FOR YOUR GUYS ONLY-Consignment Finds at Re-Porter

 Ann Demeulemeester

Silver Studded Belt

Undercover

Napoleon Hook Jacket

As you know by now I love to search for treasures, visit fashion exhibitions and attend fashion and clothing auctions so when I discovered this great site I just has to share it with you. 

Re-porter is a consignment site for men. 

A treasure trove of selected brands from Ann Demeulemeester, Helmut Lang, Rick Owens, Yamamoto and of course my all time favorite Undercover, which by the way, is very difficult to find.

The site is beautiful, well laid out, and resembles an on- line fashion exhibition.

Most of the pieces are future collectables that will end up in auctions or museums so visit soon before they are gone.

www.re-porter.ca

Rags to Riches-A Hidden Treasure by Jeanne Lanvin

  

 

My favorite treasure hunting story of the month. 

The photos and press release below are from Kerry Taylor's last auction. As a dealer I have a lot of my own great stories about finding vintage treasures in the most unusual places and most of my most fabulous finds end up in Kerry's hands and later in museums and archives. 

It was a thrill to be sitting at the auction while the bids sky rocketed for this unusual piece and yes I was at the markets the next day in case you are wondering!

A few weeks ago a collector was sifting through a London street market when he spotted what appeared to be a good quality gown. It was somewhat crumpled and soiled in appearance but upon inspecting the inside seams he spied a Lanvin label. Despite the initial rather dishevelled appearance of the gown he agreed to purchase it for £70 and brought it straight round to show Kerry Taylor. It was suggested that the dress would benefit from specialist cleaning to try to remove some of the grime and stains – to help its appearance when displayed on a mannequin, as the probable purchaser would be a museum or private collector and so this was done. It was the highlight of the April 17th auction.

 

The label is a rare one, the gown dating from 1945 the year of liberation from German occupation at the end of World War II. What also made the dress unique is that a miniature version of it appeared in 'Le Theatre de la Mode’ – an exhibition of the best of French couture which was displayed on dolls and exhibited in Paris and London in 1945 in aid of post-war charities. The gown had unusual wide, curving hips formed from horse hair panniers. One of Lanvin’s claims to fame in her early career was the 'Robe de Style' which also used panniers and was extremely popular and widely imitated in the early 1920s. Jeanne Lanvin died in 1946 so this dress is from one of her last major periods of her creativity. At the auction it created international interest from museums and collectors alike. Three telephones battled it out with the dress ultimately selling to an important European private collector.

I hope that this inspires you to go out a find some treasures of your own. 

If you have any treasures in your closet let me know. 

Her next auction is in June and consignments are being accepted now.

www.kerrytaylorauctions.com

 See you there!

NOT SO FAMOUS BUT FABULOUS-Kerry Taylor Auctions

Lot 285
Two novelty 'mini' dresses, 1960s, one formed from beige cotton printed with `Be Beautiful in a Potato Sack....fill with 100 lbs or more of charm and save money on new French inspired creations' and other witty advice and fashion lines - empire, trapeze and balloon,  the other printed with a Venetian gondolier, together with a pair of white vinyl Courreges style boots, size 7 

Lot 283

 Dior-influenced cocktail dresses circa 1956-57  of emerald green satin with bow to bodice, and curved pleats to rear skirt, together with a watermelon pink nylon prom gown.

 Please refer to the catalogue for a description of the 3rd dress in this lot.

Lot 291 

A 'Mondrian' style wool mini-dress, American, circa 1965, a high street imitation of Saint Laurent's iconic design, with red colour blocks within a black inserted gridwork, ivory wool ground.

These 3 lots will be offered tomorrow morning April 17 via Kerry Taylor Auctions in London.

Believe it or not, they are not by top well known designers but still fabulous and certainly eye-catching I'm sure that you'll agree.

If you are a designer label diva don't worry there are lots of collectable pieces by Mugler, Margiela, Gaultier, Moschino, Alaia, and Chanel just take a look at the catalog and don't forget that you can bid until your heart is content via 

www.invaluable.com

www.kerrytaylorauctions.com

HOUSE OF VERSACE BOOK

A brilliant book by Deborah Ball.  

http://www.amazon.com/House-Versace-Untold-Genius-Survival/dp/0307406512

P.S.

Thanks Suzanne!

LET ME SHARE MY FANTASY

 Titiana

 Persephone

Adriane-Made for Helen Gurley Brown

Just one of my many fantasies,  the only one that I'll be sharing with you today (wink) is to own one of these great pieces made from hand- enameled metal mesh.

The first is my favorite.

I would pair it with my black leather pants and be ready for anything 

(well except dealing with airport security of course!)

A collection of over 50 pieces will be available for purchase exclusively at FROCK, including pieces chosen for the "Goddess" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2003.Prices range from $2,000-$12,000
We invite you to view collection and meet the designer Douglas Ferguson.
 Douglas Ferguson's colorful hand-enameled metal mesh costumes for the Joffrey Ballet led the way to a series of glamorous one-of-a-kind chain mail pieces spearheading Revlon's The World's Most Unforgettable Women; commemorating The Statue of Liberty for Vogue, while gracing the covers and editorial pages of Bazaar, Cosmo, and New York Magazine among others. Exhibitions of note include Cream of the Crop: The New Couture (1985) The Museum of the City of New York,  East Village: The New Vanguard (1987) F.I.T., New York, The Historical Mode (1989) F.I.T., New York, Goddess: The Classical Mode (2003) The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and Goddess (2004) MoMu, Antwerpen

THURSDAY MARCH 15th, 7pm to 10pm

FROCK 170 Elizabeth St. New York, New York 10012
RSVPinfo@frocknyc.com

   

And the Answer is...

Charles James

1946

photo above from 

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80097219

Photos from previous post are from Kent State, Fashion Institute of Technology and the Metropolitan Museum NYC

Thanks to everyone for their answers. Hmmm...next quiz will have to be a bit more difficult.

I'm sure that all of the Mugler fans will agree that James was an important influence on Thierry Mugler.

YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE SO SMART-PROVE IT

Three dresses three guesses-Who designed these?

Hint-He left Chicago and moved to Long Island, NY with 70 cents, a Pierce arrow and a few hats as his only possessions. He showed one of his most successful collections in 1947.