Chanel and Vionnet Lead Bonhams Paris Century of Couture Sale
Two 1920s Chanel dresses and two Vionnet evening gowns from the 1920s and 1930s will headline a Paris auction tracing 100 years of haute couture, the handmade fashion made to order for private clients. Bonhams, the auction house, will hold the live sale titled "1910-2010, 100 Years of Haute Couture" on Oct. 21, according to WWD. The catalogue runs from pioneering creations of the 1920s to modern fashion, and also includes couture by Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Thierry Mugler.
The Chanel lots chart Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's early couture work. An evening gown in Nile green tulle with silver sequins comes from the 1928 haute couture collection and carries an estimate of EUR 6,000 to EUR 8,000. A short evening dress embroidered with jet-style beads comes from the 1925 haute couture collection and is estimated at EUR 5,000 to EUR 7,000. Both are nearly 100 years old.
The Vionnet lots show why Madeleine Vionnet was known as a master of cut. An evening dress from 1924 in almond-green moiré, a silk with a rippled watermark pattern, trimmed with silver ribbon, is estimated at EUR 4,000 to EUR 6,000. A pink satin evening dress from 1938, made entirely on the bias, fabric cut on the diagonal so it drapes and clings, is estimated at EUR 2,000 to EUR 3,000.
Hubert Felbacq, director of the fashion and accessories department at Bonhams in Paris, oversees the sale. It will be held as a live auction at Paris, Avenue Hoche, according to Bonhams. The house gives the full title as "1910–2010 100 years of Haute Couture and vintage pieces, from two european collection and others." The Paris sale is presented by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr.
What makes this stand out is the time span. For fans, this means a chance to compare hand stitching, beading and draping across decades in one room, from 1920s tulle and moiré to later structured couture. Estimates start in the low thousands. Bidding will decide the rest.
