Auction Archive

We are thrilled to announce our next auction here in London: the ARCH COUTURE archive, consisting of 250 lots of 20th and 21st-century haute couture and ready-to-wear. We have a wide selection of iconic designers and brands from the last 75 years, including Chanel, Christian Dior, Gucci, Schiaparelli, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Margiela, Mugler, and many more!

One of the most exciting lots in this jewelbox of an auction is lot 89, a wonderful Schiaparelli haute couture jacket by Daniel Roseberry. This fabulous piece exemplifies Roseberry’s interpretation of Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist design sensibilities, with a beaded ‘measuring tape’ front opening and intricate, sculptural gold embellishments.

Chanel is synonymous with modern luxury. This auction features 88 lots of the brand, mainly dating from Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure as creative director. Lots include jackets, suits, dresses, and handbags, including a rare 2017 minaudière shaped like a jewelled robot, and a matching pink fantasy tweed jacket and handbag from the iconic 2014 ‘Supermarket’ collection.

There is a small but impressive collection of Alexander McQueen, including three dresses that any fan of the designer will immediately recognise. The first is an embellished gown from Autumn-Winter 2007-08, covered in a shimmer of cascading bronze beads designed as tumbling tresses of hair. We also have two fabulously embellished dresses from McQueen’s ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ collection, one in blue and one in green.

Another highlight is Roberto Cavalli’s iconic ‘Ming Vase’ printed gown from his Autumn-Winter 2005-06 collection. A similar Cavalli gown was included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition, ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’, in 2015.

The auction also features a wide and varied selection of designer handbags, with almost thirty to choose from. Among the selection are two contemporary Christian Dior ‘Lady Dior Art’ bags, one covered in mirrors designed by South Korean artist Lee Bul, and the other tied with bondage-style ropes designed by French artist Morgane Tschiember.

Speaking of Christian Dior, the last (but certainly not least!) lot in the auction is the spectacular Christian Dior by Yves Saint Laurent black taffeta ‘Labia’ gown from Autumn-Winter 1959-60. The gown is complete with an elegant Chantilly lace-trimmed stole.

We look forward to seeing you all at our next viewing day, and as always, make sure to send your condition report requests in ASAP!

We are pleased to announce our anticipated bumper March general sale, returning with an unprecedented 817 fabulous lots! This auction will be held over two days, running from March 24th to March 25th. With such a vast and diverse selection, ranging from cutting-edge contemporary fashion and iconic designer pieces to rare 19th-century corsets and exquisitely embroidered Chinese robes, even the most discerning collector will be hard-pressed not to find something to bid on in this comprehensive sale.

This auction offers a more accessible price point than the record-smashing prices we have been recently achieving, with the majority of lots under a £300 high estimate.

This particular sale is exceptionally strong for 1990s and 2000s designer ready-to-wear: Day 1 (March 24) will be devoted to fashion from the 1990s to the present day.

The auction kicks off with an excellent selection of early 1990s suits and jackets by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. These pieces perfectly capture the spirit of the era, featuring bold and colourful tailored jackets, chic miniskirts, and signature chain belts ubiquitous on the runways of the early 1990s.

A major highlight of the sale is the almost 100 lots designed by John Galliano. This significant offering features pieces both from his own eponymous label and his hugely influential tenure at Christian Dior.  Among the key highlights is a strong selection of garments from Galliano’s Autumn-Winter 1998-99 ‘Sportswear on Heels’ collection, including a variety of iconic tailored suits and sought-after fur-trimmed jackets.

The strength of 1990s and early 2000s design continues with other major fashion houses and influential designers well represented. This includes a compelling selection of Tom Ford for Gucci pieces, garments that perfectly exemplify his iconic, simple, and overtly sexy design ethos that defined the turn of the millennium.

Margiela is always popular, and we have a nice selection of pieces from the late 1990s and early 2000s, including a rare ensemble from Martin Margiela’s tenure at Hermès that embodies the sense of quiet and luxurious minimalism that the designer brought to the house.

Day 2 (March 25) starts with a selection of opulent and extravagant 1980s haute couture, standing in stark opposition to the sleek minimalism of the 1990s. This section includes offerings by Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and Erik Mortensen for Balmain. 

British design is also celebrated, with a strong focus on the great British designers of the influential 1960s and 1970s. We have a particularly good and wearable selection of pieces from Thea Porter, Ossie Clark, and Zandra Rhodes, as well as a rare Beatles ‘Apple Boutique’ ensemble. 

Later in the day, we feature a selection of antique lots, including a selection of nineteenth-century undergarments. This section provides fascinating insight into shifting ideals of the female form and includes a particularly rare Warner Brothers nursing corset. 

