Audrey Hepburn’s Iconic Wardrobe Fetches $435,180
courtesy of Kerry Taylor auctions
Audrey Hepburn’s enduring status as a fashion legend was solidified on Tuesday, when more than 40 items from her closet raised a staggering $435,180 at a London auction. One highlight of the sale at Kerry Taylor Auctions was the Givenchy Chantilly lace cocktail dress that she wore in the 1966 film How to Steal a Million, which rang in at $97,270. Another more sentimental garment was her ivory satin bridal gown, commissioned by the actress while she was filming Roman Holiday and planning her nuptials to British industrialist James Hanson. When she later pulled out of the wedding, she asked the designers to give the dress away to the “most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find.” And so the couture gown made by the Fontana sisters was given to Amabile Altobella, who wore the piece to marry a local farm worker before donating it to the auction. “The collection made double the pre-sale estimate,” said auctioneer Kerry Taylor, who organized the event. “It has been a privilege to handle this collection, the like of which will never be seen again.” With a percentage of the proceeds from the sale going to The Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, it seems a fitting tribute to the much loved and perennially chic actress-turned-philanthropist. For more on the auction, visit kerrytaylorauctions.com. –Monique Jessen
