Fashion and Couture (20th century)
1939 Dorothy in Technicolor
2012 SOLD for $ 1.56M including premium
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz was sold for $ 480K including premium by Julien's Auctions on November 10, 2012. It had been introduced by the auction house in a nice pre sale video.
This costume is now estimated $ 800K for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 23, lot 67.
In the mean time a prop from the same movie achieved a great auction result when a skin of the Cowardly Lion was sold for $ 3.1M including premium by Bonhams on November 24, 2014.
The discussion below is based on my 2012 post with an additional comment concerning color movies.
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz became the most watched film in the history of cinema.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl. Her blue dress with a tight pattern of small squares, consisting of a schoolgirl apron and a skirt, becomes the thread of the human emotions in a crazy world.
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
The dress for sale is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
Accessories used in The Wizard of Oz are much esteemed. At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a test dress of same model was sold for $ 1.1 million including premium.
A pair of ruby slippers worn during test sequences was sold for $ 610K including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011. The actual pair used by Judy-Dorothy, which had been discussed in this column in December 2011, was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
This costume is now estimated $ 800K for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 23, lot 67.
In the mean time a prop from the same movie achieved a great auction result when a skin of the Cowardly Lion was sold for $ 3.1M including premium by Bonhams on November 24, 2014.
The discussion below is based on my 2012 post with an additional comment concerning color movies.
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz became the most watched film in the history of cinema.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl. Her blue dress with a tight pattern of small squares, consisting of a schoolgirl apron and a skirt, becomes the thread of the human emotions in a crazy world.
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
The dress for sale is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
Accessories used in The Wizard of Oz are much esteemed. At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a test dress of same model was sold for $ 1.1 million including premium.
A pair of ruby slippers worn during test sequences was sold for $ 610K including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011. The actual pair used by Judy-Dorothy, which had been discussed in this column in December 2011, was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
1939 Judy Garland Blouse in The Wizard of Oz
2011 SOLD for $ 1.1M including premium by Profiles in History
Link to catalogue on LiveAuctioneers.
1939 Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz
2011 SOLD for $ 610K including premium by Profiles in History
narrated later in 2011 before the sale of another pair by Profiles in History (see below)
Released in 1939, the Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved movies in film history. People needed to be entertained, which made also the success of thrillers of all kinds, and this story of fairies and magicians went at the right time.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, played by the very young Judy Garland, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power.
Four pairs of slippers were screen worn by Judy. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011. It had been estimated at $ 2M and could have made a perfect 2011 Christmas gift from or for a nostalgic billionaire. It was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection on June 18, 2011, another pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked on the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, played by the very young Judy Garland, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power.
Four pairs of slippers were screen worn by Judy. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011. It had been estimated at $ 2M and could have made a perfect 2011 Christmas gift from or for a nostalgic billionaire. It was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection on June 18, 2011, another pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked on the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.
1953 Two Little Girls from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
2011 SOLD for $ 1.44M including premium by Profiles in History
narrated in 2020
The war was over and pin-up girls went to be showgirls again. On Broadway, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, inspired by a comedy novel from the roaring twenties, is a great success. The musical is transposed to the cinema in 1953 without change of title but with new stars and some new songs.
The film features two women, the tall brunette and the petite blonde, who seek the ideal man together with opposing strategies. The blonde dreams of diamonds. The roles are played by 31-year-old Jane Russell, whose beauty and daring are already legendary, and by Marilyn Monroe, 27, who has her first big hit here. The costumes are made by Travilla.
Two Little Girls from Little Rock is a song adapted from the musical for being sung and danced by the two girls together. They wear gowns in red silk crepe with sequins and extravagant feathered hats. To avoid the prudish censorship of that time, the bust does not open on a nudity but on a flesh-colored underwear.
From the Debbie Reynolds collection, Marilyn's complete costume, dress with hat, was sold for $ 1.44M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 282 here linked on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform .
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend also came from the musical but it is its performance by Marilyn that will make it a popular phrase. A prototype of the pink satin dress with which Marilyn will excite all men was sold for $ 356K including premium on June 11, 2010, also by Profiles in History. This two-piece gown could not be used because the top and skirt separated when the actress raised her arms.
The film features two women, the tall brunette and the petite blonde, who seek the ideal man together with opposing strategies. The blonde dreams of diamonds. The roles are played by 31-year-old Jane Russell, whose beauty and daring are already legendary, and by Marilyn Monroe, 27, who has her first big hit here. The costumes are made by Travilla.
Two Little Girls from Little Rock is a song adapted from the musical for being sung and danced by the two girls together. They wear gowns in red silk crepe with sequins and extravagant feathered hats. To avoid the prudish censorship of that time, the bust does not open on a nudity but on a flesh-colored underwear.
