Archival fashion is rarely defined by aesthetics alone. Its power lies in context: who wore it, when it appeared, how the culture received it, and why it still resonates decades later. Within the Circa archive, certain garments stand apart not simply as beautiful or wearable objects, but as reference points in fashion history. This series of case studies examines some of the history-making pieces held at Circa, exploring their provenance, cultural significance, and the reasons they endure.
1986 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Black Velvet and Jacquard Dress
A strapless version of this spectacular gown walked the runway for Yves Saint Laurent’s Fall 1986 show, and we believe this dress was an adapted couture-made piece for one of the House’s prestigious clients. During the 1980s, Yves Saint Laurent was at the helm of his eponymous house. Known during this decade for its decadent power dressing and evening wear and hugely successful couture collections, the brand’s 1986 show marked a deliberate move towards pleasing the tastes of his wealthiest clientele. As a result, this gown is a classic piece - elegant, wearable, and tailored from luxurious fabrics.
In contrast to the runway piece, our gown has the addition of a beautiful leather-backed velvet belt that allows for a more cinched silhouette and is separate from the dress. It is embossed with intricate botanical forms, roses and vines and is secured with hook-and-eye clasps with the option of three different lengths. The fabric is a shimmering black moiré jacquard silk woven with tonal motifs of bows and swirling ribbons that appear to ripple as they catch the light. The romantic bodice is crafted from velvet and boned the whole way around to cinch the waist and support the bust. The sleeves have puff shoulders and are cut slim at the wrist, creating an exaggerated silhouette that epitomised 1980s Yves Saint Laurent evening wear. The jacquard skirt is voluminous, falling from high on the waist at the front and curving round to sit lower on the back. A wide rimmed ruffle flounce falls from halfway down the skirt, adding the theatrical detailing that made Yves Saint Laurent’s couture shows such a must-see spectacle to the well-heeled of the 1980s.
1986 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Black Velvet and Jacquard Dress
1992 Thierry Mugler Runway Black Satin and Velvet Maxi Dress
This spectacular black satin and velvet maxi gown walked the runway as part of Thierry Mugler’s iconic Spring 1992 collection (Look 18/84). It has been exhibited as part of the Alaïa et Mugler exhibition at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa in Paris, and is remarkably similar to the custom Mugler dress worn by Demi Moore in the 1993 smash-hit film Indecent Proposal. The Spring 1992 collection cast supermodels, a male porn star, Ivana Trump and alt luminaries like Dianne Brill as runway models. It showcased the infamous Harley-Davidson bustier alongside early iterations of the brand’s now-signature cage dresses - this gown among them.
Created by the master of empowering, hyper-feminine tailoring, this dress offers a Mugler twist on a classic black ballgown. The body is crafted from black silk-satin, with a sweeping A-line cut and full-skirt that swirls around the ankles as the wearer moves or dances. The top of the dress is detailed with rich black cotton velvet, which forms a cage-like construction across the shoulders. The gown has a sweetheart neckline, trimmed with rows of black velvet that forms a sunburst shape above and below the bust. The centre of the bust is christened by a large black velvet bow. A striking synthesis of structure and sensuality, the gown encapsulates Mugler’s vision of power dressing at its most theatrical.
1992 Thierry Mugler Runway Black Satin and Velvet Maxi Dress
1997 Runway Documented Versace Lime Green Embellished Dress
This dress walked the runway as part of Versace’s Fall 1997 show - the last ready-to-wear collection that Gianni Versace ever designed. The final time he appeared on the runway to take his bow for a ready-to-wear collection, he was standing next to the model wearing this gown. As such, this is a poignant piece of fashion history.
Versace was known for its innovative, intricately-detailed embellishment and the work on this one-shoulder dress is no exception. The beadwork is weighty and exceptionally implemented; beaded vines wind their way up this gown, starting at the skirt and climbing up over the two straps on the shoulder. They are formed of tiny iridescent apple green sequins and silver-tone metal beads with tonal green and thick silver metallic embroidery holding them together. Teardrop-shaped rhinestones are scattered across the leaves as though water is glistening on them. The body of this silk-crepe dress is in two clashing colours - vibrant neon yellow-green and deep inky black. Both visually arresting and historically charged, the gown stands as a final, luminous expression of Gianni Versace’s singular vision.
