The Personal Wardrobe And Vivienne’s Playing Cards Were Sold To Raise Vital Funds For Charitable Causes Championed By Vivienne Westwood. The Auction Realised A Total Of £754,488, With 100% Sold
Christie’s is honoured to have paid tribute to the revolutionary British fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood.Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection was sold at Christie’s to raise funds for the charitable causes the pioneering British cultural icon championed during her lifetime. The live and online sales realised a combined total of £754,488 with hammer proceeds benefitting The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières and Greenpeace. Spanning the four decade solo career of one of the most influential designers of modern times, each item included in the two sales represented a significant moment in Vivienne's life. The sale also included jewellery and accessories as well as The Big Picture, Vivienne’s playing cards, which were sold to benefit Greenpeace.The auction was 100% sold, attracting both institutional buyers, and collectors with 33% of registered bidders Millennials and 9% Gen Z.
A free public exhibition of Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection took place at Christie’s headquarters on King Street, London from 14 to 24 June, attracting more than 20,000 visitors to the galleries.
Vivienne’s Playing Cards, a project by The Vivienne Foundation for Greenpeace, opened the auction. The limited-edition playing cards, produced in a deluxe edition of ten portfolios, the first of which was presented in a unique linen-covered hand-embroidered box, realised a total of £37,800, leading the sale.
Worn to a gala event held in Vivienne Westwood’s honour at London’s V&A Museum in 1998, 'Dressed to Scale' Collection, Autumn-Winter 1998 / 99, a corset gown of taupe silk taffeta achieved £32,760.
Underscoring Vivienne Westwood’s belief that clothes should live forever, Vivienne’s hand-stitching is visible on 'Gaia The Only One' Collection, Spring-Summer 2011, an ice blue satin scoop necked 'Cinderella' dress, inspired by a ballet costume. The dress sold for £25,200.
From the ‘Propaganda’ Collection, Autumn-Winter, a cotton dress with printed 'propaganda' modesty panel and apron with blue and white striped blouse, inspired spirited bidding, selling for £16,380.
Inspired by the aesthetics of 1930s Hollywood, ‘Always On Camera' Collection, Autumn-Winter 1992/ 93 played with the stereotypes of movie-star glamour. A Harris Tweed three piece suit sold for £15,120. Returning to Hollywood as her source of inspiration, 'World Wide Woman' Collection, Autumn-Winter 2011 / 12, a full-length nude 'illusion' gown embellished with gold sequins realised £8,820.
The sale also included jewellery and accessories, highlighted by a three row faux-pearl choker mounted with gilt-metal paste-set oversized 'orb' pendant from the 'Anglomania' Collection, Autumn- Winter 1993 / 94, which sold for £10,080.
Andreas Kronthaler, Vivienne’s Husband and Creative Director of Vivienne Westwood®: “What a wonderful day to wake up to. Thank you Christie’s … three quarters of a million raised for Greenpeace, The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières.”
Adrian Hume Sayer, Director Private & Iconic Collections, Christie’s, Head of Sale: “To sell both the personal wardrobe of the legendary Vivienne Westwood as well as to bring to fruition one of her final acts of activism by sellingTHE BIG PICTURE: Vivienne’s Playing Cards has been an extraordinary privilege. It was an honour to bring this collection to auction and to work so closely with The Vivienne Foundation, Andreas Kronthaler, Jeff Banks and the Vivienne Westwood team. This was a unique moment in fashion history. Vivienne was an icon and it is such a fitting tribute to her pioneering vision that we have raised so much for the charitable causes that meant so much to her.”