From the Debbie Reynolds collection, Marilyn's complete costume, dress with hat, was sold for $ 1.44M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 282 here linked on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform .
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend also came from the musical but it is its performance by Marilyn that will make it a popular phrase. A prototype of the pink satin dress with which Marilyn will excite all men was sold for $ 356K including premium on June 11, 2010, also by Profiles in History. This two-piece gown could not be used because the top and skirt separated when the actress raised her arms.
1955 The Most Famous Pleated Dress
2011 SOLD 5.6 M$ including premium
It was the most successful seduction scene in motion picture history. In 1955, Marilyn Monroe plays the role of The Girl in the film by Billy Wilder, The Seven Year Itch. In a burst of laughter, she went to stand on a subway vent. The wind made the dress fly as superb scrolls that reveal her thighs.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She now splits her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History in Beverly Hills. The subway dress is included in the first sale, on June 18. It had never been submitted to a public sale, and it is very difficult to predict the price. The auction house announced a very open estimate that seems reasonable: between 1 and 2 million $.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale was available live on the bidding provider site LiveAuctioneers. It was well attended by buyers, and the top lot reached a remarkable price: $ 4.6 million before fees.
It is a triumph in the category of movie props.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She now splits her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History in Beverly Hills. The subway dress is included in the first sale, on June 18. It had never been submitted to a public sale, and it is very difficult to predict the price. The auction house announced a very open estimate that seems reasonable: between 1 and 2 million $.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale was available live on the bidding provider site LiveAuctioneers. It was well attended by buyers, and the top lot reached a remarkable price: $ 4.6 million before fees.
It is a triumph in the category of movie props.
1959 The Dress of a Crooner Girl
2016 SOLD for $ 470K including premium
In 1959 the movie Some Like It Hot is a big hit. This musical comedy is a parody of romantic and gangster films while maintaining a funny androgynous ambiguity of the two leading male actors. The title is an evocation of jazz rhythms.
Marilyn Monroe is the leading actress with her unambiguous charms. She plays the role of a young singer who came to Florida for capturing the love of the first mogul who will desire her. She does not understand that two women whom she just met are instead two men in disguise to escape some villains.
In the music room of a luxury yacht, Marilyn sings her love despair with the soft and compelling voice of a real crooner: "I'm through with love, I'll never fall again".
She wears for this scene a cocktail dress whose bustier is almost transparent, which is still at that time in America a great audacity three years after the sexual revolution brought in the movies by Vadim with Bardot on the other side of the Atlantic. A cautious cameraman does not dare a close-up. The dress is enhanced with beads and sequins.
Same as the Happy birthday Mr President dress three years later this tight gown reveals the shape of the body. It leaves no freedom for a move and throughout this scene Marilyn sits on the grand piano.
The I'm through with love dress is estimated $ 400K for sale on November 17 by Julien's in Los Angeles, lot 40. The online catalog includes the video of the song in the film. The enamored woman going down the stairs is one of the disguised men.
Marilyn Monroe is the leading actress with her unambiguous charms. She plays the role of a young singer who came to Florida for capturing the love of the first mogul who will desire her. She does not understand that two women whom she just met are instead two men in disguise to escape some villains.
In the music room of a luxury yacht, Marilyn sings her love despair with the soft and compelling voice of a real crooner: "I'm through with love, I'll never fall again".
She wears for this scene a cocktail dress whose bustier is almost transparent, which is still at that time in America a great audacity three years after the sexual revolution brought in the movies by Vadim with Bardot on the other side of the Atlantic. A cautious cameraman does not dare a close-up. The dress is enhanced with beads and sequins.
Same as the Happy birthday Mr President dress three years later this tight gown reveals the shape of the body. It leaves no freedom for a move and throughout this scene Marilyn sits on the grand piano.
The I'm through with love dress is estimated $ 400K for sale on November 17 by Julien's in Los Angeles, lot 40. The online catalog includes the video of the song in the film. The enamored woman going down the stairs is one of the disguised men.
1961 Givenchy Dress of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's
2006 SOLD for £ 470K including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
1962 At the Closest from Marilyn Monroe
2016 SOLD for $ 4.8M including premium
The birthday of John Kennedy is grand style at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 19 May 1962. 15 000 friends of the President attend this private show which involves the stars of music hall : Jack Benny, Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Fonda, Maria Callas and of course Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn has carefully prepared her contribution. The details are a surprise to the President and to the viewers. She composed the short poem 'Happy birthday Mr President' which she sings at the podium in a voice altogether languid and breathless after removing her coat.
She had ordered for this event to Jean Louis a stunning dress such as "only Marilyn Monroe could wear it". The effect of her performance is high among that well-wishing attendance. Jackie Kennedy is upset.
Jean Louis (Jean-Louis Berthault) is working for Hollywood studios since 1943. His designs have pushed Rita Hayworth to the rank of the sex symbol of the postwar period. He had already worked with Marilyn in 1961 for The Misfits.
