Lot 80 : A rare and important Elsa Schiaparelli 'Hall of Mirrors' jacket (detail), 'Zodiac' collection, Autumn-Winter, 1938-39. Estimate:£2000 - £3000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

The sale opens with a mixture of Hermès handbags and Chanel jewellery – which could make tempting Christmas gifts? We also have the most perfect Christmas dress of all - a Pierre Balmain haute couture velvet dress 1955, covered with Lesage embroidered three-dimensional holly and berries (lot 81) – you just need a 24 inch waist!

Although we have fashion that will appeal to buy-to-wear clients, museums and private collectors alike – we also have some of the most historically important fashion ever to come onto the open market. Below I list just a few: 

Lot 16 – the richly embroidered royal blue velvet ladies shoes of circa 1650 are an astonishing survival. Any costume of this period is rare – but shoes even more so. They belonged to Mary Radcliffe, the daughter of Sir John Racliffe of Ordsall Hall, Lancashire. She led quite an interesting life and so more of her later!

Lot 16 : A fine and important pair of embroidered velvet lady's shoes, English, circa 1650. Estimate:£15000 - £25000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

A fine and important pair of embroidered velvet lady's shoes, English, circa 1650. the blue velvet uppers embroidered in high relief with silver and gold thread flower-heads and leaves, edged in blue ribbon, straights with tapering square over-hanging toes, white rands and brown/black morocco covered heels, lined in white kid, 25cm, 10in long (2)

These shoes are believed are to have been worn by Mary Radcliffe, daughter of Sir John Radcliffe, of Ordsal, Lancashire, widow of Sir John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, (d.1638) and second wife of Sir John Gell of Hopton(1593-1671). Mary died in 1653. She had one son by her first marriage (John Stanhope) who died in 1662. Purchased at Christie's, July 16th 1985, lot 12. For a similarly embroidered mule slipper which belonged to Queen Henrietta Maria (d.1669) see 'Shoes' by June Swan, published by Batsford, p19, fig 16. 

Also from the 17th century we have lot 13, a Milanese bobbin lace ‘falling’ collar believed to have belonged to the ‘Martyr King’ – Charles I and worn by him on the scaffold. Lot 15 is an embroidered buff leather glove believed to have been given to a loyal supporter the day before the King’s execution.

Lot 13 : A collar of Milanese bobbin lace, believed to have belonged to King Charles I, mid 17th century. Estimate:£4000 - £6000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

A collar of Milanese bobbin lace, believed to have belonged to King Charles I, mid 17th century. finely worked with meandering floral trails attached to narrow linen neck band, the tasselled strings made with floret's of lace, 71cm, 26in long

Provenance: George Somes Esq.

Exhibited at the Exhibition of the 'Royal House of Stewarts' Op cit. Catalogue no. 374 described as 'lace collar worn by Charles I on the Scaffold' also illustrated along with other items in 'The Sphere' for the review of a book 'The Stewarts' published by Dickinsons of Bond St, circa 1905.

Purchased from Christie's, October 18th 1983, lot 52.

From the ‘Father of Haute Couture’, Englishman Charles Frederick Worth, we have a fabulous cut-velvet and orange satin ball gown, 1880-85, made for the beautiful Spanish aristocrat the Marquesa de Castrillo. It incorporates all the key signature features one could desire in a Worth gown – luxurious use of fabric, historicism combined with aesthetic beauty.

Lot 33: A rare Charles Frederick Worth historically-inspired voided velvet ball gown, 1885-8, made for the the Marquesa de Castrillo. Estimate:£4000 - £6000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

A rare Charles Frederick Worth historically-inspired voided velvet ball gown, 1885-8. woven white on white 'Worth Paris' gros-grain label to the waist stay, the boned bodice with sharp points front and back waist, back-laced, edged in ecru guipure with amber-coloured beads and looped tangerine satin rosettes, the velvet woven with large scale Arum lily repeats overall, the front skirt panel of orange cannelé silk front adorned with lace, elaborate gold beaded braid and ribbons, the main velvet skirt with polonaise ribbon ties, with remains of one long organza sleeve with lace cuff; together with two pairs of knitted silk stockings, one embroidered and beaded with vine leaves, bust approx 79cm, 31in, waist approx 56cm, 22in (qty)

Provenance: Doña Emilia Crooke y Larios, Marquesa de Castrillo (1859-1923) who had her portrait painted by Raimundo de Madrazo. The painting was shown in the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889. She married the Marquesa of Castrillo in Madrid in 1880. This dress combines all the elements one seeks to find in a Charles Frederick Worth dress - fabulous textiles combined with historicism and high fashion. Worth produced lavish 17th century inspired evening gowns throughout his illustrious career.

