The Tamesis
One of the strongest collections from Dior’s haute couture collection went under the hammer in a three-hour auction at Le Bristol Hotel in Paris on Thursday. “Dior Masterpieces: Mouna Ayoub Haute Couture Collection” auction features approximately 95 lots belonging to the long-time fashion client.
“This could be the auction of the 21st century,” said Salomé Pirson, co-founder of Maurice Auction and Kerry Taylor Auctions. The auction totaled more than 6.19 million euros, breaking the world record for high-end fashion auctions, as well as the world records for works by Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano and Raf Simons. “Unfortunately we didn’t break the record for a Marc Bohan piece because the previous auction was part of the Elizabeth Taylor collection, so there was a celebrity factor,” Pearson said. What about the work of Maria Grazia Chiuri? “There was only one Maria Grazia dress at the auction and because they were recent, I still fit it,” Ayoub quipped.
The French-Lebanese businesswoman and Dior collector didn’t sell everything. “I’ve kept a lot of Maria Grazia and John Galliano pieces over the past few years,” she says. On Thursday, she wore a Chiuri-designed T-shirt that paid homage to Galliano’s original fall/winter 2000 newspaper print. (This week, she bought an embroidered black couture dress from Jonathan Anderson for her first show at Dior.)
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime sale,” said the energetic auctioneer Marie-Laurence Tixier, who co-founded Maurice Auction with Pirson and was at the auctioneer’s podium throughout the sale.
A painted silk evening gown from Galliano’s Spring/Summer 2000 collection “Clachards” or “Homeless” sells for 510,000 euros after expenses. Another highlight is a black taffeta evening dress from the same collection, priced at 420,000 euros (excluding fees). “Both are iconic,” Ayoub said. “The Clochards collection made waves. Everyone hated it. I bought the whole collection; I just loved it. This black dress with the wine bottle hanging from it was the piece that everyone in Paris was talking about. I wore it to Elton John’s 70th birthday party and the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival. It’s the only dress I’ve worn twice,” Ayoub said.
