-Previous EXHIBITION Archive-
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
The hot pink cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn when she appeared in the 1961 American romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's opposite George Peppard.
Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly as the naive, eccentric cafe society girl is generally considered to be the actress' most memorable and identifiable role.
The knee length sleeveless dress was designed by her favourite designer Hubert de Givenchy. It is made from silk, decorated all over with fan shaped appliques accented with small rhinestones with a matching pink bow at the waist.
PAST EXHIBITION
‘PRINCESS DIANA – FASHION FROM THE WARDROBE OF THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS’
Free to enter Museum of Style Icons
CLOSED EXHIBITION
The Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, together with the world-renowned auction house to the stars, Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Hollywood’s most revered purveyor of classic movies, will show three very important and rarely seen garments at an exhibition dedicated to the style of Princess Diana which opens to the public on May 5th. The garments will be displayed as part of a new exhibition called ‘Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People’s Princess’ before heading to Julien’s and TCM’s two day event “LEGENDS,” taking place live August 26th and August 27th in Beverly Hills and online at julienslive.com
These three Princess Diana owned and worn garments were last seen in public when they were auctioned by Christie’s in 1997.
This exquisite piece among the garments up for auction is a breathtaking scarlet red silk gown designed by the renowned British fashion designer, Bruce Oldfield. Princess Diana donned this magnificent creation when she attended the star-studded film premiere of the action-comedy movie Hot Shots at the iconic Odeon Leicester Square in London, back in November of 1991.
Her presence at the event was further elevated by the company of President Arpad Goncz of Hungary and his wife, Zsusza Goncz, who joined her for the evening. The gown itself is a testament to Bruce Oldfield's mastery of design and craftsmanship, featuring a gracefully draped short sleeve bodice that accentuates the wearer's upper body.
The gown's design also incorporates expert ruching around the waist and hips, providing a slender and form-fitting silhouette that effortlessly complements the wearer's figure. To add a touch of regal sophistication, an all-over lamé tartan motif has been incorporated into the gown, giving it a unique and striking visual appeal.
Julien's Auctions, a world-renowned auction house that specializes in high-profile celebrity memorabilia, has been entrusted with the sale of this iconic piece of fashion history. They have estimated the value of the gown to be within the range of $200,000 to $400,000, a testament to its significance in the world of fashion and its connection to the beloved Princess Diana. The auction is sure to attract a great deal of interest from collectors and enthusiasts alike, all vying for a chance to own a piece of royal fashion history.
There are also two Catherine Walker dresses, an English designer whose designs were much loved by Princess Diana and whose designs are still worn by many of the royals today including Kate Middleton. In fact, Catherine Walker created garments for Princess Diana for 16 years and indeed, sadly, the black cocktail dress that she was laid to rest in.
The first of the two exquisite Catherine Walker garments on display is an elegant and timeless black and white strapless gown, which was once worn by Princess Diana to a private function. Showcasing the designer's eye for sophistication, this striking dress embodies an air of grace and poise that has long been associated with the late princess.
The gown, which carries an auction estimate of $60,000 to $80,000, is masterfully crafted from luxurious white silk crepe, adorned with bold bands of sumptuous black silk velvet. The bands elegantly accentuate the dress, providing contrast and depth to the overall design. The gown's graduated hemline lends a modern touch to the classic black and white color scheme, while the silk lining ensures that the wearer experiences unrivaled comfort and a perfect fit.
This captivating piece of fashion history stands as a testament to Catherine Walker's artistry and ability to create garments that seamlessly blend style and sophistication. As it goes on display, the gown is expected to draw considerable attention from fashion aficionados and collectors who appreciate the iconic status of Princess Diana and her enduring impact on the world of fashion.
The second captivating Catherine Walker garment to be displayed is a stunning evening gown that Princess Diana wore to a gala dinner at the prestigious Royal York Hotel in Toronto in 1986. This exquisite creation captures the essence of the late princess's timeless elegance and impeccable sense of style.
The gown, which carries an auction estimate of $100,000 to $200,000, features a form-fitting black faille bodice that gracefully hugs the wearer's figure. The décolleté neckline adds an air of allure and sophistication, while the off-the-shoulder short sleeves provide a delicate touch of femininity. The bodice's elegant design is further complemented by a lavish draped jade silk skirt, which introduces a rich and vibrant color to the ensemble.
The skirt also features a stylish fringed sash that effortlessly cinches the waist and a daring side slit that adds a hint of modernity to the overall look. This breathtaking gown exemplifies Catherine Walker's exceptional skill as a designer, creating garments that not only accentuate the wearer's beauty but also reflect their unique personality and poise.
As this stunning piece goes on display, it is sure to draw admiration from fashion enthusiasts and collectors alike, serving as a reminder of Princess Diana's enduring influence on the world of fashion and her extraordinary legacy as a style icon.
