1950s Deadstock Lanvin Castillo Stockings with René Gruau Artwork Packaging

Antonio del Castillo of Madrid moved to Paris in 1936 at age 28. He got his start in fashion designing scarves and accessories for Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. 

In 1941 he took on the role of assistant to the illustrious Robert Piguet. He went on to become head designer at Maison Paquin, where he created couture collections until 1945, when he was asked by Elizabeth Arden to become head of her couture department in New York. 

During his New York years, Castillo also designed costumes for Broadway as well as the New York Metropolitan Opera.

He did costume design for Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast in 1946, created the wedding dress for Charles de Gaulle's daughter Élisabeth in the same year, dressed Ingrid Bergman in The Yellow Rolls-Royce in 1964, and won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design alongside Yvonne Blake for for Nicholas and Alexandra in 1971, just to highlight some of his achievements! 

In 1950, he returned to Paris to become head designer at Maison Lanvin, becoming the first to hold the position after Jeanne Lanvin herself. He maintained this role for thirteen years, during which time the fashion house was known as Lanvin-Castillo.

His pieces from this era are few and far between and precious to boot! 

These stockings are from 1958/59 and the packaging features artwork by legendary fashion illustrator René Gruau.

I'm selling these primarily as collectors' items due to them being absolute rarities, but whether you choose to wear the stockings or frame the packaging - or both - is up to you. Though it seems that they've never been taken off their cards let alone worn, I also have not taken them all off their cards and inspected them with a close eye.

As was expected of nylon stockings at this time, these are delightfully weightless and airy. Just the feeling of them moving through your fingers is deliciously titillating!

They are fully fashioned, i.e., made in the shape of a leg, with a true seam, a welt, shadow welt and keyhole. They don't have heels. 

All of them are the same model, color and size. They're intended for le soir, therefore are of a finer denier. (Stockings in those days were classified as day stockings or evening ones, according to the denier, or the density of the nylon.)

Flat measurements (as seen in photo 9) are:

Top of welt to heel 30 in / 76 cm

Heel to toe 8.6 in / 22 cm

Thigh  8 in / 20 cm

Calf  5.5 in / 14 cm

Ankle  3 in / 8 cm

The package measures 9 x 7.5 inches / 22 x 19 cm