Berkshires - Fashion

Captured in a video-still from his Fall/Winter 1992 collection fashion-show in Paris, Martin Margiela uniquely upcycled the seam intersections from the crotch, dart or tuck on deconstructed garments to make a high-relief topstitched cross shape as the mysterious design feature on some of his tops and knits. On this Maison Martin Margiela silky black velour crushed-velvet cropped halter, the altered seams are the subtle central focal point of the transformed fully-lined viscose breastplate. The backless top is constructed like a pullover bra with flexible elastic crisscrossing straps with metal hardware, which appear to be hosiery garters or suspenders. The iconic off-white blank brand label is hand-sewn at its four corners on the reverse to just the lining, where there are tags above it noting the material, size and manufacture-country Italy. The French-size 40 is flexible enough to be worn over another top or alone by a range of sizes from 38-42 depending on bust size. Since our small-size mannequin is backless, when worn by the buyer the upper part of the halter will sit higher on the chest and the bottom corners attached to the elastic bands will be less visible in back than we could photograph. Fortunately, we found the same Margiela halter in a sunny black-and-white photoshoot from Winter 1995, and included our pics of a few shots. In one, notice where the black velvet is reflecting sunlight as white due to the irregular texture of the seamed cross. The Fall/Winter 1995 "Circus" collection by Maison Martin Margiela featured similar lined velour and sleeveless tops in the fashion show, but we could not find any photos in that collection of the distinct X-shaped elastic straps that boldly define the back of our top. Comparatively, a F/W 2006 Martin Margiela sequined...

For his Gucci Fall/Winter 2001 collection, American Tom Ford designed this sleek partly-knit pullover tunic featuring a plunging V-neck collared suede front that drapes in a reverse ...

This antique Surrealist sculpture set of two one-of-a-kind female figurines was handmade in hammered steel wire with patina estimated as early as the 1920s. Each ribald three-dimensional self-standing torso study of a woman features either three spiral springs (suggesting pregnant belly with large breasts...

For her Fall/Winter 2002 runway finale with the model embodying a "jeans bride", Stella McCartney debuted this unique ethereal lingerie-like black transparent silk georgette blouse ...

Kathryn Dianos long red dress in a rayon and nylon blend fabric featuring a set-in midriff with two ties, a deepv neckline and raglan cap sleeves. The b...

Ivory ribbon knit jacket features a matching mink collar and three-quarter sleeves. Rounded edges at hem and side slits. Hook closure at neck. Lined in emb...

Twenty-five years before Chemena Kamali revived the 1970s-pantaloon style for her Chloe Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Chloe-alumnus Stella McCartney designed for her eponymous Sprin...

Floral voile 1930s day dress in pastel colors. Sleeveless bodice has capelet effect with ruffle border and ties that fit through tab. Paneled skirt flares at sides. Slips over the he...

Valentino 1980s black and white wool check jacket, single breasted, round neckline and front bordered with black ribbon. Integrated pockets, shoulder pads...

MM handbag c.1960s in dark pink, the leather featuring horizontal, curved stitching resulting in a quilted effect. The faux tortoise handles echo the shape of the bag and snap together to close. A coordinating faille interior has an attached money purse...

Unlike anything else from the 1990s, Comme des Garcons founder Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942) designed in 1999 for her Spring/Summer 2000 collection this pink-overdyed pullover soft stretch-...

Elegant 1930s black velvet clutch featuring an Art Deco clasp of rectangular form, complementing the softly rounded upper edge of the bag. The clasp is composed of marcasite in an op...

Long dress in navy wool/acrylic blend featuring a long torso with metal skate hooks laced with narrow self belt, and a large sailor collar that covers the upper arms and descends to ...

Cole Haan vintage red leather jacket with cropped styling and straight cut. The jacket features banded mock collar, hem, front placket and cuffs, as well as two breast pockets with ...

Norma Kamali vintage evening jacket in black crepe embellished with gold tone sequins throughout in an intricate vertical pattern. The jacket features short sleeves with shoulder pad...

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...

Petite gold mesh bag by Whiting & Davis with wrist strap and curved gold metal frame itch engraved initials "WMF".

Black plush wool maxi coat features double-breasted styling and self sash. The coat buttons up to the pointed collar. Set-in sleeves with two buttons at each wrist and shoulder epaul...

Small shoulder bag in fur, probably raccoon, with black leather frame and long gold chain. Black interior. Unmarked. Chain length: 37".

Tom Ford for his Gucci Spring/Summer 2001 collection toyed with the retro mid-century concept of nude sex-appeal embodied by 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 (see our other listing for runway "Look 2"). 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 are among the most technically challenging elements 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. We added photos of the jacket worn over our black-tulle-covered ecru strapless balconette corset dress that was the Gucci Spring/Summer 2001 fashion...

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

Victor Costa at his dramatic best. Feel like a princess in this black strapless evening dress with its velvet bodice and tulle skirt. The sweetheart strapless bodice is fitted throug...

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...

Judith Leiber essential evening clutch, the entire surface covered in clear crystals. Slightly rectangular in shape with rounded corners. Gold metal frame, crystal studded clasp, and...

While at Paris-based 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 un...

Lovely style and fabric in this summer dress of lavender voile embroidered allover with a repeat linear pattern in white and edged with a narrow white scallop. The shirt-style dress ...

Chic luxury from master designer Donna Karan c.1990s, this suit is crafted of charcoal gray cashmere, a subtle extravagance for a tailored ensemble. The suit is comprised of a straig...

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...

