PARIS.- With Paris Fashion Week in full swing, Christie’s announced the auction in Paris on November 20th of a very rare Minaret ensemble by Paul Poiret and a luxurious cardigan designed by Yves Saint Laurent, and embroidered by Maison Mesrine. Bold and innovative, and deeply inspired by the world’s rich cultures, Paul Poiret and Yves Saint Laurent have, each in their own time, left their indelible mark on the history of fashion and contributed to the liberation of women’s bodies. True to its historical links as an auction house to fashion, Christie’s will be offering these two Haute Couture showpieces as part of The Exceptional Sale – a not-to-be-missed event for lovers of masterpieces who are on the lookout for exceptional, historical pieces in all art forms.

Christie’s and fashion

Christie’s has been paying particular attention to fashion for several years now, considering it to be an art form in its own right. Christie’s has promoted and sold a number of exceptional collections, including those of Catherine Deneuve or Zizi Jeanmaire, and presented at auction remarkable pieces – such as the evening coat embroidered by Lesage, which in 2022 set a world record for Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, or the unforgettable Sunflowers jacket, which set a new world record for an Yves Saint Laurent piece.

Paul Poiret, “The King of Fashion”

As pointed out by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which dedicated a major retrospective to him in 2005, Paul Poiret “more than any other designer of the 20th century (…) elevated fashion to the status of an artform.” Encouraged by the success of the Ballet Russes in 1910, Paul Poiret let his orientalist sensibility run free. His creations were unveiled on stage in 1913 for the premiere of Jacques Richepin’s play, Le Minaret. In the eponymous design on sale on November 20th, green silk blends with gold, enhanced by blue and brown spotted feathers. Comprised of a turban with aigrette, a tunic, a pair of sarouel-style bloomers, an undershirt, a lorgnette and a pair of shoes, the ensemble comes from the former collection of the Marquise de Luppé. Emblematic of the wind of modernity blowing through Paris from the Belle Époque to the Années Folles, Le Minaret is one of the works featured in this year’s exhibition at the Petit Palais, Le Paris de la modernité. The Paul Poiret ensemble will be offered at an estimated price of €40,000 to €60,000.

The luxurious embroideries of Maison Mesrine for Yves Saint Laurent

Richly embroidered by Maison Mesrine – a center of Haute Couture savoir-faire in Paris – the cardigan created by Yves Saint Laurent for his 1972-73 Fall / Winter Haute Couture Collection captivated and seduced the press at the time. “Dazzling, Brilliant” for Harper’s Bazaar, it was worn by Catherine Deneuve on the cover of Paris Match. Inspired by Russian treasures from the 17th and 18th centuries, it is embroidered with seed beads, interlaced metal and gold sequins, and enhanced with ruby and emerald cabochons. Yet it is its suppleness – the product of Maison Mesrine’s expertise – that embodies the quintessence of luxury according to Yves Saint Laurent. “True luxury is more about a certain art de vivre. It is less about the garment itself than the way you wear it…You should feel comfortable, flexible, and smooth. Luxury means smoothness.” The Yves Saint Laurent cardigan will be offered at an estimated price of €15,000 to €25,000