Going, going, gone... Paris vintage clothing auction report (Debutante Clothing)

This is a special guest blog post from vintage clothing auction correspondent, Jeanne Suica...

Paris has been buzzing with the results of two major Yves Saint Laurent auctions that were held a couple weeks ago. The collection of Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent which was held at Christie's broke a few major records in the antiques and art market. Did anyone say financial crisis? Not here! A pair of candelabra brought 253,000 euros and a chair fetched a sum of 21.9 million euros. Sadly, I couldn't even get close to the preview, there was a two hour wait to even get a peek of the fabulous collection.

I had better luck at the clothing and couture auction which was held a few days later at Hotel Duorot. The collection of 943 lots included a handful of haute couture pieces, many Rive Gauche items, accessories and a good amount of jewelry from 1962-2002.

vintage yves saint laurent haute couture

Lot 564 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture N 46547 Automne Hiver 1979-1980
Collection Hommage à Pablo Picasso

vintage yves saint laurent haute couture

Lot 46 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture N 1757 circa 1963 (ivory and black)

I was able to attend the preview and the auction on one day. It is rare that clothing and couture expos are dedicated to just one designer so it was truly a once in a lifetime experience to be able to see some many important pieces from so many of his most famous collections -- the Safari collection, his Le Smoking collection along with one of his first creations for Dior, a raspberry red dress circa 1958 along with a number of signed Robert Goossens jewerly.

Unlike the Christie's auction, I didn't hear of any records being broken. The top selling item was a black beaded ivory satin haute couture dress dress circa 1963 which brought 8,125 euros. A deal when we all know what haute couture sells for these days!

Surprisingly enough, my favorite piece a haute couture dress from his collection Hommage à Pablo Picasso from 1979-1980, didn't sell. So maybe I'll just keep playing the lottery and hope that one day it will show up at auction again!

Auctions are always fun to attend, a great learning experience and some are just better put together and make the process a lot less intimidating. I urge all of you to go to as many as you can. At more reputable houses an expert will give you a quick lesson on the history of a piece, you'll be able to sit comfortably and observe and learn more about how the process works and the terminology of learning how to bid and hopefully taking home a great bargain.

Paris, in my opinion, is not the place to start. In general it can be an intimidating process for many reasons and after having lived here for 1.5 years I'm still learning the ropes. So I'm going to share a little secret with you for all of you who have a bit of auction fever.

One of my favorite auction houses, Kerry Taylor Auctions is in London and run by Kerry Taylor. She has several auctions per year including two major auctions held in association with Sotheby's. You'll find lots of information about this fascinating lady and some of the most covetable collections and pieces that she has sold on her site.

Her next auction which will be held on March 10 is an auction for everyone. Whether you a fashionista looking to update your spring wardrobe, a collector or a designer looking for some inspiration you'll find something to your liking; Balenciaga, Biba, Hermes, Tom Ford, Herve Leger, Gaultier and Pucci with estimates from £40-8000. I'm sure that you'll be able to find something within your budget. A fully illustrated on line catalog on her site www.kerrytaylorauctions.com along with guidelines of how to bid on line just in case you're tempted!

Happy bidding and good luck! More soon from London...