Hautest of the Haute

If craftsmanship is a good reason to buy vintage, rarity is an added bonus. Why not get both with a sumptous creation by Madame Grés, arguably the greatest of the now-defunct Parisian couturiers? Madame Grés was a master of the craft who perfected the art of draping and pleating in the course of her celebrated career. The black gown pictured below features pleated jersey in a diagonal checkerboard pattern across the bust (it's a feat that took our tailor weeks to restore). The coral dress beneath it suits a woman who favor more color but demands the same attention to detail--this piece employs clever pleating across the straps and along the hem. Madame Grés is seriously collectable, and we suggest that you strike while the iron is hot!


Madame Grés Haute Couture Black Diagonally-Pleated Jersey Gown, c. 1950s. Fits a contemporary size 6 to 8.

Madame Grés Haute Couture Coral Crepe Silk Pleated Gown, c. 1955. Fits a contemporary size 2 to 4.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE.

Read More

Stunning Dior Haute Couture

Every so often, we come across a dress that is, to invoke an overused cliché, priceless. This particular piece unites two of the most venerated figures of 20th century fashion: it was designed by a young Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent in his second haute couture collection for the house of Dior, Spring/Summer 1959. The artistry apparent in the garment's construction--intricate floral lace, elaborate bodice, layered skirt--is scarcely replicated today, even within the realm of haute couture. Patrons of Yves Saint Laurent or Christian Dior are certain to find this a formidable addition to any collection.





Christian Dior Haute Couture by Yves Saint Laurent Ivory Floral Lace Dress with Wide Ribbon Tie, P/E 1959. Extremely delicate, fits a size 2 to small 4. SOLD

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE.

Read More

BACK TO HAUTE COUTURE

We have posted some great Ready to Wear pieces the last few days, but here is a fine example of Christian Dior HAUTE COUTURE from P/E 1968, when Marc Bohan designed. This ecru gazar gown features gorgeous embroidered cap sleeves and bodice that continues the details to just around the hips. The close-up shots show the intricate embroidery of a cobweb pattern in silver metallic thread with overlays of crystals and gold embroidery. The details are extraordinary. The dress is fitted around the bust and arms but the skirt is fluid. At nearly forty years old, the dress seems entirely contemporary and year-round wearable. We even love it with a metallic flat, but finessed off with some Graaf diamond studs or a Buccellati cuff. It will match both yellow and white gold jewelry.

Christian Dior Haute Couture by Marc Bohan P/E ecru embroidered short sleeve gown. SOLD

(The gown was painstakingly hand cleaned by Brown's in Santa Monica but some intermittent spotting was impossible to remove. The gown remains entirely wearable, however). Contemporary US 4 (the top is fitted) but the skirt portion can fit someone less-narrow at the hips.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE

Read More

Yves Saint Laurent Molotov Cocktails!

Think of these two Yves Saint Laurent cocktail dresses as the proverbial angel and devil on your shoulder. The ivory draped silk "goddess-y" dress is proper and pretty and dripping with Parisian sophistication (it is haute couture, after all!), an angelic creation if we've ever seen one. But we know that you, humble reader, can't be a good little girl all the time. Sometimes, you gotta vamp it up! The sheer silk layered minidress below is the perfect outfit for your hard-partying, hedonistic side---in fact, Decadestwo just received a Gucci minidress modeled after this bombshell by the master of hedonism himself, Tom Ford! Both pieces fit a contemporary size 4.

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Ivory One-Shoulder Cocktail Dress, c. 1980s.

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Sheer Black Minidress with Plunging Neckline, c. late 1980s SOLD

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE.

Read More

Get Bossy in Yves Saint Laurent

Hedge fund women of the world unite! We've scored you some haute Yves Saint Laurent suiting from the 1980s to bring out your inner Gordon Gekko. (All three pieces are haute couture, too, so you'll never have to worry about being another empty suit!)

The first ensemble is cut razor-thin in black silk faille--a totally irreverent fabric selection, but one that works when paired with oversized oval buttons and a smart waist belt. The grey wool suit with black satin trim and lapel pictured below it is completely versatile; we think it'd be swell for lunch at Michael's or your next Civil War reenactment (some lucky lady will make the sexiest Robert E. Lee we've ever seen!). Last, but certainly not least, channel your inner "Cherry Bomb" with a sexy red three-button wool suit (yes, Nancy Pelosi, we're looking at you...) All suits fit a contemporary size 4.

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Black Silk Faille Oval Button Suit, c. 1980s SOLD

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Grey Wool Suit with Black Satin Lapel and Trim, c. 1980s SOLD

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Red Wool Suit, c. 1980s SOLD

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE.

