On the Block: Daphne Guinness

After seeing a sculptural mini dress in Alexander McQueen’s spring 2008 collection, Daphne Guinness, the fashion collector, icon, and eccentric asked her friend Lee to run up four of them, each in different fabrics. They were the only ones made of that style; and on June 27, the silver iteration will hit the block at Christie’s in London, along with some 100 other extraordinary designer pieces culled from Guinness’s closet. The items, which range in estimated sale price from $230 for peplumed Fendi jacket to $23,000 for said McQueen dress are being auctioned off to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation, a charity that supports aspiring art and fashion students and facilitates research in the fields of depression and mental health. Here, a sneak peak at some of the pieces:

Alexander McQueen, 2000s The heel covered with silver metal, with large spike, the front embellished with silver metal studs, with decorative double buckle fastening and zip to the opposite side. Size 38 Labelled ‘Alexander McQueen’ to the insole (2) Estimate: £3,000-5,000*

Photos: © Christie’s Images Limited 2012; Lot 41: © Mat Collishaw; Lot 101 © Bryan Adams