Artfact Live! presents Passion for Fashion Auction including an Audrey Hepburn Collection Bid online exclusively through Artfact Live! on over 300 lots of fashion, including rare items from an Audrey Hepburn collection, in the Kerry Taylor Auctions' Passion for Fashion sale on December 8th
News-Antique.com - Nov 20,2009 - (Boston MA) Artfact Live! is pleased to announce the Kerry Taylor Auctions' Passion for Fashion sale, including an Audrey Hepburn Collection, on December 8th is available for online bidding exclusively through Artfact Live! The auction offers almost 350 lots including: bags and accessories mainly by Chanel and Hermes, fashion sketches, important historic dress and haute couture. If you can’t join the live auction action in London, England, visit Artfact.com, or its sister site in the UK, Invaluable.com, to login or register free to bid live online at this exceptional auction. If you’re not ready to bid, simply watch the activity live from the auction floor using the Artfact Live! console.
This sale includes approximately fifty items of clothing which belonged to the film star and style icon Audrey Hepburn, dating from 1953 to the late 60s as well as hats, belts and a fascinating group of letters. Many of the articles in this sale were obtained from Audrey’s childhood friend Tanja Star-Busmann to whom Ms. Hepburn often gifted unwanted clothes. As one might expect the collection features stunning evening-wear including a plethora of chic little black dresses by Valentino, Elizabeth Arden and of course her favourite designer of all – Hubert de Givenchy. The majority of Audrey Hepburn’s wardrobe remains in private hands – held mainly by the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Foundation and the Givenchy Archive. Very few pieces of Audrey’s clothing have ever come onto the open market. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Audrey Hepburn fans to acquire a little bit of that Hepburn magic.
50% of the net sale proceeds of lots 283-331 will be donated go to The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund and Unicef for their joint venture 'All Children in School'. These lots are also accompanied by letters of authenticity from the Audrey Hepburn Foundation.
From an historic collection of Audrey Hepburn couture and accessories:
Lot 333: The ivory satin bridal gown designed for Audrey Hepburn by the Fontana Sisters for her marriage to James (later Lord) Hanson in 1952 which did not ultimately take place. This dress, which features heavy ivory satin, a wide boat neckline, three quarter length sleeves and pleats of fabric to the bodice front converging on a bow at the waist never made it down the aisle worn by Audrey. However after her wedding was called off, Audrey directed the Fontana Sisters: `I want my dress to be worn by another girl for her wedding, perhaps someone who couldn't ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find.' So it was given to an Amabile Altobella who was married in it and retained the dress until 2002 when it was rediscovered and exhibited in a retrospective of the work of the Fontana sisters. The dress is sold with a photograph of Audrey wearing the original Fontana gown and a letter from the vendor confirming the provenance. Bidding opens at £4,200.
Lot 293: The Givenchy haute couture black chantilly lace cocktail dress,
