Clothing has long served a function beyond the utilitarian need to cover the body. Its function as signifier has spanned millennia, and has resonant examples in this sale ranging from traditional Japanese armor to a contemporary American interpretation of battle-wear: LeBron James’ Miami Heat jersey from the 2013 NBA finals. In a less literal sense, clothing can function as armor in the way it equips the wearer with the necessary signifiers to take their place in the world. This is seen in the intricately engraved bronze age disc, which would have been worn as a neck pendant by a noble woman of significant means from the Nordic bronze age, or the elaborately elegant dress worn by a Renaissance noblewoman captured in her maiolica portrait, many centuries later. Finally, for present day sartorialists, the Virgil Abloh x Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force Ones signify a wearer who appreciates the marrying of street style with haute couture. The One Sale will take place on 27 January at Sotheby’s New York.

Past Auction

The One

27 January 2023 | 10:00 AM EST | New York