Hepburn Gown Under The Hammer

[Daisy Buchanan]

Absolutely Daisy - couldn't have put it better myself. Let's hope it all goes to the people that need it and not get 'lost' in admin costs etc.

I'm sure they'll find some loop hole that will "prevent" them from giving the entire amount to charity. Even though intentions are on the face good, corporations with said good intentions always have an inner lining that is often riddled with corruption and ill deeds. I'd like to think that intentions are altruistic, but let's face it, corporations with much money and power didn't get that way through altruism!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I'm with you, Daisy. They'll find a way to get tax deductions for the dress (a business expense), or to get some extra income from paying viewers. Still, I do think that the winning bid money (minus the auction fees) will get to the charities.

.

 

[GOK]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/...checkedMedia=ram&subtitles=hide&alreadySeen=1

Auction frenzy over Hepburn dress

A black Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's has sold for £467,200 at a London auction.
Gasps, laughter and applause were heard at Christie's auction house as bids for the black sleeveless gown exceeded the expected price of £70,000.

The winning sum, paid by a telephone bidder, is believed to be a world record for a dress used in a film.

A dress worn by Marilyn Monroe to sing Happy Birthday to President Kennedy fetched $1.15m (£583,000) in 1999.

Hepburn's dress was designed for one of her best-known roles, as eccentric Manhattan socialite Holly Golightly in the 1961 film adaptation of Truman Capote's novel.

The winning bidder paid £410,000 to win the garment, with the rest of the sale price made up of buyer's fees.

Proceeds from the sale go to the City of Joy Aid charity, which was set up by French author Dominique Lapierre.

"There are tears in my eyes" said Lapierre, who was given the dress by designer Hubert de Givenchy.

"I am absolutely dumbfounded to believe that a piece of cloth which belonged to such a magical actress will now enable me to buy bricks and cement to put the most destitute children in the world into schools."

 

[Marc Chevalier]

"I am absolutely dumbfounded to believe that a piece of cloth which belonged to such a magical actress will now enable me to buy bricks and cement to put the most destitute children in the world into schools."

Now that moves me. It is exactly as Audrey Hepburn herself would have wanted it.


.

 

[GOK]

Yes, I got a little goosebumpy when I read that.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/...checkedMedia=ram&subtitles=hide&alreadySeen=1

That truly is a wonderful thing. I'm glad to hear that the $800,000 American dollars will go to such a good cause. And, for the first time in a while, I actually believe the monies will get there.
As for the winner of the gown, has it been released as to who he/she is? Anybody know what he/she plans on doing with it? I think the V&A is a great spot for it. I do hope that she does something magnificent with it. A tribute to Audrey and all of the work she did for the under-privledged at a museum would be nice. I'm really not a star struck type of gal. Hollywood just doesn't do it for me. IMO, I think it's filled with a lot of people with too much money and time on their hands, and they only do the charitable things that they do to get more attention for themselves. There isn't an iota of altruism. Audrey, who I am a fan of, didn't seem to be this way. In her last years, she was so ill, yet she still traveled to foreign lands to help the needy. I always thought of her as a genuine person. I think this auction shows that there are still wealthy people in the world who are willing to give a great deal to charity for other reasons than personal gain. Yes, the dress is a personal gain, but this person so far has remained anonymous as far as I know. The buyer obviously wanted the dress, and also felt that the cause was worthy.
Well, it looks like a lot of sides won today. A person gets the dress of her dreams, and a charity gets money that they so desperately need. The statement made by the charity was moving. GOK, it gave me goosepimples too! The buyer of the dress has the right to be a bit proud, she really is giving a lot to charity. Wow, I wonder what it's like to have that kind of money to buy a gown!! I just bought a Burberry Trench Coat and shivered when I handed the sales clerk the check I wrote for it. Yes, I actually had to write a check because my bank card was declined while trying to pay for the coat because it was over my daily allowed spending limit! How embarrassing! And here's a woman who just forked over $800,000 for a gown! Albeit, a beautiful gown by an incredible designer worn by an extraordinary woman. That's the price of a two bedroom condo here in Boston!

 

[GOK]

What a lovely post Daisy. I hadn't thought of it in terms of bricks and mortar but yes, you're right and it seems mad, doesn't it? That gown cost roughly twice what my house did!

I had to grin at your comment about having to write a cheque - it's happened to me too; I thought I was the only one! lol

Speculation about the mystery buyer is rife right now, with the leading contender being Victoria Beckham. The press as usual, is being incredibly cruel with comments such as:

... a certain British pop star turned footballer's wife has both the funds and the figure. In what looks suspiciously like an attempt to gain class through association, Victoria Beckham often cites Hepburn as her fashion idol.

While the former Spice Girl's leather bustiers may seem far removed from Hepburn's elbow-length gloves, Beckham already owns one of Hepburn's diamond necklaces.

Let's hope the size six frock will accommodate Beckham's recently acquired curves, because altering such a historic fashion icon would be sacrilege.

That was from the Independent. I'm not a fan of VB but I think the girl has so much to put up with from the media. It must be so difficult being her, especially when the gutter press is always on about either her husband having affairs or her figure. You'd never know there was anything important going on in the world would you? Wouldn't it be lovely if just for once the pap realized that beneath the veneer of fame, there were real people with real feelings and left them alone?

