That was 1996, This is Now: Gianni Versace Edition

I love finding pieces that we have for sale at RARE vintage in a magazine and in the September issue of Vogue Italia - which is celebrating 50 years of Vogue Italia - they revisit past issues, stories and fashion.  I was thrilled to see this photograph of Alek Wek in our baby blue metal mesh and lace dress.

This was 1996:

Alek Wek in Gianni Versace metal mesh dress in Vogue Italia

and this is now at RARE vintage:

Gianni Versace couture metal mesh Oroton dress at RARE vintage.

Dress is available for purchase here.

xo, Juliana

Valentino Couture Fall 2014: A Higher Calling

Let us just ignore the elephant in the room: Kim Kardashian between Giancarlo Giammetti and Mr. Valentino, and get to the couture.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino have a new habit for fall 2014 couture: a nun's habit...

but then at some point, I think they decided to hell with that and they went Greek Goddess on Mount Olympus...

Valentino Couture Fall 2014.  Photos from Style.com

love, kisses and look to the heavens, Juliana

The Lightness of Dior

At first glance, I did not love the Dior Spring couture 2014 collection but then upon closer look, I saw a breadth of fresh air in the house of haute couture.

"It's not about stillness, not about the couture pose." 

Raf Simons

To me, it seemed about clouds and pixie dust.  

Up in the clouds...

A sprinkling of pixie dust...

Into the secret realm...

and Dorothy's got a brand new pair of slippers...

Christian Dior couture Spring 2014. Photos from Style.com

love, kisses and vintage, Juliana

Hussein Chalayan for Vionnet Demi Couture

Truthfully, I have very little interest in Vionnet demi-couture (and did not even realize this will be the third Vionnet demi couture collection).  I think it is very hard to ressurect the Vionnet name because Vionnet was, in a way, such a small house - even though it was actually one of the largest couture houses in the 1920s with 1,200 employees.    

Madeleine Vionnet opened her own house in 1912 and closed it in 1939.  There is no wide name recognition like there is for Christian Dior or Balenciaga.  Vionnet had such mastery of draping and such complexity of technique that it seems too precious, too specific to bring the label to become something producing handbags... but Hussein Chalayan was just named as the designer for the Vionnet demi couture collection which will be shown during the haute couture in January and I am interested to see what he will do.  

A look back at some of the most brilliant of Hussein Chalayan's work...

'Remote Control' Edition 2005 (Originally shown in 2000) Collection Met Museum:

and, of course, the remote:

'Along False Equator' 1995.  Collection Met Museum:

'Afterwords' 2000

Bubble Dress 2007

Obviously not quite the fluidity of Madeleine Vionnet so we will have to see how Chalayan interprets the fluidity, geometry, draping of Vionnet at the demi couture show in a few weeks from now...

love, kisses and vintage,  Juliana

Babe Paley in Valentino Haute Couture?

Babe Paley in Valentino haute couture?

I think so...

our (sold) Valentino haute couture dress from 1967 looks very much like the very chic Babe Paley's don't you think? 

Gianni Versace: For Richer, for Poorer

Gianni Versace's safety pinned pieces of the early 1990s were taken from the tattered t-shirts and pants of the punk movement - from kids, who, if their clothes were torn, they just pinned them back together - and translated into something super luxe and super glamorous.

The safety pins were adorned with the Versace logo: the head of Medusa.  The slashes were not raw edged but neatly sewn.  But nevertheless there was still a feeling of rebellion in them.   When Elizabeth Hurley wore Versace's slashed and safety pinned gown to her beau Hugh Grant's movie premiere, she shocked and sensationalized the typical red carpet dress - and launched her career.

I was so thrilled to find this Gianni Versace Couture ensemble for RARE vintage - the jacket is fully 'slashed' and large gold safety pins replace the usual button closures.  The ensemble is sold with its original skirt.

Versace slashed 'Le Smoking' jacket: 

detail:

Gianni Versace in a slashed sweater back in the day with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington in safety pin dresses:

For more information or to purchase, please email info@rarevintage.com 

or phone 212.581.7273

Gianni Versace and the Plump Mermaids

Summer is here!  Finally!  in New York.  And just in time for Memorial Day and summer holidays in the Hamptons, the South of France, Sardinia, Tuscany, Greece...  so my mindset immediately shifts to the hunt for chic resort wear.  

One of my favorite new finds for RARE vintage is this amazing Gianni Versace couture silk top.  I am very selective when buying Gianni's silk shirts because some of them can be, well, a tad too Miami back in the day, for me personally.  

But this one - which has no buttons - it just ties in the front - has an incredible print of plump mermaids floating on the front with their tails wrapping around the side of the shirt was too incredible to pass resist.  There are golden Medusa heads too and then a more restrained (for Gianni who could go a little wild with these silk tops) colorful stripes on the back.  There are also gumdrop yellow buttons with Medusa's on the cuffs - and these are almost one of my favorite things about this blouse.

Gianni Versace's plump mermaids:

the golden Medusa's:

Who I Spys a mermaid tail?

Very fabulous with jeans, shorts, a white pant don't you think?!