This timeless quintessential corseted, shirred, ruched and topstitched "little black dress" produced by Victor Costa in the 1980s was made for the high standards of New York's trendsetting Bergdorf Goodman. It was the first U.S. luxury department store to order exclusive special-occasion dresses from this Texas designer and subsequently to give him a namesake in-store boutique. He soon became associated with the feminine glamorous gowns worn by "PYT" (Costa-speak for pretty young things) on the Dallas-based television-series "Dynasty", which idealized status-conscious Texan women mostly via fashion. With a strapless curvaceous sweetheart neckline (spared from '80s shoulder pads!), narrow sinuous folds of crepe silk-blend jersey cross diagonally below the decollete, while contrasting vertical ruching defines the seven bones of the invisible corset structure that is fully lined on the interior. Under the bust in front below the empire-like peaked high waist, the fitted tucked underlay of the cocktail dress wraps around the back to end as an overlay in front, where the opening on the left side extends to the bodice like a discreet slit. The freely hanging bias-cut overlay in front is gathered underneath each breast for a forgiving central drape that adds additional curves to make the wearer's torso underneath appear in sleek condition despite a potentially less than ideal figure. The dress closes with a concealed zipper in the center of the back, with exterior hook-and-eye fastening to narrow the waist. There is a second concealed hook-and-eye fastener at the top of the zipper. Although the only remaining tag is the Costa/Bergdorf label, it is a contemporary U.S.-size 8, which will also suit a large-busted size 6 or a svelte size 10. Now 88 years old, Victor Costa (b.1935) became widely known by the 1980s in The States for perfecting affordable luxurious gowns that could be mistaken for one-of-a-kind flamboyant designs by foreign couturiers Christian Lacroix, Arnold Scaasi, Oscar de la Renta or Valentino Garavani. Early on, the avid female sketcher...

In 1994, Martin Margiela did something unprecedented with his luxury fashion brand Maison Martin Margiela, which was to debut a collection with no new designs but rather a new-for-it...

Featuring a dramatic never-worn zipper skirt from the iconic Spring/Summer 1986 Alaia Paris collection--which dominated the Vanity Fair published preview of Foundation Azzedine Alaia...

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

Black wool/cashmere blend easy jacket featuring a large and plush brown fox shawl collar. Raglan, above-the-wrist sleeves, no buttons, , hidden pockets in si...

In 1996, Japanese Junya Wantanabe (b.1961) made this sculptural red whorled-rose jacquard padded cocoon coat/evening jacket/cape to convert to an equally unique and versatile asymmet...

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...

From one of the last fashion collections for French Maison Martin Margiela by its renowned founder Belgian artist Martin Margiela before he prematurely retired in 2009, this asymmetr...

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...

1960s large handbag featuring an unusual sweep of a handle, lending it a modernist aesthetic, and crafted in a most desirable color and material - gunmetal patent. Simple brass frame...

Stunning Pauline Trigère 1970s ensemble in black wool crepe, the simple dress underneath an unusual reverse cape/shawl terminating in deep black fox trim at t...

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...

Jean Louis Scherrer classic black coatdress with tuxedo detailing in its taffeta spread collar and four-button wrists. The body is shaped with fron...

Beautifully crafted Bill Blass two-layer dress, the main body a strapless sheath of repeating ribbon stripes in aqua, mint, beige and gray. Skimming over this is a sheer net sleevele...

In the early 1990s in France, Paris-based Azzedine Alaia (1935-2017) designed this knit pullover chemise-style sleeveless lavender violet viscose dress that features bias panels in b...

Another pair of Maud Frizon Sandals from the same estate, these of black leather overlapping cut-out circular uppers and a small block heel. Vintage 1980s-90s, in very good condition...

Valentino red straw hat, the deep back tapering towards the front, where it is creased in the middle and held with a straw knot and tie. The straw is worked in concentric circles and...

Belgium former fashion designer Martin Margiela for his eponymous Paris-based Maison Martin Margiela Spring/Summer 2007 collection in a minimalist style debuted this cherry-red crepe...

This couture lace transparent red-and-black floral-pattern silk sleeveless evening midi dress, with an eyelash-lace boatneck and hem, is constructed with torso tucks above and below ...

1960s lightweight coat by Jacques Heim in navy nubby wool featuring a fitted bodice and A-line skirt with a welted seam below the waist, three-quarter sleeves, and a free panel over ...

Over 20 years ago, the late Roberto Cavalli who recently died in 2024 designed this silk-and-cotton top-and-jeans set showcasing his signature mix of animal prints with luxurious emb...

In 1999, Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942) focused on unprecedented sculptural texture and irregular color blocking to design her Comme des Garcons Spring/Summer 2000 collection, which was domi...

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

With the finest fabric and tailoring--the base expectation for all progressive minimalist luxurious fashions designed for powerful women by German Jil Sander before the Prada-buyout ...

This antique Native American brown chamois suede leather sleeveless chemise dress, which was handmade during the "reservation era" between 1870-1930, is made from two soft supple ani...

Among the early standout sexy shoes designed by Stella McCarney for her eponymous British brand, these four-inch steel stilettos with maroon-ombre resin hee...

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...

One of Victor Costa's best designs, this strapless cocktail/evening dress is fashioned of white satin and black velvet alternating horizontal stripes with fitted bodice leading to an...

Vivienne Westwood's son Joe Corre opened the first lingerie boutique for his sexy London-based brand Agent Provocateur in Soho in the mid-1990s, when the sole owner of this black lac...

In his classic long flared silhouette, Japanese Yohji Yamamoto skillfully designed with bias-cut draping both this navy ribbon-trimmed notched-lapel single-breasted lined jacket and ...