Beauty Everywhere: Stair’s September André Leon Talley Sale

On September 21, 2023, Stair of Hudson, NY will present its 439-lot The Collection of André Leon Talley sale. Talley (American, 1948 – 2022) is best remembered as Vogue magazine’s first Black American editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013. Earlier this year, Christie’s New York hosted two events featuring Talley’s premier functional, decorative, personal, and eclectic signature items; these sales together realized USD 3.55 million. This next Talley sale features more accessible materials from his extremely well appointed White Plains, NY estate. Here are some upcoming Talley auction highlights that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team.

Mr. Talley had a passion for distinctive designer purses, satchels, and work bags, and he amassed a significant collection of them over the course of his lifetime. It is no surprise that one of these spectacular handbags is the top lot in this upcoming sale. Lot #0018, a Balenciaga ochre crocodile motocross work bag, is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. This rectangular example is labeled and numbered ‘0001U’ and ‘110506’ and measures 15 inches by 20 inches overall. It is lined in black silk and detailed with a top zipper, two handles, golden studs, and two decorative gold buckles on the front side. Stair’s experts catalog this bag, in part, as “large scale, impressive.”

Balenciaga, a luxury designer and manufacturer of ready-to-wear shoes, handbags, and accessories, was started in 1919 in Spain by Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre (1895 – 1972). The company is now headquartered in Paris and is known for its avant-garde approach to design. A few noteworthy Balenciaga designers who would go on to work under their own names include Oscar de la Renta, Emanuel Ungaro, and Hubert de Givenchy.

Fantastic clothing, often made from unusual materials or in unconventional proportions, is also well represented in this star-studded event. Lot #0196, Mr. Talley’s Gianni Versace silver oroton metal mesh vest and pants, is estimated at $2,000 to $4,000. The pants are pleated in the front, have a zipper and button closure, and are labeled. The collarless vest or waistcoat is fitted, unlined, and detailed with silver logo buttons. According to Stair’s catalogers, “André was photographed in a similar silver mesh top by Versace at an afterparty for the designer’s fashion show at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1994.”

Oroton fabric, sometimes misidentified as lame or sequined material, is made from tiny, interlinking metal disks. It has a unique fluid texture and presentation, and drapes well. It has its origins as early as the third century BCE, when mesh metal fabrics were used for military garments and protection. Versace patented his Oroton technology in 1982; the fabric became very popular in the 1990s and was often seen on catwalks and red carpets, worn by those in the know.

Also on offer are stunning pieces of furniture that once graced Mr. Talley’s White Plains, NY home. This 3,600-square-foot, colonial-style house was built in 1854; it was listed for sale at $1.25 million in June of 2023. Lot #0086, a Regence provincial ormolu-mounted ebonized walnut commode, is estimated at $1,500 to $3,000. It features three pull-out drawers. It is decorated with elaborate gold hardware and metallic paint.

“Regence” refers to the design style of the French Regency period, which occurred during the early 1700s, and “ormolu” is defined as a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc, and tin used for decorating furniture. Tables, chairs, dressers, drawers, and other furnishings produced during the French Regency period, or inspired by it, tended to be large in scale, dramatically detailed with carvings and inlays, and featured elegant hardware and gilded bronze accessories.

Stair’s event also features fine artwork selections from Mr. Talley’s estate. Lot #0019, an untitled work by Beatrice Caracciolo (b. 1955), is estimated at $1,500 to $2,500. This unframed tan, beige, and black mixed media example is from 1999. It is signed ‘Beatrice Caracciolo’ and dated on the reverse. It includes its label from the artist and Charles Cowles Gallery of New York.

Charles Cowles (b. 1941), a noted art collector and dealer, operated a gallery of contemporary art in New York City from 1979 through 2009 and was also the publisher of Artforum magazine for nearly two decades. Beatrice Caracciolo’s works are in the collections of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paris’ Centre Georges Pompidou, and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT, among many others.

This sale rounds out with decorative works, footwear, celebrity-related materials, and other category-spanning treasures. Lot #0338, a giltwood palm tree on a red painted stand, is estimated at $1,000 to $1,500. This practically life-sized carving is flat on one side and designed to be displayed flush to a wall.

For more information on Stair’s The Collection of André Leon Talley sale, visit LiveAuctioneers.