Period Fashions Are a Hit At Augusta Auctions

The room was filled to the brim with serious fashionistas and savvy shoppers at the Augusta Auctions Couture & Vintage Fashion sale, held on Wednesday, November 13th, 2013.

This featured Paco Rabanne wool and leather coat & helmet greeted visitors at the entrance, and sold for $20,000.

Racks of clothing and tables of historically significant fashion items and textiles were on display, along with a selection of 19th century jewelry, shoes, boots, and hats, and huge assortment of Hermes scarves.

The sale began with lively bidding for two large Louis Vuitton canvas trunks, and proceeded at a speedy clip as buyers competed for the goods on display.

A modest sampling of the many beaded flapper dresses offered for sale.

A colorful selection of Victorian boots and a silver chatelaine await in the display case.

An unconstructed 1890s Point de Gaze lace dress went for a crowd-wowing $25,000, while a pair of Dior white kid gloves sold for $1,000.

Early and rare 18th and 19th century men's costumes were extremely popular, with many having important provenances and in some cases, an exact date of use.

This 1790 red wool coat and breeches belonging to British Consul Thomas McDonogh, was a show stopper, enjoying rapidly escalating bids and closing at $17,000.

A handsome 1790 red wool coat and accompanying breeches belonging to Thomas McDonogh, first British Consul to New England, sold for the tidy sum of $17,000, while a modest 1780's middle class man’s brown linen suit, was competitively snatched up at a cool $22,000 over the phone.

There were several bargains to be had as well, including a Lilli Ann suit with charming beaded poodle, selling for a modest $425, along with much designer evening wear and gowns, selling in the $300 to $500 range on average.

Pucci fashion was a popular theme with approximately seventeen lots up for sale.

An array of colorful Pucci dresses and beachwear were crowd favorites, as were a high number of 20's beaded dresses and lingerie items.

If you would like to attend the next sale, be sure to visit Augusta Auctions online for more information and schedule of events.

Written by Metro Retro Vintage

Fashionable Prices at the Whitaker 2013 Fall Sale

A wondrous good time was had last Saturday, November 2nd, at the Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company’s, “Fall Couture & Textiles” sale in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

The lovely medieval style Fortuny gown takes center stage – accompanied by two pieces of Bill Smith “body jewelry”, and a Fortuny Revival necklace by John Truscott.

                
The fashion filled event covered a span of 18th, 19th and 20th century styles and iconic designs by such notable names as Schiaparelli, Irene, Adrian, Chanel, and Dior, with the affable Mr. Whitaker and his hard working staff moving hundreds of lots over a two day period.

The beautifully fringed Maison Gripoix necklace was featured on the cover of the auction catalog, and closed at a hammer price of $2,900.

A rack of beaded and embellished flapper dresses.

Older period pieces and 20's beaded dresses did a brisk business, while 80's, 90's and millennium fashions, including McQueen, Moschino, YSL, and Versace, sold at lightning speed to bidders competing in-house, online, and via telephone.

Two lots of custom made 20's evening shoes were scored by phone bidders, for $1,400 and $1,700 respectively.

The majestic and prominently featured stenciled velvet Fortuny gown, sold for a modest $7,000, as Mr. Whitaker shared its humble discovery at a hospital thrift shop in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dior dresses and suits, both Paris and New York labels, were quickly snapped up, as were the 60's and 70's fashions of Courreges, Pucci, Galanos, and Norell.

This vibrant two-toned Courreges mini dress was a crowd favorite, selling for $2,700.

A generous selection of Louis Vuitton and Ghurka Market bags fill a table.

The evening concluded with a “Discovery Lot” sale, which had bidders vying heavily for the boxes of unexplored treasures within.       

For more information and auction updates, be sure to visit the Whitaker Auction Company website.


Written by Metro Retro Vintage

Coming Soon: A VFG Multi Member Sale

Something fun to look forward to. We're pretty sure that this is a first - a VFG member cooperative sale, open to the public.

The sale starts Sunday May 1 and will run for just 5 days. www.Artfire.com has been chosen as the venue. Some VFG members have permanent studios on Artfire where they will designate a VFGTS section, while others may be setting up temporary studios just for this event.