Marilyn turns 36 less than two weeks later. Her professional career is at a point of no return. She is contractually linked with Fox whose projects do not bring any more pleasure to her. She feels that her body that made her fame will begin to get softened. She dreams of becoming a great tragic comedian.
The gown by Jean Louis is the culmination of the flamboyant youth of Marilyn and her apotheosis. Its color is perfectly consistent with her skin's. The garment with an open back is so tight that the zipper does not work completely and the last stitch is sewn on the actress. Under the stage lights the hundreds of crystals well distributed on the fabric sparkle to hide her nakedness while reinforcing the illusion of it.
On late June the Last Sitting is made. Photographed for Vogue magazine, Marilyn displays her still young body that Jean Louis's gown had masked. The root cause of her death on 5 August 1962 is not known.
The dress made by Jean Louis for Happy Birthday is estimated $ 2M for sale by Julien's in Los Angeles on November 17, lot 84. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Marilyn has carefully prepared her contribution. The details are a surprise to the President and to the viewers. She composed the short poem 'Happy birthday Mr President' which she sings at the podium in a voice altogether languid and breathless after removing her coat.
She had ordered for this event to Jean Louis a stunning dress such as "only Marilyn Monroe could wear it". The effect of her performance is high among that well-wishing attendance. Jackie Kennedy is upset.
Jean Louis (Jean-Louis Berthault) is working for Hollywood studios since 1943. His designs have pushed Rita Hayworth to the rank of the sex symbol of the postwar period. He had already worked with Marilyn in 1961 for The Misfits.
Marilyn turns 36 less than two weeks later. Her professional career is at a point of no return. She is contractually linked with Fox whose projects do not bring any more pleasure to her. She feels that her body that made her fame will begin to get softened. She dreams of becoming a great tragic comedian.
The gown by Jean Louis is the culmination of the flamboyant youth of Marilyn and her apotheosis. Its color is perfectly consistent with her skin's. The garment with an open back is so tight that the zipper does not work completely and the last stitch is sewn on the actress. Under the stage lights the hundreds of crystals well distributed on the fabric sparkle to hide her nakedness while reinforcing the illusion of it.
On late June the Last Sitting is made. Photographed for Vogue magazine, Marilyn displays her still young body that Jean Louis's gown had masked. The root cause of her death on 5 August 1962 is not known.
The dress made by Jean Louis for Happy Birthday is estimated $ 2M for sale by Julien's in Los Angeles on November 17, lot 84. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1964 The Ascot Dress from My Fair Lady
2011 SOLD for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History
narrated in 2020
Adapted directly from the musical of the same title, My Fair Lady, produced in 1964 by Warner Bros., is one of the greatest successes in cinema. Spectators loved the story of the young cockney woman, played with great charm by Audrey Hepburn, who would like to be taken for a duchess.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. In the same auction, the 'subway' dress of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch was sold for $ 5.5M including premium.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. In the same auction, the 'subway' dress of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch was sold for $ 5.5M including premium.
1965 Julie Andrews Jumper in The Sound of Music
2011 SOLD for $ 550K before fees by Profiles in History
Link to catalogue on LiveAuctioneers.
1972 Elvis's Jumpsuit
2021 SOLD for $ 510K before fees by GWS
Elvis Presley made a breakthrough in entertainment with his music and gesture, of course, but also for his stage worn attire. His supplier was the JC Costume Company operated in Hollywood by the designer Bill Belew, who made about 125 pieces for this special customer.
Elvis performed at Madison Square Garden from June 9 to 11, 1972. He used a jumpsuit and a cape made by Belew, decorated with eyelets. The collar is high behind the neck in the usual Presley fashion.
Both pieces were sold by GWS on September 4, 2021, the suit for $ 510K before fees at lot 3C and the cape for $ 300K before fees at lot 3D. The suit still has its tag from JC Costume sewn inside.
The peacock jumpsuit, also by Belew, was in 1974 a signature attire of Elvis. It was sold for $ 300K by Gotta Have It on August 6, 2008 and for $ 245K by Sotheby's on June 24, 2014, lot 111.
Elvis performed at Madison Square Garden from June 9 to 11, 1972. He used a jumpsuit and a cape made by Belew, decorated with eyelets. The collar is high behind the neck in the usual Presley fashion.
Both pieces were sold by GWS on September 4, 2021, the suit for $ 510K before fees at lot 3C and the cape for $ 300K before fees at lot 3D. The suit still has its tag from JC Costume sewn inside.
The peacock jumpsuit, also by Belew, was in 1974 a signature attire of Elvis. It was sold for $ 300K by Gotta Have It on August 6, 2008 and for $ 245K by Sotheby's on June 24, 2014, lot 111.
