Lisa Perry in RARE vintage Courreges!

Lisa Perry bought this awhile back from RARE vintage and I was happy to see her wearing our (well, her : ) pop of yellow Courreges haute couture gown again on Hamish Bowles' Instagram...

Lisa Perry in Courreges haute couture from RARE vintage.  Photo by Hamish Bowles.

love, kisses and we have such beautiful and chic clients, Juliana

Courreges and the Little Black Dress

One of my favorite new finds for RARE vintage...

I am sure you are an avid follower of fashion and know about Andre Leon Talley's exhibit about the little black dress at SCAD in Savannah, Georgia.  He delightfully describes the little black dress as the 'frigate' of a woman's wardrobe.

Sailing into the harbor of RARE vintage is the frigate, LBD*, by André Courreges.  It is the little black dress gone chic, sleek and modern.  Masterfully tailored, brilliantly simple.  The dress is slightly A-lined which is characteristic of Courreges.  Two tiny buttons adorn the neckline.

*LBD stands for Little Black Dress.  We have a rack at RARE vintage devoted just to the LBD with a neon sign 'LBD'.  I am always a little surprised how many people don't know what it stands for.  So just in case, you didn't know... 

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A Courreges Hyperbole Mini Jumper

A perfect Courreges mini jumper in mint green.

 

This probably would have been worn with a white turtleneck underneath and either a pair of knee socks (yikes) or white booties. 

I would leave the knee socks in the drawer and the go go boots in the closet but if I could find these Courreges sunglasses and the sexy little gloves cut to the wrist, it would be very tempting!

1970s Courreges Hyperbole mint green mini jumper.  Size 4.  $1400.

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Baby Got Back

Famous bare backs: Julie Christie in Shampoo in one of our favorite dresses ever and Kate Moss in a similar dress  when she went to the Golden Globes with Johnny Depp in 1995.  There is something extremely erotic about a dress that is covered and simple in the front until you turn around and then, unexpectedly,  it plunges down, down.  It is very, very sexy.  It is also very unconventional. 

From the 1970s is this Courreges Future Couture black velvet dress with a very simple front. 

And a very exciting back!  Black sequin embroidered straps lace across the bare back.  

This is the dress that would be chosen by the coolest girl at every party with the best style.

You see, it goes ALL the way down...

1970s Courreges Future Couture black velvet backless dress.  Size 4.

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

Courreges for the Chill

It is just when it gets this hot and muggy in New York that we start dreaming about a chill in the air and a cozy sweater to wrap ourselves in.  Then we start thinking, okay, what can we wear as soon as it gets a little cooler and when we saw this Courreges coat, we knew what we wanted!  Coats are wonderful to add to your closet because you can put them on often.  We love the special dress that you may not wear a lot but you are comforted to know that it is there for you when you need it.  But we also love the piece that we can wear a lot!

This is one of the nicest Courreges coats that we have ever seen and we completely, totally envy the size 2/4 woman who will be able to wear this coat. It is perfection. Everything is perfect about it. We love the color, the cut, the wonderful couture details (Courreges was not just all about the mini skirt and ultra modern designs - he was also a master tailor) and we love the decorative element of the iconic Courreges symbol done in a hard white plastic. We could gush on and on but will let you click on the photos and see for yourself why we are sad not to be a lucky size 2/4!

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

The Model as Muse: Past, Present and Future

RARE vintage is excited about the upcoming, Model as Muse, exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Maybe even more than the idea of the model as muse to a designer is the idea of model as muse to the consumer.

It is also not always exclusively a model who defines the image of a generation.

We would not consider the Duchess of Windsor a professional model by any means, but her image seen in magazines and newspapers around the world, defined the hard chic of the late 1930s. Her wedding trousseau included Schiaparelli's lobster print organdy gown and Mainbocher's timeless classics. Her Mainbocher blue wedding dress was one of the most copied dresses of 1937.

Fast forward almost thirty years later to 1965 and to Courreges' youthquake with his beautifully tailored mini dresses and pantsuits. Courreges' models were tall, suntanned and atheletic. The Duchess of Windsor quickly embraced his fitted and flared coats and dresses. The Duchess may not have been Courreges' ideal muse but her choice of his pieces would have no doubt been very influential to other stylish women.