Raimundo de Madrazo, Portrait of Doña Emilia Crooke y Larios, Marquesa de Castrillo (1859-1923)

For images of a Worth 17th century inspired reception dress of 1894 see 'The Opulent Era' by Elizabeth Ann Coleman p58 and another of 1890 on p63.

From Schiaparelli’s Zodiac collection, we have arguably one of her most beautiful creations – the ‘Hall of Mirrors’ jacket, A/W 1939 (lot 80). For this collection Elsa was inspired by astrology and the baroque magnificence of the Palace of Versailles. The mirrored panels, so redolent of the Galerie des Glaces in Versailles, are held in place by myriad little star-shaped glass rivets. It was given to the lucky vendor as an 18th birthday present in the early 1990s.

Lot 80 : A rare and important Elsa Schiaparelli 'Hall of Mirrors' jacket, 'Zodiac' collection, Autumn-Winter, 1938-39. Estimate:£70000 - £80000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

A rare and important Elsa Schiaparelli 'Hall of Mirrors' jacket, 'Zodiac' collection, Autumn-Winter, 1938-39. un-labelled, of black silk velvet with shirred gathered panels over the shoulders, the front applied with baroque gilt strip cartouches, the strapwork in-filled with sequins in varying sizes, the centres with mirror mosaics held in place with gilt star-shaped glass studs, with four figurative moulded composition buttons, the neo-classical style heads with flowing tresses, bust 92cm, 36in

This is arguably one of the most dazzling of all Schiaparelli's creations. Her 'Zodiac' collection, presented in August 1938, drew on two main themes - astrology and the magnificence of the Palace of Versailles. The seventeen massive archways of the Galerie des Glaces, each filled with twenty one mirrors, must have been the inspiration for the jacket decoration. Schiaparelli was a frequent visitor to Versailles where her friend Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), the celebrated American interior designer, had made her home at the Villa Trianon in the grounds. This ensemble was worn originally with a towering ostrich feather hat.

Provenance: Gifted to the current vendor as an 18th birthday present in 1991 by a member of the family.

Literature: 'Shocking, Schiaparelli' by Dilys Blum p190-191.

We have an extremely early Balenciaga haute couture dress from 1937 (lot 62) but also one of the last and most iconic of his creations made at the end of career – the bridal gown worn by Almudena Elorza Losada in June 1968 (lot 106). It has been exhibited all over the world. The minimal, highly sculpted shape of the gown and veil is one of Balenciaga’s most famous creations.

Lot 62 : A rare and early Balenciaga couture black wool and satin dinner dress, probably Autumn-Winter 1937. Estimate:£2000 - £3000. © Kerry Taylor Auctions.

A rare and early Balenciaga couture black wool and satin dinner dress, probably Autumn-Winter 1937. white on black Paris label indistinctly numbered but probably '84', the satin bodice with bow-tie neckband, curved bias-cut black wool band to the bodice and matching cuffs, large plastic zips to one shoulder and side fastening, long slim skirt with front kick pleat, bust approx 81m, 32in

Cristobal Balenciaga opened his Paris fashion house on Avenue George V in August 1937. This highly skilled little black dress is one of his earliest Paris creations to have survived. The two digit numbering on the bolduc also suggests that this was an early order.

All the ‘Greats’ are represented in this sale – Balmain, Balenciaga, Chanel, Cardin, Courrèges, Dior, Fortuny, Kawakubo, Lanvin, Lelong, Miyake, McQueen, Rabanne, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Vionnet, Westwood, Worth and Yamamoto. Each piece in the sale has been selected for its excellence, rarity or beauty and we hope you enjoy perusing the catalogue.