1997 Runway Documented Versace Lime Green Embellished Dress
2003 Runway Alexander McQueen Irere Feather Print Dress
Released from the Circa vault, this archival vintage Alexander McQueen dress, designed by Lee Mcqueen is from the late designer's iconic Spring 2003 show. It was Look 42 and walked the runway for the colourful finale presentation, and was also featured in the campaign imagery for that season. The collection was titled "Irere" and took its lead from the people and animals of the Amazon rainforest. Lee was a master of story telling on the catwalk and the show had three distinct concepts presented as a narrative sequence: shipwrecked pirates, menacing conquistadors, and the final phase drew on the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and the colourful plumage of the Macaw tropical birds. This digitised 'Bird-of-Paradise' print became a brand signature and was designed by Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Pearson. It was resurrected five years later across multiple looks for McQueen's Spring 2008 show.
This incredibly detailed gown is crafted with multiple layers of patterned silk-chiffon atop a vibrant azure-blue cotton lining. Designed to look like a bird of paradise, the sleeves float behind the wearer like wings and plumes of cloth appear to spout from the top of the skirt. The bustier top features the ingenious boning and corsetry that the designer was known for and the swirling skirt is lined with beige crepe. This famously documented dress is in excellent condition, still with its original tags attached - the perfect addition to the archive of an Alexander McQueen collector. Extremely rare to market, it is worthy of museum acquisition.
2003 Runway Alexander McQueen Irere Feather Print Dress
2014 Julien MacDonald Runway Purple and Silver Sequin and Beaded Dress
Julien Macdonald OBE rose to prominence in the late 1990s. After graduating from the Royal College of Art, he was hired by Karl Lagerfeld to work at Chanel, and was later appointed chief designer at Givenchy. In 1997, Macdonald launched his eponymous label and it was here that he cemented his reputation for high-octane, couture-level craftsmanship. He was named “British Fashion Designer of the Year” at the 2001 British Fashion Awards and, in 2006, he was awarded an OBE for services to fashion. Macdonald is known for his meticulous handwork, opulent fabrics, and body-sculpting silhouettes that marry traditional techniques with unabashed sensuality. His designs, often featuring intricate beading, featherwork, and lacework, have made him a red carpet favorite, celebrated for reviving the spectacle and decadence of haute couture in a contemporary context.
Julien Macdonald’s Fall 2014 collection was inspired by Notre Dame Cathedral of Reims and Chateau de Boursault, home of Madame Clicquot, the woman responsible for the Veuve Clicquot champagne dynasty. “Like Reims turned into Studio 54” Macdonald said of the collection, whilst Vogue wrote that “the models looked like they’d been stitched into gilded second skins”. The fabric was kept sheer, almost invisible, just enough to ensure the silhouette of the exquisite embroidery and beadwork that snaked its way across the models’ flesh like scales of an otherworldly reptile.
This dress is a one-of-a-kind and the showpiece, walking the runway as Look 29/32 and ensuring a dramatic, memorable ending to the show. Tailored from a fine mesh in the palest peach hue, the skirt gives way to a slim-cut skirt that pools on the floor around the feet. The elaborate beadwork is cleverly placed across the body - revealing, but only so much. The detail it contains is mesmerising: snakes with studded bodies twist and turn, snarling with shimmering fangs; autumnal leaves in aubergine and violet cascade down the body; silver and grey feather-like forms create modesty where needed. In its sheerest places, the mesh of the skirt is also beaded with rows of glittering silver bugle beads like cobwebs that have caught the morning dew. A masterclass in illusion, craftsmanship, and controlled provocation, the gown distils Macdonald’s vision at its most confident.
2014 Julien MacDonald Runway Purple and Silver Sequin and Beaded Dress