martin Margiela 20-year retrospective (see our snapshot), which was an exhibition produced in collaboration with the designer during his final year at the house in 2008. Since our top lacks a Miss Deanna production tag sewn to the blank tag unlike the sold F/W 1994 piece, it may be a vintage top collected earlier by Margiela for reproduction before the new commissioned knit was deconstructed with his Paris-based team. Our knit fastens with pompon-tipped yarn ties, along with two signature silver oversized-snap buttons, which appeared on Margiela tops most noticeably in 1994 for a collection that was inspired by toy doll wardrobes and included human-sized reproductions of actual loose-fitting miniatures. For price comparison beyond the recent record-breaking Margiela auctions in Paris, two other Margiela 1990s...

Luxurious fisher coat by Alixandre, known for high quality furs. Simple styling featuring a notched collar and round, padded shoulders, the vertical skins ...

A unique double coat, the main piece of silky black and brown print featuring a sable collar that continues down the front of the coat to the hem. It is lined with the same fabric an...

For his design mentor Rei Kawakubo's Japanese brand Comme des Garcons, Junya Wantanabe made this inimitable translucent white taffeta floaty ruffled-V-neck sleeveless pullover dress with distinct parachute elements, cutwork, and adjustable ruching and draping as Look 1 and Look 2 (see photos) for the Parisian fashion show debut of his S/S 2003 collection. Significantly, no other Wantanabe collection is represented by more garments at The Met Costume Institute. In our dress, the stunning combination of contrasts range from romantic-to-combat themes, gathered-to-flowing construction, raw-to-finely-finished edges, soft-to-hard materials, and gossamer-to-dense textural fabrics. Secured on the exterior of the dress with bold silver-tone metallic hardware, the parachute-like 100%-cotton grosgrain straps are mostly enclosed within multiple diagonal and vertical ruched channels to enable symmetrical or asymmetrical draping and lengthening of the thin synthetic fabric into multiple swags. Strap ends can freely hang from the functional hardware on the front of the dress and below its sides--as if they could be yanked to release the fabric into a drifty parachute sail. With the potential to be a stunning formal overlay if worn with a minimalist wedding gown or long skirt, the reverse side of the voluminous dress is equally remarkable for its ruffled diamond-shaped cutout at the lower back, where it is intersected by a trio of linked thick straps that are secured to a looped ruched channel. This creates an elongated bustle with a dramatic central 19-inch slit between the two swags that each extend 43 inches below the outer shoulder hem. This premiere-catwalk dress is distinguished from others in Wantanabe's "Parachute Jumper" collection by the complexity of its top. Two ruched straps form an X-shape via silver hardware at the upper back, extending to the front over the shoulders to form an adjustable face-flattering ruched V-neck with silver-hardware-linked narrow straps. The soft folds of the neckline contribute to the raised ruffle collar, as well as flow to the shoulder seams. The hand-cut hem was designed unfinished and meant to fray, although it has not given its minimal wear and very good condition consistent with only age and storage. See our photos of the care/material tags. All tags remain, including from the Italian concept-store 10 Corso Como where it was purchased in Milan. The "Made in Japan" size is a large-running "S" due to the pullover and adjustable style of the dress, which is equivalent to an Italian-size 44 or U.S.-size 6. Beyond a convertible dress...

An unusual version of the decorated sweaters from the 1950s-'60s, many of which have a detachable fur collar, this beige cashmere cardigan has lace trim and a lace shawl collar that ...

While John Galliano was also creating his early Christian Dior haute-couture collections as its acclaimed creative director, for Fall/Winter 1999 ready-to-wear for his eponymous Paris-based fashion house, the Brit designed this teal-green woven-wool day-to-evening dress with a luxurious bias-cut silk satin underlay and couture-like finishing. Evidenced by this dress, at that time Galliano was championed by the editors of U.S. Vogue as the leader of the sleek ultra-feminine trend. The influential magazine had earlier helped to establish him in Paris with a U.S. financial backer for an independent atelier and in America among high-end retailers--from where this dress was purchased by the sole owner, but never worn. Although its streamlined elegance that creates a striking silhouette has the look of a conservative linear dress...

A unique find, this tunic top is composed of vertical rows of openwork metallic thread in shades of blues and lavender and features butterfly sleeves and scooped necklines back and f...

Designed by Oscar de la Renta in the 1970s, this poppy-red pointelle knitted long-sleeve sweater with peek-a-boo textural stripes features a dramatic circular ruffle collar that drap...

Fabulous long sheath of black crepe with allover beading in a squiggle design of black bugle beads. Narrow body hugging design with straight neckline front and back and cut-in armhol...

Wide-brimmed natural straw hat w/wide navy velvet band and red fabric roses. Small high crown perches on top of head, does not pull down, lined in taffeta. Wide brim, 5 1/2 inches at...

Like a turtleneck ensemble acquired by TheMet, Ann Demeulemeester designed this bold-silhouette contrasting-texture wool set of chocolate ribbed tight high-neck cropped long-sleeve knit sweater and black bias-cut crepe mini skirt for her Fall/Winter 1996-1997 collection, when the latter low-waisted garment without a waistband was worn on the Paris runway over trousers. The soft thick darted pullover jumper characteristically has the designer's hallmark of oversized exaggerated cuffs, which can be left unfolded for a more feminine look. The Belgian designer meticulously tailored the brushed-wool skirt so that its three seams are in the back, where there are also darts to flatter the bias drape, two belt loops, and invisible zip closure at the center. Aside from featuring knitted turtlenecks in almost every ensemble that debuted on the runway that season, this collection was significant because Demeulemeester--who was known for her black-and-white palette of monochromatic pieces until she retired from her independent label in 2013--added colors and textures including this sweater. However, red was the only color featured on the runway. For an alternative pairing idea, we included a photo of a similar brown ribbed darted high-neck sweater, which was worn in Demeulemeester's runway show for Fall/Winter 2000, but with a shiny billowy slit maxi skirt...

