Balenciaga, Christian Dior and Schiaparelli designs achieve results over 10 times pre-sale estimates
Paris, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr presented two important landmark fashion sales celebrating the artistry and history of fashion design on 14 April 2026: the world of Haute Couture & Vintage: A Fashion Story Part I that showcased an extraordinary selection of garments featuring rare creations by legendary designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Chanel, Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander Mc Queen, Paco Rabanne, Jeanne Lanvin, Thierry Mugler and Madame Grès. Complementing this was Choose Your Shoes: The Art of Dressing Your Feet the first ever Bonhams sale dedicated to the world of shoes, traced footwear design from 1900 to the 1990s through rare and iconic examples featuring designers such as Roger Vivier and Christian Dior to André Courrèges, Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin and Maison Margiela.
Together, these two sales celebrated fashion as both a form of artistic expression and a highly collectible category, offering collectors and enthusiasts a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of style across decades.
The Haute Couture & Vintage: A Fashion Story Part I, made a total of €1,048,815 with 76% sold by lot and 99% sold by value. An online sale continues until 5 May 2026.
The star of the sale was a rare Cristóbal Balenciaga, Haute Couture collection, Autumn-Winter 1951, evening dress in black lace and silk. The design with bustier top, sheath skirt with a wide, bias-cut flounce over a double-layered, gathered black silk skirt and waist accentuated by a thin belt, achieved €95,650, more than nineteen times its pre-sale estimate of €5,000-7,000. Two identical dresses are preserved in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Another notable lot was an Alexander Mc Queen, Dante collection, Autumn-Winter 1996, black wool coat with beige Mongolian lamb trim which achieved €48,640 against an estimate of €1,200-€1,500.
Hubert Felbacq, Director of the Fashion and Accessories department at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris, commented: "The April fashion sales presented exceptional Haute Couture creations, offering a rare insight into the world of exclusive craftsmanship. Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr also presented its inaugural footwear auction, which explored the evolution of shoe design from early styles to modern innovations. Both sales featured rare and highly significant pieces, including examples held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum, giving collectors a unique opportunity to acquire museum-quality works. With strong global participation driving competitive bidding, the standout highlight was a rare evening dress from Cristóbal Balenciaga's Autumn Winter 1951 Haute Couture collection, which achieved €95,650, more than nineteen times its pre-sale estimate."
The Haute Couture & Vintage: A Fashion Story Part I sale highlights included:
• A rare Cristóbal Balenciaga Haute Couture collection, Spring Summer 1948, suit in grey and white houndstooth wool cloth, achieved €44,800, eleven times its pre-sale estimate of €4,000-6,000.
• An Elsa Schiaparelli, Haute Couture collection, evening jacket in black crepe and embroidery, circa 1944. The jacket, typical of Schiaparelli's structured silhouette features embroidery by Maison Lesage and buttons designed by Jean Arp and made by François Hugo. The jacket achieved €38,400 against a pre-sale estimate of €4,000-6,000.
• A Christian Dior, Haute Couture collection, Spring, Summer 1957, evening gown in silk taffeta printed with branches of roses on an ivory background. The gown achieved €25,600, more than four times its pre-sale estimate of €6,000-8,000.
• A rare Thierry Mugler, Ready-to-Wear collection, Autumn-Winter 1987, evening dress in black velvet and pink satin embellished with flowers. The back of the dress reveals a bare back adorned with brooch flowers, and mermaid shape skirt. Identical models exist in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the NGV in Melbourne and in the collections of Azzedine Alaïa. The dress achieved €25,600 against a pre-sale estimate of €4,000-6,000.
Choose Your Shoes: The Art of Dressing Your Feet sale highlights included:
• A Christian Dior shoes designed by Roger Vivier, circa 1958-1960, advertising booklet in perfect condition. The booklet achieved €5,376, against a pre-sale estimate of €400-600.
• A pair of Perugia, circa 1938, open-toe evening sandals with blue satin straps, achieved €4,096, against a pre-sale estimate of €600-800.
• A pair of Madeleine Vionnet, open-toe evening sandals with gold metallic leather straps and heels, circa 1938. The shoes have exceptional provenance, having originally belonged to Marcelle Chaumont and later passed down to her daughter, Madeleine Chapsal. Chaumont served as head seamstress for Madeleine Vionnet before establishing her own fashion house in the 1930s. Her daughter, Madeleine Chapsal, who became a noted French writer, counted Vionnet as her godmother. The shoes achieved €1,920 against a pre-sale estimate of €400-600.
(Press Release)
