Berkshires - Clothing

Unusual Norma Kamali vintage long with halter straps extending up from a double triangular insert that tapers to a low curve in back. Fashioned of black crepe, the skirt fits snugly ...

Designed by U.S.-based Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014) for his 1975 Resort collection, this deeply-draping two-layer empire-waist silk gown maxi dress is handpainted in a blue-cream-an...

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

As a variation of the traditional waiter-style apron that Belgian former fashion designer Martin Margiela reworked with his eponymous Maison Martin Margiela since its first collection for Spring/Summer 1989, this minimalist convertible transparent black chiffon rectangular garment was part of his Spring 1994 collection. The iconic corner-stitched textural white-cotton brand label is stenciled with seemingly contradictory text referencing an earlier Fall 1990 collection. 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 it a one of his favorites that he re-editioned from his first 10 fashion shows. This season-less self-curated retrospective collection without any new designs was unprecedented in the ready-to-wear 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 make our re-edition unique from the 1990 apron and from later "replicas", which was the term that Margiela printed on a different kind of label for his second self-curated retrospective in Spring 1999 following 10 more collections. 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. The first Margiela apron...

While British John Galliano was creating haute couture in Paris as French fashion-house Christian Dior Artistic Director beginning in the late 1990s, he designed this "Made In France" black lace-and-sheer-mesh low-back boned corset featuring a bold curvilinear halter neck, underwire padded 32B bustier with a rounded-bust silhouette, cinched waist with a lace ruffle, and embroidered text "Dior". Along with leading couture designers Jean-Paul Gaultier and the late Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler and Gianni Versace, Galliano is closely associated with the popularity of the contemporary corset, which was the focus of his acclaimed couture show in 2024 as the ongoing artistic director of Paris-based Maison Margiela for the past decade. Notably, a Galliano corset from his turn-of-the-century Christian Dior collection--with like tags and similar low back with bustier--can be viewed online among the collections of the Underpinnings Museum, which is dedicated to the most outstanding lingerie. In addition to the tags noting "Christian Dior Made In France" along with the size, Galliano added subtle Dior-logo embroidery to the cleavage. There is no tag noting the materials of the multiple laces, tulle mesh, bones and additional padding or strap fabrics, which seem primarily synthetic for desirable stretch-to-fit. Instead, care-instruction symbols can be found on the back of the size tag. The neck straps for this French-size 85 or U.S.-size 34 can be adjusted to one of the three tiers of hooks that best suits the wearer, while the corset has two tiers of hooks to cinch the waist. As worn by our small-size mannequin, the top will flatter even an A-cup breast size. As noted in our listing sidebar, the buyer will receive the corset packed in its original Christian Dior silver shoebox-size cardboard packaging, while the lingerie will be wrapped in the original logo-printed white tissue paper. The box and paper are in good condition without rips or perforation, while the lingerie is in like-new condition as if it had only been tried on and not worn for an event. For price comparison, a later dated Galliano/Dior bustier corset top--with like tags but strapless--recently sold on 1stDibs for $6,200. The previous sole owner of our top recalled making their purchase as new lingerie in 2001. This French ready-to-wear complex-structure garment should not be confused with other international lingerie lines with different but similar labels--"Christian Dior Intimates...

British Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022) designed this corset-style hourglass-shaped red velvet evening dress with its outsized double bow and sheer moire faux-underlay while producing her "Dressed To Scale" collection in 1998 with 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...

Arguable the most significant design in the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2003 collection--since our versatile garment debuted in different colors on the runway and was worn by the British designer to take her fashion-show bow--this pink-printed dark-grey silk-blend zip-front bubble-shaped mini dress with white-satin stripes and pink piping was a favorite of the show's Vogue critic and her father Beatles co-founder Paul McCarthy. Vogue wrote: "Her hippest new idea came in the form of puffy satin bombers--she transformed one, a fusion of sport and chinoiserie print, into an off-the-shoulder bubble dress. McCartney is so into the glam-bomber idea, in fact, that she bounded onto the runway wearing a black version herself." The garment's voluminous batwing sleeves and stretch-cotton ribbed neckline and hem, plus custom golden-charm two-way zipper, enable it to have two different necklines and lengths to convert to a shorter puffier bomber jacket. Notably, the versatile piece that is subtly printed with mock-Beatles lyrics seems to have been the first tribute fashion-design that McCartney created to reference her father. Prior, she had credited her stylish mother Linda for instilling her with a love of fashion and inspiration for her initial namesake collections, which followed her first commercial collections with Phoebe Philo for Chloe. For background, when McCartney was a young girl in 1978, the mock-rock band The Rutles parodied a Beatles song, which was recorded by EMI as "Ging, Gang, Goolie". Given its lyrics, the chinoiserie-style dragon motifs were substituted by McCartney with bird skeletons...

