American Fashion: the Lady, the Tramp and the Vamp.

Next week is the book release party at Bergdorf Goodman for American Fashion, the new CFDA and Assouline tome. We have three dresses from three iconic American designers: Bill Blass, Norma Kamali and Adrian. Each piece is very different, but there is a distinct cool glamour and spare elegance that is iconic of American design to each one.

The Lady, the Tramp and the Vamp:

The lady is, of course, a navy 1980s silk cocktail dress from Bill Blass. Cigarettes and ice clinking in a cocktail glass would not have been nearly so glamorous if women had not been wearing Bill Blass. No one smokes anymore and no one drinks as much anymore, but if you want to capture that spirit and glamour this is the dress. On first appearance it seems a little conservative although that pleated high collar stands in a very flattering way around the face, but then you turn around and see that it is backless with that pleated collar falling to frame the back in a most inviting and sexy way! Please note that the belt shown is not the original. We see this dress with high cherry red Laboutins! Size 6.



The tramp is another one of our pieces from Norma Kamali. This one is a very early OMO Kamali from 1978. OMO stands for On My Own after Norma divorced. We think that she must have been feeling the freedom because it is not a dress designed for someone who wants to stay at home eating a pint of ice cream in front of the television. It is a black, tight-fitting, sexy one shoulder dress definitely for a disco diva ready to gloss her lips and not stay home. Size 4.









The Vamp is a late 1940s Adrian. Before the war Adrian designed costumes for Hollywood stars like Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow. He opened his own fashion house in 1942 and became known for elegantly draped evening gowns. This is a dress made for Hollywood. It is so glamorous and it is unfortunate that our readers can not see this dress in motion because it is spectacular! Because of the way it is cut there is much fluttering and movement when you walk. The color is a midnight navy and the workmanship is beautiful. The lucky girl who wears this will either be a movie star or will feel and look like one! Size 6.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273