Beginning in November through next March, Sotheby's will auction the estate of one of the most famous fashion figures of the 20th century, German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019). His estate, which includes more than 1,000 objects, will be sold during two live auctions in Paris and Monaco in December, another in Cologne next March, as well as two online sales.
As creative director, Lagerfeld breathed new life into the luxury brand Chanel in the 1980s and propelled it into one of the most current brands on the international scene. Each of the auction lots reflects the passions of their collector, and includes haute couture, photography, and design. Lagerfeld collected Art Deco in the 1970s, the colorful creations of the Memphis group in 1980s and later on Rococo pieces from the 18th century. For the last 20 years of his life, he was fascinated by the contemporary design of designers such as Mark Newson, Martin Szekely and Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, even though his own apartment in Louveciennes, outside Paris, was furnished in a style reminiscent of 1920s Germany.
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Personal items such as his famous fingerless gloves, dishes bearing the profile of his beloved cat Choupette, and jackets from Dior, Saint Laurent, Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela and KL (Lagerfeld's brand), as well as three Rolls-Royces will be offered.
Art will also be present, including the Balloon Venus sculpture by Jeff Koons, as well as a portrait of Takashi Murakami and Japanese-inspired figurines from the Italian brand Tokidoki.
