Christie’s Jewelry Sale, Hubert de Givenchy Auction Tops Estimates – WWD

WORTH SNAPPING: Until July 7, an eclectic ensemble of jewels spanning from the 19th century to the 1980s will be offered online at auction by Christie’s.

The 290 lots, curated by the jewelry department of the auction house’s French arm, include designs from Place Vendôme cornerstones Boucheron, Cartier, Chaumet and Van Cleef & Arpels as well as pieces from sought-after signatures JAR, Suzanne Belperron and René Boivin.

Among the stars of the sale are likely to be the nine pieces that belonged to June Newton, the late photographer known professionally as Alice Springs and who was married to Helmut Newton.

A gold Boivin bangle scattered with sapphires and pearls is estimated to go for between 20,000 and 40,000 euros, with a similar 30,000-euro starting price for another bracelet by Belperron studded with geometric designs figuring precious stones.

Another major draw will be the personal collection of third-generation jeweler Jean Fouquet. In addition to pieces by his grandfather Alphonse and father Georges, the sparse lines of the Art Deco pieces are expected to draw attention — and bids.

The late jeweler’s own designs have recently commanded high prices, with a necklace offered by Christie’s setting the world record for his work at 980,000 euros last July.

Other highlights include a transformable Zip necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, estimated between 200,000 and 300,000 euros; a panther brooch in colored diamonds imagined by Boivin; a Bulgari Tubogas necklace set with green tourmalines and peridots, and designs by American jewelers David Webb and Seaman Schepps.

The “Jewelry Talent of Today” section, now in its third edition will feature the works of contemporary jewelers Gaelle Khouri, Mashandy, Salima Thakker, Jose Marin and Aida Bergsen.

The jewels will be exhibited at Christie’s Parisian outpost at 9 Avenue de Matignon in the tony 8th arrondissement until the conclusion of the sale on July 7. — LILY TEMPLETON

GIVENCHY’S BIG SALE: The live sales of Hubert de Givenchy’s estate raised more than 114 million euros, more than double the presale low estimate of the collection, making it the second most valuable collection ever sold at French auction, Christie’s in Paris said.

The result cemented the auction house’s reputation as a powerhouse for sales of single-owner collections, having handled eight of the 10 most important collections in history, including the historic sale of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 2009.

Consisting mainly of works of art, sculpture and furniture from the 18th century, de Givenchy’s collection reflected the exacting eye of the designer known as the ambassador for French taste, referred to in interior design circles as “le goût français.” Collecting was a lifestyle for the tall designer with aristocratic roots, and his partner Philippe Venet.

Christie’s touted it as a “seminal moment” for the 18th-century furniture market, noting that of the top 10 works sold, half were 18th-century furniture and decorative arts, and half works of modern art. “Such exceptional strong prices for 18th-century furniture have not been achieved since the 1990s,” the house said in a statement.

The four live auctions took place from June 14 to 17 at the Théâtre Marigny and the Christie’s sale room in Paris. Two online sales of smaller items, such as tableware, run through June 22 and 23, respectively. In total, 1,229 lots went under the hammer.

Interest was stoked by a traveling preview that kicked off in Palm Beach and toured three continents, culminating in a sprawling preview at Christie’s headquarters on Avenue Matignon in Paris, which recreated several rooms from de Givenchy’s residences in Paris and the Loire Valley. In all, 10,000 visitors took in the global exhibitions.

“It comes as no surprise that the impeccable provenance and superior quality of the treasures in Hubert de Givenchy’s collection attracted such strong interest from buyers around the world,” said Cécile Verdier, president of Christie’s France.

With a running tally of 114.4 million euros, or $119.7 million, the auctions established 19 new world records. Five lots were sold above 5 million euros, including Joan Miró’s painting “Passage of the Migratory Bird,” which used to hang in the designer’s bedroom and had never before been presented at auction.

“Woman Walking,” a cast of a statue by Alberto Giacometti, went for 27.2 million euros, setting the record for the most expensive work sold at auction in France so far this year.

