Category: Auctions

Love letters from the past

4/22/2016

Dead letter mail, ca. 1917. Supt. Marvin McLean and Mrs. Clara R.A. Nelson.
(Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.)

I anthropomorphize.

As a kid growing up in Chicago, I would never leave my bike outside in case it rained; it might get cold. I cried when I passed a stand of leftover Halloween pumpkins because I didn’t want them to feel bad about not having been chosen. Even today, if I have to throw something in an empty garbage bin I make sure I put another piece of trash with it so it doesn’t get lonely.

The auction of a lifetime, Part II

7/22/2015

A Madame Grès asymmetrical gown circa 1971

The object of my affection: a pristine Madame Grès from 1971.
(Photo courtesy of Sothebys.com.)

Though the auction included garments dating back to the 1920s, I had fallen in love with a floor-length gown made by Madame Grès in 1971. Trained as a sculptor, Grès was best known for expertly draped and meticulously pleated Grecian gowns that showcased her love of classical sculpture. The gown I coveted was one of them.

The auction of a lifetime, Part I

7/14/2015

A view of the pre-sale exhibition inside the Galerie Charpentier, Sotheby's Paris.
(Photo courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions.)

Last weekend’s article in the New York Times Magazine, “How to Conduct an Auction,” could not have come at a more appropriate time given that I had just participated in the auction of a lifetime only days earlier.

Claudine in her mother's European travel suit circa 1962

The Little Black Book thoughts about life, luxury and the pursuit of vintage fashion.

The author

Claudine Villardito is a vintage fashion historian, collector, conservator and cat whisperer living in Tucson, Arizona. Her archive of over 3,000 fully restored vintage items from the 1850s to the early 2000s is sold online at blackcatvintage.com.

She began this blog because she got sick of people commenting that she should really write a book.

Her work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Matchbook Magazine, Tokyo-based En Vie magazine, on AMC's Mad Men, and in theatrical productions and museum exhibits worldwide. She also contributed a monthly editorial column to the award-winning online periodical 3 Story Magazine.

Love letters from the past

The auction of a lifetime, Part II

The auction of a lifetime, Part I

The Little Black Book thoughts about life, luxury and the pursuit of vintage fashion.

The author

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