It has been a busy week for bidders after the contents of the coat hangers of the rich and famous.
While many whiled away hours planning Glastonbury outfits, museums and private clients have been distracted by an almighty line-up of high profile fashion auctions, led by the sale of more than 200 items from members of the royal family. It included the most personal items of the late Princess Diana sold since 1997, when she hosted her own a charity auction. Cue: hysteria.
Topping the £4 million sale, which took place on June 27 at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles, was the Princess’ black lace magenta silk gown by Victor Edelstein which made £720,000. Edelstein also made the navy gown she famously wore to dance with John Travolta in 1985, and which sold at London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions for £264,000 in 2019. Other lucrative lots included a midnight blue strapless gown by Murray Arbeid, £617,000, and a floral silk shirt dress by Catherine Walker, £352,000.
Here in London, the Christie's paddles were also made of use on Tuesday, as the personal wardrobe of Dame Vivienne Westwood was put up for sale by Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood’s husband and Creative Director of Vivienne Westwood. After a free exhibition which allowed for the public to get a front row view of her gowns, jewels and old shoes, the sale raised money for a number of charities Westwood supported, including The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Also for sale was Westwood’s signed ‘Playing Cards’, a set of personalised cards — including an image of Julian Assange with the words True Punk splayed across — which made £37,800, and will be donated to Greenpeace.
A corseted, taffeta gown from AW98 once worn by the designer to a ball at the Victoria and Albert Museum far surpassed its estimate of £5,000 to £8,000, finally going under the hammer for £32,760. The polka dot dress, which Westwood wore to receive her DBE in 2006, sold for £9,450. It continues the trend which sees an increased interest in viewing fashion as investment items.
As for why he decided to sell her items, Kronthaler told the Standard: “They should find a new home, they were her personal things… I am so happy because this [auction] is indirectly doing something.” A neon pink sign, commissioned for the sale and which lit up Christie’s exterior on St James’ King Street, also sold — making £30,240, despite a lower estimate of only £1,000.
Eagle eyed shoppers will have also kept tabs on one SS98 Yohji Yamamoto silk wrap trench dress, owned by the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., which yesterday sold online at Bonhams for $8,960, quadruple its estimate.
Where there is a flurry of eccentric garments being sold, there is always Elton John. For Pride Month, he has put his “Atlanta treasure trove” of goodies up for the “Rocket Man Resale” on eBay. Profits go towards the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the selection — which ranges from Gucci jackets and bespoke Prada loafers to t-shirts and donations from friends David Furnish, Donatella Versace, Andy Cohen and more — is already being furiously bid on now.Quick! Who wants Elton’s old silk Versace shirt? Summer’s calling.
