John Anthony's business was all done on a made-to-order basis. That means that each piece is the only one that exists or in the very occasional circumstance that there are similar pieces only a very limited amount of pieces were made. And to make things even a little more special.... the pieces I have in the shop come directly from John's archive. He is one of the great American couturiers and he was known for his sharp tailoring and striking evening wear. He launched his atelier in 1971 and he quickly rose to fame, winning a Coty award in 1972 and then again in 1976. This jacket is from his Fall 1984 collection and is the original sample from his archives. We also were able to find the runway photo of the jacket and you can see just how amazing this one is on the body.

The first thing you notice about this jacket is the weight. Thousands of glass tube beads and sequins cover the jacket and this gives it weight yet once on the body it does not feel uncomfortable to wear. It is stunning. It has a beautiful tailored cut and it sits wonderfully on the body. This one has a single closure at the base of the collar and is meant to be layered over other pieces and just be that easy but super luxe piece you just throw on. The shoulders have some padding for a slightly more rounded shape and the sleeves fall from there in a straight sleek line so that they have a touch of width. The waist is brought in with meticulous shaping and seaming so it has a beautiful curve. The is a hidden hook and eye and then a single decorative button at the front. The hips flare out from there for beautiful shape. It is meticulously tailored. John told me that creating jackets was one of his favourites things to do. They are infinitely challenging to have them sit perfectly on the body and his are tailored to a master level. It has a neat rounded collar and the neckline is a sleek V. The upper part of the body of the jacket has a touch of volume and you can see this on the runway photo. The entire jacket is covered in glossy black glass tube beads mixed with deep grey matte silver sequins. The beads and sequins are all applied by hand and are set into a tight chevron pattern over the entire jacket. They completely cover the silk that the jacket is made from. Each sequin is laid out so that it slightly overlaps its neighbour. To think of the man hours put into this jacket is incredible. The personal attention to each piece is clearly seen in the workmanship of his designs. His work is very expensive and beaded jackets like this retailed for up to $6,500 in the 80s and 90s which would be around $25k in modern dollars to recreate at this level. This is the actual sample jacket and it is the one that appears in the runway photo we have included here. It is meant to have that slightly oversized feel. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk with a hook and eye closure. The button is decorative. Padding in each shoulder. Made by hand, one of a kind and pristine. 

Sleeves: 23" long and 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 17"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4552

Reference Photos: Fall 1984 John Anthony Runway. Model Catherine Timmer.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.