The Colin McDowell Fashion Library | Part 1 - Magazines, Invitations, & Ephemera | Online

The Colin McDowell Fashion Library | Part 1 - Magazines, Invitations, & Ephemera | Online | London

starts: 18th Feb, 2025 13:00
Ends: 25th Feb, 2025 15:15

Catalogue: Download PDF catalogue
Lots: 125

THE COLIN MCDOWELL FASHION LIBRARY (PART 1 - MAGAZINES, INVITATIONS & EPHEMERA)

Colin McDowell is acknowledged as one of the world's leading fashion journalists and commentators. With a career spanning over 30 years, he is perhaps best known for his reporting for The Sunday Times Style Magazine. On top of his many literary accolades, he has also curated several museum exhibitions, set up and run the annual design award 'Fashion Fringe' and in 2008 was awarded an OBE. We are delighted to be offering part 1 of his extensive library which includes British and American Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines dating from the 1920s onwards, along with rare show invitations and ephemera from historic fashion collections.

During his tenure at the Sunday Times his sometimes-outspoken views led to him being awarded the dubious title of ‘Journalist Most Banned From Shows’. One particularly caustic review of both Alexander McQueen’s SS 2001 eponymous collection and Givenchy collection induced the enraged designer to fax a letter to him, dated October 8, 1999 (part of lot 106):

‘’Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of a designer’s work, but it has been evident for several seasons that you maintain a consistent negative bias about my collections for my own label as well as those I create for Givenchy … I do my work with all my heart, integrity and tact. That said, I am obliged to inform you that you will no longer be invited to attend my fashion shows and those I stage for Givenchy’.

McDowell is renowned not only for his journalism but as a fashion historian and author. He has written and published 18 books related to fashion history – two of our favourites being – ‘John Galliano: Romantic, Realist and Revolutionary’, 1997 (which describes the designer’s early career, published when Galliano had just joined Christian Dior) and ‘McDowell’s Directory of 20th Century Fashion’ (1984) which includes many fashion houses famous in their day but now almost forgotten. His understanding of these early Parisian Houses was surely in part gleaned from researching these early editions of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar whose pages are filled with beautiful illustrations and descriptions of the trends each season for the leading couturiers. They also chart social history in Europe and the US at times of rapidly evolving changes - not only in fashion terms (adverts included the latest motor vehicles, bi-planes, hints on managing servants,) but also reflect women’s attitudes, lives and aspirations of the passing decades and as such are an invaluable and often amusing resource.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating parts of the collection are the numerous invitations, greetings cards, letters and look books collected over the years. Stephen Jones sent greetings cards in the form of cardboard party hats. Invitations from Chanel, Dior, Martin Margiela and John Galliano, to name just a few, are both beautiful and interesting, reflecting as they did the collections they were promoting.

Now retired, Colin McDowell desires that others will turn the pages of these beautiful magazines he has preserved and treasured – for academic research, as a design resource – or purely for enjoyment, just as he did.

View Results

Lot 1 - British Vogue, 1920s

Sold for £1,040

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 2 - French Vogue, 1930s

Sold for £520

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 3 - British Vogue, 1930-1933 and French Vogue 1935

Sold for £1,040

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 4 - British Vogue 1934

Sold for £1,300

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 5 - British and French Vogue, 1935

Sold for £1,300

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 6 - British Vogue 1936, near complete run

Sold for £2,860

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 7 - British Vogue 1937

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 8 - British Vogue 1938, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 9 - British Vogue 1939

Sold for £1,300

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 10 - British Vogue incomplete run 1939 - and near complete run 1940

Sold for £780

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 11 - British Vogue 1941, near complete run

Sold for £2,860

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 12 - British Vogue, 1942, near complete run

Sold for £1,690

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 13 - British Vogue, 1943, complete run

Sold for £2,080

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 14 - British Vogue, 1944, near complete run

Sold for £910

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 15 - British Vogue 1945, complete run

Sold for £1,560

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 16 - British Vogue, 1946, complete run

Unsold

Lot 17 - British Vogue 1947, near complete run

Sold for £520

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 18 - British Vogue 1948, complete run

Unsold

Lot 19 - British Vogue, 1949, complete run

Unsold

Lot 20 - British Vogue, 1940s incomplete runs

Unsold

Lot 21 - Album du Figaro and l'Officiel, dating from the 1940s

Unsold

Lot 22 - British Vogue, 1950

Sold for £650

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 23 - British Vogue 1951, complete run

Unsold

Lot 24 - British Vogue 1952, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 25 - British Vogue 1953, complete run

