Lady Gaga helps Daphne Guinness fashion auction raise 476,800
A sale of fashion collector Daphne Guinness' clothes and photographs fetched four times the estimated value at Christie's, London, as singer Lady Gaga snapped items up.
28 June 2012
Eccentric fashion collector Daphne Guinness put 102 lots from her unique, designer-filled closet up for sale to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation in memory of her late fashion editor friend.
The top lot of the sale was Daphne Guinness , a portrait taken by fashion photographer Mario Testino for British Vogue in 2008 which realised 133,250 - setting a new world record price for Testino in the process.
IN PICTURES: Preview of the Daphne Guinness Collection Christie's auction
Another world record price was set for British label Alexander McQueen: an ivory, empire-line gown along with a photograph by Matt Collishaw of Guinness wearing the dress featured in UK Harper's Bazaar magazine earlier this year fetched 85,250 - far higher than the 15,000-20,000 estimate.
"As I watched the auction from invisible wings this evening, I crossed my fingers and toes" said Guinness, a direct descent of the beer brewing dynasty and ex-wife of shipping heir Spyros Niarchos.
Guinness was helped by Christie's specialists in picking pieces from her wardrobe which best embodied her personal style with the aim of raising funds to continue the work of Blow in supporting new and emerging fashion and art talent.
The now-defunct Christian Lacroix womenswear label made up the triumvirate o! f world record prices at auction; a Spanish-style white lace dress with black matador jacket was bought by a private bidder in the US for 16,250. But were also bargains to be had for bidders who could fit into Guinness' diminutive garments: a black chiffon evening gown by Narciso Rodriguez went for 125, while a silk jersey cocktail dress by Lacroix fetched a rather reasonable 238.
Guinness said she was "overwhelmed" by the response to the auction, which was estimated to raise in the region of 100,000.
Equally eccentric singer Lady Gaga was a successful bidder, although what she won remains undisclosed.
"I'm particularly moved by Lady Gaga's support for the Foundation" said Guinness. "I like her very much, and it's lovely to see the nascent beginnings of something that may help other people."