1983 A Jacket for a Werewolf and Two Tigers
2011 SOLD 1.8 M$ including premium
Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth album released in 1982, was a phenomenal success. The video clip of the same name made in 1983 has contributed significantly to this achievement.
This little 14-minute film is a pastiche of horror movies. Michael, omnipresent, cunningly shows the complexity of his personality: sweet charmer of girls, abominable werewolf, first dancer in a gang of zombies.
A thread follows him in all these roles: his red jacket with black stripes. He often reused this model in concert. He liked this jacket that was flexible enough for not impeding the movements of the most frantic dance.
One of the two originals of this iconic garment is for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills in the sale of 25 and 26 June. This lot is shown on the release shared by AuctionPublicity.
The jacket is estimated $ 200K. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of that lot will be paid to the Shambala Preserve. This charity for abandoned big cats is housing since 2006 the two tigers of the artist, Thriller and Sabu
POST SALE COMMENT
Michael's tigers will be well fed. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this lot is for their home. The jacket was sold $ 1.8 million charge included.
This little 14-minute film is a pastiche of horror movies. Michael, omnipresent, cunningly shows the complexity of his personality: sweet charmer of girls, abominable werewolf, first dancer in a gang of zombies.
A thread follows him in all these roles: his red jacket with black stripes. He often reused this model in concert. He liked this jacket that was flexible enough for not impeding the movements of the most frantic dance.
One of the two originals of this iconic garment is for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills in the sale of 25 and 26 June. This lot is shown on the release shared by AuctionPublicity.
The jacket is estimated $ 200K. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of that lot will be paid to the Shambala Preserve. This charity for abandoned big cats is housing since 2006 the two tigers of the artist, Thriller and Sabu
POST SALE COMMENT
Michael's tigers will be well fed. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this lot is for their home. The jacket was sold $ 1.8 million charge included.
1998 Skeleton Corset by Shaun Leane
2017 SOLD for $ 710K including premium by Sotheby's
1999 Corsets in the Catwalk
2017 SOLD for $ 810K including premium
Clothing has the social role of drawing attention to the person wearing it. The creativity of Alexander McQueen is unlimited. It does not matter that his pieces are unusable apart from the theatrical stagings at the fashion shows. In 1995 the designer attracts controversy by exhibiting bumster trousers that are worn very low to denude the top of the buttocks.
For the jewelry that accompanies the gowns, McQueen works with Shaun Leane. On December 4 in New York, Sotheby's in association with Kerry Taylor sells a collection of items made for McQueen by Leane and offered from his personal archives. They are discussed by Shaun Leane himself in the video shared by the auction house.
In 1997 McQueen dressed Björk for the preparation of her album titled Homogenic. She wears on the cover a collar made by Leane in circles of silver plated brass imitating the ornaments of the Burmese women-giraffes. This jewel is estimated $ 40K, lot 33.
At the risk of erasing the femininity McQueen required Leane to create in the same style a corset made after a concrete molding of the body of the model Laura Morgan from top of neck down to the hips. This piece made of 97 aluminum coils is signed by both McQueen and Leane and dated 1999. It is estimated $ 250K, lot 24.
In a similar inspiration, lot 12 also estimated $ 250K turns a woman into a surrealist artefact. This aluminum corset created by Leane for McQueen in 1998 is composed of the spine in its whole length along with its complete ribcage. The video demonstrates very briefly at 1:14 how to wear it elegantly over a glittery black garment.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Laura Morgan's corset : $ 810K
Skeleton corset : $ 710K
Björk's giraffe collar : $ 244K
For the jewelry that accompanies the gowns, McQueen works with Shaun Leane. On December 4 in New York, Sotheby's in association with Kerry Taylor sells a collection of items made for McQueen by Leane and offered from his personal archives. They are discussed by Shaun Leane himself in the video shared by the auction house.
In 1997 McQueen dressed Björk for the preparation of her album titled Homogenic. She wears on the cover a collar made by Leane in circles of silver plated brass imitating the ornaments of the Burmese women-giraffes. This jewel is estimated $ 40K, lot 33.
At the risk of erasing the femininity McQueen required Leane to create in the same style a corset made after a concrete molding of the body of the model Laura Morgan from top of neck down to the hips. This piece made of 97 aluminum coils is signed by both McQueen and Leane and dated 1999. It is estimated $ 250K, lot 24.
In a similar inspiration, lot 12 also estimated $ 250K turns a woman into a surrealist artefact. This aluminum corset created by Leane for McQueen in 1998 is composed of the spine in its whole length along with its complete ribcage. The video demonstrates very briefly at 1:14 how to wear it elegantly over a glittery black garment.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Laura Morgan's corset : $ 810K
Skeleton corset : $ 710K
Björk's giraffe collar : $ 244K
