• The dress was made by hand in the atelier of Ady Couture who was based in Lausanne Switzerland
• Ady was a couture trained seamstress and headed a team who had full permission of the Haute Couture houses she worked with to make the designs they showed in Paris for clients based in Switzerland and the surrounding areas.
• She would purchase couture fabrics from the couture houses along with the patterns. This arrangement with the couture houses was a way to work around customs during this time period and do fittings for clients unable to travel to Paris. So far we have verified that she had this arrangement with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Ungaro. There may have been others but those are the four labels we have documentation on from the runway.
• This incredible Haute Couture dress came to me from the niece of the original couture client.
• The dress is an authorized copy of the 1982 Givenchy Haute Couture fdress that we have included reference photos of here. I love having the runway photos so that you can see just how amazing it is in the body. 
• The dress is made from a deep copper gold silk. It is very light in weight but has enough structure to hold the stunning lines and volume of the dress. The colour of the silk is even better in person.
• The neckline is a simple scoop and the bodice skims over your curves. The sleeves are incredible. Each one is set on a curve to follow the shape of the arm in the traditional manner of dressmaking. They are set into the shoulders with a beautiful series of soft pleats so that you get a bit of volume at the shoulder. They puff out slightly around the upper arm and then narrow down at their ends.
• The waist is seamed but with a more generous feel. You can use the ribbon belt to cinch it in and add shape.
• The skirt is one of the best skirts I have seen both from a design point of view and by its level of construction. It is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is. A seam brings the top part of the skirt inwards and then the lower part of the skirt falls to the floor from there.
• The lower portion of the skirt is made from several yards of silk so that it flares out beautifully as it falls.
• Between the two sections is a wide velvet ribbon that wraps around the seam and ties into a bow at the side. Which beautifully picks up on the bow around the waist. The silk of the skirts are lined in a silk organza to help give support but it is really the genius of the cut itself that creates the shape.
• An elaborate and intricate floral design runs across the front and back of the bodice and down each sleeve. Hand done embroidery work is combined with tiny black sequins and hand applied beads. It is some of the finest hand work I have seen. 
• The skirt is gathered all the way around the waist in a series of soft pleats. These puff out slightly and this little couture trick gives the illusion that the waist is smaller then it is.
• Inside the dress is completely finished to couture standards with every seam finished by hand. I have taken some detail shots for you to see the fine workmanship inside. It is an incredible piece and absolutely beautifully made.
• The bodice is fully lined in a matching gold toned silk and the skirt is fully lined with a soft gold toned silk organza. It closes with a hand set back zipper and the skirt snaps into place with silk covered snaps over that. Hidden set zippers at each wrist. Hand finished throughout. The velvet ribbon belt is not original to the piece but is included. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Made to Haute Couture standards with a tremendous amount of detail put into its construction. It is a slightly softer gold copper in person then how it photoed. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present so please go by the measurements listed below
• Excellent condition 

Sleeves: 26" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of the shoulder to waist
Length: 58" from top of the shoulder to front hem, 61" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5461

Reference Photos: Fall 1982 Givenchy Couture Runway.

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