During John Galliano's first year as French fashion-house Christian Dior Creative Director in Paris for haute couture and ready-to-wear in 1997, he designed for his Spring/Summer 199...

This couture lingerie-like spaghetti-strapped black silk-satin apron vest--with extraordinary graphic cutwork featuring a heavily hand-beaded breast-plate and appliques--was custom made by a young designer for a New York City female...

British Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) designed this curvaceous uniquely-draped wool and hand-shredded silk-chiffon black cocktail-dress evening-gown for his Autumn/Winter 2002-2003 collection "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", which set a ready-to-wear $37,500 auction record in 2020 for its complimentary black billowing silk coat. Comparatively, a 1stDibs midi-dress listing similar to ours from his subsequent fashion-season collection for a raw-edge-cut silk chiffon red dress for Spring/Summer 2003 in good condition sold for $10,144. Our intricate ruched semi-transparent silk chiffon and sleek lined opaque wool hourglass midi dress is in very good condition. Although made in Italy, the tagged size 38 will suit a French 38/US 4-6. Like the 2020-auctioned coat from Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, the gown is also among the few that encapsulate this collection according to Alexander McQueen, who was quoted by magazine Numero: "This collection was inspired by Tim Burton. It started out dark and then got more romantic as it went along." This is why The Met Costume Institute showcased a runway ensemble including the aforementioned coat in its museum retrospective, "Savage Beauty", a year after the designer died...

While John Galliano was also creating his early Christian Dior haute-couture fashion collections as its acclaimed creative director, for Fall/Winter 1999 ready-to-wear for his ongoing eponymous Paris-based fashion house, the Brit designed this teal-green woven-wool day-to-evening dress with a luxurious bias-cut satin silk 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...

Given the "YSL" stenciled logo that had been created in 1961 while the fashion designer was only producing haute couture, paired with the French-blue bordered "Yves Saint Laurent" brand tag noting only "Made In Italy", this 52x52-inch square transparent hand-painted vibrant crepe-de-chine silk panel with intricately hand-sewn rolled edges was commissioned as a couture shawl...

1997 arguably marked the pinnacle of Japanese Comme des Garcons founder and fashion designer Rei Kawakubo's collection debuts when she introduced deconstructed asymmetrical "lumps and bumps" padding and transparent tops that both deformed and revealed female bodies. For her Fall/Winter 1997 "Adult Punk" collection, she debuted this transparent ecru organza pullover dinner jacket or evening oversized blouse, whose bodice and lower long sleeves are color-blocked with white textured silk-blend appliques and lined in white tulle that is hand-sheered above the outer hem. A recent Parisian exhibition at Musee de la Mode, "1997 Fashion...

Vintage mink coat, late 20th century, in dark brown, mahogany color. The coat features a simple, straight silhouette with a notched collar, square shoulders, straight sleeves, and hi...

A wonderful addition to your winter wardrobe, this reversible vintage coat is both attractive and versatile. The fur side is composed of black sheared fur, very lustrous and soft to ...

With Belgian former couture-fashion designer Martin Margiela's original blank-white textural-cotton corner-sewn label from the early 1990s visible above the prominent knit-hole, this openwork yarn top that is clearly a one-of-a-kind "Line 0" Artisanal 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 similarly designed but longer deconstructed openwork grey cape that also features a circular knit hole in a mohair-blend. Its remaining additional tag indicates that it was produced by Margielas' longtime Italian knitter Miss Deanna for the Autumn-Hiver 1993-1994 collection. Further, we have found similar one-of-a-kind Margiela openwork-knit and unraveling pieces, as well as one with oversized snaps like the fasteners on our top, dating back to his 1992 collections. Suggesting it could have been from an earlier collection, Antwerp's fashion museum MoMu featured a pale deconstructed mohair knit sweater dating from 1990 in its major Martin Margiela 20-year retrospective, which was produced in collaboration with the designer during his final year at the house in 2008. Based on other Margiela couture pieces with more than one remaining identification tag, the design of our cardigan without a remaining text tag began as a vintage top collected by Martin Margiela to upcycle or reproduce, and/or it was made-to-order by Miss Deanna before he finished it to some degree with his Paris-based team. Our knit fastens with pompon-tipped yarn ties, along with two signature silver oversized-snap buttons, which most noticeably appeared on Margiela tops in 1994 for a collection that was inspired by toy-doll wardrobes and included human-sized reproductions of actual miniatures. For price comparison, another 1stDibs dealer currently lists a silver-oversized-snap-fastening brown faux-leather windbreaker "doll" jacket by Maison Martin Margiela for upwards of $7,000. Also on 1stDibs, two other Margiela 1990s...

