Hanae Mori Jumpsuit, 1967

Photo by Irving Penn for US Vogue

I usually associate designer Hanae Mori with beautiful prints, and butterflies were a favorite design element of hers, but this over-the-top jumpsuit from 1967 is quite a bit wilder than anything I've seen of hers from this era.  Made of silk crepe, I am sure the workmanship on this was simply superb.  The bracelets are by New York jeweler Charles Elkaim.

Weekend Eye Candy - Hanae Mori, 1965

Oh, how I wish this photo were in color. Hanae Mori's signature butterflies decorate this gown from 1965 with elaborate ruffles down the back and around the hem. Le sigh.......

Meet Penny and Anniken

I always enjoy seeing my customers wearing the vintage they buy from me, and I know you do too.

Meet Penny of Penny Dreadful Vintage. She's wearing a 1950s polka dot dress she bought from Couture Allure. I love the way Penny has accessorized the dress with green tights and gold shoes.

Here she adds a green jacket and coordinating scarf to completely change the look. Penny, you look marvelous and thanks for giving us an example of what we can do to make a vintage dress fun and modern!

I recently sold this vintage 1970s Hanae Mori evening gown and was lucky enough to see it on Anniken during my trip to California last month. Doesn't she look lovely?

While I prefer to show the garments I sell on a dressform for the website, sometimes a dress just comes alive on a real person. When Anniken moved in the dress, the two layers floated and the prints played off of one another in an enchanting fashion. You could see the butterflies on the underdress through the chiffon outer layer and it looked like they were flitting about in the mist. Mori's genius was apparent and I was delighted and amazed.

Meet Lovely Bride Amanda

A couple of years ago, I sold this 1970s Hanae Mori silk evening gown to Amanda. She had been searching for a unique dress to use for her wedding. Amanda has a wonderful vision and knew she could remake this dress into her bridal gown. I normally don't advocate reworking vintage, but in this instance I think Amanda has done a brilliant job and she made a truly unique and one-of-a-kind wedding dress.

Here is Amanda on her wedding day. She changed the dress lining from coral to green, removed the long sleeves, and reworked the neckline. Isn't she beautiful?