All VFG members who are participating in this historic sale have pledged to price their sale items at least 20% below their usual and customary prices, and possibly more. They will tell you clearly in each listing what level of discount you are getting.

So mark your calendar for May 1, when you can head over to Artfire and search VFGTS. VFG has become known for their vintage expertise and ethical business practices. For 5 days in May, VFG will be synonymous with great vintage deals!

Snow Day Sale at NorthStar Vintage!

Even though it's snowing like crazy outside, I am itching to move some inventory so I can start adding spring items.  So it's time for a sale.

Use the coupon code SNOWDAY in my Etsy store for 25% off.

 

Or use the coupon code SNOWDAY in my webstore and get 25% off.

Or heck, use the coupon code in both stores! I promise I'll use some of the proceeds to buy some seeds.

Out with the Old, In with the "New"

To celebrate the New Year and to make room for more gorgeous clothing and accessories, we at NorthStar Vintage Corporate Headquarters have knocked down the prices many of the pieces in our Etsy Store.  Sale items include Frye Boots, Doc Martens, North Beach Leather, and L.L. Bean.

Click on the picture (my model rocks!) to go to the Sale.

Best wishes for a Joyful New Year from NorthStar Vintage and the Vintage Fashion Guild!

Fuzzylizzie Pattern Store Closeout

As I announced here in April, I'm closing down my pattern sales site.

I have again slashed prices, and now most patterns are $5 or less. I'm in the process of moving them to a new etsy store, so shop both sites for some super buys in vintage patterns.

Lizzie

Vintage Sewing Patterns Reduced

As of the end of the year, I'm going to close my on-line vintage sewing pattern store. I have permanently reduced prices on 90% of the stock: patterns that were $15, are now $10 or $12, most children's patterns have been lowered to $6, and patterns that were over $20 have been reduced up to $10 off.

I will be continuing to add new designs, as I still have many from my years of collecting, so check back often for new styles.

Go HERE to see the almost 500 patterns, and thanks!

VFG Members In The News!

Congrats to 2 of our esteemed Vintage Fashion Guild members for recent mentions in the news!

Kristine Houston at Elsewhere Vintage has a write up on the site TODAY'S VINTAGE about her new shop in Orange, California.

THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH mentions VFG member K.K. Norris will be one of four presenters at the "The 2008 Decorative Arts and Preservation Forum and Antiques Show and Sale", Nov. 6-9 in Columbus, Mississippi where K.K. owns a shop called "The Attic".

A Suitcase Full of Clothing...A Titanic Story

The last survivor of the Titanic is selling some of her memorabilia to help pay for nursing care, including a small wicker suitcase full of clothing.

CNN reports...

"Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the disaster, is selling some of her mementos to help pay her nursing home fees.

Dean's artifacts, including a suitcase given to her family by the people of New York after their rescue, are expected to sell for about £3,000 ($5,200) at Saturday's auction in Devizes, western England.

Dean, 96, has lived in a nursing home in the southern English city of Southampton -- Titanic's home port -- since she broke her hip two years ago.

"I am not able to live in my home anymore," Dean was quoted as telling the Southern Daily Echo newspaper. "I am selling it all now because I have to pay these nursing home fees and am selling anything that I think might fetch some money."

Dean's items form part of a sale by Henry Aldridge and Son, an auction house that specializes in Titanic memorabilia."

Lets hope Millvina gets more than she's counting on.

A VFG***Recommended***Auction, New York

Doyle, New York will offer an outstanding collection of estate and antique jewelry at auction on Wednesday, September 24. Included will be approximately 80 lots comprising the Kelekian family collection of museum quality antique pieces collected over four generations. See the complete auction catalog at www.DoyleNewYork.com.

Celebrity Vintage Clothing at Recent Auctions

This 1950's dress, owned by Marilyn Monroe, sold recently at Bonham's for $11,000 plus premium. We note, with interest, the dress has some staining, fading, and tearing due to age. You can see all the lots from this recent sale at Bonham's website.

