Lempertz to auction Vintage Haute Couture Fashion

Following the success of the last Lempertz Vintage Auction in spring 2014, this year’s fashion sale taking place on 9th February in Cologne will centre on a unique collection comprising vintage gentlemen’s clothing by Chanel as well as jewellery and memorabilia relating to the famous designer, comprising around 100 lots in total. Around 50 further selected items from the ladies collections of Hermès, Dior, Pucci, and Leonard promise to repeat the success of three years previously.

Lempertz will be auctioning the unique and unusual collection 'Hommage à Coco Chanel' on 9th February in Cologne. The offer includes numerous items of Chanel jewellery and memorabilia, including rare items and several one-off pieces.

The collector from Berlin was a close friend of the jewellery designer Robert Goossens, who worked together with Chanel as of 1953, realising the ideas – which they often created together – for finest quality costume jewellery. Goossens also collaborated with other important fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, as well as creating custom pieces for friends.

The sale will include around 100 of these unusual designs, including a ‘gerbe de blé’ coffee table by Robert Goossens, the same model furnished Chanel’s apartment in the Rue Cambon (lot 5, estimate € 3,000 – 4,000); an Italian folding screen with shellac décor (lot 26, estimate €4 – 6,000), a gold plated ‘Rue Cambon’ medallion collier (lot 75, € 200 – 250), and the cross form brooch ‘Byzance’, which was originally designed as a pendant by Chanel in the 1960s, but at the consignor’s request Goossens transformed the piece into a brooch in 2002 (lot 27, estimate € 1,200 – 1,500).

The collection also includes around 25 items of as-new condition vintage Chanel men’s fashion, including a dark blue pea coat from 2007 (lot 120) estimated at € 500 – 800.

In keeping with the 'Hommage à Coco Chanel' theme, the auction will also include one of the rare, 70cm Be@rbrick ‘Coco’ dolls (no. 989) designed by Karl Lagerfeld in 2006 and produced in a limited edition as window decoration for the Chanel shops worldwide (lot 188, estimate € 2,500 – 3,000).

The sale will also include 50 further selected, fine condition pieces from the women’s fashion collections of Chanel, Hermès, Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci, and Leonard, as well several couture pieces by Peter Keppler of Munich. The undisputed highlight among these lots is a rare black crocodile leather Hermès Kelly Bag from 1977 in the original packaging, estimated at € 10,000 – 12,000 (lot 127).

Previews in Cologne

Saturday, 4th February, 10 am -1 pm

Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th February, 10 am – 5.30 pm

Auction in Cologne

Thursday 9th February, 6 pm