Maine Antique Digest March 2015

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20-D Maine Antique Digest, March 2015
- AUCTION -
Chanel and the Beatles’ Apple Bou-
tique scored high with buyers
at Augusta Auction Company’s
November 12, 2014, sale of vintage fash-
ion and textiles from the 1820s through
the late 20th century. Featured in the sale
was the first portion of the Allan Suddon/
Kathy Cleaver costume collection from
Toronto. Among the couture names repre-
sented from this collection were Chanel,
Christian Dior, Jean Patou, Cristóbal
Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent for
Dior.
The psychedelic Apple Boutique in
London was the first venture of the Beat-
les under their Apple, Inc. imprint. The
Apple Boutique was in business for only
eight months, from December 7, 1967,
until July 30, 1968. In February 1968 a
young American woman visiting London
purchased seven outfits and brought them
back to the United States. These outfits,
mostly unworn, sold primarily to phone
bidders and the room from $450 (includes
buyer’s premium) to $3720.
Aside from lots derived from the var-
ious estates and institutional and private
collections, there was a huge amount of
contemporary Chanel clothes and acces-
sories from the estate of Karen Kendle
Marshe, who was footwear director for
Chanel U.S.A.
Charles James (1906-1978), a Brit-
ish-born American designer whose gowns
are on display among the hallowed halls
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York City, was represented by three
lots. One was a Charles James dress form
from the 1950s, which brought $1800
from an Internet bidder. Another was a
1962 fashion illustration, which went to a
phone bidder for $3600.
It was business as usual on November
12 at Landmark on the Park on Central
Park West as pertains to the vast array of
famous names whose clothing was offered
for bidding. The names included Eliza-
beth Arden, Pierre Balmain, Bill Blass,
Ceil Chapman, Victor Costa, Givenchy,
Madame Gres, Hanae Mori, Norman
Norell, Paquin (Paris), Yves Saint Lau-
rent, Scassi, and others. As usual, Leila
Dunbar performed admirably as auction-
eer throughout the sale with maybe a ten-
minute or so break to catch her breath and
eat a light lunch.
For more information, call (802) 376-
Augusta Auction Company, New York City
Chanel and the Beatles’ Psychedelic Apple
Boutique Score High
by Richard de Thuin
Photos courtesy Augusta Auction Company
A vast array of
famous names
whose clothing was
offered for bidding.
This light raspberry-pink
tightly pleated silk column
sleeveless gown by For-
tuny has 48 small, striped
tan Murano glass beads on
each side, with the inside
selvedge stamped “Made
in Italy Fabrique en Italie
Fortuny,” a silver stenciled
belt, and the original round
box. Bidding involved the
Internet and two phones
until the gown hammered
down to a phone bidder for
$8700 (est. $3000/5000).
This Chanel black silk chif-
fon full-length bias-cut
Chantilly lace gown from the
1930s has lace insertions in
the bow and ribbon patterns,
a low V back, shoulder cape-
let, and narrow chiffon and
lace streamers attached to
the sides by the hips. Lined
in black silk charmeuse with
a deep lace flounce, this gown
was labeled and in very good
condition, and despite a
phone holdup to get the ball
rolling on bidding, the gown
sold to the room at more than
three times the high estimate
for $11,400.
Early 20th-century appliqué tent hanging of heavy white cot-
ton, hand appliquéd in red, navy, light blue, and green, with
two center medallions, and an Arabic script in the outer edge.
In very good condition this tent hanging sold to the room
against an Internet bidder for $7800 (est. $500/700).
Despite a fair designation as to con-
dition, this Roberto Capucci “nine
dresses” (Nove Gonne ) gown from
1956 sold to the phone above estimate
for $7800. It is black silk taffeta with a
scoop neck, the sheath with nine stiff-
ened and tiered over-skirts cut high
in front and descending to the floor
in the back. The shoulder straps were
damaged, fabric was worn along edges
of multiple skirts, and the crinoline
stiffening was bent. (Other examples
of this dress are in various museums.)
This gentleman’s dou-
ble-breasted tailcoat,
an 1820-30s example of
black lightweight wool,
has a narrow, notched
collar, deep center back
vent, a 36" chest size,
and despite missing
two of 12 front buttons
and having repairs and
small holes, was listed
in very good condition.
Property of The Strong,
sold to benefit the muse-
um’s collection fund,
this tailcoat sold above
estimate to an Internet
bidder for $1140.
This large enve-
lope-style Koret alli-
gator handbag with
a large brass safety
pin handle and car-
amel leather lining,
is gold-stamped
“Koret” and has a
leaping stag logo.
Dated from the mid-
20th century, it was
in excellent condition
and realized $1200
from the room.
Offered from the estate of Karen Kendle
Marshe was this circa 2000 pearl necklace
of uniform faux pearls and an off-set dia-
mante, pearl, and silver blossom. Marked
with a “CC” logo among the pearls and with
the original tags denoting a retail price of
$1330, the 20" long necklace in its original
box realized $2760 (est. $200/400).
This high-neck circa 1825 printed
cotton day dress was of a brown
twill with block-printed apricot,
blue, and green block florals. In
very good condition, the dress
went to a phone bidder for $2160.
A short dress of fuchsia, gold, and silver lamé bro-
cade, a white, gold and silver lamé brocade hem band,
rhinestone and gold bead trim, and a matching dou-
ble-breasted coat, both labeled “Printemps-Ete 1968,
Christian Dior Paris,” in excellent condition, intrigued
two phone bidders to push the price up to $4500 (est.
$500/800).
The deconstructed jacket by
Chanel from 2011 is of dead-
stock cotton, nylon, and blue
metallic yarns, scattered large
holes, crochet navy and white
trim. In unworn, pristine condi-
tion, it is labeled “Chanel Sam-
ple” and sold with a price tag
of $6965. (An identical jacket,
designed by Karl Lagerfeld
for Dior, was exhibited in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art’s
2013 Punk: Chaos to Couture.)
From the estate of Karen Kendle
Marshe, the Chanel jacket
brought $1800 (est. $800/1200).