Treat yourself to an Yves Saint Laurent outfit thanks to an auction at Christie's<

Christie's is starting the year 2021 in style. After the success in 2019 of the sale of the outfits that the couturier Yves Saint Laurent designed for Catherine Deneuve, his faithful muse, it is the turn of the wardrobe of Zizi Jeanmaire, the unforgettable interpreter of "My feather stuff", to be auctioned from January 12 to 26, 2021.

A vibrant tribute to the relationship between the queen of the music hall, who died on July 17, 2020, with Yves Saint Laurent, the fashion designer and friend who accompanied her throughout her career. "All she had to do was go on stage for everything to come to life, fire and flames," said the fashion genius of this sparkling woman.

Timeless fashion outfits

From January 12 to 26, 2021, 142 lots will be on sale, exclusively online, consisting of dresses, sequined blouses, embroidered and quilted with feathers, "but also timeless pieces to wear every day, that a 25-year-old girl would want in her wardrobe, explains Camille de Foresta, auctioneer of the sale. We knew the famous stage costumes that Yves Saint Laurent designed for her in the 1960s. They are now exhibited in museums. But the couturier has also dressed Zizi Jeanmaire in his tuxedos, double-breasted jackets, men's suits, safari jackets, trench coats, silk muslin blouses... An almost exclusively black and white wardrobe, ultra desirable, in a remarkable state of preservation that will delight elegant women of all ages looking for an iconic Yves Saint Laurent piece, magical and timeless. »

As a bonus, there are also YSL pieces, Roger Vivier shoes from the 1960s, Hermès clutches with Zizi's initials. The dancer and her husband Roland Petit have often collaborated with fashion designers, such as Versace for the costumes for a show in 1988 at the Bouffes du Nord, or the cyclists and stretch band dresses by Hervé Léger in 1994 for a show at the Zenith. The selection of these unique pieces will also be exhibited from January 20 to 26, 2021 at Christie's, in a musical and festive atmosphere, open to the public.

Zizi Jeanmaire's outfits by Yves Saint-Laurent: Parisian chic

The great international career of Zizi Jeanmaire (born Renée Jeanmaire) is closely linked to that of Roland Petit, whom she met at the 9 years old at the dance school and of which she will become the muse. After the immense success of the ballet Carmen created in 1949, they married in 1954 and traveled the whole world together. Roland Petit, son of Rose Repetto, creator of the dance slippers brand, will place Zizi Jeanmaire at the heart of all his creations. It is to the talent of two geniuses: Roland Petit and Yves Saint Laurent who will design the costumes for ballets from 1959 and for music hall revues, that we owe the birth of this mythical silhouette. “My mother has always been extremely elegant, very loyal to Monsieur Saint-Laurent from the start,” shares Valentine Petit. Their friendly relationship is strong, and will have lasted several decades. It's a story of mutual admiration. This auction reflects what my mother embodied and the great talent of Mr. Saint-Laurent, and gives the opportunity to those who like to wear very beautiful clothes, to write themselves into the history of fashion. These pieces represent the Parisian chic that the whole world envies us. »

I must learn how to make some low carb pancakes nowwwww🙃🙃

— L👑 Mon Feb 11 12:27:29 +0000 2019

Behind the scenes

Gala: At Christie's, what place does clothing have in your sales? Camille de Foresta: Since the Catherine Deneuve sale in 2019 and that of the couturier's legendary sunflower jacket, which sold for €382,000 the same year, a record for a garment at auction, we believe that a garment is an artistic expression, same rank as a painting or a work of art.

Gala: How did the idea for a Zizi Jeanmaire sale come about? Camille de Foresta: It is to these two successes that Christie's owes the Zizi Jeanmaire sale. The dancer and faithful friend of the couturier, impressed by the enthusiasm for the Deneuve sale, was not aware that this type of piece could interest people. She then called Christie's, inviting them to come and see her YSL designer wardrobe sleeping in her storage unit! If her stage costumes are known, we discovered an impressive wardrobe of basics. Get 10 pieces from this sale and you will be the most stylish woman, in any circumstance. Shouldered jackets, wrap dresses, silk blouses... all the Yves Saint Laurent codes are there.

Gala: How did you make the selection? Camille de Foresta: Quite naturally, we set aside damaged or too intimate pieces. But the state of preservation of Mrs. Jeanmaire's pieces was remarkable, to wonder if she ever wore them. Once the clothes are chosen for sale, comes the archival work: the best part! We immerse ourselves in films, old magazines, reports... we listen to songs and tributes to situate the clothes.

Gala: What is the major lot of this sale? Camille de Foresta: Definitely this short dress with its small sleeves, entirely embroidered with Rhodoïd pearls and sequins. A magnificent piece from the African collection of Saint-Laurent in 1967. A fashion show that caused a lot of noise, as it was so modern. Openwork bellies, raffia, conical breasts... this collection has hoisted Yves Saint Laurent to the fore. This dress should go fast!

Gala: How do you estimate a piece? Camille de Foresta: It's a clever mix of its rarity, its era, the materials used, its need for restoration or not and of course, the desirability: who will want it? In this sale, a beautiful blazer is auctioned at a higher amount. No embroidery yet, no feathers, just black... but who wouldn't want a YSL tuxedo jacket in their wardrobe?

Gala: You are exhibiting the sale in the windows of Christie's from January 20 to 26... Camille de Foresta: It's a moment that promises to be very joyful, tinged with music, glitter and lightness, we we all need. Our wish would be to welcome the same melting pot that came to us for the Catherine Deneuve sale in 2019: grandmothers coming to explain to their granddaughters what was the fashion of their time, collectors, students in fashion school, women who came to break their piggy banks, Deneuve lovers or movie fans...

Gala: Do we have a chance of leaving with a lot for this Zizi Jeanmaire sale? Camille de Foresta: Auctions are just luck! Zizi Jeanmaire's is exclusively online and estimates start at affordable prices. If you are not connected in front of your computer ready to click like crazy on the objects of your dreams on the first day of the sale, a week before, the possibility of entering a maximum amount anonymously and the machine bids for YOU. Yves Saint Laurent silk blouses can go for €200, you have to believe it!

Zizi Jeanmaire sale: a story of mutual admiration, on www.christies.com from 12 to 26 January. Exhibition from January 20 to 26 at 9 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris

Photo credits: ©Jean-Luce Huré - ©Christie’s images limited