Happy Birthday, Balenciaga!

We'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to Cristobal Balenciaga! Born on this day in 1895, Balenciaga was one of the greatest masters of fashion + true haute couture to have ever lived. If you don't have enough Balenciaga in your life (and honestly, how could you) be sure to check out the Cristobal Balenciaga Museoa + we'd also highly recommend this beautiful coffee table book.

Velvet Veruschka

As fashion dealers + just all around lovers of fashion, we're constantly doing research on pieces we come across and perusing vintage fashion photos + magazines. The curse (and gift) of the internet is that you can never find what you're looking for when you want it but will ultimately stumble across it at some other random point in time. So, imagine our surprise when we accidentally came across this photo of the eternally beautiful Veruschka from Vogue, August 1968.



That's MY coat! I mean, that's "my" coat. Right? My husband managed to pry my fingers off it + keep it out of my closet for just long enough to get it photographed. I'll cross my fingers that it never sells so I can continue to bask in it's beauty for a little while longer. Otherwise I'll be resigned to only seeing it at the Chicago History Museum and that one doesn't have sable trim!

So, without further ado, we offer you this insanely gorgeous 1968 Bill Blass velvet + sable coat.

Extremely rare Sergeant Pepper inspired 1968 Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner evening coat. Long dark imperial blue velvet with flared hem + belled sleeves. Metallic gold soutache braided closures up the front with large rhinestone buttons. Nehru neckline + flared cuffs are lined in genuine silver-tipped Russian sable fur. Fully lined in silk. A spectacular + awe-inspiring piece for any collector.

Available at http://www.bustownmodern.com.

Sokolsky's Bubbles

While we're on the subject of 1963, no great discussion of that year's fashions can occur without mention of Melvin Sokolsky. At a mere 21 years old, Sokolsky shot what can only be described as one of the most iconic + revolutionary fashion shoots of all time. His "Bubble" series, shot in the streets of Paris for the 1963 Spring collections issue of Harper's Bazaar, is still breathtaking almost 50 years later. As a photographer, the fact that he was able to pull this off pre-Photoshop is just mind-blowing!

















And some wonderful behind-the-scenes photos:

Marc Bohan + Christian Dior, 1963

For over three decades, Marc Bohan defined the classic elegance that is Christian Dior. He joined the Christian Dior London line in 1958 + then took over as Creative Director after the departure of Yves Saint Laurent in the Fall of 1960. His early career included stints at Molyneux, Madeleine de Rauch + Jean Patou. Bohan's simple + classic designs were always fashion forward but with a distinct classiness all their own, drawing inspiration from previous decades. Throughout the years, the House of Dior (thanks in large part to Bohan) has maintained an iconic look, constantly borrowing elements from previous collections + refashioning them into something new yet quintessentially "Dior."

Bohan's designs were an instant success with Dior's celebrity clientele including Elizabeth Taylor + Sophia Loren (shown here with Bohan in February, 1963).

The Spring collection from 1963 is no exception to the Dior formula -- the perfect balance between contemporary fashions + classic simplicities.

We are proud to present this beautifully designed example of Marc Bohan's S/S 1963 Christian Dior haute couture collection.

Beautiful Spring/Summer 1963 Marc Bohan for Christian Dior haute couture wool jacket. Exceptionally rare find! Charcoal grey lightweight mottled wool. Classic high rounded neckline, top stitched details, bracelet length sleeves + besom pockets. Fully lined in silk.

Available at http://www.bustownmodern.com.

The Most Beautiful Things on Earth

We are pleased to announce that many of our top-tier designer + vintage fashion pieces will now be available on 1stDibs.com! We're happy to join the family of some of the most knowledgable + reputable vintage dealers in the industry. We're confident our contributions to the site will help keep it the home of "the most beautiful things on Earth."

1stDibs.com | Bustown Modern on 1stDibs