The glamorous ball gowns and cocktail dresses as well as natty daywear outfits are displayed on mannequins of varying sizes to reflect the shape of the ideal woman at the time of each design.

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Both Olsens are major collectors of vintage fashion (friend and client Carey Mulligan won the role of Daisy in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby wearing one of Ashley's 1930s dresses), and are equally well-acquainted with the non- vintage luxury market.

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The other surprise, a small presentation also at MILK Studios, was a label called Calla characterized by bold prints in geometric in neon yellow and purple. (It also smelled like a rose-filled winter garden inside, courtesy olfactory branding company 12.29.) The silk-screened slim-fit pants, cute above-the-knee dresses, and thick PVC heels worked well together with tiny T-shirt-cut tops and softly angled jackets.

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Hence the great Bonfires of the Vanities in the Piazza della Signoria in 1497 and 1498, when countless works of art, as well as cards, books and dresses, went up in flames.

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Shoppers of Boutiques.com will be able to browse for items a particular expert has selected, such as shoulder dresses or high-heeled shoes, as well as any other goods that Google's algorithms thinks are similar in some way.

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It bodes well for his plan to woo more female buyers: We saw flowing silk dresses, oversized linen rugby shirts, lightweight ponchos and lamskin Vareuses jackets.

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The mix of age and sensibility reflects his clientele. (Walters might go for the embroidered day dresses, and Olsen could easily carry off the crush pleated silk tulle strapless gown.) His multigenerational appeal may well lie in the fact that the designer himself is forever looking forward.

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