19 Times Fashion Made Heads Turn at Sotheby’s in 2017

Aerin Lauder’s Jewels and Fragrances for Day and Night

In celebration of the Fine Jewels auction and the launch of AERIN’s Tuberose Collection, Sotheby’s and Aerin Lauder’s autumn auction collaboration culminated in a private reception where guests tried on jewels from the sale, including two gold and diamond rings on offer from Lauder’s private collection, and experienced her new fragrances. In addition to a lush flower wall of white roses, hydrangeas and tuberoses, artists were on hand to paint and customise fragrance bottles.

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Chatsworth House Style

To mark House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth, the most ambitious exhibition Chatsworth has hosted to date, Sotheby's produced a series of three videos titled Chatsworth ‘House Style’, Presented by C W Sellors Fine Jewellery , exploring the history of fashion and adornment. In the videos, Sotheby’s specialists joined exhibition creator Lady Laura Burlington, supermodel Stella Tennant and Vogue’s Hamish Bowles to guide viewers through the remarkable show, which ran March to October.

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Shaun Leane’s Macabre Elegance

Whether by creating a coiled corset or combining Tahitian pearls with pheasant claws, Shaun Leane has changed the perception of fine jewellery, particularly in his collaborations with the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen . As part of its December sale series, A Life of Luxury, Sotheby’s partnered with Kerry Taylor Auctions for Couture Fashion Jewellery: The Personal Archive of Shaun Leane . Leane appeared at several standing-room-only events and was interviewed by Sotheby’s along with Daphne Guinness , whose white gold and diamond glove helped bring the auction total to an astounding $2.6 million.

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Oscar de la Renta’s Art-Inspired Fashion Show

Back in September, Oscar de la Renta showed its art-inspired, spring 2018 ready-to-wear collection at Sotheby's New York, and in December, creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia returned as curators of Sotheby’s inaugural A Life of Luxury sales series. Exploring our auctions of wine, watches, cars and jewels, the duo hosted a dinner in our galleries and also created ten cross-category combinations that playfully capture the fashion house’s legacy of colourful and glamorous garments.

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Steven Klein, Visionaire & Killer Heels

On 2 October at Sotheby’s New York, Visionaire launched its 67th edition, titled FETISH, comprised of ten never-before-seen Steven Klein photographs, including Killer Heels, of which an enlarged version was offered exclusively in Sotheby’s Photographs sale. Klein, as well as Visionaire co-founder James Kaliardos and Cecilia Dean spoke to Sotheby’s and invited us inside their studios for a closer look at their longtime collaboration. They also created a special exhibit at Sotheby’s, supported by NARS, built around the photo.

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Moda Operandi Summer Styling Session

Does a great outfit start with the clothes or the jewels? On 11 July, Moda Operandi and Sotheby’s made the decision easy by pairing garments from Moda's exclusive boutique with gems from our Jewels Online: Part I sale. Guests were welcomed to Moda’s luxurious Upper East Side town house with cocktails, a trunk show of Marchesa’s Resort 2018 collection and an opportunity to try on many of the glittering pieces from the online auction.

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Didier Ludot Returns with the Little Black Dress

After the 100%-sold Didier Ludot sale in summer 2015, the famed vintage couture dealer returned to Sotheby’s Paris this past October with a collection of 140 iconic dresses. In association with Kerry Taylor Auctions, the sale celebrated the little black dress , a timeless garment that has long fascinated designers and is worthy of its status as the indispensable item in a woman’s wardrobe.

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Erik Madigan Heck in London & New York

Approaching photography with the eye of a painter, Erik Madigan Heck imbues his saturated, colourful contemporary images with art historical references. This autumn, Heck photographed a striking art-inspired campaign for Sotheby's Diamonds , and his work could also be viewed in selling exhibitions in London and New York.

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Contemporary Curated with Caroline Issa

In November, Tank magazine fashion director and CEO Caroline Issa shared her passion for collecting with Sotheby’s. As guest curator for London’s Contemporary Curated auction, she discussed the link between fashion and art and why female representation in both worlds is so important.

