Daphne Guinness charity auction

For the most sophisticate fashionistas around the world, this opportunity is more tempting than ever: the wardrobe of Daphne Guinness, muse of designers such as Alexander McQueen and pop icon as Lady Gaga, will be auctioned at Christie's (London) the next 27th june.

The irish heiress, one of the most prolif customers of Haute Couture globally, decided to sell a part of her extraordinary collection of clothes and accessories, in favor of the Isabella Blow Foundation, the charity she founded to support young artists and talented designers, in memory of her famous stylist and friend, who committed suicide in 2007.

Among the flagship of the auction, that includes a hundred of pieces among dresses, coats, skirts, tops, jackets and shoes of brands like Chanel, Balenciaga, Christopher Kane, Lanvin, Prada, Azzedine Alaia and Gareth Pugh, the most important is a silver mini-dress made especially for her by Alexander McQueen in 2008. The sculptural creation, estimated between 18 and 24 thousand euros, represent certainly the most precious lot. The other lots are estimated around 4 thousand euros, with more economic ones starting approximately from 370 euros.

We are delighted to be offering the fashion world this incredible one-off opportunity to buy some of the most iconic and cutting-edge haute couture of the early 21st Century, owned and worn by Daphne Guinness - said the director of Christie's fashion department, Pat Frost, stressing that the sale will benefit and training the designers of the future.

The auction should bring in about 120 thousand euros. Daphne Guinness has bought in june 2010 the entire clothing collection of Isabella Blow to prevent the sale at auction by Christie's, saying that she would never let the memory of her friend was scattered to the four winds in that way. It was her intention to reserve the archive of Isabella Blow to design students and that's what she did with the foundation on behalf of the fashion editor.

The complete catalog of the auction "The Daphne Guinness collection; sold to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation"  will be visible on line in mid-may on the web site of Christie's.