Glamour Girl
When Elizabeth Taylor died earlier this year, younger people probably remembered her only as a has-been movie star who’d since done great work for AIDS charities and befriended Michael Jackson. But those of us who knew her in her silver screen heyday recalled one of the most beautiful women we had ever seen. Her dazzling looks were well described by Richard Burton, who was thunderstruck when he first laid eyes on her.
Well, now the time Liz fans have been waiting for has come: her monumental wardrobe—including clothing, jewelry, and other accessories—is finally going to be auctioned. But not before making a round-the-world tour so that the hoi polloi can get a gander before the richest of the rich outspend each other to snap the items up (purportedly some of the proceeds from the Christie’s auction are going to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation).
La Belle Liz had very particular taste, tending toward the big and bling-y. But here’s the demure dress she wore the first time she wed Richard Burton in 1964:
Here’s a Chanel ensemble from the early ‘60s:
She tended towards billowy outfits as she started to put on weight. You can see her love of color in this vibrant Thea Porter caftan from the 1980s:
As for the jewels, well, those are likely to cause the greatest frenzy. She always said she was a mere caretaker of them, and knew that one day they would pass on to somebody else. Here’s an amethyst, kunzite, and diamond necklace made by Van Cleef and Arpels:
It’s estimated at $70,000 to $100,000.
Emerald and diamond necklace and pendant by Bulgari, a gift from Richard Burton:
Ruby and diamond necklace, a gift from Mike Todd, Taylor’s third husband:
And one of the most storied of her jewels, the perfect pear-shaped pearl known as La Peregrina, for it wanderings throughout the world over a period of 400 years:
Here a few accounts of the auction and slideshows: Salon, the Daily Telegraph, the Christian Science Monitor.
Though Glamour Girl loves bling, she confesses that the true dazzle factor of such stunners is wasted on her. She’s a costume jewelry girl at heart, and knows she can’t tell the difference between that and the real thing. For those of you who can, perhaps a visit to the exhibition in New York or Los Angeles will gladden your hearts.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/21/11 at 06:46 AM
