We are pleased to announce that this bumper sale features 445 lots of tantalizing textiles and fashion from every decade and period. This sale includes two very different private collections: the first is a fashion archive which forms almost 200 lots of this sale. Carefully and lovingly compiled over several decades, the collection begins in the early 19th century, with every decade thereafter well represented, right through to the 1980s. With a focus on the 19th century, 1930s and 1970s, there are rails upon rails of Victorian and Edwardian fashions, glamorous gowns in lamé and velvet, as well as pieces by Ossie Clark, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and British boutique designers. As part of this single owner collection we include boxes overflowing with dazzling but damaged 1920s flapper dresses and 30s bias-cut gowns which are excellent as construction references or for use as trimmings or for repair. Sure to catch the eye of collectors and designers alike, this collection also features over 200 pairs of shoes - to be sold in group lots - which span a century of fashion history.
Lots 284-331 comprise the second exciting private collection: the wardrobe of John Cowell (part 1), featuring over 50 lots of superb menswear from the 1980s-2000s by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and others. These will appeal to museums and modern dandies alike. Mr Cowell is a costume designer and renowned textile artist specializing in hand-painted textiles, special dye effects and customized fabric treatments for both stage and film. During his illustrious career he has worked on films including ‘The Favourite’, ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘The Young Victoria’, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ and ‘Star Wars – The Phantom Menace’, to name but a few. After each production was finished, he liked to celebrate by going shopping for some eye-catching menswear. Some ensembles were worn just a few times, others never. His reason for selling? He tells us he is now ‘too old and too fat’ and wants others to enjoy them!
For the final chapter of the sale - lots 405-440 - we present the second chapter of the late Dr Joan Coleman Shawl Collection, with good examples of Spitalfields, Kashmir, Norwich, woven and printed Paisley and Edinburgh shawls dating from 1800-1860s.
We hope you enjoy perusing this glorious treasure-trove of a sale. Do get in touch to request condition reports and to place bids. We look forward to hearing from you!
For more information on how to bid, please click here. If you wish to participate in live online bidding on the day, you must register via Invaluable here.
Lot 99 - A group of suede and leather clothing, 1960s-70s
Sold for £460
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 100 - A group of Bonnie Cashin clothing, 1950s-70s
Sold for £150
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 101 - A group of 'hippy' fashions, mainly embroidered, 1960s-70s
Sold for £900
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 102 - Three Roberta di Camerino handbags, early 1970s
Sold for £80
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 105 - Three Hubert de Givenchy hats, mid-late 1960s
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 106 - A Balenciaga black faux fur hat, circa 1966
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 107 - A Balenciaga brown faux fur plush cloche, circa 1966
Sold for £100
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 108 - A Pierre Balmain couture bottle-green crêpe suit, circa 1968
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 109 - A Halston pleated black jersey cocktail dress, 1970s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 110 - A Bill Gibb grey jersey three-piece ensemble, circa 1977
Sold for £480
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 111 - An Ossie Clark/Celia Birtwell printed morocain dress, circa 1969
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 112 - An Ossie Clark black damask crêpe two-piece ensemble, early 1970s
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 113 - An Ossie Clark ivory and navy moss crêpe dress, 1970s
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 114 - A group of Zandra Rhodes clothing, 1970s-80s
Sold for £500
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 115 - Two Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé silk day ensembles, 1970s
Sold for £400
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 116 - A group of Ann Buck and Jean Muir clothing, 1970s
Sold for £600
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 118 - A group of Geoffrey Beene daywear, late 1960s-1970s
Sold for £750
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 119 - Two Yves Saint Laurent 'saharienne' variation cotton ensembles, 1970s
Sold for £240
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 120 - An Yves Saint Laurent ecru calico smock-dress, 1970s
Sold for £420
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 121 - An Yves Saint Laurent floral printed cotton ensemble, 1970s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 122 - An Yves Saint Laurent floral printed cotton two-piece ensemble, 1970s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 123 - An Yves Saint Laurent floral printed muslin two-piece ensemble, 1970s
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 124 - An Yves Saint Laurent mint-green cotton gabardine three-piece suit, 1970s
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 126 - A group of Courrèges daywear in mainly shades of blue, ivory and brown, late 1970s-1980s
Sold for £800
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 127 - A Courrèges brown wool dress with vinyl trim, circa 1970
Sold for £340
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 128 - A Courrèges orange satinised cotton two-piece ensemble, late 1960s-early 1970s
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 129 - A Courrèges white satinised cotton dress, circa 1970
Sold for £340
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 130 - A Sarmi Grecian-style chiffon evening gown, early 1970s
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 131 - A large group of mainly sequinned cocktail wear, 1960s
Sold for £950
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 132 - A group of mostly knitted clothing, 1960s-70s
Sold for £1,000
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 133 - Six dresses, mainly of printed cotton, 1960s-70s
Sold for £650
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 134 - An André Courrèges black vinyl maxi dress, circa 1970
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 135 - An Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche daisy-printed dress, 1974
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 136 - A pair of Terry de Havilland snakeskin patchwork platform shoes, 1970s
Sold for £500
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 137 - An early Thierry Mugler medieval-style cutwork jersey gown, circa 1979
Sold for £250
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 138 - An Ossie Clark black moss crêpe maxi dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 139 - An Ossie Clark black moss crêpe maxi dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 140 - An Ossie Clark Indian embroidered black cheesecloth dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 141 - A good Ossie Clark printed wool crêpe evening dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £440
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 142 - An Ossie Clark printed crêpe dress, mid 1970s
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 143 - A Thea Porter couture black chiffon 'gypsy' style dress, 1970s
Sold for £720
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 144 - An Ossie Clark moon and stars embroidered black moss crêpe dress, circa 1970
Sold for £650
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 145 - An Ossie Clark figured satin two-piece ensemble, circa 1970
Sold for £300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 147 - A Biba 30s-inspired brown and gold spotted jersey dress, early 1970s
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 148 - An Ossie Clark for Radley navy moss crêpe dress, circa 1970
Sold for £600
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)