This Givenchy haute couture white point d'esprit ball gown worn by Hepburn in the opera scene of Love in the Afternoon (1956). Hepburn gave the dress to her friend Tanja Star-Busmann as a present when Tanja gave birth to her daughter in 1958. It arrived in a large cardboard box with a note attached stating that Audrey thought it might remind Tanja what it was like to have a waistline again.
Sale price: £ 6500.00
A fuchsia Givenchy haute couture evening gown, circa1967.
Sale price: £ 3500.00
This Givenchy haute couture black chantilly lace cocktail dress, worn in How to Steal a Million (1966) was the jewel of the Hepburn auction. She wore this dress in the Ritz bar scene of the film, where her character wears a matching lace face mask over glittery eye-makeup in order to disguise herself. It didn't work. Hubert de Givenchy created a similar, though not identical, cocktail gown as part of the haute couture collection, Autumn-Winter 1966.
Sale price: £ 50,000.00
A brown and cream jersey Pierre Cardin gown, circa 1968.
Sale price: £ 650.00
A group of Chanel shoes, 1980s, 17 pairs including two-tone pumps, leather loafers, brown suede courts, three pairs of sandals and others, sizes 35 1/2 to 37.
Sale price: £ 450.00
A group of Judith Leiber bags, 1990s, including one in leopard spots, the other silver, both lined in gold leather; two snakeskin bags, in cream and grey, with gilt frames and straps.
Sale price: £ 650.00
A group of Chanel jewellery, 1990s, including: five necklaces including sautoir chain of 'pearl' stones and faceted glass, 1980s; five pairs of earrings mainly pearlized stones in gilt settings; and three brooches.
Sale price: £ 750.00
A group of Chanel and other costume jewelry, 1990s, including a belt of linked gilt brass medallions and matching earrings; a pair of rhinestone studded pendant ear-rings.
Sale price: £ 370.00
A group of Judith Leiber belts, including wide black satin example with large gilt clasp, dark grey ostrich skin, three gilt 'spring' belts with enamel inset clasps and others.
Sale price: £ 450.00
A group of Dior and Fath hats, 1950s-early 60s, all labelled, incloudinga Dior pink straw the crown covered with fruits and foliage; three by Jacques Fath including white organza toque.
Unsold
A group of letters and a telegram related to the engagement of Hepburn and James Hanson from fall 1952, including a telegram from Hepburn to Tanja Star-Busmann dated August 3, 1952 sent from Ciampino airport asking her to be a bridesmaid; a letter from Audrey dated November 6 sent from Chicago telling Tanja to wear the `pink dress.(the bridesmaid dress)... I would love to think you'd wear it at some gay party.' And four letters from Hanson to Tanja Star-Busmann relating to the postponement and finally cancellation of the wedding.
Sale price: £ 3200.00
Jean Dessès fashion sketches, Winter 1951, all bearing maison stamp, mainly pen drawings with watercolor, showing front and back details, including two ball gowns and an evening coat, seven dinner/cocktail gowns and two day coats, many with attached swatches.
Sale price: £ 1300.00
A group of Bill Gibb/Kaffe Fassett knitwear, Autumn-Winter 1977-78, in lilac with pink, cream and jade green pine cones and sprigs, comprising: full-length kimono jacket with ties, a sleeveless cardigan with deep shawl collar; a long sleeved tunic sweater with side splits, long scarf, matching knitted skirt; together with a cream silk blouse with pleated collar, Autumn-Winter 76-77, pink pleated chiffon skirt and scarf, blouse.
Sale price: £ 400.00
Christian Dior chinchilla coat, 1980s.
Sale price: £ 2200.00
Mark Cross red and white striped knitted cotton top, 1957.
Sale price: £ 6000.00
Paquin couture ball gown, circa 1950, with an ivory silk faille bodice and sweeping cross-over collar.
Sale price: £ 2000.00
A Madame Grès turquoise blue draped chiffon cocktail gown, late 1950s.
Unsold
This ivory satin bridal gown was designed for Hepburn by the Fontana Sisters for her marriage to James Hanson in 1952.
When Hepburn called off the wedding she asked the eldest of the Fontana sisters to give the dress away. `I want my dress to be worn by another girl for her wedding, perhaps someone who couldn't ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find.' The dress was given to a poverty stricken young Italian girl, Amabile Altobella, to wear at her wedding to farm worker Adelino Solda with whom she remained happily married, producing three daughters and five grandchildren. Amabile said `I have had a happy marriage, so the dress brought me luck'.
It was not until 2002 when Micol Fontana, the last survivor of the three sisters traced the gown for a retrospective exhibition of their work, that it was re-discovered.
Sale price: £ 11500.00