RARE vintage has a circa 1965 Courreges double breasted wool gabardine coat, fitted and flared, just the way the Duchess of Windsor liked hers! It is sold with its original belt. The pockets are typically futuristic and rounded. It is timeless and a perfect transitional piece from winter to spring.

Circa 1965 navy wool gabardine Courreges coat. Size 2/4.

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

Put de lime in de coconut

We love this lime and coconut milk colored 1960s Courreges mini dress. Made of wool gabardine, the structure of the dress is emphasized by welt seaming. The two front pockets are decorative. Although vastly different than Cristobal Balenciaga's designs , for whom Coureges worked for, there is the same attention and thought to clean, simple lines.

And this must be our magic charm because tomorrow is St. Patricks day and if you are putting on the green, we are certain that RARE vintage blog readers will find our Courreges magically delicious!

Please note that the dress is sold without its original belt. We do think that it can be worn without but if you prefer a belt, a simple white leather or patent belt would be perfect.

1960s Courreges wool gabardine mini dress. Size 4.

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

Go into a Go-go

We are in the midst of a fashion muddle. No one seems to know what anyone wants: is it seasonal trendiness? Disposable chic? Is it timeless style? Is it reality or is it theatrics?

We have always wanted both reality and fantasy in fashion. Maybe what we do not want anymore is clothing that is mass produced, widely available and extremely expensive. There will never be a demise of fashion just as there will hopefully never be a demise of the haute couture despite much chattering to the contrary. But maybe what has been lost is the concept of wardrobe building and the customer. Most women probably favor a certain designer or designers. Instead of having collections that swing wildly from season to season, trend to trend, designers should keep their client in mind. There is a loss of intimacy in fashion and maybe that means that designers have forgotten that what women want is something new to add to the wardrobe that is already in their closet. Most women will not throw out last seasons clothes and buy an entirely new set for the next four months and then start all over again. Especially when the cost of doing so, well, you can imagine.

The appeal of vintage is the timelessness of the pieces. The value is that our clients buy items of exceptional and increasingly rare quality, particularly in the ready-to-wear. It is building a collection of pieces like this ivory lace Pierre Balmain we had that are exciting to own, thrilling to wear and are collectors items. Wardrobe building is an important part of the RARE vintage philosophy. Investment pieces that are wearable and collectible.

Every collector of vintage should own a Courreges dress from the 1960s. Mr. Courreges was a visionary and his designs changed the look of fashion in the 1960s. His couture pieces with their brilliant tailoring are as forward looking now as they were forty years ago. And as desirable. Here is a great dress/jumper from 1965 with leather trim.

1965 Courreges dress/jumper. Size 4.

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

The Future Is Now

In 1965 when André Courreges bared womens knees there was quite a controversy and then a quick embracement of the new youthful silhouette. It seems so quaint now that knees could be shocking especially since we have all been exposed, willing or not, to the nether regions of a few tabloid fodder girls.

Courreges' dresses still look so modern and fresh and part of that is because they were so beautifully tailored. They are crisp, clean and sleek. How amazing would this 1960s mini dress with a white leather belt look with a pair of flat nude colored sandals this summer?! We also love the look of this dress with its empire waist. This is the just the beginning of a significant collection of Courreges from the 1960s that we recently acquired so be sure to check back often.

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

Courreges

One of the wonderful things about selling vintage is the surprise of the unexpected. You never know what you are going to find next. It is also one of the wonderful things about wearing vintage. If exclusivity is having something that not everyone else can have, then vintage is truly having the exclusive. No waiting list ever!

Here is a remarkable and classic late 1960s midnight blue Courreges with midnight blue sequins done like tiny flowers on the bodice and a sequined belt. The color in these photos appears black but it is a true midnight blue when you actually see it. Size 4.

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

RARE Vintage at Lisa Perry's Beach House for Planned Parenthood Benefit Auction

RARE Vintage was very happy to be able to donate an Haute Couture Courreges dress to the 20th Annual Planned Parenthood "POP" Benefit at Lisa Perry's beautifully situated Beach House in the Hamptons. Our Courreges dress was surrounded by 1960s fashion, furniture and art. We loved Roy Lichtenstein's The Oval Office, the highest-grossing piece of the evening. Congratulations to Lisa Perry, Nancy Hessler and Planned Parenthood for a very successful and fun event!