For a formal special event, this 1980s maxi dress sleeveless gown by American designer Victor Costa features glamorous glossy red satin that is gathered, ruched and topstitched in bo...

Mid-20th-century rhinestone belt composed of five rows of round stones featuring a square rhinestone buckle. On the opposite end of the belt, there are 10 central openings for the bu...

As French couture made by Martin Grant at his Paris atelier in the Marais in the mid-1990s, this pale grey plaid lightweight-wool slit-skirt suit has many hand-tailored elements that...

For his Gucci Fall/Winter 2001 collection, Tom Ford designed this sleek leather-and-knit pullover that features a suede collar and plunging V-neck front that drapes in a reverse V-sh...

Vintage taupe bathing cap in "pixie" fringe style with one rhinestone at top. Size Small.

The late Italian Gianni Versace near the end of his life--cut short by his murder in July 1997--designed this couture heavily embroidered semi-transparent silk chiffon sleeveless hou...

Embodying Yohji Yamamoto's unique mix of Japanese classic fashion draping and construction with Savile-Row menswear tailoring for women, this convertible wool white-pinstripe grey re...

Quintessential Geoffrey Beene in cut and detail, this stunning and sophisticated gown is composed of olive green satin with black wool crepe panels strategically integrated into the ...

In the 1930s when French fashion couturier Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946) was creating decorative bias-cut silk tulle overlays for her feminine full-skirted sleeveless "robes de style", she designed this black semi-transparent silk tulle formal jacket featuring diagonally striped topstitched silk-crepe appliques throughout the bias-cut panels. This sheer geometric-patterned cape-like jacket has a skirt that drapes from an open waistline and a top-fastening bodice with gathered rounded 3/4-length sleeves that each have two arm seams and shirred embroidered cuffs. The jacket can be styled slightly differently given its four small black hooks on the upper bodice above the bust. In our photos, we only fastened the top hook. Worthy of "sleeping beauty" status in a museum collection or fashion school, the design was among the first "swing coats" that were given that name around 1935 when Lanvin was the "uncontested leader in the haute-couture field"--according to the French Palais Galliera that has collected and exhibited similar garments at its fashion museum in Paris. As a match to a dress collected by Musee Galliera, another 1stDibs dealer has listed a damaged 1931 Jeanne Lanvin "Art Deco tulle gown" priced at $37,500, whose maxi-dress overlay is similarly constructed with ribbon-like silk strips to create a unique bold pattern. In New York, The Met collected a 1927 House of Lanvin black evening coat with a similar shape to ours, which also features dramatic linear appliques but in a white starburst. The unprecedented modern look of this Art-Deco women's jacket, which was inspired by 18th-Century French and Spanish topcoats for aristocratic court dresses, seems to have been good cause for Maison Lanvin to custom-make some close reproductions of a one-of-a-kind couture original for additional clients in Paris, which is implied by the remaining French brand label noting "Adaptation Jean Lanvin...

Navy convertible clutch, the exterior enhanced front and back with a set-in white rectangular border echoing the shape of the bag. The bag features...

For Comme des Garcons Spring/Summer 1997 iconic collection titled "Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body", which was nicknamed lumps-and-bumps, Rei Kawakubo designed this navy two-piece set of a transparent pullover long-sleeve net tulle blouse and a convertible translucent bias-cut draping long skirt or tube dress, which debuted on the runway in "Look 11" among the Vogue coverage (partly concealed under a navy open robe). Significantly, our pair repeats the fashion show's "Look 1" theme--which was interpreted by TheMet museum curators as "clothing-absence/body-presence"--with a see-through symmetrical top revealing breasts and a bias-cut draped asymmetrical skirt that clings to body curves. Variations of this silhouette were modeled in white, navy or red. Many had net-encased organ-shaped down pillows freely inserted into net underlays by the designer to shockingly distort the silhouettes with impossible feminine curves, such as with two kidney-shapes on the back or a tube across the front of the hips. This set will likewise accommodate such padding that is apparent in the Vogue photos...

French Jacques Adnet--before he gained fame designing furnishings for Parisian luxury artisan house Hermes--created this Art Deco period bar set with his characteristic combination o...

Flattering mahogany mink hat featuring a broad, upturned brim and a round crown. The brim is stiffened to hold it shapeand edge can be unrolled for a straighter brim. Lined in black ...

Appearing in several versions on the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2003 collection runway with silk oversized long bell sleeves (see our photos of the gold and white versions beginn...

Evening clutch of microbeads featuring a black background with an integrated floral in center and lattice design around the edges. Intricate, pierced gold tone frame embellished with...

Thierry Mugler 1980s suit in brown wool gabardine features a belted jacket with silver metal stars dangling from the patch pockets and interesting inverted V detail near armhole. Dro...

Judy Hornby Couture voided silk bias-cut evening dress with deep cowl neck neck and layered hem, both layers trimmed with pearls. Long sleeves with gathered shoulders and pointed wri...