Pick up a fashion designer gem from YSL and Lagerfeld WITHOUT even leaving home

 

Thanks to all the inequities of online shopping this weekend we are planning to escape this ghastly winter weather and stay home binge buying some collectable (must haves?) pieces that are up for Sale. No, we are not talking about Amazon (and we shall not probably not do so again after its turncoat  owner Jeff Bezos could’nt  wait to shower money  (at least $1 million) to help pay for “THE” Inauguration……you know the one where convicted felon, President Elect was  taken down by an Episcopalian Bishop).

No,  we are talking high class ….. Sothebys in fact ….. who are currently in the process of running two Online Auctions.  The first is Yves Saint Laurent – Pierre Bergé : Une Collection Intime that is selling some of the personal possessions of the legendary French designer and his lover and buisness partner Pierre Berge. 

This is not the first time such an auction has been held, as in 2009  just one year after Saint Laurent’s death,  Christies sold some 700-pieces works of art that he and Berge had assembled over 50 years. The collection spanned a range of styles and eras, including old master paintings and drawings, rare works by impressionist greats, African art and more. and the sale at Paris’ Grand Palais, had a total take of $484 million, making it the most valuable private collection ever sold at auction.  The three-day auction was quite rightly dubbed  by the sale of the century. 

This new auction may not be quite so grand (!) but it does feature a few gems that will really appeal to devoted YSL fans (and many gay men). Yves Saint Laurent delved into the art of the male nude. Idealized or fantasized, his drawings—created with pencils or markers—combine precise anatomical details with dreamlike fantasies. His works present men in languid or provocative poses. This erotic art reveals an intimate and daring facet of his creativity. Through these drawings, where eroticism meets technical mastery, Yves Saint Laurent invites us into his inner world, offering a profoundly personal sensitivity.

Then there are the photographs  that intertwine the worlds of Andy Warhol and Helmut Newton, drawn from the collections of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, that reveal a fascinating alliance of art, fashion, and culture. These images embody the boldness and refinement that defined the aesthetic of the legendary designer while reflecting a time when boundaries between artistic disciplines dissolved, giving rise to boundless creativity.

 

Yves Saint Laurent – Pierre Bergé : Une Collection Intime

Check HERE for the FULL CATAOGUE and How To Place A Bid 

24 – 30 Jan 2025 • Paris

 

BUT there is more .  Much more.  Sotherby’s also are in the middle of another online auction for another iconic fashion designer: Karl Lagerfeld. German born Lagerfeld was responsible for turning around the fortunes and reputations of several major fashion houses that include Chanel, Fendi, Chloe whilst at the same time, creating his own house of Lagerfeld.  He was a larger than-life-eccentric and maybe something of a snob  (he had an 18-year relationship with French aristocrat and socialite Jacques de Bascher ) but we love the fact that he would often step aside from Haute Couture to do some totally unpredictable collaborations.  

Like the denim collection he created with Diesel; being the first ever designer to do a capsule collection for H & M; Lagerfeld collaborated with the shoe brand Vans on a collection that included sneakers, jackets, hats, and backpacks :the next year he created a similar capsule collection for Puma. In our eyes his very best was when he collaborated with Mattel on a “Barbie Lagerfeld” doll that included fingerless gloves and a tailored black jacket.  Sadly there is not one of these in the auction.

However if you do have a pang to dress like the great nan himself, then you are in luck.  Several of the lots include a totally curated look from Lagerfelds’ own closet.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Total Look 10 “Velvet Underground ” : Dior, Navy Suit and Navy Velvet Tail Coat; Hilditch & Key, Striped Shirt and White Collar; Chanel, Navy Satin Tie; Causses, Gloves & Tiffany, Silver Plated Necklace

Karl Lagerfeld’s Total Look 2 “Le Kaiser”: Dior, Black Velvet Blazer and Jeans; Chanel, Lion Embroidered Tie, Gloves; Hilditch & Key, KL Monogram Shirt and White Collar & Massaro, Boots

 

KARL, Karl Lagerfeld’s Estate V, Le Studio21–31 January 2025 | 1:00 PM CET | ParisCheck here for the FULL CATALOGUE and how to place a BID