• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1983 Chanel Haute Couture show as Look 73. 
• It was made under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld
• This was Karl's second Haute Couture show so any pieces from the show are incredibly rare and valuable.
• "It is all about luxury" Karl said of the show at the time. In the book "Catwalk: Chanel" they note that Karl was inspired by the history of the house and the unique skills of the Haute Couture atelier. Karl actually coaxed one of Coco Chanel's tailor's out of a retirement to find out how Mademoiselle made the sleeves of the iconic suit jacket. "They were cut in five different places" Karl admiringly told Women's Wear Daily. The book also notes that true to the spirit of Haute Couture, Lagerfeld worked with "luxurious materials from panne velvet and subtle beading to opulent embroidery inspired by Coco Chanel's personal collection of baroque objects and by the elaborate patterns of 18th century furniture."
• The dress would have been completely made by hand in the Paris atelier. 
  
• The dress is made out of a silk metallic panne velvet. All of the strands within the velvet have a metallic feel to them and this gives the dress an almost silvery liquid finish.
• The dress is cut to feel very soft over the body and the fabric is very light in weight. As you move the metallic threads that run through the velvet pick up the light from every angle. It is quite extraordinary.
• The shoulders have light rounded padding in them that extend into the top of the sleeve past the gold ribbon that frames the shoulder. The sleeves are long and each cuff is brought in slightly with hidden set stitching.
• The dress wraps over itself at the front and buttons to close with a series of six handmade gold buttons that we believe to be gold plated though they have no markings. Each button has a lion that sit on a black enamel base. 
• The edges of the dress are defined by a metallic gold ribbon finish that feels all like it has real metal threads in it. This detailing follows. the seams where the sleeves insert into the dress, run around the collar, along the tops of the four pockets on the dress, and then down the front opening.
• I have included a photo of the dress hanging on a hanger. It is cut quite generously through the waist with the intention of cinching it in as needed with a belt. With the way that it is cut it would be easy to move the buttons over if you wanted a slimmer fit before belting.
• The dress is fully lined in a handset black silk. All of the work is done by hand and the trimming and buttons would have all been handmade specifically for this piece. I see a little bit of pinhole in the lining where it looks like someone moved the inner snap at the collar. This has no impact and is just mentioned for accuracy. The buttons may have been moved at some point to make it larger, and as mentioned above, it would be easy to move them where it fit the person who purchased this best. The grosgrain ribbon photoed with the dress is not original to the dress but will be included. The dress has as proper couture Chanel label and number tape underneath that in place.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the listed measurements below. 
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders to the ribbons: 15" and the padding extends slightly beyond that
Bust: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17.5" from neck to waist
Total length: 42" from neck to hem with 2.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD5674

Reference Photos: (1-2) Fall 1983 Chanel Haute Couture Runway.  /  (3) From the book "Catwalk: Chanel".

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