At last our summer 2021 auction catalogue is now available to view online. This all-day fashion extravaganza begins with more accessible and sometimes highly wearable vintage fashion and accessories. These date from the 1820s (lot 2, an ecru slubbed silk spencer), through lavish silk and velvet Victorian fashions, stylish garments from the attic of an artistic family - 1914-1920, as well as rails of printed and beaded chiffons, bias-cut lamé gowns, floating powder-pink ostrich feather capelets and more - all from the glamorous decades of the 1920s and 30s right through to Issey Miyake of the 1980s.
Our afternoon session opens with around 60 lots of antique textiles from around the world, including a fine embroidered cover (Colcha), Spanish or Portuguese, late 16th-early 17th century (lot 268), and the final chapter of the late Dr. Joan Coleman shawl collection, which features an array of French, Norwich, Paisley and Kashmir examples.
Our much-anticipated ‘Passion for Fashion’ section makes up the final chapter of the sale, featuring the crème de la crème of haute couture by all the greats including Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent, Cristobal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain and Valentino Garavani.
We are again honoured to include treasures from the renowned Sandy Schreier collection: her unerring taste and excellent eye are reflected in this selection – including ‘L’Imperatrice’ – a magnificent example of Chanel haute couture by Karl Lagerfeld - a crinolined navy silk gown, Spring-Summer 1984, complete with faux blister pearl and gilt chain martingale - arguably one of Lagerfeld's most iconic and important creations ever for the House of Chanel (lot 334).
Cutting-edge fashion pieces include futuristic designs by Pierre Cardin and early pieces by John Galliano. One of the more fascinating collections is a group of rare and early original McQueen runway pieces, often quite crudely put together and probably sewn by Lee Alexander McQueen himself. Many are prototypes or one-offs and were gifted by Lee to a friend/colleague at the time. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain pieces from ‘Banshee’, ‘Highland Rape', ‘The Hunger’ and ‘Dante’.
For Royal fans, we have a precious collection of tiny accessories once worn by Queen Victoria’s children, lovingly kept by their nanny, Mrs. Thurston, and passed down through her family (lot 347, estimate £2,000-3,000), as well as gowns worn by Sarah Ferguson of the 1980s. A highlight of the sale was worn by a different type of British royalty: the bikini worn by the late, great, Dame Barbara Windsor in the infamous comedic scene from the 1969 film ‘Carry On Camping’. A national treasure and bona fide cockney Queen, Barbara sadly died of Alzheimer's in December 2020 at the grand age of 83. She used to joke that the infamous bikini would ‘follow her to the end’- and as it turns out, she was right! The proceeds of this lot quite fittingly are being donated by the vendor to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Despite the ongoing challenges caused by lockdown restrictions, we have worked (and will continue to work) steadily behind the scenes to bring you the finest fashion in the world. We hope you enjoy browsing the catalogue just as much as we have enjoyed preparing it for you. The team at KTA look forward to assisting you with condition reports and bids - either in person by appointment, or virtually online and - who knows - we may even see some of you in the flesh! We have missed you.
Lot 97 - Four Pucci printed silk shirts, 1950s-60s
Sold for £650
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 99 - Eleven summer dresses of mainly printed cotton, 1950s-60s
Sold for £350
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 100 - A Pierre Balmain green ostrich feather hat, late 1950s-early 60s
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 101 - A Jean Patou black basket-weave brocatelle coat, late 1960s
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 103 - Four Norman Norell little black dresses, circa 1960
Sold for £460
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 104 - A Christian Dior London berry-red wool coat, circa 1960
Sold for £300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 105 - A Dior mohair and feather hat, early 1960s
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 106 - A Marc Bohan for Dior couture black satin bodice, Autumn-Winter 1964
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 107 - A Diorling two-piece ensemble in shades of yellow, Spring-Summer 1973
Sold for £1,400
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 108 - A Bob Cunningham of California polka-dot cotton swim ensemble, 1960s
Sold for £240
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 109 - An intarsia mink coat in overall zig-zag design, 1960s
Sold for £220
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 111 - A Jean Varon pale pink satin evening gown, 1960s
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 112 - A Louis Feraud black wool coat for an adolescent girl, mid 1960s
Sold for £150
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 113 - A Douglas Darnell embellished seafoam-green crêpe evening gown, late 1960s
Sold for £450
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 114 - A Paco Rabanne chain-link handbag, 1960s
Sold for £1,300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 115 - A rare Colin Wild 'Beefeater' tunic-dress, 1960s
Sold for £350
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 116 - A Del Frate Op Art monochrome printed silk faille hat, late 1960s
Sold for £80
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 117 - A Pierre Cardin girl's dress, late 1960s- early 1970s
Sold for £130
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 118 - A Pierre Cardin flared boucle wool jacket, probably late 1960s
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 119 - An Yves Saint Laurent Safari or Saharienne top, 1968
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 120 - A Blums-Vogue of Beverley Hills 'Flower Power' ensemble, late 1960s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 121 - A red suede leather mini-dress with fringing, late 1960s
Sold for £500
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 122 - An Emilio Pucci printed velvet jacket, late 1960s
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 123 - Two Pucci printed dresses, 1960s-70s
Sold for £450
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 124 - A Pucci printed jersey two-piece ensemble in pastel shades, 1970s
Sold for £170
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 125 - An Alice Pollock Tarot-card printed ivory moss crêpe jumpsuit, late 1960s-early 70s
Sold for £420
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 126 - An Alice Pollock bias-cut satin striped crêpe dress, 1970s
Sold for £240
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 127 - An Alice Pollock black wool jersey ensemble, 1970s
Sold for £350
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 128 - A Quorum black moss crêpe ensemble, early 1970s
Sold for £650
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 129 - An Ossie Clark black moss crêpe dress, circa 1970
Sold for £320
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 130 - An Ossie Clark for Radley black moss crêpe 'Come Fly With Me' dress
Sold for £350
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 131 - Two Ossie Clark for Radley moss crêpe dresses, mid 1970s
Sold for £400
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 132 - An Ossie Clark for Radley green lurex dress, 1973
Sold for £850
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 133 - An Ossie Clark printed crêpe dress with tiered skirt, 1970s
Sold for £500
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 134 - An Ossie Clark/Celia Birtwell for Radley 'Babylon' print viscose dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £850
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 135 - A rare Paul Reeves for The Universal Witness wool crêpe ensemble, 1970-71
Sold for £750
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 137 - A Jean Varon gown of printed Tricel foulard, Spring-Summer 1975
Sold for £300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 138 - A good Jean Varon black and white striped chiffon gown, circa 1974
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 140 - A Zandra Rhodes 'Field of Lilies' printed chiffon dress, 'Butterfly' no.15, 1974
Sold for £950
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 141 - A Paco Rabanne sequinned black mesh evening gown, circa 1970
Sold for £1,200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 142 - A Pierre Cardin vanity case, circa 1970
Sold for £160
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 143 - A group of Courrèges clothing, 1970s
Sold for £600
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 144 - A Courrèges black wool double-breasted bodice, circa 1970
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)