A Sneak Peek at Sotheby’s Icons of Fashion Sale

Sotheby’s has given Vogue Runway early access to some of the lots, and Bishop has shared a few thoughts on the sale below.

What is the market like for collectible fashion now; has it been affected by the election, world events?

There has always been a market for museum-worthy and collectable fashion, but there has definitely been an increase in mainstream interest in this subject over the last few years. Fashion plays an enormous part in our everyday lives and people are always drawn to the subject, regardless of world events. I don’t believe the market for collectable fashion has been affected by the election or other events. The changes we see in the collectable fashion market are broader and emerge over a longer period of time. It is not as reactionary as the contemporary fashion industry is.

What trends have you observed in fashion collecting of late?

As time marches on, so does collectors’ interest and the demand for certain periods in time. At present, we are seeing a huge surge in interest in the 1990s and 2000s. John Galliano in particular is enjoying a resurrection: academic and museum appreciation of his work has always remained high, but during the last three years in particular we have witnessed an almost frenzy-like level of interest in his work, with Hollywood stars clamouring to be photographed in archival Galliano.

How are rarity and provenance balancing out at the moment?

Rarity and Provenance are the magic words at auction and as a Fashion Specialist, what I seek in a garment. Provenance is the x-factor that can provide an item with a remarkable and hard-to-predict surge in value at auction.

What is the rarest piece in the sale, in your opinion?

The rarest piece included in the sale is the John Galliano frock coat from his Afghanistan Repudiates collection of spring-summer 1985…his first major commercial collection after his degree show, and only a handful were made. This is Galliano at the very beginning: when you study the clever and imaginative construction of the coat, with its curving center back seam and exaggerated, elongated sleeves, you can see the beginning of his genius—the young designer who would go on to become one of the greatest of the 20^th century.