In the first weeks of 2023, an abnormally high number of fashion auctions took place in the capital. Earlier this week, the exact red ‘flesh and blood’ dress Julia Fox wore on the cover of ES Magazine went under the hammer, all to raise money for East London-based designer LeMÁine. Ever dreamed of owning a real Andy Warhol print? Or maybe one of Grayson Perry’s dainty doll dresses? You can, provided you are the highest bidder of course…
André Leon Talley’s collection
Fashion lovers listen: André Leon Talley’s collection will be auctioned today. Following the esteemed editor’s passing last January, the auction will celebrate his life and chronicle more than five decades of fashion history. After a brief stint in Christie’s Palm Beach and Paris, all of Talley’s prized possessions, from avant-garde caftans to kimonos (there’s even a Hèrmes bicycle!), will be available online for bidding until 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 foremost visionaries, including Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and ex-Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland. the auction.
A photo of Miss Vreeland — taken by image-maker Horst P Horst in 1979 — reclining in her all-red, maximalist Manhattan home is up for sale. There’s an exquisite serigraph of her gable roof by Andy Warhol, 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 monogrammed gold-plated briefcase, and an iconic photo, taken by Bob Colacello, of the then-young editor with Bianca Jagger are all up for grabs. But the highlight has to be Talley’s classic navy blue Chanel cape with layered faille silk, for which he became most recognizable.
The legendary editor’s joie de vivre and pride in his appearance were nurtured in the churches of his youth, where he wore his Sunday Best every week. Proceeds go to two New York Protestant churches close to Talley’s heart: his family church, Mt. Sinai Missionary in Durham (where he wrote his memoirs, The chiffon trenches) and the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. “I would like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in young people’s lives – that I nurtured someone and taught them to chase their dreams and their career, to leave a legacy,” he said in an interview with New York. Times in 2009.
The online auctions run from 27 January to 16-17 February, christies. com
Sir Grayson Perry’s auction in Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins is hosting a presentation and online auction next week of the 62-year-old Turner Prize Award-winning artist’s dresses, which go once, go twice until sold…so get ready to bid until your heart’s content.
Each year, sophomore BA Fashion Print students are assigned to create 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 dresses with light blue polka dot balloon sleeves, playful peter pan collars and prints that pay homage to Alan Measles, Perry’s beloved teddy bear.
Perry has a long-standing relationship with the prestigious art school and has served as Chancellor since 2015, encouraging and nurturing the school’s young talent. Money from the auction will be donated to the University Emergency Fund, which aims to support students and jump-start the careers of young, emerging creatives.
The full catalog will be unveiled on Monday 30th at @bafcsm and the online auction will start February 3rd at 5pm CEST at Central Saint Martins, LVMH Theatre, 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA. Register to bid at: graysonperrysdresses@arts.ac.uk