‘ VINTAGE COUTURE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE ’ &

the auctioneer kerry taylor, kerry taylor auctions

‘there are still treasures to be found in attics,’ says Kerry Taylor, the auctioneer who recently unearthed a haul of Schiaparelli in Devon. Taylor is no stranger to sartorial treasures; the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s collection, Audrey Hepburn’s couture and the Ossie Clark dress Celia Birtwell wore in David Hockney’s 1970 portrait Mr And Mrs Clark And Percy have all been under her gavel.

‘ Vintage isn’t second-hand clothes, it’s something with age and style,’ she says. But that doesn’t mean only royal collections and rarefied couture. ‘ You can have a cheaply made, massproduced dress from the ’60s, but if it’s got great style, that’s valuable. For me, it has to have integrity in terms of design.’

A self-confessed history buff who collected 1920s Vogue issues as a child, Kerry – who celebrates 40 years in the business next year – talks with an almost maternal joy about the pieces she auctions. ‘ We pride ourselves on the care we take in every single piece that comes in, whether that’s a 17th-century purse, or a dress worn by Princess Diana.’

The biggest misconception, says Kerry, is that everything she sells is unattainably priced. Actually, a 1963 Balenciaga couture coat has a £400£600 estimate at her next auction – not a snip, but far less than the modern equivalent. ( Tip: she says Princess Di’s favourite designers, Victor Edelstein and Bruce Oldfield, are really underpriced right now.)

It’s becoming harder to get the good things, says Kerry, but ‘occasionally something comes in and your heart stops’. Her dream finds include a dress worn by Elizabeth I. ‘ What gets me out of bed every day is that I just don’t know what’s going to show up.’ Antique and Vintage Fashion and Textiles auction, 25 Feb; kerrytaylorauctions.com