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Vintage 1983 Zandra Rhodes Turquoise Printed Embellished Silk Chiffon Fairy Gown, Size 6

Vintage 1983 Zandra Rhodes Turquoise Printed Embellished Silk Chiffon Fairy Gown, Size 6

Stunning 80s Zandra Rhodes fantasy chiffon maxi dress with floral and abstract print (screen sprinted). It features a sequin and bead sunburst design on the centre bodice. The neckline and sleeve hems are edged with beads, as are the apron panels at front and back waist. It is lined in silk and feels very mermaid-esque due to the colours, as well as the style of the flower print looking like seashells or sea flora!

Other details:
- Round neckline.
- Short wide sleeves.
- Gathered at the shoulders.
- Unusual neckline tassels/ties. 
- No openings- must be pulled on over the head. 
- Elasticated waist. 
- Comes with a sachet of spare beads and sequins.

Printed on the front and back is the following text: 

O long, long stems that twine
O buds so neatly furled
O great white bells of mine
(None purer in the world)

- This stanza is from the Song of The White Bindweed Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker, featured in her book Flower Fairies of The Wayside. 

Scilla, Scilla, tell me true
Why are you so very blue?
Oh I really cannot say
Why I'm made this lovely way 

- These lines are from The Scilla Fairy poem also by Cicely Mary Barker, featured in her book Flower Fairies of The Garden. 

Rhodes frequently cites Barker's work as a core childhood memory and a profound inspiration for her lifelong love of flowers, textiles, and organic print design.

YEAR: 1983- custom made for a special customer around the time of her Indian Collection (AW 1982) and Mount Olympus Collection (SS 1983), which featured the same  print called A Field of Poems. This is a one of a kind creation. 

PROVENANCE: Purchased from Kerry Taylor Auctions in 2022. They sourced it to the vEnt archive- an iconic Notting Hill vintage store that closed in 2003. 

COLOUR: Turquoise blue, pink and a darker blue 

FABRIC: Silk 

LABEL: Zandra Rhodes London. 
Dry clean only. 

MEASUREMENTS:
Approximate, taken while laying flat.
--- Allow for some ease.

Bust: 34-36" 
Waist: 26-30" (elasticated)  
Length: 60“ 

CONDITION: Fair 
There are a some small holes in a number of places:
- The left sleeve 
- The front and back hem (including lining) 
- A larger hole at the right side of the skirt, near the hem
These have all been photographed- please review the last photos in the lot. 

Thank you for taking the time to check out this listing. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require additional photos or if you have any questions or concerns.

Browse more vintage designer dresses: 
https://iandrummondvintage.com/collections/designer-vintage-dresses

Regular price $1,200.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $1,200.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Import Duties

We are located in Canada. International customers are responsible for paying all VAT Import Customs and Handling charges that may occur upon delivery. If a customer does not pay these fees, and the package is returned to us, the customer will be billed for the return shipping cost.

Please provide your phone number at checkout.

***To our American customers, please note that as of August 29th 2025, "de minimus" exemptions on imports of items valued at less than $800 USD no longer apply. The American government has implemented 35% tariffs on all shipments from Canada, to be paid for by the customer. Please be aware that you will now have to pay a duty fee to receive your package. This can be prepaid at checkout.

Shipping Information

We are based in Toronto, Canada and offer domestic and international shipping to the following countries:

Canada
The United States
Australia
New Zealand
Japan
China
The UK and British crown dependencies (*except Northern Ireland) 

If you are not located in the above countries, you may look into package forwarding services. You may be able to utilize a service that can forward your package to your preferred destination. 

We are currently unable to offer shipping to E.U. countries due to the demands of the E.U. General Product Safety Regulations that came into effect on December 13th 2024. 

All purchases are shipped through either Canada Post or Chit Chats. If you have a FEDEX account, we would be glad to use that if you prefer. Please email us with your FEDEX number at iandrummondvintage@gmail.com immediatley after your purchase. 

Our studio hours are Monday - Friday from 9am to 5pm EST. Our studio is closed on the weekends and therefore staff are not available for shipping orders on the weekends.

We typically make two weekly trips to the post office, usually on Monday and Friday afternoons. If you need your item shipped express, you may choose this option at checkout and we will ship the same day if possible.

The majority of our packages are sent to the US and delivered within 3-6 business days. 

RATES:

Shipping rates are given at checkout based on Canada Post estimates. If you believe that the estimate given is too high, you may contact us via email at iandrummondvintage@gmail.com to see if we can get a lower rate. Please note that we are closed on the weekends and do not answer emails until Monday morning.

We send all of our packages out with tracked shipping and with a return service guarantee if undelivered. The tracking number will be sent to you in your shipping confirmation email. You may request for us to send an item untracked for cheaper shipping only if the item is under $100 in value. In this case, we would not be responsible for lost packages.

Items are neatly folded, packed in fresh tissue and sent in either water resistant, tear-proof polyethylene envelopes; padded manila envelopes; or bagged and then placed in shipping boxes and wrapped in mylar or postal wrap paper. We take care to protect the items while shipping, and don't charge for anything other than postal costs.

Returns

Please email us within 48 hours of receipt of an item if you intend to request to make a return. All return shipping costs must be paid for by the customer and a tracking number must be provided. Your item must be sent back unworn or unused and in the condition it was sent in, with the same care as to the packing method. Once we have received the item back, we will process the refund of the item back onto your payment method. Please note, the shipping cost does not get refunded.

*Items in the clearance section of our store (marked 50% off) are final sale and not eligible for returns. 

A note on purchasing our vintage items in the hopes of minimizing returns:

- Our listings are carefully described and measured, with detailed condition evaluations given so that you can shop with confidence. Please read the entire listing carefully before purchasing and do take the time to view each photo provided. Some photos will have details of condition issues and it is important you consider them before a purchase. 

- We do not manufacture any of these items - they are all pre-owned or deadstock from store closures. 

- Please keep in mind that most vintage clothing and items have been worn or used before. Even 'New Old Stock' may have flaws from its manufacture or previous storage. Due to the nature of these items, there may be imperfections. We do our best to note the flaws but we may miss trivial ones - we take great care to represent everything carefully. If we have missed something, please let us know as soon as possible and we will try to rectify the situation. 

- Please measure yourself or a like item of clothing to ensure a suitable fit. Minor alterations might be necessary for the best fit to your figure, as with any item of clothing. If you need more information, please message us - we are industry professionals and understand working with clients at a distance. We will happily provide extra measurements or images upon request. 

- We often sell very distressed items for craft purposes, for study/patterns, for "character" costuming or to just get them into the hands of a collector if they seem to have a specific interest or provenance. We make every effort to represent this accurately.

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