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.

Oliver Brown's silk top hats.

Top hat demand for Royal Ascot boosts antique hat seller

22 June 2018

Demand from well-dressed gentlemen for authentic silk top hats for Royal Ascot this week has boosted sales for retailer Oliver Brown.

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Textile mill the place for vintage

18 June 2018

Trading as Rose & Brown, organiser Caroline Brown’s 50-stand vintage home and fashion fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24, at the Victoria Hall in Saltaire, West Yorkshire.

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A material world: vintage and textile dealers in the spotlight

11 June 2018

Spotlight on textiles fairs, dealers and a two London exhibitions covering designers...

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16th century doublet bought by museum at auction

11 June 2018

It is relatively rare to find items of 16th century costume on the market, especially pieces in good condition. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that this gentleman’s doublet from c.1580-1600 should end up going to a major museum when it went under the hammer in a Paris auction this month.

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Hapsburg memorabilia sale to include Franz Josef’s slippers

04 June 2018

One of Dorotheum’s specialities is its staging of sales devoted to imperial court memorabilia and historical objects, which are notable for featuring souvenirs and personal memorabilia from the House of Hapsburg.

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Fabulous fabrics and enticing textiles on show

21 May 2018

A selection of rare 19th century suzanis, handwoven silk embroideries from the areas of modern-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, go on offer next month at Afridi Gallery’s exhibition 'Gardens of Delight' in London.

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Exceptional ways to travel in style

07 May 2018

The travelling compendium reached its apogee in the late Victorian and Edwardian era. Two exceptional examples appeared on the market in quick succession in recent days.

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Pick of the Week: Talismanic shirts lead to saleroom good fortune

30 April 2018

Two finely executed Indian talismanic shirts made multi-estimate sums at Roseberys in south London.

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Sumptuous silk at just £350

30 April 2018

The world of Chinese art remains open to collectors on modest budgets if they look to some of the less fashionable wares, those from later periods and pieces that carry damage.

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North Mymms contents sale tops £1.75m and posts best-ever sale for Sworders

23 April 2018

The primary contents of North Mymms Park in Hertfordshire – including an important collection of European tapestries – provided Sworders with its best-ever sale last week.

Silver handbag

Sterling silver Hermès handbag makes auction record at Spink in Hong Kong

23 April 2018

The highlight of the inaugural handbag auction held by Spink in Hong Kong was a sterling silver Hermès Kelly handbag.

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Obituary: antique lace and textiles specialist Betty Mendes

23 April 2018

Betty Mendes, who has died peacefully aged 90, was one of the leading lights in the field of antique lace and textiles.

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Obituary: textile designer Elizabeth Joan Gibbons

23 April 2018

When, where, how – ie when was it made? Where was it made? How was it made? And how much is it worth? These are the four fundamental questions which every reputable antique dealer has to ask when he/she looks at an object.

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Charles Voysey River Rug flows into auction

23 April 2018

A hand-coloured design for Charles Voysey’s 'River Rug' surfaced at Lawrences of Crewkerne where it sold at £21,000 (plus premium).

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Go with the grain (and cheese) for vintage market in Somerset

23 April 2018

Eight years ago textiles dealers Liz van Hasselt and Clare Powell came up with the idea of holding a monthly vintage bazaar in the Somerset market town of Frome, which has a cluster of vintage shops on Catherine Hill.

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Costume sale suits Pennsylvania auction house

23 April 2018

Helen Larson was a keen collector of costume, especially pieces with historical associations. She spent half a century building up a collection that encompassed early costume, couture and pieces with historical or celebrity provenance, helped by her friend Doris Langley Moore who founded the Costume Museum in Bath.

Tapestry

Sumptuous tapestries help country house auction to total a hefty £1.75m for Sworders

19 April 2018

The primary contents of North Mymms Park in Hertfordshire – including a collection of European tapestries that have been at the property for over a century - have sold at auction for close to £2m.

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Sonia Delauney scarf among prints and fashion at dedicated French auction

09 April 2018

Piasa is holding a second auction devoted to the colourful works of the Ukrainian-born artist Sonia Delaunay (1885-1975) on April 26.

Victoria and Albert Museum wall hanging

V&A Museum buys large embroidery made for Louis XIV’s mistress at Brussels fair

03 April 2018

The Victoria & Albert Museum has purchased a rare 17th century wall hanging from the Belgian restorer and weaver De Wit Fine Tapestries.

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Bengal and Bauer both on sale at the textiles fair

02 April 2018

The panel of kantha stitching from West Bengal shown below will be for sale with dealer Jennifer Evans, aka Jenpatola, for £79 at The Textile Society’s antique and vintage textile fair at the Armitage Centre in Manchester on Sunday April 15.

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