Tomorrow, October 2, outfits belong to the late Nan Kempner will go on auction as part of Christie's House Sale. And in November, in a Sotheby's sale, Calvin and Kelly Klein are divesting themselves of jewelry once in possession of the Duchess of Windsor.
Is the allure the object or the owner? Obviously, in the case of the famous Jackie O auction, the latter. For the Kempner sale, "We've set estimates considering the condition, the collector, as well as the date and the style of the items," says Laura Layfer, couture specialist in the house sales department at Christie's. I'm kind of a Banana Republic girl myself, but a quick look at the catalogue leads me to believe that this Bill Blass and Calvin Klein get up for $3–500 might be a deal.
If I could wear it. Kempner was notoriously thin–she was the inspiration for Tom Wolfe's description "social x-ray" and when young starved herself so that she could buy the cheaper, slightly-used couture that models wore on the runways.
Or, if I wanted to wear it. Petria May, owner of the vintage shop Petria Boutiq in Massachusetts, likes the fact that the Kempner items she purchased this spring at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Thrift Shop sale smelled of her perfume and cigarettes. "I sort of liked that," Ms. May says. "It added an air of authenticity." Me? Yuck.
Many of Kempner's clothes have already been claimed by the Metropolitan Museum or Art, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Thrift Shop, and the Lighthouse. Stay ahead of the curve, this time, by planning early for the December 4 Sotheby's sale of the Duchess of Windsor's jewelry.
Speaking of an "iconic" pearl necklace, pendant, and earclips, Kelly Klein says, “These pearls hold a very special place in my heart. They were a present from Calvin early on in our relationship. They represent passion, tenderness and a promise about the future." That's sweet, but the Kleins are now exes.
On the Block, Style [The New York Sun.]
Kempner Auction Offers Timeless Fashions [AP]
Sotheby's: Calvin, Kelly Klein to Sell Pearls, Diamonds from the Duchess of Windsor [Diamondsnet]
Calvin Klein's Pearls May Fetch $3.1 Million at Sotheby's Sale [Bloomberg]
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