American Tom Ford, for his first collection for Yves Saint Laurent Paris/Rive Gauche while also creative director at Gucci, designed this Spring/Summer 2001 black formal evening gown...

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

Italian Miuccia Prada debuted for her Fall/Winter 2000 womenswear collection this Vogue-photographed fashion-show runway "Look 1" three-piece ensemble, which includes a 1940s-inspired thick check-texture wool skirt suit with defined hour-glass waist, padded shoulders and plush fur accessory. While Prada became known in the 1990s for some of the best accessories, this detachable multi-color red-fox collar with thin beige grosgrain ties and silk-lined reverse was featured in its ad campaigns and magazine spreads as the versatile must-have of the season at the turn of the century. With 100% virgin wool, sharp shoulders, flap pockets, and full lining, the warm jacket...

As conceptual art while he transitioned to French artisan-house Hermes artistic director in 1998, Belgian Martin Margiela--whose creations today debut in the setting of a contemporar...

c. 1970 mink jacket in a soft golden shade features a spread collar and comes with a brown leather sash belt. One fur hook and an interior tie keep allow ...

Acquired from the French flagship Christian Dior Boutique in Paris when John Galliano was its artistic director of both haute couture and ready-to-wear, he designed this hip-accentua...

In the 1960s, the Paris-based revolutionary futurist haute-couture designers included Andre Courreges, Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne, who was the last to died in the 21st Century in...

In Comme des Garcons founder Rei Kawakubo's iconic Spring/Summer 1997 collection titled Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body, which was nicknamed "lumps and bumps", this navy two-piece set of transparent pullover long-sleeve net tulle blouse and convertible translucent bias-cut draping long skirt or tube dress 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 that was identified by TheMet museum curators as "clothing-absence/body-presence" with a see-through symmetrical top revealing breasts and a feminine bias-cut draped asymmetrical skirt. Variations of this silhouette were modeled in navy, or red like our primary photo. Many had net-encased organ-shaped down pillows freely inserted into net underlays by the designer to shockingly distort the silhouettes, 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...

In the 1990s, French Thierry Mugler (1948-2022) designed this haute-couture labeled and numbered corset-style topstitched zigzag-panel ecru 100%-cotton-denim cocktail dress, which is...

Vintage c.1980s Hanae Mori little black dress in black crepe, body skiimming style, with square neckline and knee-length straight skirt with back slit. The special interest comes fro...

U.S.-based Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014) for Spring 1982 created a number of styles of bold vibrant uniquely-handpainted crepe-de-chine caftans that helped define his five-decade fas...

1970s coat crafted of gray pigskin suede and featuring white fox trim for the lush shawl collar and front trim that contours around the hem. A self belt with buckle encircles the wai...

Quintessential Sonia Rykiel ensemble consisting of a pullover sweater and slim skirt in ivory wool knit, c.1980s. On top, the sweater is distnguished by a button opening in front and...

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

A novel vintage piece from the 1980s, this jacket is crafted of supple black suede and features a yoke, mandarin collar, and two pairs of tails at the neck of dark brown mink. The se...

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

Krizia black silk tunic printed with large white outline of a big cat, accented with green eyes and a red mouth. Straight, loose cut with dolman, short sleeves...

Mahogany mink waist-length jacket with shawl collar and sleeves that can be turned back with cuffs or let down for full length. Velvet cords terminating in mink spheres tie under the...

Black velvet opera coat featuring a ruched collar and wrists. Loose fit with curved front hem and balloon sleeves. Single rhinestone button closure. White satin lining.

Yves Saint Laurent hard-to-find vintage 1979s cape from the designer’s Moroccan collection. Crafted of black wool, the simply cut long cape features a pointed hood and burgundy braid...

Sheer black lace dress from the 1930s with a fitted bodice through the hips and bias-cut skirt with scalloped seam going from low to high, where...

Odette Barsa was primarily renowned for her exquisite lingerie, produced from the 1930s-1970s, and this vibrant red print ensemble may have been originall...

Donna Karan metallic gold crochet lace dress with a complementary silk charmeuse slip dress underneath. The crochet dress skims the body and features a de...

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 ...

Like a turtleneck ensemble acquired by TheMet Costume Institute, Ann Demeulemeester designed this bold-silhouette contrasting-texture wool set of chocolate ribbed high-neck cropped tight 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 his design mentor Rei Kawakubo's Japanese brand Comme des Garcons, Junya Wantanabe made this inimitable semi-transparent white taffeta floaty ruffled-V-neck sleeveless pullover dress with distinct parachute elements, cutwork, and adjustable ruching and draping as "Look 1 and 2" (see photos) for the Parisian fashion show debut of his Spring/Summer 2003 collection. 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 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...

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 ...

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...

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-...

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...

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...

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...

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...