In 1952, Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season, he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman and was eventually made available at other retailers. The line was high end and extremely well made. This part of his brand was created specifically to appeal to his non-couture clients who wanted to be able to purchase a piece of the Givenchy dream. This label continued until 1992 when it was retired and rebranded as the Givenchy Couture label.

When dating this one we found photos of its twin on the runway that season and it has the added provenance of being was used in the ad campaign that year. On the runway the dress was shown with matching removable sleeves. It is interesting to note that for the ad campaign it was shown without those sleeves. That might mean that they were not produced at all and were only made for styling on the runway. I have never seen one come up for sale with the sleeves.

The dress is so pretty in its purple and soft taupey colour combination. It is strapless and the silk is softly gathered over the bust. At the center it extends out into ties. These adjust the fit by a little bit and having the ends trail down, or tying them into a knot or bow, adds a nice little bit of detail at the front. The silk is feather light and weighs ounces. It falls from just under the bust and widens out quite a bit by the time it hits the hem. When you walk or move it floats around you beautifully. Inside it is lined with a light almost gold taupe nude silk to keep it wearable. It is just pretty and light and fabulous. It is an easy to wear a dress that is even better once on an actual body. Excellent condition

Fully lined in silk and closes at the side with the zipper. The front ties let you adjust it by a little bit across the bust area. Tagged a 46. The hem has a hand finished edge. I see a tiny repair along the hem of the inner lining that of course is not seen when on.

Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 5" from top of bodice to seam under the bust
Skirt: 50" from seam under the bust to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4283

Reference Photos: (1) Spring 1977 Givenchy Runway.  /  (2) Spring 1977 Givenchy Ad Campaign, L'Officiel.  /  (3) Spring 1977 Givenchy Runway. Credit Unknown.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.