The sensational Velvet Illusion London Black and White Op Art dress in immaculate condition, a size UK 10; I am a size UK 8 though and would wear, and it may fit a size 12 UK. Labelled a UK 14 but you know, vintage sizing was smaller. This dates from around 1999 I think but may be a later one. They were only in biz until 2007 so no later than that, and I think this was one of their earliest pieces. I also have it available in pale blue and white, on another listing, so please be sure to check that out too  
This black and white one will also be accompanies by these fabulous vintage black and white half gloves in luxurious quality leather by luxury London dept store Fenwicks, still in the box. Will look fab with a 60s style black or white jacket eg with the dress!
Now please note: these dresses have been copied by many other labels but this IS THE authentic Velvet Illusion one. Copies are tatty made and not in the same league. So this by contrast is lovely to wear, the cotton is quality, fully lined, doesn't cling, not even the smaller one in blue, and hidden zip on the back.  These are CLASS dresses! 
So please know what you are looking at here: Velvet Illusion was simply one of the most exciting boutiques I have come across, all themed Sixties Op Pop & Psychedelic, it was based in Camden and also Kensington High street, and those of us who recall it have very fond memories. It wasn't cheap: but you get what you pay for. I couldn't afford these dresses at the time, but I managed an Op Art mini skirt in their sale and was trembling and kept looking at it in the bag on my way home! 
 
Many like myself lament the closing of the stores ...owner Mickey Wolf went back to the USA apparently. You can read more about the label on the Dandy in Aspic 1960s Blogspot if you google that with Velvet Illusion. 
It is especially a shame because within a year of its closure, mainstream fashion was again going nuts for the 1960s inspired fashion and Mod look with Steven Meisel shooting the Mod theme with supermodels, and the release of 'Factory Girl' about Edie Sedgwick Andy Warhol's muse. The Mousetrap Psychedelic night was still going, and indeed STILL IS, 33 years now! The same people  New Untouchables  also promote Mod and soul nights at The Phoenix pub in Cavendish Square in London which was also the big London Mod pub in the 1980s Revival. And they are still going too! So you will still see the odd Velvet Illusion dress at these events. They also organize Modstock btw and you can see the 2004 Fashion show Velvet Illusion did there on You Tube. 
Then we saw Moschino reboots of the 60s and Op Art in their 2013 collection, and then with the release of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. 2015 (filmed at Goodwood Revival motor-racing racetrack (the Revival a MUST attend for all vintage enthusiasts) , a whole host of Op Art And B/W on runways of many high fashion collections inc Marc Jacob, then 2017 Mary Katrazantrou op/psch art inspired dresses, 2018 with Dior and Vuitton 2020 then Stella MCartey 2021....get it? This Op Art & sixties thing isn't the past, it is also the future! It is an infinity loop of the 'modern' . 

Always loved Bridget Riley Op Art to the point....well it's confession time. Ok you know when you're a student, & the Math & Science dept anorak teachers spend ages doing all those equations and graphs and plane graphic visualizations of black holes etc on the chalk board? Well I used to go round and turn them into Bridget Rileys in lunch break! Oh...and alter the numbers in the equations. Yeah I was bad. But, hey they were working for the Rat Race, as The Specials sang 'I see your qualifications...you've got a PhD...I've got One Art O Level...it did nothing for me...you'll be working for the Rat Race". Because, black and white graphics were also part of the Ska movement.
Back to Bridget Riley, Velvet Illusion had both Op and Pop Art decor, as well as the clobber. It is also nice to think of Bridget Riley growing up as a child in Norwood London, which is my manor. We also have a Museum of Optical Illusions in my origin city of Belgrade I visit often!  So all the fascination with monochrome graphics especially optical, is very personal to me and I just happen to love 60s clothes too! So the big explosion into fashion in the 1960s came in 1965 as Bridget Riley was making waves in the Art world for a couple of years by then. So you had designers like Jean Varon (John Bates) doing black and white and Op Art collections, and dressing Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in such for tv cult series The Avengers. Plenty of other designers too at that time including Mary Quant, and continental cinema played a big role too with movies such as French movie  'Who are You Polly Magoo?" 1966 and the Italian sci fi "La Decima Vittima" (The Tenth Victim"  with Mod icon Elsa Martinelli in 1965. The latter with a particular focus on Op Art : my 'Look' pic I parody that! It's a fab movie though esp for fashion. There were also Op artists at the time such as  Marina Apollonio in Italy and Hungary Victor Vasarely (the 'founder' of Op Art he'd been doing it longest...and one of his paintings in the background of same photo) famous for designing the Renault infinity loop op art logo. These artists would exert a massive influence on fashion for decades to come...and even at the time were influencing not just fashion but tv & cinema...just consider the TV series 'Time Tunnel' ....1966 . 'Uneasy Centre' indeed (Bridget Riley).
 
So my 'Spirit of the Age and garment' song for this from the time, is The Chesterfield Kings "Trip Through Tomorrow" which seems apt as we travel to the future, from the past via deeper into the past. The infinity loop of Op Art and 1960s cultural references keep bringing us back to ...the future? 
The Chesterfield Kings had been a psych band since their formation late 1970s, a time which also saw that Mod Revival. They were still belting out great psych songs into this century. To me they are sounder than some of the more laid back 'shoegaze' & 'stoner' psych bands. I don't listen to this stuff to go sleep thx. Though I make exception for The Horrors whose 'Sea within a Sea' for eg would be in my top 10 psych songs of all time. And again, consider Rhys Webb of the band is one of the top 1960s DJs in London! Associated with 60s soul, freakbeat and psych events organized by the New Untouchables &  Le Beat Bespoke, you may see besotted young Art student girls dancing in Velvet Illusion dresses to records Rhys spins at events like the soul nights at The Phoenix among the veteran Mods on the dance floor! Anyway watch out for all those events they do such as Mousetrap if you are seeking somewhere to wear your 60s and psych, Op Art colour block & Dollyrockers & Velvet Illusion and Mod, outfits ! It is all very well swanning around Kensington Rooftop Gardens for swish events but let's face it while the ambience is lovely,  the music at such is pants! If you see Rob Bailey Rhys Webb or Dr Robert are DJ-ing at an event, this is what the soundtrack to your clobber should be! Had so many great nights dancing at places such as Paper Dress Vintage , who also stage international  live bands with a freakbeat vibe. You get a real mix of people too all ages, and style ranging from Mod to psych/goth and alternative rockers. Interesting to see a lot of the young New Psych kids getting into a more minimalist Mod style now too, and you have 60s & also punk influenced new young bands like The Molotovs and again appealing to all generations.