Deaccessioned from the Museum at FIT and going to an online bidder was this circa 1972 Halston silk jersey evening gown, which made $9,062 ($400/600).
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
BELLOWS FALLS, VT. — Augusta Auctions’ Modes for May: Antiques & Couture Fashion Auction, conducted on May 20, was dubbed a success, earning $194,468 and seeing strong prices attained with key lots soaring past their estimates.
“After a bit of a lull in 2025, our international bidders have returned in full swing for 2026. The bidding has been competitive, and we are seeing a consistent increase in both registered and participating bidders from sale to sale,” said office manager River Aster. “As North America’s leading auction house for antique and vintage fashion and textiles for the past 25 years, we are excited to continue on into the next 25 years with our usual catalog offerings as well of fun and exciting new offerings such as our Dust & Glitter series.” The Dust & Glitter sales are named in homage of company founder Karen Augusta’s first vintage shop she opened in 1978.
The May 20 auction started off strong with a circa 1930 beaded tulle evening dress with embroidered cut-outs that realized $2,437. The nude cotton-silk blend dress had graduated hand-stitched cut-outs from hip to hem and fully embroidered flashed silver bugle beads. Also selling in the first few minutes of the sale was a circa 1925 bead-encrusted French Art Deco sleeveless evening dress in black tulle with ombre turquoise silk ground, which made $3,875.
Selling early on was this French Art Deco bead-encrusted evening dress, circa 1925, which made $3,875 ($400/600).
The top lot of the auction came out of an ongoing deaccession from The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and sold to an online bidder. That dress was a circa 1972 Halston silk jersey evening gown, and it went well over its conservative $400/600 estimate when it attained $9,062. The cream silk jersey maxi gown had a high halter neckline and an open back with long ties wrapping around the bodice. Another Halston standout among about a dozen lots was a circa 1973 gray cashmere knit maxi dress, which brought $2,437 and had an integrated rib-knit halter neckline. A four-piece sequin and silk jersey evening ensemble from the late 1960s sold for $2,625.
“The Halston pieces surprised us all! We expected them to do quite well, but several of the pieces surpassed expectations,” Aster commented. “Vintage and archival fashion has been quite popular of late, not surprising with the current trends for red carpet wear. Our audience is delightfully varied and far flung, with bidders registering from over 30 countries across the world — roughly two-thirds of the bidders are in the US, however.”
Offerings came from across the centuries and around the world, with the most action at 51 bids garnered for a lot comprising two embroidered silk robes from China made in the early Twentieth Century that ultimately achieved $5,750. The first robe had brown figured silk with a woven bat motif and a shaped ribbonwork border that was embroidered in satin stitch with figures and blossom motifs, while the other was made of blue figured silk with black silk satin trim having satin-stitch floral embroidery; the cuffs featured embroidered bats and cranes.
Eliciting the most bidding at 51 bids were these embroidered silk robes from China, made in the early Twentieth Century, which sold together for $5,750 ($400/600).
Moving on to European couture, a block-printed floral cotton bodice from 1970s France drew 21 bids and attained $4,000. It was block printed with roses and floral sprigs, set off by a scalloped red ribbon motif. A circa 1925 Gallenga stenciled velvet evening coat from Italy took $5,375.
Also crossing the block was a pair of French brocade stays in blue silk, 1780-90, that came out of the Mariano Fortuny estate and brought $4,375. The stays were woven with small upright flower sprays of brown silk pansies, cream bluebells and a foliate motif. They had detachable elbow-length shaped sleeves tied with four blue silk ribbons.
Parisian couture has long been a mainstay of the fashion industry and crossing the block from the modern era was an embroidered floral cream silk coat designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior in 2002. The coat had woven floral ribbon and allover bee motifs; it achieved $7,500. A circa 1920 Babani metallic evening wrap in gold lamé, which had a Greek motif on black silk ground, realized $3,125.
This 2002 embroidered floral silk coat by John Galliano for Christian Dior (Paris) brought the second-highest price of the day at $7,500 ($1,6/3,000).
Auction offerings weren’t just for the ladies though, as a lot of two Irish-stitch men’s wallets from New England circa 1760-90, sold for $1,937.
Rounding out the sale was a pictorial lace table covering or bedspread made in France for display at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It had motifs marking American progress and sold for $1,812. An Emmanuelle Khanh For Youthquake space age mini dress, circa 1965-66 realized $2,437.
Augusta Auctions’ next sale will be Dust & Glitter — Ladies & Gents on July 1, followed by its annual Live Discovery Sale on July 11.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.augusta-auction.com or 802-463-3333.
