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Collection Quidam de Revel

Sotheby’s unveils the Quidam de Revel collection dedicated to fashion and haute couture, to be sold in Paris on 5 July 2018. Collected by Emmanuelle and Philippe Harros, the 160 pieces, jewellery and accessories which date from the 1930s - 2000s provide a wide overview of iconic designs by couturiers who have left their mark on the history of fashion. Hidden from the public eye for the last twenty years, these items will now be showcased at the Galerie Charpentier for a few days only.

The pieces in this sale are united by their fine craftsmanship, embodying an artist or period, characterised by exquisite materials, sophisticated detail and shimmering colours.

One of the highlights is a 1967 dress by Paco Rabanne made of metal plates (estimate: €6,000-8,000) and the safari jacket became a centrepiece of Yves Saint Laurent‘s collections (estimate: €1,500-2,500).

The sale will include twelve items by Madame Grès, notably a long pleated silk jersey dress (estimate: €3,500-4,500). Pierre Cardin will also be in the spotlight with 15 pieces, including a double-breasted pinafore-style coat in black leather and astrakhan (estimate: €2,000-3,000) and knitwear jumpsuits sold together with impressive necklaces (estimate from €2,000).

Other pieces showcase collections inspired by art works, such as Hubert de Givenchy's 1973 coat embroidered entirely with flower patterns, likely to have been inspired by Impressionism and Pointillism (estimate: €3,000-4,000). Elsa Schiaparelli's rhodoid necklace crawling with iridescent metal insects may be inspired by Botticelli, but has a distinct touch of Surrealism about it (estimate: €15,000-20,000).

More recent pieces demonstrate true refinement, like Thierry Mugler's 1987 black velvet sheath dress with a broad cut-away back featuring a "basket" of voluptuous flowers (estimate: €2,000-3,000) or like the "sunbathing" wedding dress in ivory silk satin by Martin Margiela (2006) mingles ingenuity with a touch of folly (estimate: €2,000-3,000).

Rounding off this fashion show, the catalogue also includes accessories and jewellery that are still highly contemporary, such as pectoral necklaces in chrome-plated metal designed by Pierre Cardin in the early 1970s (estimate: €1,500-2,500), and the lace and rhinestone plastron created by John Galliano in 1998 for Christian Dior (estimate: €1,000-1,500).