Known to many as the “queen of the beauty industry”, Sydell Miller was guided in every aspect of her life by her family’s mantra: “Think, Believe, Dream, Dare.” From her very first forays into fashion and the beauty business, to her innumerable philanthropic endeavors, and the collection of fine art and design that she surrounded herself with, Miller lived a life of beauty, both inside and out.
This November, Miller’s extraordinary collection will take center stage as the crown jewel of Sotheby’s marquee sales week in New York. Encompassing masterpieces of Modern and Contemporary art, sculpture, and icons of design, this collection unites the finest works across periods, styles, and forms.
Reflecting how Sydell Miller lived with her collection – where fine art and design coexisted in perfect harmony – approximately 90 works will be presented together in landmark Evening and Day sales at Sotheby’s New York this November, with additional works offered in sales throughout this Fall, expected to achieve in the region of $200m. The sales will be preceded by a series of curated exhibitions in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Taipei and Los Angeles.
Together, the works speak to the awe-inspiring power of beauty in all its forms: from an enthralling example of Monet’s iconic Nymphéas to Kandinsky’s explosion of geometric exuberance; from Picasso’s first depiction of a female artist to an elegant Matisse portrait from wartime France; from an extraordinary work by Yves Klein executed at the height of his career; to unique and defining commissions by François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne.
"I collect pieces I love. Each piece I collect speaks to me in a language of art and design and always excited me when I saw them for the first time. Even today, these pieces still make my heart flutter with joy. I never collected from just one period in time or style. Always collected things that I connected to through their beauty.”
A further selection of works showcasing the full breadth of Miller’s collecting pursuits will be featured in three dedicated online sales. The first online sale will celebrate Miller’s keen eye for fashion, followed by an auction celebrating the collection’s expansive range of ‘objets d’art’, and another featuring exquisite furniture, decorative art, and silver. Miller’s impeccable taste in jewelry will also be showcased in Sotheby’s sales of Magnificent Jewels and Fine Jewels in December as part of The Luxury Sales series.
Miller’s story began in earnest in the late 1950s, when Sydell Lubin sat in the chair of young stylist and salon owner Arnold Miller for a hair appointment. A smitten Arnold asked her out on a date, and when she inquired “which night”, his response was simply “all of them.” One week and a whirlwind succession of dates later, they were engaged. Together they created Ardell, introducing eyelashes as a professional salon service, and later co-founded Matrix Essentials in 1980, the most innovative professional salon company and the largest manufacturer of professional hair and beauty products. After her husband’s passing in the 90s, Miller took the helm of Matrix as CEO and President, leading the company to unprecedented success. A woman whose passion, drive, influence, and integrity touched more than seven million women per week internationally, Mrs. Miller was an inspiration and role model to women in business. A visionary entrepreneur, Sydell believed that beauty didn’t stop at the hairline, which led her to create the day spa experience, accessible to all women.
Browse a Selection of Highlights
After selling her company, with a renewed sense of time and energy, she turned her focus to family, philanthropy and collecting. Informed by countless family visits to galleries, museums and auctions, Miller built the foundations of the extraordinary collection to follow. Alongside her pursuit of fine art, Miller also began collecting design. Her initial focus in these formative years was on iconic French eighteenth-century furniture and European design, particularly the French Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s. Guided by her impeccable eye for beauty and craftsmanship, she sought out pieces that captured the elegance and refinement of that era. Over time, Miller’s collecting interests broadened to include not only historic masterpieces but also daring contemporary Design works. She began integrating modern and post-war design into her collection, acquiring pieces by such celebrated designers as François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, and – as her passion for decorative arts and design evolved – she showed increasing interest in works by emerging Contemporary designers, including Robert Goosens, David Wiseman, Joseph Walsh and others. What distinguished Miller as a collector is how she lived with these works – fine art and design were not separate categories but coexisted harmoniously in her spaces. Throughout her pioneering career, her self-avowed aim was always to promote “individual expression and creativity”, and this aesthetic is at the heart of her collection.
Sydell Miller was a gracious host, known for her kindness and compassion and remaining true to her core values throughout her life. She was, in the words of those close to her, “as sweet as the chocolate she loved.” Guided by this spirit of generosity, the Miller name has long been synonymous with charitable giving. She served on the boards of the American Cancer Society of Palm Beach, BBSI, the Cleveland Clinic, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach Civic Association, and Palm Beach County United Way. In her later life, Sydell Miller’s devotion to philanthropy took center stage. Among the many institutions and causes that she championed was the Cleveland Clinic, home to the Sydell & Arnold Miller Family Pavilion and Heart and Vascular Institute – now the top-ranked cardiology hospital in the United States.
Upcoming Auctions
Miller was also the recipient of many prestigious awards. She was the first non-hairdresser elected to the National Cosmetology Association’s Hall of Fame, named one of the “Top 50 Women Business Owners in America” by Working Women Magazine, and received the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation Legacy Award, creating countless scholarships for cosmetology students.
Her remarkable legacy lives on in these philanthropic endeavors, and in tribute to her commitment to charity, a portion of the auction proceeds will benefit Cleveland Clinic Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center, Cleveland Museum of Art, and Sydell L. Miller Elephant Care & Visitor Center at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Traveling Exhibition Information
Traveling Exhibition Information
3–8 October
Paris
12–16 October
Taipei
21–22 October
Los Angeles
23–25 October
Hong Kong
31 October–1 November
