The Tamesis
From the year of her divorce in 1997, her life changed, and so did her idea of ordering couture. “In the second phase of my life, after my divorce, I started ordering like most women according to the occasion, whether it was weddings, celebrations, birthdays, parties, whatever,” she said. “But it’s not that much fun. Ordering based on instinct is more fun than ordering based on demand; I love what Galliano does, but there are a lot of things I can’t wear because they don’t fit.” The exception was lot 11, a Galliano satin, silk crepe and lace evening gown with Marseille beads for Dior (est. €80,000-100,000). “This is a piece of clothing that I fell in love with,” Ayoub said. “I didn’t order it for any occasion because I was newly divorced, didn’t know anyone, and wasn’t invited to anywhere. I loved it, but I’d never worn it. That’s why these beads are perfect.”
Over the years of ordering Dior haute couture, Ayoub has gradually gotten to know each of the brand’s designers, and has grown closer to some of them. “Each of them has their own language that expresses Monsieur Dior’s heritage, and each is, in some way, very smart and emotional,” she said. The exception, she said, was Marc Bohan, who for her “lacked emotion; he was a great designer, very serious, a gentleman, but there was no emotion in his collections.” She had a more cordial relationship with his successor, Gianfranco Ferré. “Ferré once said, ‘Mouna is God’s gift to fashion,'” she recalls with a laugh. “He is the closest thing to Monsieur Dior; he has wonderful shapes and rich fabrics. Unfortunately, the two most beautiful dresses by Ferré that I own I donated to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Marseille, so they are not included in this auction.”
