Catherine Deneuve with Yves Saint Laurent. Getty
She was the long-time muse of Yves Saint Laurent, who designed many bespoke pieces for the French actress during their friendship. And now, Catherine Deneuve is putting hundreds of outfits by the couturier under the hammer. The 75-year-old is auctioning a 300-piece-strong lot of designs from her personal collection next year, with the Belle de Jour star citing a lack of space as the reason behind the sale. Many of the garments that will be presented are one-off creations, with two auctions set to take place: one at Christie’s in Paris, and one held online.
“Today, I am letting go of my house in Normandy where I kept this collection, not without sadness,” said Deneuve said in a statement. “These are creations by such a talented man, who only designed to make women more beautiful.” The Christie’s sale will take place on January 24, during Couture Fashion Week, while the online action will be held between January 23 and 30. Additionally, pieces up for sale will go on public display between January 19 and 24, so those who can’t afford to add the French star’s garb to their own wardrobes can still see the intricate tailoring up close.
Deneuve and Saint Laurent forged a firm friendship after meeting decades ago, when the actress commissioned an evening dress for a meeting with HM Queen Elizabeth II. The designer, who was born in Algeria’s Oran, went on to dress the star for more than 40 years, before passing away in 2008 at the age of 71. “His consummate gravitas during the fittings together with his shy charm outside the atelier made all the years we shared so enchanting – our silent complicity, our crazy laughter and our melancholy brought us together,” added Deneuve in her statement. “I was only 20 years old and I had the privilege of being given access to this world of luxury, to train my eye and my taste by his side.”
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