The second of the three-part sale of Karl Lagerfeld’s estate at Sotheby’s Paris closed on December 15 for a total of € 4,391,876 ($ 4.9 million), with all but six of the 714 lots unsold. Auctions for the legendary fashion designer‘s collection take place in his three cities of residence – Monaco, Paris and upcoming Cologne – and include art, furniture, sketches and clothing. The first edition in Paris quadrupled expectations to win $ 13.5 million; this brings the cumulative total of the sales series to $ 18.4 million.

Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, revolutionized the brands he worked with, namely Fendi and Chanel, while also running his own brand, Karl. There have been plenty of takers for a piece of fashion history in sales, from the designer’s designs to his household items, including his linens and even a wastebasket. Most lots have advanced their estimates through advance offers made online; and collectors in the room, on the phone and online fought for pieces that represented the designer’s instantly recognizable aesthetic, characterized by opulent grandeur mixed with minimalism and witty contemporary design.

Lagerfeld was a prodigious collector, and tThe sale opened with a Chanel bag with the 2010 Lagerfeld International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) photo pass as a guest of the still attached Galerie Gmurzynska, which cost € 94,500 ($ 107,000). It was followed by a series of huge prizes made for original designs by Lagerfeld, including an illustration of a menu from the Parisian fashion hangout Café de Flore, which sold for € 94,500 (107,000 $), and another, Anna and Jacques at the Louvre (1985), sold for € 50,400 ($ 57,000).

Saint Laurent velvet jacket and leather gloves. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Hundreds of lots were for sale, including elegant furniture recognizable from the designer’s images published over the years as well as more personal items. The top lot was an ornate, four-poster Louis XVI daybed, sold for € 264,600 ($ 268,700). Even the designer’s Jacques Adnet wastebasket sold for € 3,528 ($ 4,000).

“Collectors, fashionistas and longtime admirers of Karl Lagerfeld’s unique heritage and style came together this weekend, physically and virtually, to express their appreciation for one of the world’s greatest designers.” , said Pierre Mothes, vice-president of Sotheby’s France, after the first sell.

Marc Newson scale. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Bidders were more interested in the designer’s key sketches and items that exemplified his taste, such as personalized Goyard luggage, monogrammed Smythson jewelry boxes, jackets and blazers from Martin Margiela, Dior Homme and Saint Laurent and, well. sure, its branded leather. gloves, which were packaged in several lots, the most expensive of which was € 45,880 ($ 52,000).

The final auction will take place in Cologne, Lagerfeld’s hometown, in March 2022.

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