Last (but certainly not least!), we have a very strong selection of textiles and robes from around the world, including Ottoman, Palestinian, and Chinese.

Please send in your condition requests as soon as possible, and good luck bidding!

Kerry Taylor Auctions is proud to present The Male Sale, headlined by an extraordinary offering: twenty‑one garments from the personal wardrobe of Lee Alexander McQueen,

New Venue:
KTA at the Printworks
230 Long Ln
London SE1 4QA

Alexander McQueen’s impact on fashion and culture is profound, and the opportunity to offer pieces from his personal wardrobe is both exceptional and deeply significant. McQueen began his career as a tailor’s apprentice on London’s Savile Row, and the sharply cut silhouettes he mastered there remained central to the collections of his namesake label. It is especially meaningful, then, to offer a selection so richly comprised of suits and blazers; garments that reflect both his roots and his lifelong dedication to precision tailoring.

Renowned for his meticulous nature, McQueen chose what he wore with great discernment. Alongside pieces from his own house, his wardrobe included designs by some of the most celebrated names in fashion, among them Gucci by Tom Ford, Maison Martin Margiela, Prada, Hermès under Véronique Nichanian, Ralph Lauren, Helmut Lang, and Carol Christian Poell.

McQueen was photographed wearing several of these ensembles. Most notably, his white double‑breasted Gucci/Tom Ford suit from the Spring–Summer 2003 collection appears in multiple iconic images. He famously donned it to accept the “International Award” at the 2003 CFDA Awards in New York; an event dubbed “The Fashion Oscars” by Vogue. He later wore the suit during his Autumn–Winter 2004–05 “Pantheon as Lecum” show, both on the runway and backstage. In one memorable photograph, McQueen stands beside Kate Moss smoking a cigarette; the McQueen estate has confirmed that the small burn marks on the cuff were indeed caused by the British supermodel.

Fashion has always mirrored the culture it inhabits, but it is rare for it to reveal such intimate stories about a figure as celebrated yet enigmatic as Lee Alexander McQueen. This auction represents a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to acquire a piece of contemporary cultural history and to honour the legacy of one of Britain’s most visionary designers.

Beyond the McQueen collection, The Male Sale features an exceptional range of rare and important menswear dating from 2020-1770.

We have on offer the largest collection of Carol Christian Poell ever presented at auction (63 lots). Poell is one of the most enigmatic and influential figures in avant‑garde menswear. His work is defined by radical material experimentation, uncompromising craftsmanship, and an almost total rejection of the conventional fashion system. He is known for pioneering techniques such as object‑dyeing and object-tanning, bonded seams, and highly experimental treatments of leather and textiles, approaches often described as surgical or anatomical in precision. Operating from near‑complete secrecy in his Milan studio, Poell releases work only on his own terms, cultivating a cult global following drawn to his rigorous philosophy, artisanal production, and deeply conceptual approach to clothing; making such a grand offering an incredibly rare opportunity.

Other important and radical designers include Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McLaren, whose rare early pieces from the SEX and Seditionaries boutiques in the 1970s mark a counterpoint to more modern designs from the 2010s and their revolutionary Witches and Notaslgia of Mud collections from the early 1980s

Harking from a similar era, we have three remarkable early works by Christopher Nemeth. Nemeth, one of the founding members of the influential House of Beauty and Culture in London’s Hackney, was incessantly experimental, and his designs blurred the line between couture and the DIY Club Kid aesthetic that was the height of fashion at the time. Few pieces sum this up more concisely than his c.1983 jacket formed of old Post Office letter sacks - an extraordinary marriage of artisanal craftsmanship and ready-made materials. Reflecting on the influence of Nemeth’s work, Kim Jones stated: “People with a highly developed sense of fashion love his work. Kate Moss loves Nemeth, Naomi Campbell was a Nemeth girl”.

And ever-popular in our menswear sales, the inimitable Jean Paul Gaultier is well represented from his most provocative era of the1980s-early 1990s. Included are two full ensembles from his Autumn-Winter 1994 ‘Grand Voyage’ showcase, which incorporate a dizzying array of cultural influences and layering to form a silhouette that is chic, comfortable to wear, and unmistakably Gaultier. Other notable pieces include an unashamedly sexy c.1991 see-through cage jacket, and an early ‘Pegasus’ weave blazer from 1984.

As ever, there are so many fashion grails in the sale that you have to see the catalogue in full to get a proper understanding of the breadth and quality of pieces on offer. This auction and viewing exhibition will be taking place in our new venue: ‘KTA at The Printworks’, which is just over the road from our HQ on Long Lane.