Charles Cator, deputy chairman of Christie’s International, worked with de Givenchy on the first sale of objects from his collection at Christie’s in 1993, and several subsequent projects until the designer’s death in 2018.

“It was especially thrilling to see the extraordinary results — across all price levels — achieved for these wonderful furniture pieces Hubert de Givenchy appreciated so much,” he said. — JOELLE DIDERICH

SCHOLL’S NEW CAPSULE: DJ Honey Dijon is sweetening up Scholl, creating a new capsule collection for the iconic wooden-soled slides.

The first drop of the two-part collaboration under her Honey F–king Dijon fashion label, the capsule features a sleeker, sexier take on the clog. It’s designed to go “from the beach to the club,” Dijon told WWD. The collection is an all-black colorway with supersized silver hardware and, for the heeled version, a more shapely silhouette.

“The shoe is very personal, actually, and when I saw that they were reintroducing the brand it immediately reminded me of my mom and my childhood. I had this emotional connection to it,” Dijon told WWD. The Chicago native has an affinity for the hometown brand, and this drop was inspired by the industrial aesthetic of her adopted home of Berlin.

The brand opened up the archives at its Milan headquarters to the delight of Dijon, who calls herself a “research queen.” There was a treasure trove of information and images that speak to everything from disco and club culture, to sustainability, to the health and wellness trends of today, not to mention the political similarities of the times. “There are a lot of correlations that are happening now that reflect what happened in the ’70s, so it’s really quite timely.”

“There’s all this conversation now in culture about gender nonconforming people and nonbinary and clothing is for everyone. And I thought it was a really great way for me to reintroduce this iconic shoe to a new generation of kids. It’s such an iconic American shoe that has really stood the test of time, and I thought it would be great to elevate it into the fashion conversation. There’s so much cross-pollination between what is happening now.”

While she’s reticent to utter the word “comfort” for all the dowdy connotations of Scholl’s orthopedic origins, she added: “We all have very active lifestyles now and the shoe fits right into that. And as someone that stands for hours and hours and hours, having a really great, fashionable shoe that’s also good for me is like perfection.”

It’s also a style lifesaver for the busy DJ who can be in four cities in a week for gigs. “I can go from the beach to the airport to the club, because a lot of times I don’t even have time to change. And you don’t even have to take it off when you go through TSA,” joked Dijon.

“The marketplace is so overcrowded, so it has to have something to contribute to people’s lives,” she added.

It’s part of a broader revamp of the iconic shoe that had its heyday back in the ’70s and has been a celeb favorite from Audrey Hepburn to Sarah Jessica Parker. “[The goal is] to develop the brand and really to manifest the positioning as a leader in the segment. Clearly playing the fashion game is one big part and one big pillar of that strategy, and that also means to elevate and to reignite collections,” Scholl Shoes chief executive officer Tobias Klaiber told WWD.

The growth plan strategy is twofold with more celeb and brand collaborations to come. Is there anything like the Birkenstock and Dior deal in the works? “We clearly do not want to replicate or do something exactly the same,” he said, noting they are working with “more democratic” brands. A collaboration with Danish cult fave Ganni was launched earlier this year.

“We really want to select partners who can be bold and brave with us, where we can be more creative and really embrace the spirit of the brand, questioning the status quo and reinventing ourselves as well.”

Without giving specific numbers, Klaiber said business has doubled in the last year through fashion outlets such as Paris’ Le Bon Marché and Berlin’s KaDeWe and they are growing in Asia, specifically China, Japan and Korea.

“In the fashion space there are a lot of things already planned to come and there are also other initiatives we will be driving,” he said. There are three additional collaborations in the pipeline for 2023, but Klaiber insists it’s not a numbers game. “We are searching for long-term partners. We have a more strategic view on brand development, but also [collaborations] that really help us in being more bold, more brave and experimenting and being creative.”

The capsule will be released in October and available on Dover Street Market, plus additional doors. It comes in an inclusive size range from 35 to 46. — RHONDA RICHFORD