Fair Warning, in partnership with Kerry Taylor Auctions, is preparing a high-profile sale titled The Impossible Couture Collection on September 17, the opening night of London Fashion Week in London.
The headline lot is a rare Yves Saint Laurent Piet Mondrian dress from the 1960s, long associated with iconic fashion photography by David Bailey, Irving Penn, and Richard Avedon. The piece carries a presale estimate of $200,000 to $500,000 and is positioned as the evening's standout work.
Curated by collector Peter Brant Jr., the auction brings together important designs by Azzedine Alaïa, Elsa Schiaparelli, Paco Rabanne, and John Galliano. Among the notable pieces are a gold insect collar necklace by Schiaparelli and a custom Lee Alexander McQueen dress worn by Naomi Campbell, estimated at $600,000 to $1 million.
The sale also includes five gowns and one drawing by John Galliano, along with three jewelry pieces created during his tenure at Dior. One of the most talked-about lots is a black gown from Galliano's spring 1995 "Misia Diva" collection, later worn by Madonna and, more recently, by Kylie Jenner.
With Jussi Pylkkänen, former global president of Christie's, set to lead the auction, the event highlights how fashion archives continue to move between runway history, celebrity culture, and the collector market. It points to a future where heritage couture remains a powerful cultural and investment category.
