She was quite the Chloé girl, and certainly a devotee of Karl Lagerfeld. Now she is parting ways with her groovy, historically important wardrobe, spanning some 80 looks by the famous German designer between 1974 and 1983.
Auction house Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr is handling the online sale, which kicks off on June 26 and runs through July 9.
An exhibition of the dresses at 6 Avenue Hoche opens on July 3, and straddles Haute Couture Week in Paris, scheduled for July 7 to 10.
Bonhams is keeping the identity of the seller under wraps, but confirmed it’s a single-owner collection.
A Chloé evening dress and cape by Karl Lagerfeld, circa 1978.
Courtesy of Bonhams
Estimates for the dresses start at 700 euros and run up to about 1,500 euros.
Lagerfeld logged two celebrated stints at Chloé. He started working for house in 1963 and initially worked alongside other designers brought on by founder Gaby Aghion, such as Graziella Fontana, Tan Giudicelli and Michèle Rosier.
Lagerfeld took full creative control of Chloé in 1966 and worked there until 1983.
He rejoined Chloé for a second time in 1992, creating memorable ad campaigns with model Linda Evangelista, before leaving for good in 1997.
“This auction is an homage to Karl Lagerfeld with an exemplary collection of designs from his early years at Chloé presented alongside groundbreaking looks from his final spring-summer 1984 Chloé collection,” commented Hubert Felbacq, director of the fashion and accessories department at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr.
Among lots from that spring 1984 collection is an ivory silk evening dress embroidered with gold sequins and draped for an antique effect. It’s offered with an estimate of 1,200 to 1,500 euros.
A dress from spring Chloé’s spring 1984 collection by Karl Lagerfeld.
Courtesy of Bonhams
Felbacq noted that under the German designer, “Chloé entered a golden era, pushing the boundaries of prêt-à-porter with bold, narrative-driven collections. From ethereal gowns and romantic silhouettes to bold, surrealist prints, these garments exemplify Lagerfeld’s unparalleled ability to blend elegance with innovation.”
The Bonhams sale also spans 70 other lots of haute couture from Yves Saint Laurent, Guy Laroche, Louis Feraud, Hervé Léger, Emanuel Ungaro and Pierre Balmain.