Arnold Scaasi was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal and the name Scassi is simply his own surname in reverse. He studied in Montreal and in Paris, apprenticed at the house of Paquin and then worked with the legendary Charles James. In 1964 he opened own couture salon. He dressed Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll and Elizabeth Taylor along with  several first ladies. He even once bragged that he refused to give Jackie Kennedy clothes for free. He was the man behind the scandalous 1969 Barbra Streisand sheer trouser outfit that she collected her Oscar in, and he was presented with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 2010, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, who hold the bulk of his archives, launched an exhibit of his work titled "Arnold Scaasi: American Couturier"

This incredible skirt is from his main label and pieces from this label were made to order and done to couture standards.

There are certain pieces that you come across that seem to go beyond just a piece of clothing and start to belong to the category of being a piece of art. This skirt qualifies. It is one of the most unusual and exceptional pieces I have seen. It is almost camp in feel and yet it has an incredible craftsmanship at the same time. It is made from looped tufts of wool in a pink, coral, deep burgundy and pale purple, that are independently attach by embroidery to a silk ribbon background. That silk ribbon is then sewed together and stacked row by row with a tiny gap left between each row. This creates this amazing sub-texture underneath the yarn. The yarn detailing is set horizontally and they puff out from the skirt so that it has a 3D feel. At the waist is a wide red grosgrain ribbon that sits in a bow at one side. Under the nipped in waist the skirt falls on an angle to widen out quite a bit by the time it reaches the hem. It somehow manages to stay both soft and feel structured at the same time. It's not unwieldy to wear but it does have the feel of substance. Inside it is hand lined in a fine red silk. It is an incredible piece of fashion history and one of those amazing vintage pieces that you will never see again. Excellent condition

Fully lined by hand in a fine red silk and closes at the back with a zipper and then hook and eye at the banded waist. All the work is done by hand and all of the yarn has been done by hand and applied to the silk ribbon behind it.

Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 37" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S989

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