Unsold

Lot 26 - British Vogue, 1954, complete run

Unsold

Lot 27 - British Vogue, 1955, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 28 - British Vogue, 1956, complete run

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 29 - British Vogue, 1957, complete run

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 30 - British Vogue, 1958

Unsold

Lot 31 - British Vogue 1959, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 32 - Large group of British Vogue, 1950s

Sold for £546

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 33 - Vogue Beauty Books 1950 -1960

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 34 - American Vogue and Vogue incorporating Vanity Fair 1949 to 1952

Unsold

Lot 35 - American Vogue 1953, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 36 - American Vogue 1954-55

Sold for £624

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 37 - American Vogue 1956, near complete run and issues from 1957 and 58

Unsold

Lot 38 - American Vogue 1959, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 39 - American Vogue 1960 near complete run

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 40 - British Vogue 1960, near complete run

Sold for £468

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 41 - British Vogue 1961, near complete run

Sold for £234

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 42 - British Vogue 1962, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 43 - British Vogue, 1963, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 44 - British Vogue, 1964. complete run

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 45 - British Vogue 1965, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 46 - British Vogue 1965 to 1969, part runs

Sold for £520

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 47 - British Vogue 1970 incomplete run and 1971 near complete run

Sold for £156

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 48 - British Vogue 1972

Unsold

Lot 49 - British Vogue 1973, near complete run

Sold for £65

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 50 - British Vogue incomplete runs 1973 and 1974

Sold for £65

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 51 - British Vogue 1974, complete run

Unsold

Lot 52 - British Vogue 1975, complete run

Unsold

Lot 53 - British Vogue 1975, near complete run

Sold for £78

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 54 - British Vogue 1976, complete run

Unsold

Lot 55 - British Vogue 1977, complete run

Sold for £130

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 56 - British Vogue 1978, complete run

Sold for £130

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 57 - British Vogue 1977, complete run

Unsold

Lot 58 - British Vogue 1978, near complete run

Unsold

Lot 59 - British Vogue 1979, complete run

Sold for £130

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 60 - British Vogue 1979, complete run

Unsold

Lot 61 - British Vogue, late 1970s incomplete runs

Sold for £156

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 62 - Vogue Italia 1974 to 1979

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 63 - A large group of Vogue pattern books 1950 to 1979

Sold for £780

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 64 - International Vogue Magazines, 1970s-2000s

Sold for £156

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 65 - American Vogue incomplete runs, 1970s-1980s

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 66 - British Vogue 1983, complete run

Unsold

Lot 67 - A large group of 1980s British Vogue incomplete runs and wedding book

Sold for £104

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 68 - Vogue menswear issues, 1970s-2000s

Sold for £312

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 69 - Vogue Italia 1980s-2000s

Sold for £182

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 70 - British Vogue 1990-92, near complete runs

Sold for £200

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 71 - British Vogue 1992, complete run

Sold for £78

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 72 - British Vogue 1994, complete run, and 1993 near complete run

Sold for £130

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 73 - British Vogue 1995, complete run

Sold for £65

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 74 - British Vogue 1996, complete run

Sold for £65

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 75 - British Vogue 1997, complete run

Sold for £78

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 76 - British Vogue 1998 and 1999, near complete runs

Sold for £78

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 77 - American Vogue 1993, complete run

Sold for £80

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 78 - American Vogue 1994, complete run

Sold for £50

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 79 - American Vogue 1995, complete run

Sold for £50

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 80 - American Vogue 1996, complete run

Sold for £50

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 81 - American Vogue 1997, complete run

Sold for £50

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 82 - American Vogue 1990, 1991, 1998 and 1999, incomplete runs

Sold for £104

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 83 - A large group of Vogue magazines, 2000-2023

Sold for £104

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 84 - American Vogue 2015, complete run

Unsold

Lot 85 - Bound issues of Harper's Bazaar 1946 to 1953

Sold for £364

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 86 - Harper's Bazaar 1945 to 1953

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 87 - Harper's Bazaar 1954, complete run

Sold for £130

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 88 - Harper's Bazaar 1955, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 89 - Harper's Bazaar 1956, near complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 90 - Harper's Bazaar 1957, complete run

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 91 - Harper's Bazaar 1958-1963

Sold for £286

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 92 - Harper's Bazaar, 1950s, incomplete runs

Sold for £390

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 93 - L'Official and Harper's Italia, 1970s-1990s

Sold for £260

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 94 - Harpers & Queen magazine, 1976-1989

Sold for £104

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 95 - Harper's Bazaar, 1992-2000

Sold for £208

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)

Lot 96 - Harper's Bazaar 1996, complete run

Sold for £50

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)