On a different note, this bullet proof vest was owned by Al Capone and sold for over $12,000 by Grey Flannel Auctions.. A dark wool bullet proof vest that was ostensibly worn by Capone in the 1920s. It is a dress suit style vest with four outer pockets and a row of five buttons, with hooks and straps on both sides to fasten the vest in place. Leather encased steel bars on the inside provided the protection Capone needed, considering that the 17-pound weight of this vest could become quite cumbersome under a suit jacket.

Stroud Vintage Fashion, Textile & Accessories Fairs

Press Release: A New Vintage Fashion Fair at the Heart of the Cotswolds

Stroud Vintage Fashion, Textile & Accessories Fairs
in the Subscription Rooms Stroud January 5th 2008

(From the desk of David Ireland Stroud Vintage December 28th 2007)

Stroud Vintage is hosting a series of Vintage Fashion, Textile & Accessories Fairs in the Ballroom of the Subscription Rooms during the whole of 2008. The fairs offer a wonderful selection of affordable quality vintage clothes, textile, jewellery, books, shoes, hats, bags and accessories from the 1800s to the 1980s, with Specialist sellers coming from the UK and Europe. The 2007 fairs were a rousing success, so we’re back for more… (well, the Beatles played here twice!)

The first of the 2008 fairs will be held on Saturday January the 5th. For more information about the fairs – whether browsing or booking a stand - visit www.stroudvintage.com

Opening times from 10am to 4pm.

A visit to Stroud on any of the fair days will offer you the chance to indulge yourself to the hilt; with a treasure trove of wonderful affordable vintage delights for any season. Stroud has a proud textile heritage with more than 100 cloth mills gracing the Five Valleys in its heyday. To this end, Stroud Vintage will be linking with the Stroudwater International Textile Festival during May 2008.

And don’t forget – it doesn’t get greener than Vintage. Vintage is the acceptable face of fashion – where unique pre-owned pieces leave just the lightest of carbon footprints behind.

All the best for 2008, David & Sandra Ireland of Stroud Vintage

Classic (Rock) Christie's

Vintage Tees are on the block today at Christie's Rock & Pop Memorabilia auction.

Vintage Rock T-Shirts
A collection of vintage rock t-shirts that were featured in Johan Kugelberg’s book What Comes Around Goes Around: Vintage Rock T-Shirts, is sure to garner attention from music and fashion aficionados.

These ephemeral icons of rock n’ roll and pop culture history are the crème de la crème of vintage t-shirts, and include some of collectors’ most coveted rock and punk bands. The popularity of vintage t-shirts continues to appeal to non-conformists and fashion followers alike, transcending generations. These relics survive from an era before mass merchandizing, when tshirts were made for roadies, such as the Led Zeppelin tour of 1973. Approximately 30 lots are offered, grouped and single, prices will start at $500.

David Bowie – a pair of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, circa early 1970s (estimate: $2,000-3,000)

The Rolling Stones – front reads, Who the F**k Are the Rolling Stones Anyway? On reverse, Who Cares, circa 1970 (estimate: $600-800)

Yardbirds – one of the earliest known rock t-shirts worn at the Monterey Pop Festival, 1967 (estimate: $3,000-4000)

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

Stylus, 7 October 2007 at 12.00pm
£1.50 (includes booking fee of £0.50 per ticket)

---

Due to popular demand, The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair is back this autumn with new stalls, new venues and lots and lots of vintage bargains for your buying pleasure. Set to a backdrop of today and yesterdays coolest tunes.

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair features retro clothes and accessories with an array of stalls by talented new designers, vintage specialists, bargain sellers, 40’s fanatics, 60s stockists and those shoulder pad emblazoned 80s kids.

This niche vintage fair is rapidly building up a cult following amongst the fashion savvy youth of the North who are sick of paying over the odds for retro/vintage/second hand.

Judy Berger, owner of The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair states: “Just because we lack the amount of vintage shops as our dear capital doesn’t mean we have to pay inflated prices. And why does the door fee of most vintage fairs have to equal the amount we should be paying for some simple vintage jewelery? No, at The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair we keep it dead simple; £1.00 on the door, very good vintage, really well priced!”

