Collecting Couture

INTRODUCTION

Philanthropist and collector, Michelle Smith was renowned equally for her charitable efforts and for the vision of elegance and sophistication that influenced all areas of her life. She passionately supported causes in education, culture, health and the arts. After succeeding her father in January 2010, Smith served as president of the Robert H. Smith Family Foundation, supporting nonprofit organizations, universities and cultural institutions through fundraising and charitable giving. Smith’s commitment to sustaining and nurturing the arts is evident in her work with the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art and the Whitney Museum; she also funded arts and business programs at the University of Maryland. Smith fostered key partnerships among organizations, bringing her curated approach to life and utilizing her relationships as she served on many boards of trustees and directors, including the Aspen Institute and The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies.

Every facet of her world was shaped by refinement and beauty: at home, in art and in fashion, over time acquiring a significant collection of contemporary haute couture. Smith developed close relationships with designers, working closely with American couturier Ralph Rucci to create custom garments to her unique specifications. Rucci’s pieces featured within this collection represent some of his finest work, featuring luxury materials hand-worked in spectacular detail. Equally, Smith’s longstanding love for Christian Dior manifests in the breadth of her collection: from a 1979 haute couture Dior wedding dress, to the playful refinement of a domino-patterned wool coat, Spring/Summer 2018. The collection features a suite of luxury furs by Ralph Rucci and J. Mendel which demonstrate the extraordinary labor and craftsmanship required to create these garments. Further highlights include earlier vintage garments by Emilio Pucci and Stephen Burrows and contemporary luxury accessories by Hermès, Bottega Veneta and Manolo Blahnik.

The very notion of haute couture relies on the work of les petites mains, the highly skilled artisans who craft these garments in designers’ ateliers. Smith’s collecting indicates a profound attention to craftsmanship; each of the key designers represented here are renowned for their attention to detail. The care and labor poured into each of these pieces is evident in each embroidery, appliqué and weave. To see a collection of contemporary haute couture, so thoughtfully curated and cultivated, illustrates Michelle Smith’s pursuit of excellence, in fashion and in life.

COLLECTING COUTURE

“Couture was a world defined by relationships and lineage,” explains journalist Robin Givhan, noting that women were historically introduced to this world socially, often by their mothers.¹ Smith’s exposure began close to home and sparked a lifelong joy for collecting: her own mother was a couture client, also a patron of Dior. A 1960s Balenciaga haute couture wool coat commences the sale, followed by a 1910s evening coat that suggests an eye towards Paul Poiret and the history of fashion (lots 1 and 2).

Traditionally, couture clients have become loyal to one or two labels, as did Michelle Smith with Ralph Rucci and Dior. First, however, Smith embraced the American designers who defined American ready-to-wear. James Galanos, Halston and Stephen Burrows, all of whom rose to prominence in the 1970s, represent a rebellion against the codified and exclusive nature of French haute couture and the debut of a distinctly American high fashion system (lots 5 and 6). The latter two designers showed at the Battle of Versailles in 1973, the event known to have solidified this reputation in the eyes of a global fashion audience.

If haute couture is a slow, involved process, American fashion during these years was about speed, lightness and high style. Michelle Smith’s acquisition of these pieces, and later examples of contemporary ready-to-wear, illustrate a lifetime of style, featuring designers as signposts for the finest moments in fashion in the later half of the twentieth century.

1 Robin Givhan, The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History (New York: Flatiron, 2015), p. 14.

Deceptively simple, this coat is cut with few pattern pieces, many of which are hand-sewn together with minimal seams. The silhouette of the coat is supported by internal layers of padding that extend down the front and back of the body, from the shoulder. These unusually placed pads help smooth the silhouette over the shoulders and chest and widen the silhouette of the chest and back to achieve the Cocoon shape of the 1940s-1960s, which Balenciaga helped introduce. 1 Balenciaga Haute Couture Wool Coat, 1960s $300 - 500

2 Silk Velvet and Gold Lamé Evening Cocoon Coat, 1910-20s $300 - 500

3–4 Collection of Emilio Pucci Clothing and Accessories, 1960-70s See Online Catalogue for Estimates.

In 1973, French and American fashion came head-to-head in what became known as the Battle of Versailles. Conceived as a fundraiser for the palace in disrepair, five American designers, among them Stephen Burrows and Roy Halston, presented collections that would cement the reputation of American ready-to-wear against the monolith of French couture. American designers presented a fresh new look, casual and modern, that elevated the legacy of sportswear featuring breezy fabrics cut on the bias. Stephen Burrows’ designs captured the spirit and levity of the time; young and nearly untrained when he rose to prominence, Burrows was unencumbered by the weight of French couture, which affected his more established peers. For many, his clothes embodied freedom in metal mesh and featherweight jersey (lot 5). “Dancing is in my clothes,” said Burrows, “the movement; that you can do anything and feel free in the garment.”

5 Two Stephen Burrows Dresses, 1970s This lot includes three pieces: two dresses, one mesh top (not shown). $300 - 500

Of visionary mindset and mercurial temper, Halston was credited with reintroducing the figure-skimming bias cut, resuscitating it from the 1930s and reacting against Balenciaga’s highly structured silhouettes. In 1964, Halston articulated his vision to Women’s Wear Daily: “We’ll go on simplifying, everything uncluttered.” He believed fashion should fit the lifestyle of the woman, and never the other way around. Recalling his garments, Marc Bohan (creative director of Dior from 1960-1989) said, “they were more personal, one style and nothing else. Halston was totally something else, very clean, neat, chic, well cut and plain. No satin, not big drama, just by itself.” Matte jersey dresses emerged from the use of the material in tracksuits, marking the elevation of an American innovation for made-to-measure eveningwear. Even James Galanos demonstrated couture-level craftsmanship with California ease, exemplifying the emergence of a new era of American fashion on the world stage.

6 Three Knit Dresses: Two Halston, One Galanos, 1960-70s $400 - 600

OPPOSITE 13 Versace Tribute “Wild Baroque” Silk Print Shirt Dress and Scarf, 2018 $400 - 600 19 Naeem Khan Short-Sleeve Sequined Maxi Dress, 2010s $300 - 400