 

[Tomasso]

Speculation about the mystery buyer is rife right now

I was thinking LVMH since the own the House of Givenchy and they may be trying to recover some of their iconic pieces for an in-house museum. Car and watch makers, among others, have been doing this recently.

 

[GOK]

I can see why they'd want it back. If it becomes a museum piece, I'd be happier than if it went to a private collector that hogged it all to themself. Not that it's any of my business of course!

I wonder how long it will be until we find out?

 

[Tomasso]

If it becomes a museum piece, I'd be happier than if it went to a private collector that hogged it all to themself.

I wonder how long it will be until we find out?

I agree. But one never knows, there could be somebody out there that wants it hanging in there wardrobe. Other than LVMH, there's really only a handful of costume museums that could afford the acquisition price. This institution is the most likely suspect. If it was acquired by somebody with the intention of exhibiting the dress, there should be an announcement imminent.

 

[GOK]

Tomasso I could kiss you! Thank you so much for that link - the costumes are wonderful. The Met is now on my list of places to go in the not too distant future!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Tomasso I could kiss you! Thank you so much for that link - the costumes are wonderful. The Met is now on my list of places to go in the not too distant future!

GOK, I have been there, it is really incredible. You need at least a full day if not more to see all of the amazement they have to offer.

Hem and I along with Feraud, his lovely wife MaryEllen, their son Dylan, Senator Jack and Mr. Bern went to the MET over the summer to see a special fashion exhibit that they had on British Fashion over the centuries. It was really an interesting exhibit. They not only focused on the fashion, but they put an interesting twist on it. Like taking an 18th century gown and displaying it on a model that had doves flying out of her hair. It was a wonder to walk through. Not only were the clothes incredible, but the way the displayed them was great. Everything, right down to the setting of the rooms that we had to walk through, was beautiful to look at. It was a fun exhibit, and the company was nice too

Still no word on who the buyer is?? I think that the idea of LVMH purchasing it is a good one.They certainly do have the finances to do so, and I can see why they would want to have this particular piece of history back in their possession. I really do hope that right is done by the gown. It really should be on display somewhere and not sitting in the closet of some over-induldged diva, who would like to up her status in a social circle by wearing such a dress. I think a person like that wouldn't wear the gown because of it's beauty and history, or for the sheer experience of donning a dress once worn by a great lady. But, she would wear it because she'd want everyone to know that she has sooo much money that she can afford an $800,000 dress, and be so non-chalant about wearing it as if she puts on something of that price every day. I do hope the new owner does right by it.

 

[GOK]

GOK, I have been there, it is really incredible. You need at least a full day if not more to see all of the amazement they have to offer.

I'd probably need to camp there! I generally go to museums etc by myself because I just get lost in everything and have to scrutinise every last detail. All of my friends are now so fed up with this that they agree to meet for dinner instead of coming with me! I think what they are trying to tell me is that I am boring! lol

Hem and I along with Feraud, his lovely wife MaryEllen, their son Dylan, Senator Jack and Mr. Bern went to the MET over the summer to see a special fashion exhibit that they had on British Fashion over the centuries. It was really an interesting exhibit. They not only focused on the fashion, but they put an interesting twist on it. Like taking an 18th century gown and displaying it on a model that had doves flying out of her hair. It was a wonder to walk through. Not only were the clothes incredible, but the way the displayed them was great. Everything, right down to the setting of the rooms that we had to walk through, was beautiful to look at. It was a fun exhibit, and the company was nice too

I am so, so jealous! It sounds so perfect. Over here, things tend to be put into cases with little thought to actually making the exhibition come alive. Unless it is animatronic dinosaurs, in which case, they rock! LOL!

Still no word on who the buyer is??

No, I've been looking but nothing. Everything just says it was an anonymous telephone bidder. This leads me to think that it is either a private collector, someone famous that doesn't want the associated publicity or a body such as LVMH that will announce it once it has been given a clean bill of health for an exhibition. If the latter, I'd expect either a full blown Audrey exhibit or one chronicling Givenchy's rise to fame.

I think that the idea of LVMH purchasing it is a good one.They certainly do have the finances to do so, and I can see why they would want to have this particular piece of history back in their possession. I really do hope that right is done by the gown. It really should be on display somewhere and not sitting in the closet of some over-induldged diva, who would like to up her status in a social circle by wearing such a dress. I think a person like that wouldn't wear the gown because of it's beauty and history, or for the sheer experience of donning a dress once worn by a great lady. But, she would wear it because she'd want everyone to know that she has sooo much money that she can afford an $800,000 dress, and be so non-chalant about wearing it as if she puts on something of that price every day. I do hope the new owner does right by it.

Perhaps but maybe they'd just have a copy made and then loan it out for exhibitions. That to me, seems a fair compromise.

I wonder though, when we buy genuine vintage to wear, are we not doing a similar thing in some ways? Hoping to have some of that refinement and elegance of a bygone era for ourselves? I don't suppose any of us believes we'll be seen as better classed though....for the simple reason, we're already fab Dahlinks! lol

 

[Tomasso]

I generally go to museums etc by myself because I just get lost in everything and have to scrutinise every last detail. All of my friends are now so fed up with this that they agree to meet for dinner instead of coming with me!

Yes Ma'am, that's the ticket. I too must fly solo when visiting museums whose collection I've yet to peruse. Though, subsequent visits require a less stringent protocol.[huh]

 

[GOK]

Nice to know I'm not the only one!