For further information, see www.whatsmineisyours.com

Goodwill Fashion Show

Goodwill Holds Fashion Show
Staff Writer Genevieve Makris

Shopping for vintage clothes has become so popular that individuals are moving away from trendy pieces found in department stores and focusing more on timeless finds that will last in one’s closet for years. Goodwill, a regional thrift store, has begun to take their marketing of vintage to another level. Senior Shanna Gidwani interned at the company over the summer and came up with the idea to advertise Goodwill’s annual Virtual Runway show on the popular networking site, Facebook.

Via eBay, the Virtual Runway show will display a series of vintage looks that can be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Every year, this fundraising event donates all profits to classes that help the disadvantaged in communities throughout the U.S. find jobs in areas such as custodial work, construction and bank hosting.

Local fashion designer Tu-Anh from Alexandria put the finishing touches on all of the pieces for the show which included sharp blazers and slacks, bargain handbags for business attire, wide leg twill pants and oversized cotton t-shirts for casual dress, and bright colored cocktail dresses and long black evening gowns for evening wear. Tu-Anh’s expertise and respected fashion sense helped refine the prearranged looks for each model.

“We want them to know they are not purchasing just bargain clothes, but high quality bargains. They are getting great deals and they are supporting a great cause,” Gidwani said.

With a little help from Emily Hall, the company’s retail marketing manager, Goodwill has also started a fashion blog. While trying to shed the stereotype of being just a bargain store, Hall’s blog has had as many as 200 hits in a single day and is quickly becoming a respected writing post for fashion devotees. Blog topics range from trends she is interested in, to actual outfits that she has picked out and draped over mannequins for viewers to gain inspiration from. By pairing different fabrics and sorting through donations, the looks are already pre-made for you and proving that Goodwill has a lot more to offer to the fashion conscious than what meets the eye.

The auction for the virtual runway show begins Sept. 12, but if you lose your bid to another anxious buyer, there is always the upcoming trunk show that will be at the H Street festival in Washington, D.C. For more information about the clothing being auctioned off, click here or visit Hall’s blog.

Chicago Couture Club Auction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 8, 2007

Jayne Skeff
Publicist
Clars Auction Gallery
(626) 296-6642
email: skeff@sbcglobal.net

For comments on this Auction, please contact:
Redge Martin, President Clars Auction Gallery
(510) 428-0100, email: info@clars.com


VINTAGE FASHIONISTAS TAKE NOTE: FAMED CHICAGO COUTURE CLUB ON THE AUCTION BLOCK IN OAKLAND, CA

Oakland, CA – Known for years as Chicago’s premier destination for the finest in vintage couture, walking into the Chicago Couture Club in the spendy and trendy Chicago shopping district of Lincoln Park, was like boutiquing in the Paris of the 30s and the New York of the 40s. Elegant racks were draped in Chanel suits, Givenchy dreses, Hermes scarves and Gucci bags. Yes, the Couture Club was world class vintage. Meticulously written tags adorned each item with prices ranging from the hundreds into the thousands.

The Chicago Couture Club was the life-long dream of native Northern Californian John Muller who spent over 20 years in the commercial clothing industry but never lost sight of his true passion for vintage couture. His vintage fashion clients included names like Bette Midler, Donna Karan and Mary McFadden. Muller traveled America and Europe, buying at auctions and private estates.

It was significant loss to the world of vintage fashion when one-of-a-kind “retro revitalist” John Muller passed away in September 2006 followed by the closing of the famed Chicago Couture Club.

On Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th, Clars Auction Gallery of Oakland (CA) will offer bidders around the world the opportunity to own select pieces from the Chicago Couture Club. Coming up for auction will be the finest in vintage clothing and designer accessories. Among the amazing clothing offerings will be approximately fifteen original outfits by renowned California designer Bonnie Cashin. Mostly printed leather, these original designs reflect the interest and taste of the 1960s, done in geometric patterns in bright color combinations.

The fashion accessories to be sold include handbags, hats and shoes. Offered in lots, these collections will include designer names such as Chanel, Lucille de Paris, Gilli Originals (New York), Dries Van Noten, Judith Leiber for Neiman Marcus and Kenneth Lane for Rosenfeld.

