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The first weeks of 2023 have seen an abnormal number of fashion auctions spring up across the capital. Earlier this week, the exact red ‘flesh and blood’ dress Julia Fox wore on the cover of ES Magazine was sold by auction, all to raise money for East London-based designer LeMÁine. Have you ever dreamed of having a real copy of Andy Warhol? Or maybe one of Grayson Perry’s dainty doll dresses? Well, you can, as long as you’re the highest bidder of course…
The André Leon Talley Collection
Fashion enthusiasts listen up: The André Leon Talley Collection It will be auctioned today. Following the esteemed publisher’s death in January last year, the auction will celebrate his life and chronicle more than five decades of fashion history. After spending a brief stint at Christie’s Palm Beach and Paris, all of Talley’s prized possessions, from cutting-edge caftans to kimonos (there’s even a Hèrmes bike!), will be available to bid online through mid-February.
The first black person to serve as American Vogue’s creative director, Talley forged professional and personal relationships with some of the industry’s key visionaries, including Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and former Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland, all which appear in the auction.
Up for sale is a photograph of Miss Vreeland, taken by image-maker Horst P Horst in 1979, reclining in her all-red, maximalist Manhattan home. There’s an exquisite Andy Warhol screen print of his seated saddle, with more prints from the pop artists to follow. Three of Yves Saint Laurent’s tricolor paper collages, Karl Largerfeld’s polaroids, a Louis Vuitton gold-plated monogram trunk and an iconic photograph, taken by Bob Colacello, of the then-young editor with Bianca Jagger are up for grabs. But the highlight has to be Talley’s classic Chanel navy silk fallout cape, for which she became most recognizable.
The legendary publisher’s joie de vivre and pride in his appearance were fostered in the churches of his youth, where his Sunday Best was played every week. Proceeds will go to two New York Protestant churches close to Talley’s heart: his family church, Mt. Sinai Missionary in Durham (where he wrote his memoir, the chiffon trenches) and the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. “I would like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the lives of young people, who nurtured someone and taught them to pursue their dreams and their careers, to leave a legacy,” he said in an interview with New York. Times in 2009.
Online auctions will run from January 27 to February 16 and 17. christies.com
Sir Grayson Perry auction at Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins is set to host a presentation and online auction of the 62-year-old Turner Prize-winning artists’ dresses next week, selling once, selling twice until they sell… so get ready to bid until your heart content.
Each year, BA Fashion Print sophomores are tasked with creating a quirky design for Perry’s alter ego, Claire. The auction will feature a total of 41 looks collected from the project over the past 16 years, all of which will be revealed in a full catalog on Monday.
Highlights include baby blue polka dot balloon sleeve dresses, playful Peter Pan collars and prints paying homage to Alan Measles, Perry’s much-loved teddy bear.
Perry has a long-standing relationship with the prestigious art school and has been Chancellor since 2015, encouraging and nurturing the school’s fledgling talent. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the College Hardship Fund, whose goal is to support students and jump-start the careers of emerging young creatives.
The full catalog will be unveiled on Monday the 30th at @bafcsm with the online auction starting February 3 from 5pm at Central Saint Martins, LVMH Theatre, 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA. Register to bid at: [email protected]
