Nearly a year after the model and humanitarian Dayle Haddon died, Freeman’s will auction some of her belongings.
“Ageless Beauty: The Dayle Haddon Collection” will feature fine jewelry, handbags and couture, and it will be included in the Important Jewelry and Holiday Lux auctions on Dec. 11 and 12. Consigned by Haddon’s daughter Ryan, the sale will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit the education-focused nonprofit organization that the late model founded, WomanOne.
Late last year Haddon, 76, perished in an apparent carbon monoxide leak in her daughter and son-in-law’s Marc Blucas’ country home in Bucks County, Pa.
Aside from being the only model to have had four major cosmetics contracts — with L’Oréal, Max Factor, Revlon and Estée Lauder — the Canadian-born Haddon was known for her altruism and activism. She worked as a global ambassador for L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. For years, she worked as a UNICEF ambassador, and traveled extensively through Africa and the Middle East to pave the way for greater access to education and female leadership. Haddon also consulted with G7 officials about gender equality. Through her work and books, she championed inclusivity, inner beauty and ageless living. Having studied ballet at the Canadian Ballet Company and the Bolshoi Ballet, Haddon started modeling locally as a means to earn a little extra money. She later competed in beauty pageants and finished as a “Miss Canada” runner-up one year. After being spotted by the leading modeling agent Eileen Ford, Haddon moved to New York City to live with Ford and embark on her modeling career.
There will be a large assortment of pieces from Dior, which was a favorite label with Haddon, who was also a brand ambassador for the luxury house. Bidders will also find some designs by Tom Ford from his Yves Saint Laurent years, as well as looks from Saint Laurent himself. There will be 128 Haddon-related lots in the couture auction and 10 lots of her fine jewelry, according to Tanner Branson, associate vice president and head of department for luxury handbags and couture at Freeman’s. A Christian Dior silk scarf that was signed to Haddon by John Galliano is one of his favorites. While that item has a pre-sale estimate of $400 to $600, Branson said, “We’re expecting many of these items to outperform the estimates.”
In the 1970s and 1980s, Haddon’s poise and agility made her a favorite with such photographers as Guy Bourdin, who redefined footwear advertising with her help for Charles Jourdan. Sarah Moon, Helmut Newton, Cecil Beaton, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Lord Snowdon and Horst were some of her other collaborators. Photographs by Newton and Beaton will be featured in the sale. Her career later included being a wellness consultant for CBS News and acting in dozens of English, French and Italian films.
A Chanel black leather 2.55 Reissue bag that belonged to Dayle Haddon.
Photo Courtesy Freeman’s
A pair of Van Cleef & Arpels diamond Snowflake earrings that have approximately 5.5 to 6 carats’ worth of round diamonds have a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. A pair of Boucheron diamond and yellow gold earrings are expected to fetch between $7,000 and $9,000. There are also an assortment of Haddon’s handbags that will go under the gavel such as a Christian Dior “Lady D-Joy” quilted bag with a $3,000 to $5,000 estimate, a Chanel black leather 2.55 Reissue flap bag with a $1,000 to $2,000 estimate and a medium Lady Dior handbag with a $1,000 to $2,000 estimate. All of Haddon’s items that will be auctioned were stored in her Upper East Side apartment, Branson said.