In addition to the couture accessories , pieces of the actual furnishings which adorned the beautiful shop will be sold as well. Highlighting the furniture coming from this elegantly appointed store will be a Gucci upholstered chair and settee.

The auction of the contents of the Chicago Couture Club will be held as part of Clars Auction Gallery’s Premier September Fine Antique and Estate Auction. Complete details and estimates of the lots to be offered from the Chicago Couture Club and the entire auction will be available online prior to the sale at www.clars.com.

The auction will be held at Clars Auction Gallery which is located at 5644 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, CA. Bidding is available in person, by phone absentee and via the Internet through eBay Live Auctions/Live Auctioneers. For more information, visit www.clars. Com, email info@ clars.com or call the gallery at (510) 428-0100.

COLLECTING

Vintage Fashion at Auction

By MARGARET STUDER
June 29, 2007

Fashion doesn't have to be new to be fashionable; some of the most up-to-date looks are inspired by the past. "Fashion is a continual reinterpretation," says independent London fashion auctioneer Kerry Taylor, whose sales of vintage attire offer a chance to find unusual clothing you aren't likely to see someone else wearing at a party.

Savvy shoppers aren't the only ones likely to be at coming London sales. Designers often show up looking for new ideas from old sources, says Christie's fashion expert Pat Frost. Collectors, who see fashion items as works of art, frequent the auctions, as do museums looking for items with historical significance.

1970s Pucci dress (estimate £500-£800)

Vintage auctions can also offer good value for money -- as not everyone likes the idea of second-hand clothes. This means haute-couture evening dresses or handmade accessories can be snapped up at prices far below those found in trendy boutiques. For example, in Christie's coming "The Wardrobe Sale" on July 25, estimates begin at £150 (www.christies.com).

Here's what to look for in coming sales:

Designer Greats

The auctions typically feature all the fashion hall-of-famers, including Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Chanel, Pucci, Courrèges, Yves Saint Laurent, Missoni, Versace, Miyake and Vivienne Westwood.

Among the items at Christie's on July 25 will be a totally up-to-date, perky evening dress with a flower design by Pucci from the 1970s, estimated at £500 to £800; an elegant, iridescent, black silk evening coat by Miyake from the 1980s (£1,000 to £1,500); a seductive, long, red evening skirt with a transparent polo neck top from the 1970s by Courrèges (£800 to £1,500); a fun Missoni suit of gold lurex from 1982 (£500 to £1,000); a Versace two-piece cocktail ensemble with wrap-around skirt from the 1980s (£600 to £1,000); and a black silk crepe evening dress with fluorescent yellow tubular-mesh shoulder straps from the 1980s by Japan's technically versatile designer Yohji Yamamoto (£600 to £1,000).

Kerry Taylor's sale in association with Sotheby's on July 10 will feature dresses by Charles James, an English-born, American designer who is one of the great names of 20th-century fashion, famous for his glamorous evening gowns. A copper taffeta bias-cut gown from the 1940s with plunging neckline is estimated at £2,500 to £3,500 (www.kerrytaylorauctions.com).

Another early 20th-century fashion legend featured in the sale is France's Madeleine Vionnet, whose flowing Grecian-style dresses were favored by film divas Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo. A Vionnet cocktail dress from circa 1921 in shimmering silver is estimated at £6,000 to £10,000.

Celebrities

Ms. Taylor's July sale will include a fuchsia pink swathed chiffon sari-style evening gown worn by Princess Diana on her official visit to Thailand in 1988 (£25,000 to £35,000). The costume was designed by French-born, U.K.-based Catherine Walker, founder of the Chelsea Design Company, London, which made most of the princess's evening dresses.

Says Ms. Taylor, "As an auction house, I sell to anyone; but, in my heart, I hope this dress is bought by a museum."

Accessories

At vintage sales, shoes and bags are particularly popular, says Ms. Frost, whose sale results on June 7 were headed by a cherry-red Hermès crocodile bag that fetched £36,000, more than tripling its estimate of £8,000 to £10,000. Ms. Taylor's July sale includes a rare green leather clutch Hermès bag from the 1930s decorated with a horse and jockey, estimated at £3,000 to £5,000.

