You, Too, Can Dress Like Catherine Deneuve
As one of the most enduring fashion and beauty (and talent) icons of all time, it’s no wonder that news of Catherine Deneuve’s wardrobe auction broke both the traditional and new media outlets this week. Nearly 300 lots will be presented to the world’s foremost connoisseurs and collectors at Christie’s Paris House on January 24, 2019—just in time for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week though no doubt that the event will have style royalty racing to book flights to the French capital in any case. Indeed, Deneuve’s dresses, suits, and accessories are a moving testimony of the decades-long friendship between two legends: Catherine and Yves Saint Laurent.
“In 1965, I was invited to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II and my husband David Bailey, a fashion photographer, suggested that I ask Yves Saint Laurent for an evening dress," Catherine revealed of how her friendship with Saint Laurent began.
"I arrived at Rue Spontini with a photo from the Russian Collection from the previous year which he agreed to create for me. A long white crepe dress with a panel of red embroidery was the start of a long professional collaboration and friendship. His consummate gravitas during the fittings together with his shy charm outside the atelier made all the years we shared so enchanting—our silent complicity, our crazy laughter, and our melancholy brought us together."
Explaining her decision to part with her treasured pieces, the actress explained, "I was only 20 years old and I had the privilege of being given access to this world of luxury, to train my eye and my taste by his side. Now, I am leaving my house in Normandy where I kept this wardrobe—not without a certain sadness—these are the creations of such a talented man who only designed clothes to beautify women."
While those who can make it to Paris in person will have the chance to bid on every piece of the collection, Christie’s will offer approaching 150 lots during a live auction, in addition to an online sale accessible to digital bidders from 23 to 30 January 2019.
“We are honored to have been entrusted with the sale of Catherine Deneuve’s wardrobe," said François de Ricqlès, President of Christie’s France. "This auction is particularly dear to our hearts, having organized the legendary Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé sale at the Grand Palais ten years ago. It is a pleasure to offer these pieces which bear witness to a love story and a friendship between a most talented French actress and the most illustrious designer of all times."
The live auction will take place on Thursday 24 January 2019 at Christie’s Paris House on Avenue Matignon at 6 pm local time, while the online version runs from January 23-30, 2019. Viewings start from Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 January. For more information, visit christies.com
