Finally, ‘gloves’ were given their due in The New York Times (‘Front Row’ by Ruth La Ferla: “Gloves make a comeback, all style if not substance”, April 22). I have been talking about the return of the glove for well over one month- as soon as the fall/winter 2003 shows were over, and I recently mentioned that I was completely surprised that Cathy Horyn did not single them out in her wrap up report done last month.
Actually, it was a no brainer. I knew gloves were destined to be one of the most talked about ‘new’ (or should I say ‘new/old’) accessories right after seeing them used in such a thoroughly young and modern way on Miuccia Prada’s Milan runway.There is an entire generation of young women who have never given a thought to wearing gloves other than keeping one’s hands warm in the dead of winter, but now they are as much a part of the whole picture as anything else one wears.
In fact, gloves are a relatively easy and inexpensive way to update what you have and make your time old staples look newly elegant and glamorous – for both day and night. And just think about this: you won’t have to invest as much time and money on getting that perfect manicure! Chipped nails? No problem. Just find that perfect glove.
“Audrey Hepburn: The Beauty of Compassion” Event Raises $500,000:
To honor Audrey Hepburn’s spirit of compassion and continue her mission to help children in need throughout the world, the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Parfums Givenchy, Town & Country magazine and Sotheby’s organized and held last night a special evening, “Audrey Hepburn: The Beauty of Compassion.” Proceeds from last night’s event went to “All Children In School,” an Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund initiative benefiting the U.S. Fund for UNICEF educational programs. This ten year campaign is aimed at giving 120 million children in developing nations access to quality basic education, including the skills and knowledge they need to survive. Two thirds of these children are girls. The event included cocktails, an exhibit celebrating Miss Hepburn’s life and career, a limited item auction of her personal belongings, and an exclusive dinner in Sotheby’s Bid Brassiere.
The exhibit was a series of time capsules which represent Miss Hepburn’s passions – her family, her love of the arts and beauty, her film career, her style, and her humanitarian work. All of the items, including drawings, letters, photographs, clothing and accessories, movie costumes and memorabilia, and video and audio clips, had been selected by the Audrey Hepburn Estate and curated specifically for this event. This is the first time such personal items of Audrey Hepburn’s was shown in the United States.
The hottest item of the evening was Audrey Hepburn’s black crocodile “Kelly” Hermes handbag together with one pair of mid-length black, leather gloves. Bidding opened at $1,000 and bag sold for a staggering $36,000. The auction ended with a surprise item – Audrey’s brown crocodile “Kelly” Hermes handbag with one pair of mid-length brown, leather gloves. Although Today Show host Matt Lauer was out-bid by Harper’s Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey, who took the bag home for $25,000, he did walk away with a Balthus drawing that was given to Audrey Hepburn by Balthus in the summer of 1971. His winning bid was $7,000.
Other highlights included a Hubert de Givenchy ball gown, hand-embroidered in San Gallo, Switzerland, designed specifically for Audrey Hepburn for the film Funny Face which brought $17,000 and her Louis Vuitton beauty case which sold for $23,000 after a fierce bidding battle.
