Global elegance

For a long time, the ecosystem of global elegance was driven from Paris by two rival clans. On one side was Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008), founder of his eponymous fashion house in 1961, and supported by his lifelong partner, businessman Pierre Bergé (1930-2017). On the other was Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019), who designed collections for Chloé starting in 1963, for Fendi starting in 1965, and, most notably, become Chanel’s artistic director in 1983. Lagerfeld’s accomplice and, in some ways, his muse, was Jacques de Bascher, a man as elegant as he was cultured, charismatic and yet brilliantly elusive.

Jacques de Bascher

After David Hockney, Jacques de Bascher

The schism occurred in 1973 when Bascher had a brief but stormy relationship with Saint Laurent, sparking a violent dispute involving all four protagonists. From that moment, each designer openly ignored the other’s fashion. The story ended in sadness when Bascher died of AIDS in 1989 at the age of 38. It seems the Saint Laurent and Lagerfeld camps will never reconcile.

Culture beyond fashion

If these designers shared one point in common, it was their deep interest in culture beyond fashion. Art, cinema and literature would continuously fuel their respective energies. By pure coincidence in the auction calendar, Sotheby’s in Paris is hosting two simultaneous, modest auctions dedicated to these couturiers in January 2025. The auctions, though lacking print catalogs, will be previewed in exhibitions starting Jan. 22 at Sotheby’s Paris premises.

Lagerfeld auction

The Lagerfeld auction, running from Jan. 24-31, includes sketches, personal items and clothing from the German designer. The 236 lots are estimated at €200,000. The sale is being held at the request of a court-appointed administrator in Monaco to settle Lagerfeld’s complex estate. For instance, in 2001, Lagerfeld—who was known for his radical tastes—chose to part with his entire collection of 18th-century French furniture due to early tax troubles.

18th-century French chairs

At the time, he remarked, “Morphologically, I have found no object better designed for the human body than 18th-century French chairs.” He owned over 100 of these chairs before selling them in order to adopt instead what he described as a “baroque zen” aesthetic. His Paris apartment would thereafter be filled only with  sofas and screens.

Complicated estate

Karl Lagerfeld

After his death, to manage his complicated estate, four Sotheby’s auctions were held between December 2021 and July 2022, generating €20.7 million. However, according to the court-appointed administrator quoted in Le Figaro on Dec. 26, 2024, outstanding tax debts have delayed the distribution of any inheritance to Lagerfeld’s eight universal heirs, despite the auctions and the sale of his real estate holdings. There remain collections of photographs and jewelry whose fate has yet to be determined.

Relics of Lagerfeld’s taste

In the meantime, the January sale offers what could be called “relics” of Lagerfeld’s taste. We know for instance that he long kept his birthdate a mystery: His signature fingerless gloves were an elegant way to mask signs of aging on his hands. Four pairs of such gloves previously sold for a combined total of no less than €47,880. This time, three new pairs are being offered with an estimated starting price of €100.

Pop icon

“Karl has become a pop icon. We’ve recreated ‘total looks,’” explains Pierre Mothes, in charge of the Sotheby’s sale (estimated at €5,000 for a full look, including shirt and boots). He adds, “His objective was always to spend what he had. The inventory of his estate is promethean. Imagine, for instance, that his library—a trove of documents spanning architecture, design, fashion, painting and photography—contained 120,000 volumes.”

Caricatures

Karl Lagerfeld

Setting aside trivial items like monogrammed KL pillowcases (estimated at €50), the most compelling lots include sketches and caricatures drawn by his own hand. One such drawing, dated 2012 and apparently intended for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, depicts the then-partner of France’s president, Valérie Trierweiler, styled as Madame de Pompadour. It is estimated at €500. The record auction price for a Lagerfeld drawing is €201,600 for a 1986 watercolor titled “The Three Muses: Ines, Anna, and Vicky.” A 1983 portrait of Bascher fetched €164,000 in 2021.

Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent

Andy Warhol

The art world still recalls the monumental sale of Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent collections, dubbed a bit prematurely in 2009 as “the sale of the century” at Paris’ Grand Palais. The dispersal of its 700 works brought in €373.5 million. Through Jan. 31, Sotheby’s is offering 40 lots of Bergé and Saint Laurent memorabilia at very low prices to stimulate bidding. According to Florent Jeanniard, who is overseeing the sale at Sotheby’s, these include “gifts given over the years to someone close to Pierre Bergé” (total estimated value: €150,000).

Polaroids by Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

Among the items are four Polaroids of the couturier and his partner taken by Andy Warhol (estimated at €4,000 each). The pope of Pop Art frequently used instant photographs to prepare for his painted portraits, as he did for Saint Laurent.

20 drawings by Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Most notably, the online-only catalog includes 20 drawings by Saint Laurent (estimated between €1,500 and €4,000). In the past, erotic drawings by Saint Laurent were put on the market by Fabrice Thomas, who worked as his chauffeur from 1990 to 1993. “These have absolutely no connection to that provenance,” insists the Sotheby’s representative. At the time of writing, only three of his works on paper are visible on the Sotheby’s website.

Bergé Saint Laurent foundation

David Seidner

The remaining 17 were set to be reviewed by the Bergé Saint Laurent Foundation’s expert committee on Jan. 21. Madison Cox, the foundation’s president, clarifies, “The submitted drawings do not come either from the foundation or from Pierre Bergé’s inheritance. Yves Saint Laurent produced a prolific number of drawings from his adolescence. They are significant, reflecting the journey of a young man who grew up in a strict and  isolated environment in Oran. They narrate his story toward liberation in the 1960s and 1970s. For these drawings, we have established a validation system akin to the Picasso or Giacometti committees. Our committee will meet on Jan. 21 to assess these works.” (See here a report about the the Bergé Saint Laurent museums with an interview of Madison Cox)

Many of Saint Laurent’s drawings are explicitly erotic, in a style that resembles that of the famous gay Finnish illustrator Tom of Finland.

The record auction price for a Saint Laurent drawing stands at €200,000 for a handmade holiday card from 1971 featuring the word “Love” in big letters. The growing demand for the couturier’s works on paper, coupled with the establishment of a specialized committee, indicates a market poised for expansion.