The Black Swan: Jacqueline de Ribes

Before there was AdR (Anna dell Russo) there was JdR: Jacqueline de Ribes.

"She is the pearl in the king of Poland's ear, the Queen of Sheba's tallow-dropped emerald, Diane de Poitier's crescent tiara, the Ring of Nibelungen.  She is a castle in Bavaria, a tall, black swan, a royal blue orchid."

Yves Saint Laurent

Don't you just wish someone would describe you that way?!

I saw an article about Jacqueline de Ribes from when she launched her namesake fashion line in 1983 with the title: From Riches to Rags.  De Ribes fashion line was clearly a reflection of her own life.  She knew clothes, knew grand parties in Paris and Venice and had long been a couture client when she decided to make her own "pret-couture".  

"De Ribes clothes are frightfully glamorous, like her."

C.Z. Guest

Yesterday...

Jacqueline de Ribes in a lace and sequin dress of her own design.

Today...

Jacqueline de Ribes lace and sequin dress available for purchase at RARE vintage.

How to wear it?  Wear it when you yourself are feeling frightfully glamorous (which we all need to feel sometimes : ) for a cocktail party.

Buy the 1980s vintage Jacquleine de Ribes lace and black sequin dress here.  Read more about JdR here.

And wear it with:

A Jimmy Choo lace pump with a black patent leather pointed toe.

Buy the Jimmy Choo shoe here.

love and kisses, Juliana

RARE vintage for Resort: Tom Ford for Gucci

Shimmer and shine this holiday season in a Tom Ford for Gucci Fall 2000 halter neck dress.

Emilio Schuberth and the Wicked Décolleté

Emilio Schuberth was an Italian designer known for his wicked décolletés.  His clients included women with famously wicked décolletés: Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren,  Brigitte Bardot and Ava Garnder.  

His clothes were molded to the body and ultra feminine.   Schuberth too was quite the dandy driving a Cadillac with a lace interior and full of fresh flowers.  He could be just as extravagant in his fashion designs: the tulle!  the lace!  the embroidery!  But his work could also be tailored and simple and architectural.

But tailored and simple the Italian way which was all about the Bella Figura and La Dolce Vita.  And the wicked décolleté.

I am very excited to be able to offer this extremely rare and beautiful 1950s Emilio Schuberth black jersey tailored to the body, with a weighted hem and black silk ribbon trim dress.  

1950s Emilio Schuberth cocktail dress.

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Roman Holiday or Do Like Audrey and Wear Short to the Academy Awards!

My favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is Love in the Afternoon.  Well, I love Charade too.  And I confess I love them because I really love the clothes.  The films themselves are both wonderful but the clothes are amazing!  And really isn't that the most important thing☺!

This dress was love in the afternoon for me when I was shown it late in the day recently in Milan.  It belonged to an Italian Countess.  Una Contessa molto chic!  And we love those chic countess' at RARE vintage!

Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award for Roman Holiday in 1953.  She was 24 years old and she opted to wear a short ivory dress from Givenchy.  Her dress had thin straps was fitted at the waist and with a full skirt.

Our alta moda dress was made and embroidered by hand in Italy.  It has thin straps embroidered with a gold metal thread, is fifties wasp-waisted and has a circle skirt.

The work on this dress is extraordinary.  It is sad to realize that it would probably be nearly impossible to do this kind of embroidery in Italy now. And the cost!  Mamma Mia!!

Unfortunately, the label has been removed so we do not know who it is by.  We do know that it is something special, with incredibly fine and detailed work and was part of a beautiful collection more of which is coming to the RARE blog this week!

I think this would be a very fresh, very ingenue dress to wear to the Academy Awards.  Unexpected but beautiful, youthful and timeless.  After all, just look at Audrey accepting her Oscar in 1954.  (There is a nice video on You Tube from the 1954 Academy Awards which I was not able to link too but you can search Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday Academy Awards.  She looks gorgeous -eyebrows are a little scary but otherwise perfection!)

1950s Italian unlabeled alta moda cream silk cocktail dress with gold thread embroidery.  Size 4.

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Chanel Haute Couture Black Lace Dress

This dress was worn by one of our favorite actresses, Kyra Sedgwick, to the Critics Choice Awards.  It is beautiful, glamorous and elegant.  It is slightly vampy (black lace always feels slightly dangerous) but is also very sleek.

I know, I know, do we really need another black dress?   The real question is do you have a thick lace strapless Chanel haute couture dress that hugs your curves and is finished off with a wide silk bow and a tiny little fish tail hem...

That you can wear with simple hair and bold jewelry?  Or with a fitted tuxedo jacket and colorful strappy sandals or how amazing would the red Christian Louboutin Lady Lynch Strass high heels be? So you see a little black Chanel couture dress is so basic we all need it!

1980s Chanel haute couture black cotton lace dress.  Size 4.

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