Featured Help w/ID Vintage Women's 3-Piece Silk Outfit

hi everyone. i bought this a while ago kinda' out of season, figuring i would eventually figure out what it is. well, i still don't know who made this. there are no labels. i've assumed it's from the 80s, but i'm really not sure. it's on the small side and in excellent original condition. there are a couple of designers with the first name Helene, but i really don't know if either of them had anything to do with this as their labels (at least the ones i've come across) include their last names. any help will be greatly appreciated...thanks

 

Metal or plastic zipper?

Debora

 

there are no zippers. there is a metal clasp at the top of the pullover shirt and it's hand-sewn in. the pants have an elastic waist.

 

What part of the world did you find this in?

Debora

 

i'm in Sacramento CA. through the years i've found pieces from literally all over the world here. this could be European or American.

 

Really cool !!!

 

It looks to my eye like a boutique item from a resort destination somewhere. Always a bit of a challenge to date clothing lying flat or on hangers because proportions are hard to determine. If it were 1980s I'd expect padded shoulders and fuller pants. I'd think more recent. It's a very simple design and would be quickly produced. I see some hand-stitching but assume it has machine-stitching as well. Is that correct? No labels at all? Brand, size, fabric-content? If none, supports my impression that it wasn't mass-manufactured. What do you think the fabric is?

Debora

 

the fabric is definitely silk. there is machine stitching, but all of the visible seams are hand-stitched. there are absolutely no labels. when i found this, in a thrift store, it was very cheap and a slow day. my mind automatically went to some designer. i realize i could be wrong with my dating. i was also thinking possibly 70s, and it could be newer too. a resort boutique outfit does sound like a possibility. thanks for your help.

 

No, not 1970s. The top would be long, micro-mini length perhaps and more fitted. The pants would have a bell. I really do think new-ish. Silk, fabric colorway and pattern, even the small size, point toward Asia IMHO. Do you think the horizontal piece of fabric is meant to be worn as a scarf or a sash?

Debora

 

yes, i've assumed it was a scarf. by the late 70s you see straight legs again, too. just saying.

 

I can’t date it but my gut feeling is vintage too. IMO it’s going after vintage Vera. If selling you can just list it as vintage-even if it’s only 20 years old it can be listed as vintage. You’ve got so many keywords if listing online. Vintage Pop Art Silk Butterflies Signed Helene Pants Top Outfit Yellow Black. Size it according to measurements as S M or L…

 

Maybe the fabric is an early design by Helene Blanche, a Danish fabric designer who started her business in 1977, according to her website https://heleneblanche.com/pages/about. Now, however, it appears she designs decorator fabrics and wallpaper. I found another website showing her signature, which looks kind of similar. It's possible she created a more artistic signature for her early fabric designs -- I lost the webpage with her signature and can't seem to find it again. @Jim Goodykoontz could submit a description of the fabric on her "Contact Us" page and see if they respond: https://heleneblanche.com/pages/contact-us

 

I think they mean that she was born in 1977.

 

Agree beside the fact that this Helene is a total minimalist…

 

I stand corrected--thank you AJ. I should have noticed she looks too young to have been in business for 47 years!!! But maybe the fabric is still an early design before focusing on decorator fabrics???

 

Never say never but IMO no way…IMO your artist most likely was always an abstracted imagist and a colorist.

I think it’s a terrific outfit. So many of my friends are modernist to the hilt and would be all over it. I’m death by ethnic LOL…

 

I agree, but maybe if she's been designing for 20 years or more, she might have experimented in her early years? To hopefully satisfy my curiosity, I sent a question on her website asking if she ever designed a black and yellow silk fabric with butterflies and a "Helene" signature. I'll let you know if I receive a reply.

 

So far, I'm with Debora on this outfit.
Can we see some photos of seam finishes, the inside of the waist area and back neck closure, etc?

 

hi everyone. thank you all for the input. someone above with the name "reader" mentioned Vera. that's what this reminded me of when i first found it. i've always been a fan of her designs. i also appreciate all of the ideas for keywords. hopefully that will help with selling it. another interesting thing i just noticed when taking these additional pics is, the "Helene" name is just under the hem on the shirt at the bottom. which would mean, the person that cut this fabric probably screwed up and that's why it doesn't have a label. it was probably deemed a factory second. you can see part of the "H" on the right side in the pic entitled "shirthem." here's some additional pics of the seams and the clasp.

 

Thanks for the extra photos.
I'm still of the "new-ish" (within the last 20 years) boutique/resort-wear opinion... small production rather than mass-produced.
A nice set!