The Late Great Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent
Contributed by Jeanne Suica
Some of you may remember the American show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” hosted by Robin Leach. Each week Mr. Leach would lead viewers through the homes and destination spots of the rich and famous providing a sneak peek into a world that most of us would never be privileged enough to see in real life.
Growing up it was one of my favorite shows along with dreaming about attending couture shows of Yves Saint Laurent, one of my favorite designers. Yves Saint Laurent passed away last year leaving his business partner Monsieur Pierre Bergé with a phenomenal collection of art, antiques and collectables that they had amassed together.
Now if you want a peek into the world of the rich and famous, all you need is a metro ticket or two…
Acclaimed as one of the most important private collections formed in the past century, this collection will be auctioned off over the course of two days, including 233 lots of furniture, paintings, drawings, sculpture and jewelry from Renaissance, Old Masters, Art Deco and Ming Dynasty.
One of my favorite items is lot 246: a serpent vase by Jean Dunand with an auction estimate of 25,000-30,000 euros. (Note to self: call my credit card company and ask them to increase my spending limit).
Definitely worth the trip and better than a museum in some cases. And the best part is that it’s free to attend and a great learning experience for anyone interested in antiques, art or fine collectables. A fully illustrated catalogue including a comprehensive downloadable brochure can be found at www.christies.com.
The Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé Collection
Christie’s in Association with Pierre Bergé Associés
Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées
Avenue Winston-Churchill, 8th
M° Champs-Elysées Clemenceau
Preview Dates February 21-23
Sale Dates February 23-25
For those of you who like fashion, the memory of Yves Saint Laurent continues with what most of us know him best for: his timeless and elegant creations. If you need to update your wardrobe, are a collector, or just want to browse, you should attend the Yves Saint Laurent Couture preview or auction.
It’s one of the few clothing auctions in Paris this season at Drouot Richelieu, the destination place for antique dealers and collectors in Paris. This auction is advertised as a couture auction and one of the few that I’ve seen dedicated to one designer, at least in title. I imagine that there will also be ready to wear items, both gently worn contemporary and vintage, along with a good amount of accessories and jewelry as well. To date, the catalogue is not on line so may also include other designers.
An online catalog is usually available at www.auction.fr two weeks before the auction and a print catalog may also be available for purchase at the preview. Not as organized as Christies in particular for their on line catalogs (generally only select items are photographed and the quality of the photographs and descriptions leave much to be desired) this auction may be worth checking out if nothing else but to be able to try on some of YSL’s finest creations.
Couture Yves Saint Laurent
Drouot Richelieu
9 Rue Drouot, 9th
M° Richelieu Drouot
Preview dates February 24 and 25
Sale dates February 26 and 27
And for those of you who may not be in Paris in late February or may not have a huge amount to spend but are looking for that special Yves Saint Laurent piece, you’ll find Yves Saint Laurent pieces on http://www.ebay.com, http://www.ebay.co.uk and http://www.ebay.fr
Happy Bidding!
Jeanne Suica has been buying and selling vintage and gently wornmodern clothing for over 15 years in New York City, London, and Paris. Prior to relocating to Europe, London three years ago and Paris just last year, she workedon Wall Street and owned aconsignment shop in New York. She owns her own company which specializes in selling vintage and modern collectable clothing www.jeannesuica.com and collaborates with a major auction house in searching for and evaluating pieces for upcoming auctions. She currently reside in Paris but travels frequently to London and New York City searching for hidden treasures in the closets of the most fashionable women and men in the world.
Sounds like a pretty exciting life. 🙂