Just for Men

Specialists agree that finding interesting 20th-century men's fashion at the sales isn't easy. Says Ms. Frost, "Men tend to wear their clothes until they fall apart, so pieces are hard to get in good condition." Still, Christie's has a collection in its sale of colorful Westwood items including men's shirts and accessories. Westwood's famous "destroy" T-shirts from the early 1980s are featured with one declaring "I am an anarchist" estimated at £400 to £600.

Write to Margaret Studer at wsje.weekend@wsj.com

Passion for Fashion and Fine Textile Auctions

Kerry Taylor Auctions hold live auctions. Our fine specialist sales include rare antique garments right through to Street Style by designers such as Emillio Pucci, Ossie Clark, Andre Courreges, Pierre Cardin and Vivienne Westwood to sublime Couture confections by Dior, Chanel and Vionnet. Accessories sold include shoes, gloves, hats, fans, bags and costume jewelery. The textiles included are wide ranging including lace, linens, quilts, embroidered pictures from the 17th to the 19th century centuries, embroidered samplers, Paisley, Kashmir and Norwich shawls, Oriental and European textiles, antique fashion plates, literature and fabric swatch books.

Their next auction is set for December 12th. If even just to drool, you should check it out!

Definitely Not Your Parents' Auction

Definitely not your parents' auction Vintage items from Chanel and Dior to Versace and Vuitton for younger buyers Sep. 25, 2006. 11:37 AM RITA ZEKAS Matt Damon auctioned off himself, Brad Pitt and George Clooney for charity during the One X One gala at the recent Toronto International Film Festival. One lucky woman gets to walk up the red carpet for Ocean's Thirteen with the trio but she doesn't get to take them home. Auctions aren't normally associated with such glitz. They are the bastions of the blue-rinse set, inevitably conjuring up visions of a staid old wrinkly gent in bespoke suit sitting grandly in the back bidding gazillions for some important piece of artwork for collectors like the late Ken Thomson. Ritchies Auctioneers is determined to change all that, starting tonight. This is not your parents' auction. Ritchies is aiming for a younger demographic, 29 to 45, buyers with strong heartbeats. They are lowering prices to under $5,000 and offering auction items that don't reek of Miss Havisham. For the first time, Ritchies has long-limbed, lissome young models in its showroom. They are so young, their idea of vintage is '90s, yet they will be modelling vintage frocks from the Paper Bag Princess at Ritchies' inaugural Vintage Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories auction this evening. The auction features more that 180 lots. The clothes span from the '20s to the '90s, ranging from '20s flapper dresses to a Gianni Versace sleeveless blouse printed with Andy Warhol's iconic Marilyn Monroe. There are scads of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent and a smattering of Adrian (the Hollywood costume designer who worked with Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow and was responsible for Joan Crawford's huge shoulder pads) and even some Norma Kamali. The price points aren't prohibitive. The estimated price for the Versace Warhol blouse is $75 to $150. A white sheared beaver coat is listed between $300 and $400 but a Versace couture cocktail dress is estimated to go for between $800 and $1,000. The jewellery is impressive: everything from the family rhinestones ($100 to $150) to a rare Schiaparelli-style Bakelite and celluloid necklace in the form of a cluster of grapes that is expected to fetch more than $1,000. Elizabeth Mason, owner of the Paper Bag Princess, was hooked on vintage from her early teens. Her first score was a Lanvin dress. Read the rest here.

Zip off to an Auction

A wonderful tip from one of our VFG Members!

Find auctions anywhere! AuctionZip.com is the nation's largest live auction website with over 10,000 upcoming auction listings from over 4500 auctioneers nationwide. Over 120,000 auction listings have been posted at AuctionZip in our first 2 years.

Find wonderful vintage goodies this Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin at the Doris Johnson Auction or this great one in Oakland, Illinois touted as a 90 Year Old Collection.

A fantastic resource and easy way to find auctions in your area. It's addicting!