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An unprecedented collection of haute couture creations by Christian Dior, worn—and owned—by Dame Olivia de Havilland, hits the auction block on September 17, during Hindman’s Haute Couture & Luxury Fall Fashion auction.
De Havilland, who turned 103 last month, is one of Hollywood’s most glamorous Golden Era film stars and the oldest living Academy Award-winner, having won a Best Actress Oscar for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949). She was also an haute-couture collector, and the auction's 27 haute couture lots span three decades, from 1954 to 1973, and include ensembles designed by Christian Dior himself, Yves Saint Laurent, and Marc Bohan.
“The collection was presented to us quite well-documented and included a lot of research from the family” says Timothy Long, the director for the auction house’s couture department. “We’ve been able to bounce questions off them, trying to make sure the provenance is accurate where some details may have been fuzzy.”
While two of the ensembles designed by Bohan for Dior’s spring/summer 1961 collection were worn by de Havilland in the 1962 film Light in the Piazza, it’s a third screen-worn look that has received an enormous amount of interest from film and fashion collectors alike.
Created by Bohan for the spring/summer 1964 collection, the green chiffon dress with an inner corset and matching shoes were worn in the cult-classic Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, co-starring Bette Davis, and have an estimate of $1,200-$1,800.
“Seeing the dress on her in the film, and in such a dramatic scene, really brings it to life,” says Long. “So seldom do we see some of these pieces in motion, and here we have a great example.” There are also two ensembles loosely connected to Gone with the Wind: A 1961 dress that de Havilland wore for commemorative events in Atlanta (and also wore for the cover of her book, Every Frenchman Has One) and another from 1967.
For collectors more interested in seaming than celluloid, several of the lots represent poignant moments in Dior’s history. “It’s a bit of a fashion history parade,” says Long. “You have the final collection of Christian Dior himself, the first collection by Yves Saint Laurent, and many subsequent collections from Marc Bohan. We see Dior’s “New Look” silhouette start to loosen-up with Saint Laurent and then change more with Bohan from the 60s into the 70s.”
Presented chronologically, the earliest ensemble is a day dress and belt from the autumn/winter 1954 “H-Line” collection (Est. $3,000-$5,000), worn by de Havilland the day before her wedding to Pierre Galante in 1955. From the autumn/winter 1957 “Fuseau Line” collection – Dior’s last presentation – is a jacket, bodice, and skirt titled “Rogue Dior” (Est. $1,500-$2,500). This particular ensemble was included in the exhibition Hommage à Christian Dior 1947-1957 at Musée des Arts de la Mode in Paris. Three other lots are extraordinary examples from Yves Saint Laurent’s first show for Dior, the well-received spring/summer 1958 “Trapeze” collection that introduced a new silhouette.
Preview Olivia de Havilland's collection available at the auction here:
“It’s been a really exciting research project to pull together the history and stories for many of the pieces,” explains Long. “I know Olivia de Havilland [herself] supports this, as does her family – everyone’s excited about the auction.” Hindman will present a preview exhibition of nearly all the lots at its Chicago location from September 12-16.
In previous years, Hindman has auctioned the wardrobes of socialite and Galanos-devotee Betsy Pickering Kaiser, the “Queen of Mean” Leona Helmsley, Valentino intimate and collector Adele Bergreen, and the Ebony Fashion Fair, among others. The upcoming September sale includes a collection of 400 lots gathered from consignors throughout the United States and Europe.
