Eye candy

Fabulous coat (I must confess I love looking at your auctions - you always look so happy and glamourous!!!), I think I might even prefer it to the Balenciaga! I wish they had photos for everything, there are some amazing sounding Ossies, Alices and Theas with no photos!!!! There's even a Schiaparelli dress lumped into a lot with something else and NO photo! It's tempting to go up and have a look around, but then I might be tempted to spend money I simply don't have!!

Interestingly, there are a couple of Biba pieces I am VERY suspicious about because I know I've seen them turn up on eBay and they were definitely modern. Tsk tsk!!

Liz
 
Hmmm, and they need to correct a few "gabardeen"s ... Is that a cloth made in Aberdeen? :hysterical:

(Thanks for the kudos Liz! You made my day!)
 
I used to get their catalog and would read every line of every description, despairing all the while because it one long plane fight to South Kensington from KY.

Hollis
 
Hey all
I went to view the auction this morning and I was decidedly unimpressed. Much of the stuff wasn't in great condition and although there were some Ossies many of the YSL shoes were very recent and not in that good condition. Just my opinion but I think it is not a great auction hence the lack of photographs. I was checking out a dior corset, it had been altered and a wire was loose, dreadful! and the reserve was £150 LOL
Louise
 
Louise, what were the un-photographed Ossies like? Is there a good reason why THEY aren't pictured online? Thanks for posting that, I feel a lot better about being unable to go - although I'd be interested to see the Schiaparelli and Rouff dresses which were thrown into lots.

Liz
 
the lots are very mixed... a load of quite posh items, and then the Biba "coat of many colours"... which I have myself and although all labels besides the main Biba label have been cut out, I'm convinced it's from the range created later on for the Grattan catalogue, as it just fits in nicely with the other items I have from that range... and they've "priced" it high too.

Fab to see the Tommy Nutter suits, they really are from another planet compared to other Savile Row suits aren't they?!

*loved* the patterned velvet Pucci jacket! Not my size unfortunately. :-( And they've pictured one Pucci dress very stupidly. he model all curled up in a chair with the chair facing away from the camera so you can hardly see any of the dress! Dreadful!

...disappointing all the lots didn't have pictures. :-( Was especially wanting to see the Norman Hartnell 1950s dress as I don't get to see his work very often. :-(

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*
 
I was just unimpressed in general. Some of the Chanel and Gucci stuff was pretty recent and nothing special or desirable. The Ossies looked okay but nothing leapt at me and shouted bid on me. The Ossies were a bit crumpled. I have been to shows and seen better things for sale. But its all a matter of individual taste.
Louise
 
Well I wouldn't mind having some of it!
Regarding the BIBA coat- what was that about grattan catalogues? I am selling a couple of Biba things (which I have labelled 80s, though I'm not 100% sure) and one has a calalogue number. Could that be from the grattan catalogue? I saw a coat like the one in the christies sale on ebay.... and it was modern because it had a little chain and size tab under the label.
Surely christies wouldn't make such a mistake?
Anyway, wouldn't it be fun just to go and look at all the stuff "in the cloth", perhaps try it all on etc... just a little fantasty of mine.
Vanessa

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZvanzy10
 
I am not sure about that, but Liz may know.

I have noticed in general that clothing auctions and clothing at auction have not been up to par both in things i have actually attended and things i am just viewing from afar. I really think part of it is because they are starting to accept a wider range of items because people are jumping on the "vintage bandwagon" and might as well strike while the iron is hot versus presenting a smaller and carefully edited selection of sure fires.
Why not have the 10 Puccis in so so condition to ride on the coattails of the real gems that one would normally have in the auctions? In a perfect world, the cream would rise to the top and for the rest someone who would not normally be able to splurge would get to own a Pucci...albeit not mint...but with a one inch hem to cover up that stain and a nice brooch to fix it up somewhere else, they really could have something to enjoy...but more often than not these go for megabucks too. and then sometimes the real gems hardly sell.

In some ways its good because more things are coming out of the closet adn with the right eye and skill they can be revived or just worn and not go to the garbage heap if they are less than museum quality, but the flip side is that people in the general public are more accepting that older garments=bad condition and it hurts our business because of the philosophical divide with folks getting the impression that as long as it isn't hanging by a thread its in great shape and turning around and selling them in "great condition considering age!". Of course, those that are really honest end up with customers who are surprised and delighted to find the garment in better condition then they ever dreamed at times too.

Some more recent designer goods might still be good business from the auction house standpoint if there are fashionistas there who are willing to pay the price and we know that for the most part a high price is more desirable than actual provenance when you are in the auction business...so why not put them in there. I can't say i blame them for that versus relegating them to a regular estate auction, but then they should say "vintage AND designer"
 
errrm Christies is known for making mistakes. I have attended auctions there where vintage Barbie dolls were totally misdescribed.
Louise
 
Well the modern Biba didn't sell, unsurprisingly - Biba collectors and dealers will have spotted them a mile off. Thank goodness for that! Biggest shock, for me, was over £6000 for a 60s YSL outfit - must be an important one! The Ossies also went high hundreds, expect them priced at £2000 in Steinberg and Tolkien soon ;)

Liz
 
About Biba and the Grattan catalogues... I found the Grattan logo printed on the care label of one of my modern Bibas, and have since been puzzling over all the different labels and "fittings" (for want of a better word) on my Biba items so I can try and identify which are from which range.

I've started scanning and organising them, but haven't got too far yet. But I've put the bits I have so far up on my website so you can take a look at the jacket label with the Grattan logo and compare it with the details on the rainbow striped jacket:

webpage showing Biba details

I really should make the effort to get scanning the whole lot... which could take some time as last time I checked I had just over 20 modern Biba items, and there's prolly quite a few more now. They fit me really well so I'm quite addicted to them.

Another little project to put at the top of my "to do" list.

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*
 
Thanks, Senti.

I will be sure to keep tabs on that page when I find a Biba (unlikely around these parts...but certainly have chances online!)

Chris
 
I have learned such a lot already,(esp about Biba) how I wish I had logged onto this site years ago!
Talking of vintage fashion sales, there are two AMAZING Issey Miyake catwalk dresses in the window of Oxfam Kensington High street. The same dresses that are in the Vand A museum and in all the books. Probably better than a lot of the stuff in Christies sale by the sound of it! However, probably more expensive too.
 
Where is the Oxfam on Kensington High Street? Is it left as you come out of the station? I don't remember seeing it on my daily walk to The Albert Hall this summer (where I used to walk past the old Biba building, looking upwards to try and see the architecture properly and promptly bump into someone - ooops!!) :D

Liz
 
It is left as yopu come out of Ken high street. It is very expensive usually and has lots of things like Manolos at 150 quid. But I love looking in just in case.
BTW my mum used to take me to the rainbow room at Biba when I was little (3 and 4). She says she told me to "remember this" but I haven't. I was obsessed with wax dolls at the time and thought it was v boring and modern I expect...
She gve me her old Biba bits to sell when I had a market stall and I let them go for rediculously low prices in my ignorance. how I wish i could have another go!
Still, we needed the money. Hopefully they went to a good home. I also sold a lot of modern Biba as 70s (also in ignorance) and got very high prices for that so it was swings and roundabouts I guess!
 
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