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The Archivary The French Edit November 2026

The Edit

The French Edit

Pieces from the French houses: Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Ungaro, from city guides to jewellery.

Pieces
62
Every piece
Examined, dated and documented by The Archivary
Plate I
2003 Louis Vuitton City Guide ParisView the piece
62 piecesPage 1 of 6 · Next page
Christian DiorNo. 01

1980s

The Miss Dior Robe

A silk dressing gown in which the Miss Dior name becomes part of the check, repeated across the whole garment. Lace cuffs and padded shoulders place it firmly in the 1980s.

The French Edit

A Christian Dior dressing gown from the 1980s, labelled Miss Dior for Saks Fifth Avenue, in pure printed silk. The black and ivory check is printed with Miss Dior logos, crests and baroque emblems. It has an open wrap fit with a wide belt tie, light shoulder padding, side seam pockets and French seams; the cuffs are trimmed with black lace. It suits UK 8–12 / US 4–8. The Miss Dior name was first used for the house's 1947 perfume, and in 1967 Marc Bohan gave it to Dior's first ready-to-wear line. It is in very good vintage condition, with no fading to the print.

Provenance
Christian Dior, 1980s. Miss Dior for Saks Fifth Avenue. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good Vintage
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Christian DiorNo. 02

2000s

The Denim Brim

Denim, the most ordinary of cloths, cut into a soft wide brim and finished with the Dior name in metal. It belongs to a decade in which the house treated workwear fabric as a material for luxury accessories.

The French Edit

A Christian Dior sun hat from the 2000s in washed-out denim, with a soft, wide brim that folds away. A metal badge carries the Dior logo. The hat is size 50, a small fit. It dates from the years of John Galliano's creative direction at Dior (1996–2011), when the house worked denim into its accessories, including versions of the Saddle bag introduced for Spring/Summer 2000. It is in very good vintage condition, with little sign of wear.

Provenance
Christian Dior, 2000s. Dior logo metal badge. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good Vintage
Authenticated by
The Archivary

2000s Christian Dior Denim Sun Hat

Rs. 75,000
Christian DiorNo. 03

Vintage

Peony Red, Sealed

Peony Red, 15 denier, still sealed: Dior hosiery under the Diorella name, a couture signature in a single sheer shade.

The French Edit

A pair of vintage Christian Dior Diorella Ultra tights in Peony Red, 15 denier, one size, from the house's licensed hosiery. Diorella is also the name of the Dior fragrance created by Edmond Roudnitska in 1972, and the house used its names across licensed accessories. Sheer 15-denier tights in a strong named colour such as Peony Red show how Dior hosiery offered fashion shades under the couture name. Vintage new: never worn, in the original sealed packaging.

Provenance
Christian Dior, licensed hosiery. Vintage. Private Collection.
Condition
Never Worn, Sealed
Authenticated by
The Archivary
The French EditFrom the archive

1947: The New Look

On 12 February 1947 Christian Dior showed his first collection at 30 avenue Montaigne. Its two lines, Corolle and En Huit, brought back the narrow waist, the soft sloping shoulder and long, full skirts after years of wartime rationing. Carmel Snow, editor of Harper's Bazaar, told him his dresses had such a new look, and the name stayed. The Bar suit, a natural shantung jacket over a black pleated wool skirt, became the image of the season.

Christian DiorNo. 04

1980s

Saffron and the Double Dash

A saffron shade and a patterned 'Double Dash' design, sold under the Dior name. Hosiery was one of the first ways the house reached beyond couture, beginning with stockings in 1949.

The French Edit

A pair of Christian Dior tights from the 1980s in saffron, with the Double Dash design, one size. The packaging uses the bilingual term 'Bas-Collants', the French word for tights. Hosiery was among the first categories Dior licensed: the house was founded in 1946, and the first licence for stockings in the United States followed in 1949. By the 1980s, under Marc Bohan, Dior tights were sold in a wide range of fashion colours and patterns. The tights are one size, with measurements given on the packaging. They are vintage new: never worn, in the original sealed packaging.

Provenance
Christian Dior, 1980s. Licensed hosiery. Private Collection.
Condition
Never Worn, Sealed
Authenticated by
The Archivary
ChanelNo. 05

1980s

No 5 at the Counter

The world's most famous perfume, at the shop counter: a 1980s Chanel No 5 show card, made to sell and rarely kept.

The French Edit

A 1980s Chanel No 5 shop advertising show card, printed on thick cardboard, made to be displayed in perfumeries and department stores. Show cards like this brought the image of No 5, Chanel's most famous fragrance, to the counter where it was sold. They were designed for temporary display and were usually discarded when a new campaign arrived. It measures approximately 15 x 10.25 in (38 x 26 cm) and comes from a private collection in London. It is in good vintage condition, with light signs of age and light marks on the back, as expected.

Provenance
Chanel, 1980s. Private Collection, London.
Condition
Good Vintage
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Christian DiorNo. 06

2000s

Pink Silk, Steel Buckle

Pink silk held by a steel and leather buckle: a Dior scarf from the Galliano years, to wear at the neck or in the hair.

The French Edit

A Christian Dior neck scarf in solid pink silk, from the early John Galliano years at the house in the 2000s. Made in France. It is finished with a removable steel buckle with leather detailing, which works as a scarf ring and gives the plain silk a distinctive accent. The scarf can be worn at the neck or tied as a headband, with or without the buckle, making it a versatile piece. It is in excellent vintage condition.

Provenance
Christian Dior, Paris. Made in France, 2000s. Private Collection.
Condition
Excellent Vintage
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Christian DiorNo. 07

1980s

Beneath the Jacket

Black silk braces by Dior: the quiet signature of 1980s tailoring, worn beneath the jacket.

