Personal Wardrobe of the Iconic Late Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood Goes up for Auction
The personal wardrobe of the late fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, credited with introducing punk into fashion and continuing to evolve the style, will go up for auction next June.
Christie’s will hold the live auction in London on June 25, while some lots will be available in an online auction from June 14-28, according to a press release from the auction house on Monday.
Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood’s husband and creative director of her eponymous fashion company, selected the clothing, jewelry and accessories for the sale, and the auction will benefit charitable organizations such as the Vivien Foundation, Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders.
The collection of over 200 pieces spans four decades of Westwood fashion, dating back to the fall/winter of 1983-1984, which was one of Westwood’s earliest collections. The collection, titled “Witches,” is inspired by magic as well as Keith Haring’s “graphic symbol of magic symbols,” and the oldest piece to be offered from it is a two-piece set made from navy blue serge fabric, according to the release.
“Vivienne Westwood’s sense of activism, artistry and style is ingrained in every piece she creates,” said Adrian Hume Sayer, head of sales and director of distinguished and special collections at Christie’s.
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A dark gray silk taffeta corset gown from the Fall/Winter 1998-1999 “Dressed to Scale” collection will also be included in the auction. According to Christie’s, the collection “references the fashions documented by the satirist James Gillray in the 18th century, and was intended to attract and provoke thought and debate.”
In addition, the dress with blue and white striped blouse, printed modesty panel and apron is part of the wardrobe set. The dress was part of the “publicity” for the fall-winter 2005-2006 fashion show, Westwood’s “most overtly political display” at the time. It referenced its punk era and Aldous Huxley’s essay “Propaganda in a Democratic Society,” according to Christie.
The wardrobe collection will be on public display at Christie’s London from June 14-24.
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“Christie’s pre-sale and auction exhibition will celebrate her extraordinary vision through a selection of looks that represent important moments not only in her professional life, but also in her personal life,” Hume Sayer said. “This will be a unique opportunity for the public to learn about the public and private worlds of the great Vivienne Westwood and raise money for the causes in which she believes so deeply.”
Westwood died in December 2022 in London at the age of 81.
