Vintage Fashion & Textiles

Marilyn Monroe’s record-breaking ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ dress, which sold for $1.2m in 1999; Olivier Coutau-Begarie’s two-day sale of 5000 pieces of antique silks tapestries and embroideries from the House of Hamot; the lively vintage fashion fairs held around the country every month – each has its own place in the world of fashion and textile collecting.

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The Ravilious handkerchief not to be sniffed at

04 November 2024

A rare version of Eric Ravilious' Child’s Handkerchief print and a scarcely seen Doulton figure emerged in North Yorkshire

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‘Horti’ Frock Me! is fully booked

28 October 2024

Inaugural vintage fashion event at fresh Westminster venue offers extra space and will boast 80 dealers

Child’s Handkerchief by Eric Ravilious

Rare version of ‘Child’s Handkerchief’ continues strong run of Ravilious prices

23 October 2024

Early in February 1941, Eric Ravilious (1903-42) wrote to EM O'Rourke Dickey at the Ministry of Information regarding a new commission. ‘I've just had a long visit from a Mr. Gerald Holtom who seems very much to want designs for textiles for some Cotton Board. It would make a change to do this for a bit, and he assures me the whole thing is urgent and necessary.’

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Focus on fashion quality in Paris auction celebrates Haute Couture

21 October 2024

Christie’s Exceptional sale format offers works across a wide range of different categories that are notable for their quality, rarity, provenance or a combination thereof.

Portrait miniature of Charles I

Sock drawer discovery: Silkwork miniature of Charles I sells at six times estimate in West Sussex

16 October 2024

A rare English silkwork portrait miniature of Charles I sold for a multi-estimate £8000 at Bellmans’ in Billingshurst on October 15.

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Five questions with rug dealer Joshua Lumley

30 September 2024

Joshua Lumley is a rug dealer based in Kent selling textiles from Ushak carpets to 16th century Flemish tapestries. He will be at the Battersea Decorative Fair from October 1-6.

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Five questions with rug dealer Michael Hezaveh

23 September 2024

Michael Hezaveh of Oriental Rug Shop has an extensive showroom and warehouse in Sheffield, with over 8000 items in stock. The dealer will be at Northern Antiques Fair held in Tennants’ Garden Rooms in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, from September 26-29.

Frock+Me+Victoria

Vintage fashion catwalks into Royal Horticultural Hall

19 September 2024

Seeking a Thatcher-era neon lycra bodystocking? 1970s kaftan? Maybe you want something 'very demure, very mindful'. Matthew Adams' vintage fashion fair may have the answer.

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Black Louis Vuitton trunk could match a car colour

09 September 2024

Coloured Vuittonite canvas – in yellow, red, green, black or orange – usually appears on trunks made from 1900-20.

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Bidders make Wiener Werkstätte buckles link

09 September 2024

A rarity spotted in the Summer Gallery Auction at Hartzell’s (24% buyer’s premium) on July 29 was a pair of early 20th century women’s evening shoes with appliques by the Wiener Werkstätte.

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Handy way to carry a rubber duck in style

09 September 2024

A single-owner collection of 37 pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage formed part of Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) Design sale.

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Luxury travel: Christie's sells largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks

09 September 2024

The largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks ever to come to auction was sold by Christie’s Paris (26% buyer’s premium) earlier this year.

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Textiles: Sumptuous stumpwork emerges from Eve Clarke collection

27 August 2024

Examples of this three-dimensional technique stand out as part of a dealer’s collection

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Quaker antiquary and family put together an extraordinary collection

27 August 2024

The first section of the Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium) Historic Textiles & Antiques auction on July 26 contained 33 lots of textiles from the collection of the Quaker antiquary Martha Spriggs and her descendants.

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Pin ball wizards in play

27 August 2024

A recent timed online sale at Bleasdales (20% buyer’s premium) featured a couple of pin balls that performed well.

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More orphanage samplers in demand as hand-worked textiles prove sought-after

27 August 2024

Tennants’ Fashion, Costume and Textiles Sale held on August 16 provided many hammer highlights.

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Original historical dresses spotted by eagle-eyed bidders

27 August 2024

A pale blue and white striped garment offered at Martin & Pole’s (22% buyer’s premium) General Auction on August 7 was simply described as an “antique silk dress, appears in a photograph worn by Esther Palmer in around 1925”.

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Sampler made in Bristol fashion

27 August 2024

Estimated at £60-100, a late 19th century sampler sold via thesaleroom.com for £4600 at Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium) in Colwyn Bay.

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Lock from Florence Nightingale encapsulates the diverse lots in a North Yorkshire auction

12 August 2024

One of the more unusual items on offer at Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Summer Fine Sale was a lock of hair from the 19th century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It was thought to have been cut in 1883 when she was 63 years old.

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Five questions with costume and luggage dealer Leslie Verrinder

12 August 2024

Leslie Verrinder started with an accessories stall in Camden but is now a happy fixture in Alfies Antique Market on Church Street, north-west London.

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