The French Edit

A pair of 1980s Christian Dior men's trouser braces in black silk blend, with a self-tie fastening, size 40/100. Braces were one of the signature accessories of 1980s tailoring, worn with high-waisted trousers and double-breasted suits, and a Dior pair brings the house's menswear polish to that look. They are in very good vintage condition.

Provenance
Christian Dior, 1980s. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good Vintage
Authenticated by
The Archivary
The French EditFrom the archive

After Monsieur Dior

Christian Dior died in October 1957, ten years after his debut. The house passed to his 21-year-old assistant, Yves Saint Laurent, whose Trapeze line of 1958 was an immediate success. In 1960 Marc Bohan took over and stayed for almost thirty years, the longest tenure in the history of the house: an era of quiet, wearable elegance, of the Miss Dior ready-to-wear line launched in 1967, and of the scarves, jewellery and eyewear from which many archive pieces come.

Louis VuittonNo. 09

2003

Vienna to Athens, 2003

From Habsburg Vienna to classical Athens: five cities of Central and South-Eastern Europe, as Louis Vuitton's City Guide saw them in 2003.

The French Edit

Five cities, one volume.

Volume VIII of the 2003 Louis Vuitton City Guide collection, published by Louis Vuitton Malletier in English and illustrated by Rubén Toledo, covering five cities: Vienna, Prague, Kraków, Istanbul and Athens. The selection moves from the imperial architecture and coffee houses of Vienna and the Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau streets of Prague to Kraków's medieval market square, Istanbul's Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks between Europe and Asia, and the classical sites of Athens. Read today, it records these cities as they were at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Louis Vuitton has published its City Guides since 1998, written by independent authors rather than by the house itself. This copy has never been used and is in very good condition.

Provenance
Louis Vuitton Malletier, 2003. Volume VIII. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good, Never Used
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Louis VuittonNo. 10

2003

Copenhagen to Moscow, 2003

Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo, Stockholm and Moscow in 2003, seen through Louis Vuitton's City Guide and drawn by Rubén Toledo. The volume sets Scandinavian design culture beside the architecture and theatre of the Russian capital.

The French Edit

Scandinavian design beside the Russian capital.

The 2003 Louis Vuitton City Guide to Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo, Stockholm and Moscow, Volume IV, published by Louis Vuitton Malletier in English and illustrated by Rubén Toledo. The volume covers four Scandinavian cities and the Russian capital: Copenhagen and its design tradition, Malmö across the Øresund, Oslo in its natural setting, Stockholm with its waterways, royal architecture and museums, and Moscow with its boulevards, theatres and monumental architecture. Louis Vuitton has published its City Guides since 1998, written by independent authors rather than by the house itself. Read today, the volume is a portrait of northern and eastern European cities at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This copy has never been used and is in very good condition.

Provenance
Louis Vuitton Malletier, 2003. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good, Never Used
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Louis VuittonNo. 11

2003

London to Amsterdam, 2003

London, Dublin, Brussels, Hamburg and Amsterdam in 2003, seen through Louis Vuitton's City Guide and drawn by Rubén Toledo. Together they form a portrait of northern European city life at the turn of the millennium.

The French Edit

Five cities shaped by trade, art and architecture.

The 2003 Louis Vuitton City Guide to London, Dublin, Brussels, Hamburg and Amsterdam, Volume III, published by Louis Vuitton Malletier in English and illustrated by Rubén Toledo. The guide brings together five cities with distinct architectural, commercial and cultural identities: London with its institutions, galleries and shopping streets; Dublin with its Georgian architecture and literary heritage; Brussels with its Art Nouveau buildings and historic squares; Hamburg with its maritime history; and Amsterdam with its canals and seventeenth-century architecture. Louis Vuitton has published its City Guides since 1998, written by independent authors rather than by the house itself. Read today, this volume is a portrait of these cities at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This copy has never been used and is in very good condition.

Provenance
Louis Vuitton Malletier, 2003. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good, Never Used
Authenticated by
The Archivary
Louis VuittonNo. 12

2003

France Beyond Paris

France beyond Paris: five southern cities, from Cézanne's Aix to La Ville Rose, as Louis Vuitton's City Guide saw them in 2003.

The French Edit

Five French cities beyond the capital.

Volume II of the 2003 Louis Vuitton City Guide collection, published by Louis Vuitton Malletier in English and illustrated by Rubén Toledo, covering five cities of Southern and South-Western France: Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse. The volume moves from the fountains and Provençal architecture of Aix-en-Provence, the city of Cézanne, to eighteenth-century Bordeaux and its wine culture, Lyon and its culinary and silk heritage, the Mediterranean port of Marseille and Toulouse, La Ville Rose. Together they offer a portrait of France beyond its capital in the early 2000s. Louis Vuitton has published its City Guides since 1998, written by independent authors rather than by the house itself. This copy has never been used and is in very good condition.

Provenance
Louis Vuitton Malletier, 2003. Volume II. Private Collection.
Condition
Very Good, Never Used
Authenticated by
The Archivary
The French EditFrom the archive

Optyl: The Material Behind the Frames

Many Dior sunglasses of the 1970s and 1980s were made in Austria in Optyl, an epoxy resin developed in the 1960s by the Austrian Wilhelm Anger. Lighter than acetate and kind to the skin, Optyl has a memory: warmed, it softens, and it returns to its moulded shape. It also takes colour in depth, which made possible the translucent fronts, bicolour fades and bold graphic shapes of Dior eyewear of the period.

Rare objects of fashion. Italian curation.