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Nina Garcia Picks Contemporary Art

Newly appointed editor in chief of Elle magazine and well known as a formidable judge on the long-running hit TV show Project Runway, style authority Nina Garcia is also an avid art collector. With her famously discerning eye, Garcia selected her favourite works from Sotheby’s 27 September Contemporary Curated auction, including pieces from the collection of Santiago Barberi Gonzalez, her late friend and fashion-world colleague.

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Dior Bijoux in Paris

The first online auction organised by Sotheby’s Paris was Christian Dior – Bijoux de Mode , an autumn sale comprised of more than 200 pieces from a French private collection of costume jewellery, ready-to-wear and haute couture. The jewels stylistically reflected the influence of Dior’s seven creative directors, including John Galliano, Marc Bohan and Gianfranco Ferre. This year also marked the 70th anniversary of the celebrated Parisian house.

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Plum Sykes on Style & Her New Book

Coinciding with the release of her new book, Party Girls Die in Pearls (HarperCollins), former “Portobello Princess” Plum Sykes spoke to Sotheby’s about British versus American style and her penchant for depicting high society. She also picked her favourite pieces from Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels auction.

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Brad Goreski Styles Sotheby’s Jewels for the Red Carpet

At the start of 2017, TV host and celebrity stylist Brad Goreski collaborated with Sotheby's jewellery. Just in time for awards season, Goreski selected pieces from the Fine Jewels auction that he envisioned his famous clientele wearing on the red carpet. Stars included Lea Michele, Jessica Alba, Jenna Dewan Tatum and more.

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Modern-Day Swans in Venice

Inspired by Truman Capote’s “Swans,” Sotheby’s united a circle of distinguished women who are redefining what it means to be tastemakers and trailblazers in the 21st century. The White Baaz , who take their name from a rare and fêted white falcon which possesses strength, endurance and great beauty, made their debut at an exclusive dinner at The Penthouse of the Gritti Palace during this year’s Venice Biennale. The glamorous group includes Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, Noor Fares and Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos.

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DVF & The Power of Prints

In April, Jonathan Saunders , then the chief creative officer of Diane von Furstenberg, brought his knowledge of fashion and art to Sotheby’s and shared his favourite works from the Prints & Multiples sale. Also that month, Saunders had a conversation with a prints specialist in our New York galleries, where dresses, jackets, handbags and more from his DVF summer 2017 collection perfectly complemented artworks on view.

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The Lush Library by Loro Piana at Sotheby’s New York

With a long history of producing the finest cashmere in its own mills, Italian textile manufacturer Loro Piana is the epitome of quiet, unhurried luxury. The brand’s sophisticated design philosophy is exquisitely articulated in the Library by Loro Piana , an exclusive, bespoke venue that opened in 2017 inside Sotheby’s New York headquarters. Designed by Loro Piana and appointed with the heritage brand’s elegant textiles, the Library has been used for cocktails, wine tastings, intimate dinners and conversations .

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Celebrating Female Artists with Dior

Sotheby’s February selling exhibition Now You See Me featured works by nine of the 20th century’s most influential female artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Bourgeois and Frida Kahlo. On 10 February, Sotheby’s and Dior welcomed guests to a private opening reception . Claudia Kozma Kaplan of Dior Couture discussed the exhibition’s timeliness with the fashion house, whose first female creative director’s collection launched in January.

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Fashion and Art in New Delhi

In March, Sotheby’s and Harper’s Bazaar India welcomed guests to the Leela Palace Chankyapuri in New Delhi for a lively discussion about fashion and art. Attendees viewed highlights from the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art auction in New York and heard from Harper’s Bazaar India editor, Nonita Kalra.

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Art Out Loud with Christopher Kane and More

The 2017 installment of The Chatsworth Festival – Art Out Loud saw art world stars join forces with writers, designers and broadcasters on the beautiful grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Among the impressive list of speakers were artist Grayson Perry , who spoke on taste, and designer Christopher Kane .

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