Read More

Dior Haute Couture by Gianfranco Ferre

Haute couture represents one of the most desirable pursuits for any fashionista. The recent passing of Gianfranco Ferre, who mastered the craft as creative director at Christian Dior, makes these gowns particularly relevant extremely collectable. The first is actually not a gown, but an evening ensemble: the black sleeveless top with an open back is actually a bodysuit worn beneath the rose colored tafetta skirt with dramatic train. The second dress also features an open back--formed this time by crossing shoulder straps--and a beautiful lace-trimmed slit in the side of the gown. Both pieces fit a contemporary size 4-6.

Christian Dior Haute Couture by Gianfranco Ferre Evening Ensemble/Gown with Floral Detail, c. 1990 SOLD

Christian Dior Haute Couture by Gianfranco Ferre Black Silk Chiffon Evening Gown with White Lace-Trimmed Slit, c. 1990.

Read More

Lecoanet Hemant

Lecoanet Hemant is not a house-hold name. As a matter-of-fact, I had never heard of the Couture duo, but researched this biography below:

Fashion Designer LECOANET HEMANT, date of creation: 1984 The turning point in the lives of Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar was the birth of their fashion house in 1984. The daring, unusual name and logo that welded together an L and an H; the L forLecoanet, liberty, and luxury; and the H for Hemant, humour, and "habit," the French word for dress, reflected the heady optimism of the occasion.Lecoanet was born in 1955 at Chaumont in Eastern France. After studying the fine arts, he worked in advertising for a short time but soon became convinced that it was his calling to become a couturier. With this ambition, he enrolled to train in fashion design at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. Hemant was born in 1957 to a German mother from Berlin and an Indian father from Delhi. He spent his childhood in Delhi and then went on to study design and dressmaking in Germany. Here, he gained experience in the ready-to-wear business with a major German firm and, like Lecoanet, came to Paris to learn fashion design. The pair met in 1978 and their relationship grew to promote their complementary talents in the field of fashion design. Their story is one of shared feelings, interests, and passions. The growth of a tiny workshop on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore into a salon, then into a boutique, and finally to a full-fledged fashion house is an exemplary model of progression within the fashion world. The watershed came in 1984 when Juliette Cambursano, former head forewoman at Cristobal Balenciaga and Mila Schšn, joined the partnership and took over the workshop.Since 1984, Lecoanet and Hemant have presented a haute couture and a ready-to-wear collection every season. In 1988, Lecoanet Hermant introduced a line of accessories in Japan and in 1991, the line acquired a new address at the Hotel d'Argenson in the heart of Paris's Marais district. However, the mark enjoyed its crowning success in 1994 as they won the Golden Thimble fashion award (le De d'Or). Lecoanet has his paint and brush out when he is not designing exquisite clothes. Hemant, for his part, divides his time between managing the business and listening to music from around the globe. Both have a passion for travel, cosmopolitan places, new sensations and adventure. In these shared passions, we witness the source of inspiration behind each collection. Their travels to distant lands and chance encounters with extraordinary people infuse their collections with energy and life.Haute couture for Lecoanet Hemant is, in fact, rather like their own partnership: the weaving together of different styles and cultures.

Okay, so now you know the 411, and I haven't seen or heard of a Lecoanet Hemant show in Paris during Couture in the five or so years that I have been attending Couture. Also, there website leads you to an Indian-based business.

About the gown, drama-mama. Red silk strapless bustier effect, with a gathered fish-tail hem and black peak-a-boo lining. It's a fantastic example of Haute Couture and looks like a 40,000 dollar dress for a very delicious ready-to-wear price.

Lecoanet Hemant Haute Couture red bustier gown. Approximate size 6. c early 90s. SOLD

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223

Read More

YSL Haute Couture coat

In recent days I have come to realize a truth within fashion. As I have heard many times, it is not about shopping ad nauseum in each season for looks that will last no more than three months and exhaust your shopping potential. It is far more important to find pieces that you both truly adore and that you will be able to not only cherish for ever but also wear for ever.

This is not to say that buying clothing is ever an investment. That would be akin to saying buying cars is an investment, it just is not so. But what it does mean is that you will have a collection of pieces worth every penny you spend originally and the joy you will get every time you wear it. On that note, i think this coat not only plays into the moment, the current desire of comfort in fashion, but it also is a great standard of dress for a true Lady. It is at once stylish and fashion forward but never tired. A simple task that so often goes awry when the check book is in the wrong hands.

YSL Haute Couture, early 90s, Anthracite velour jacket. In the style of a throw-on wrap coat but made sublime with rare Emba mink trim on the cuff, shawl collar and hem. Belted at the waist adding a touch of sophistication. Contemporary size 4-6. SOLD

for further information or to purchase please contact alexander@decadesinc.com

Read More