Debutante Clothing :: A vintage clothing and fashion blog for unconventional style where vintage and runway meet.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Abigail Rutherford of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. As covetable as her job is, I envy Jeanne Suica even more. Jeanne jets sets across the world hunting through people's closets and spying collectible, auction worthy treasures. Check out this article she wrote just for Debutante Clothing!

I've been a part of the auction world for the past few years and it is probably my favorite part of my clothing business which is based in Europe.

We all have a story of a special piece that we've found and mine was a Jean Paul Gaultier dress that I picked up at Goodwill in New York City. The dress which was labelled Jean Paul Gaultier Maille was a long acid green net fabric with a gold metallic overlay print which resembled body contours. Not in perfect condition but for $40.00 I thought that I had found the perfect Halloween costume.

A few months later I decided to send a photo to an auction house in London that I had consigned with a few times. Imagine my surprise when I received an estimation of £300-£500 and learned that it was from 1996 and part of a major museum collection in Japan. A few months later and £500 richer I decided that I wanted to learn more about what made an item collectable and realized that I enjoyed sitting in the library day after day doing research as much as hunting for a great vintage find at my favorite yard sale.

I provide a range of services for clients selecting items that might be auction worthy, providing estimations in conjunction with one of the leading auction houses in Europe, scheduling large collection or estate evaluations worldwide and coordinating the logistics of putting their fine collectables up for auction. My clients are worldwide and diverse, from Parisians cleaning out their storage units, vintage dealers worldwide who may not have found a client in their local market for specialty pieces they need to sell, clients who want to remain anonymous or modern day fashionistas who don't have the time to handle the details of consigning their items.

Below are some general guidelines that auction houses follow in deciding if a piece might be suitable for auction:

Label and Design
Not everything that has a famous label is auction worthy. I think that all of us have seen pieces by our favorite designers and wondered "What were they thinking?" Pieces that usually attract attention are the pieces that speak to us and convey the message of the period and trademark of the designer. A very simple example is that of Emilio Pucci, his colorful prints are much more desireable than his solid colored clothing and because the fabric is signed throughout on most pieces there is usually not a doubt as to authenticity.

Design of course plays an important part. You may find an eyecatching piece at an estate sale without a label. Pieces without labels but that are well constructed or have a historical value may be desireable for auction houses. You may even get a wonderful surprise and have your unlabelled item attributed to a major designer or find out that it is much more valuable than you ever imagined.

Condition

In a perfect world everyone would take care of their clothing but we all know that while collectors generally want an item to be in perfect or near perfect condition there are many desirable items out there that have been enjoyed and well worn by their owners. Items which are strong examples of a particular period, designer or collection may still be auction worthy and bought but never worn by designers who are looking for inspiration, museums, or private individuals who are looking to complete a segment of their collection.

Documentation/Provenance

Do you have a piece that was featured in a fashion publication, a film or owned by someone famous? If so and you can provide proof your item it may certainly increase the "desirable factor" with bidders.

Age

Most of us know that a Schiaparelli dress would probably bring a fantastic price at auction but do you know that many newer items (up to the year 2000) are also appearing on a regular basis at auction houses worldwide? Fashionistas who love mixing old and new styles are now clamouring for front row seats at some of the major auction houses hoping to snap up a bargain Cheap & Chic cocktail dress or a gently used Hermes handbag.

My advice is to always deal with a reputable auction house. Not all auction houses will accept the same items and fees and charges vary. Estimations for consignment are free of charge and I can honestly say that most people that I have met or worked with at the major auction houses have been wonderful professional and knowlegable. There is no need to be initimidated by auction houses so clean out your closet and turn those unwanted items into cash and one of your treasures just may end up in a museum!

For a free evaluation of you items please don't hesitate to contact me at:
www.jeannesuica.com