Christie's Resurrects Vintage Avant-garde

   

Recently, Christie's auction house in London sold a collection of avant-garde designer clothing and accessories from the 1930s to the mid-80s. The sale consisted of 229 lots and included a Cristobal Balenciaga couture evening jacket (yes, designed by the man himself) and four jackets from Balenciaga's protégé André Courrèges.

A few pieces were deemed in their description to be 'rare and important'. Indeed. Here's a look at some of the collection:

(Above, l-r: Norma Kamali, 1970s, Edwardian-style heliotrope tweed with tailored bodice fastening with two mink ties, sold for £750; Azzedian Alaia, 1986, cut on the bias, with a single swathe of aubergine - sold for £1,000; Jean Paul Gaultier, mid 1980s, purple neoprene lined in salmon pink, sold for £2,250)

Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. Cruciform bangle, late 1980s, gilt-metal set
withgripoix pearls and pastes in Renaissance style. Sold for £1125


Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo. 1983. Skirt and top of
blackgauze, with interlaced, looped bands. Sold for £6,250


Harry Gordon 'Rose' disposable dress. 1968. Screen-printed
tissue, wood pulp and rayon mesh. Sold for £1,750


Pierre Cardin pinafore skirt. circa 1970. Straps of scarlet glossy
vinyl with quilting, skirt of navy wool jersey. Sold for £2,125


Rudi Gernreich. 1964. A 'Rare and Important' monokini topless
swimsuit of wool and elastic. Sold for £1,250


Pierre Cardin. circa 1965. An 'Important' Satellite cape of glossy
 scarlet vinyl lined with synthetic fleece. Sold for £5,000


Cristobal Balenciaga Couture Evening Jacket. 1960s. Black silk gauze woven
with a black spot motif, with sequinned ruffled fronts. Sold for £2,000


Gucci 'Snaffle' Bracelets. 1970s, white metal. Sold for £1,375


Paca Rabanne. Circa 1967-8. Assembled from linked aluminium
panels, the bodice panels centred with studs. Sold for £15,000


Hermes 'Motoring' coat. 1930s. Soft goatskin stitched with
knotted twine, zipped from hem to neck, hooded,
with checked wool plaid lining. Sold for £4,000


Norma Kamali. circa 1975. Rip-stop parachute nylon,
with rip-cord ruching. Sold for £813


Pierre Cardin, an 'Important' Neck-plate. 1966-1967. Chromed-metal
panels with acrylic hemispheres to neck and to pear-shaped
terminal at navel. Sold for £3,750