FASHION : Gently Worn Dresses Going, Going, Gone
Just when you think the last has been heard of the rich and famous of yesteryear, their clothes pop up at some charity auction or resale shop. The epitome of this phenomenon may have occurred in Paris last week when Sophia Loren, Nancy Reagan, Jordan’s Queen Noor and Lauren Bacall, along with a few princesses and a countess or two, donated their expensive hand-me-downs to an auction benefiting abandoned and battered children.
The bidding at Paris’ Musee Galliera drew museum curators seeking collectors’ items and socialites eager to snatch up holiday party dresses, according to wire-service reports.
A shimmering strapless gown of pale aqua faille silk created by Emanuel Ungaro for actress Marisa Berenson fetched only $1,200, while a black velvet Thierry Mugler dress with orange hot pants, worn by Diana Ross at the 1990 Grammy Awards, went for $2,100.
The auction was organized by France’s former first lady, Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing, for the Fondation de l’Enfance, which she founded in 1977.
Iran’s former empress, Farah Pahlavi, whose appetite for clothing angered her subjects but dazzled the international media, donated a champagne-colored chiffon evening gown with hand-embroidered edges. Created by Valentino, it fetched $10,000, one of the highest prices of the evening.
Reagan, who made little secret of her love of fine clothes while in the White House, donated a red crepe-de-chine dress with a slit up the leg and tiny ruffles at the neck by U.S. designer Galanos.
Other first ladies’ styles included a red brocade evening suit with heavy rhinestone buttons worn by Danielle Mitterrand and Giscard d’Estaing’s very ‘70s velour halter dress with black vinyl straps.
Monaco’s Royal Family contributed a closetful of haute couture , including Princess Caroline’s tiered black taffeta ball gown with white dots and an organza accordion collar by Christian Dior, her favorite designer.
Other highlights were Givenchy’s ebony satin tube gown worn by a lithe Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and Olivia de Havilland’s outfit for the 1960 Oscars--a red and black taffeta dress with scooped-up skirts by Yves Saint Laurent. It was the most expensive item at $10,200.
* TOO, TOO MUCH: Even dead British royalty can cost too much, apparently. Case in point: No one would pay the asking price for the 300-year-old wedding suit of an English king recently up for auction in London.
The Victoria and Albert Museum made the final bid of $304,200 for the richly embroidered coat and breeches of James, Duke of York, who became King James II in 1685.
But it wasn’t enough, even though the bid would have set a record price for a costume.
Aubrey Greene, a spokesman for the auction house Christie’s, said the bid matched the original minimum price set by the owner, but “as the result of discussions” the minimum had been raised to $456,000. He did not say why.
The costume record is $96,800, paid at Christie’s in 1989 for a man’s 17th-Century doublet, a close-fitting jacket.
* VEILED EGYPT: Tourists in Egypt may want to check out the Islamic fashion scene there. In recent years, more and more women have gone back to wearing the hijab, or veil, a head cover made of light material that hides the hair and neck. The correct Islamic hijab also includes a wide shapeless dress that conceals the body’s contours. Catering to this trend, Islamic shops have sprung up with clothes that combine long sleeves and ankle-length hems with bright colors and designs.
There is even an Islamic fashion magazine, Elegance and Decency, displaying a variety of clothing for all tastes and social events--evening, casual and business.
The magazine dedicates its pages to beauty care and marital advice. “What every veiled wife should know is that hijab means hiding the parts that attract (strangers) . . . but at the same time preserving her beauty and femininity purely for her husband,” it said in a recent issue.
