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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Calder’s tapestries – the South American versions

01 April 2024

Alexander Calder (1898-1976) first produced designs for tapestries made at the Aubusson factory in the early 1960s.

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Ann and Gordon Getty lots: all gone, including the kitchen sink

01 April 2024

Doulton washroom elements provide surprise as final items from extensive collection come to auction

Jelly moulds in a dresser

Trend setters: Are interior design influencers all hype or helping the market?

18 March 2024

Are influencers driving this market or is it just hype? We talk to dealers to find out what is really in demand and why.

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Decorative textiles to brighten the home

18 March 2024

There have been various trends around decorative textiles recently, including a move to curtains from blinds, as well as a desire for wall hangings, rugs and bed covers – any soft furnishing fabric to brighten up the home.

Sampler Pic

Victorian sampler returns to Berkswell primary school where it was created

11 March 2024

Historic school acquires needlework created by a former pupil

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Paris costumes and textiles sale that turned out nicely

11 March 2024

Auction staged at Drouot offered a varied selection topped by Louis XVI-era suit

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Colin Firth’s 'sensational' Pride and Prejudice wet shirt goes to UK museum

07 March 2024

Shirt from historic moment of the BBC’s 'Pride and Prejudice' sells at Kerry Taylor Auctions

Picasso designed chair

Chair prices propelled higher thanks to Picasso

04 March 2024

A Parisian sale titled Pablo Picasso and his Friends staged at Piasa in France on February 15 included a series of artworks to which the great man had contributed in some way.

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Well heeled in the 18th century – ladies’ shoes sell for four figures in North Yorkshire auction

04 March 2024

When it comes to period costume antique footwear can often command some of the strongest prices.

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Art Deco-era vanity cases highly sought by contemporary collectors

04 March 2024

Legend has it that Charles Arpels (of Van Cleef & Arpels fame) saw a lady friend stashing her lipstick and other cosmetics in an ordinary cigarette tin for a trip out on the town.

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Fashion accessory for a 1930s foxy lady

04 March 2024

An Arctic fox fur owned and worn by a 1930s movie star dubbed Britain’s answer to Ginger Rogers turned heads at a Derby saleroom.

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Fashion fair for the style-savvy

05 February 2024

Among the vintage red-carpet moments at the recent Golden Globes film awards ceremony in Los Angeles, two actresses stood out. Elle Fanning wore a 1960s white silk gown by Pierre Balmain while Carey Mulligan looked to the archives for her exact replica vintage Schiaparelli dress from 1949.

Bayeux embroidery replica

Bayeux Museum buys Victorian replica of the famous tapestry from the collection of Rolling Stones drummer

31 January 2024

The Bayeux Museum in France has bought a life-size Victorian replica of the Bayeux tapestry from the Charlie Watts sale.

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Lampshade highlights the work of Quentin Bell, the last of Bloomsbury

22 January 2024

A lampshade painted by Quentin Bell sold for a remarkable £4700 when Adam Partridge (20% buyer’s premium) dispersed the residual collection of Michael Evans in Macclesfield.

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Five questions with Joseph Sullivan of Textile Antiques

22 January 2024

Joseph Sullivan of Textile Antiques is one of the exhibitors at the London Antiques Run & Textile Art Fair running this week (January 23-28) at Evolution London, Battersea.

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Abigail and Maria’s sampler skills still celebrated today

22 January 2024

There is a huge disconnect today between the best and rest in the sampler world.

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Roman tapestry work of Romano

15 January 2024

Markus Voigt returns to the London Antique Rug & Textile Art (LARTA) Fair after some years away with a silk and wool tapestry fragment that stars as the main image for this year’s fair logo.

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Textiles take centre stage at fairs, exhibitions and auction

15 January 2024

Focus on quilt on offer at the first Decorative event of the year - which shares its venue with specialist fair LARTA

Lampshade

Quentin Bell lampshade takes nearly 40-times estimate

10 January 2024

A lampshade painted by Quentin Bell sold for a remarkable £4700 when Adam Partridge dispersed the residual collection of Michael Evans (Dayabandu).

A Turkoman asmalyk

Rare central Asian textile takes £26,000 at Gorringe's

09 January 2024

A 19th century silk weaving sold for 144 times the top-estimate in Lewes on January 8.

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