Fashion

Christie's Auction: Haute Couture Wardrobe Sale

An auction of the most beautiful haute couture dresses took place at Christie's this week. From Chanel to Givenchy to Valentino, major luxury brands were represented. A look at the gorgeous creations of the most important designers of the past and present.

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld
Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

Headquartered in London, Christie's conducts business in 46 countries, has 10 salesrooms worldwide and operates an online auction platform. Christie's specialises in auctions of art and luxury goods.

On the occasion of Fashion Week, the company held an online auction of a special kind from 11 to 25 January: 115 haute couture pieces were auctioned from the collection of V.W.S - De Beijing à Versailles. The high-quality collection was amassed by an art lover and contains mainly pieces from the 1970s to the 1990s. 

Two examples from this collection were already sold at The Exceptional Sale auction. One of them achieved a world record. The embroidered evening coat from the Chanel Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 1996 collection sold for an incredible € 277,200. The lot was purchased by a generous supporter of the Victoria National Gallery in Melbourne, Australia. Soon the coat, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, will be part of the museum's collection. 

Valentino Haute Couture - A green and blue dress
Valentino Haute Couture Illustration - A green and blue dress
Valentino Haute Couture Autumn Winter 1989-1990 - An embroidered green and blue evening dress in Gandini satin and chiffon for an advertising campaign. The illustration was drawn by Mats Gustafson in Vogue Italia, September 1989.

The versatile selection includes the great fashion designers of the 20th century and shows their fine craftsmanship and creativity. The selection included cocktail dresses, day and evening gowns, embroidered pieces or skirts and trouser suits. The variety of materials and styles used made the couturiers' works appear as individual works of art. 

The various pieces were presented in a special scenography designed in collaboration with architect Aline Asmar d'Amman. The Lebanese is also the founder of Culture in Architecture, based in Paris and Beirut. She tries to link cultures through modernity, poetry and materiality in her projects. Her interior design projects are in demand worldwide. 

She has already designed the interior of the restaurant Le Jules Verne on the Eiffel Tower and the ongoing transformation of the Palazzo Dona Giovanelli into the future Orient Express Hotel. She has even been able to work with Karl Lagerfeld. For him, she was allowed to do the decoration at his Hôtel de Crillon and collaborate on his collection of functional sculptures, 'Architectures', for the Carpenters Workshop Gallery.

Aline Asmar d'Amman is not only present in interior design. She is also active as an art director and developer of stage designs. In 2022, she designed the architectural setting for the Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale and presented her furniture collection to go with it.

I was overwhelmed by the richness of the private V.W.S. collection, which bridges cultures brought into perspective by the exceptional know-how of Parisian haute couture. - Aline Asmar d'Amman

The exquisite wardrobe

The collection includes magnificent haute couture pieces, some of the creations embroidered by Maison Lesage. The opening was a beautiful violet velvet dress decorated with pearls and the rose motif "Tudor" by Chanel and directed by Karl Lagerfeld. Also up for bid was a black velvet ensemble by Hubert de Givenchy from 1979, embellished with red satin mouths in homage to Elsa Schiaparelli.

Purple Velvet Dress Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld
Black velvet evening dress by Givenchy
A purple velvet dress, fully embroidered by Lesage with a "Tudor" pattern, detachable collar and brown satin underskirt. Estimated value: €4.000 - €6.000. Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Autumn/Winter 1988-1989. And an evening gown in black velvet. The jacket is decorated with red satin lips in homage to Schiaparelli, the skirt is in black taffeta. Estimated value: €800 - €1,200. Givenchy Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 1979-1980.

Some pieces wore combinations of black and white, exuding modernity and elegance in equal measure. From Givenchy, there was a long evening dress in ivory crepe with black embroidered sequins (1983). But the collection also included colourful designs. A stunning coat represented Alexander Mc Queen in green satin and black beaded lace from 1997-1998. 

The estimated prices of the haute couture garments ranged from € 400 to € 4,000. At the family's request, 5% of the proceeds were donated to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Green Satin Evening Coat Givenchy by Alexancer McQueen
Ivory-coloured evening dress Givenchy
An evening coat in almond green satin and black lace. Estimated value: € 1.000 - € 1.500. Givenchy by Alexander McQueen Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 1997-1998. And a long evening dress in ivory crepe and black sequin embroidery by Lesage. Estimated value: € 600 - € 800. Givenchy Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 1983.

Auction of André Leon Talley's collection from 27 January

This week starts the auction of the collection of legendary fashion editor André Leon Talley. He became the first black man to hold the title Creative Director of American Vogue. His extensive collection includes haute couture pieces, handbags and jewellery. It was his passion for beauty and style that got him into collecting. Because of his good relationships with famous designers, he got lots from greats like Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada and Ralph Rucci. The auction collection covers the fashion history of the last 50 years. 

André Leon Talleys
André Leon Talleys 1989 in Alice Springs

André Leon Talley's fashion sensibility was singular and timeless. He was categorically chic, and the collection that he amassed throughout his life was unlike any other. - Elizabeth Seigel, Christie's Head of Private and Iconic

In early 2022, Talley passed away at the age of 73 due to complications from a heart attack and a Covid 19 infection. The collection will be auctioned off as his estate, with the proceeds to support the projects to which he had also devoted himself during his lifetime. The donations will go to Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York and Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham. The auctions will take place in a series of online and live auctions starting on 27 January 2023.

Golden craftan by Dapper Dan
A golden brocade caftan by Dapper Dan circa 2007.

Christie's Auction House

Christie's has been around since 1766. Over 80 categories of art and luxury goods are covered in its auctions and private sales. Auction prices range from a few hundred euros to over 100 million euros. Art auctions such as Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci (2017) or Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol (2022) achieved top prices.

Christie's has a good international reputation that benefits from constant development in technological areas. Half of the sales are achieved through online auctions. Virtual tours, augmented reality and holograms allow auction objects to be viewed up close, even from a distance. The auction house is also a pioneer of digitalisation in the art world: In March 2021, Christie's was the first auction house to couple a digital artwork with an NFT (Beeple's Everydays), offer it for sale and also accept a cryptocurrency as a means of payment. 

Photo Credits: PR

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