The three visiting garments will be shown alongside the Museum of Style Icon’s permanent Princess Diana exhibits which also include the famous pale pink Emanuel blouse Diana famously wore in her engagement portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1981. The photograph of a young, Diana wearing the blouse was originally commissioned as part of a Vogue feature on ‘upcoming beauty’. It is reported that Diana walked into the shoot and headed straight for the garment with its distinctive satin neck ribbon. The designers of the piece were then the little-known designers, husband and wife design duo, David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Fortuitously for Vogue — and the Emanuel’s — the timing of the publication coincided with the announcement of Lady Diana Spencer’s engagement to the Prince of Wales. The photograph of Lady Diana wearing the blouse with her clear blue eyes demurely looking at the camera depicted the very essence of innocence and romanticism. It was the first official portrait of Lady Diana, the future Princess of Wales and in many ways, marked the beginning of Diana’s fashion evolution.
In 1981, Elizabeth Emanuel, together with her husband, David was chosen to design the wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer for her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales. This was a huge undertaking at the time as the Princess was one of the most photographed, if not the most photographed woman in the world. In an age before Instagram and social media the allure and style of Princess Diana still made its way across the world with every outfit she wore being scrutinised and admired. Naturally then, the wedding was a huge affair and was televised with an estimated 700 million people worldwide tuning in to see ‘the dress’. Of course, it didn’t disappoint – it was made of ivory silk, pure taffeta and incorporated antique lace, 10,000 pearls and had a 25ft train.
The exhibition at Newbridge Silverware includes the final calico toile for the royal wedding gown and a replacement veil. A toile is a dressmaker’s equivalent of a working document, this toile, which was made by the Emanuel’s was a pre-cursor to Diana’s actual wedding dress, in other words, the final fitting toile of her wedding gown which was later made in silk and features the same details, including the flounced cuffs and trained skirt. The designers made this toile to allow them to adjust the sizing. Numerous bodice changes had to be made by David and Elizabeth Emanuel as Diana continued to lose weight in the weeks leading up to the wedding day. “Diana, like many nervous brides, must have lost about a stone and a half in weight during the run-up to the wedding,” said Elizabeth Emanuel. “The actual gown was only made up in silk based on this final toile at the last possible moment to ensure the most accurate fit and as there was a limited amount of the specially woven silk available.”
After the dress was made, some silk was left over and the Emanuel’s made a miniature copy of the royal wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses (similar to the ones given to Princess Diana by Elizabeth Emanuel and David Emanuel in 1981). The miniatures were made at a scale of 1/8th of the original dress and were created using cut-offs from the original bridal silk and lace, mounted onto miniature mannequins. The miniatures are also on display at Newbridge Silverware and feature mini versions of the three bridesmaid dresses similar to those worn by India Hicks, Clementine Hambro and Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones.
The so called ‘India Dress’ is also on display at the museum and is a Catherine Walker, Mughal-inspired lavishly embroidered pink silk evening gown and bolero, made for the state visit to India, in February 1992. It was during the state visit to India that Diana was famously photographed sitting alone at the Taj Mahal – the monument to lost love, which caused a good deal of comment and speculation in the press at the time. Her official separation from Prince Charles was to be announced in December of the same year. The Princess was photographed wearing this gown by Lord Snowdon in 1997 and is one of the most lavish of all her gowns. Labelled ‘Catherine Walker, London’, the sleeveless gown with deep scooped neckline and long princess-line bodice is delicately embroidered to the dropped waistline. It has three dimensional exotic blooms in looped and satin stitched silk, layered pink sequins, centred by amber, green and pink crystal beads and is scattered with small white floral shaped sequins against a green iridescent sequined background with gold chain stitched leaves. The bolero jacket is embroidered front and back and is lined with ivory satin. The plain silk cuffs each have three large buttons inset with emerald and pink rhinestones.
‘Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People’s Princess’ opens to the public on the 5th of May and runs throughout the summer at the free to enter Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware. The three garments will be sold by Julien’s Auctions on Saturday, August 26th and Sunday, August 27th in Beverly Hills. For more info see www.juliensauctions.com
Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1st, 1961, the fourth of five children born to John Spencer, Viscount of Althorp and his first wife Frances. The Spencer family had long had ties to the British Royal Family with both of Diana's grandmothers having served as ladies-in-waiting to the Queen Mother and, growing up in Park House - situated on the Sandringham Estate - a young Diana would play with Princes Andrew and Edward. However, Diana described her childhood as "very unhappy" and "very unstable, the whole thing". She became Lady Diana after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975, at which point the entire family moved from Park House to a stately home at Althorp.
Diana first met Prince Charles, the Queen's eldest son and heir, when she was sixteen – he was, at the time, dating her older sister, Sarah. However, by the summer of 1980, Charles had taken a serious interest in Diana. Their relationship progressed quickly, and she was invited for a sailing weekend aboard the royal yacht Britannia, and to Balmoral to meet the Royal Family. Having been well received by the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother, Charles continued to court Diana in London and on February 6th, 1981 they were engaged to be married.
The press and public fell in love with Diana from the moment she was introduced as Prince Charles’ girlfriend. However, the attention she garnered, from an at times volatile media, only intensified following their engagement. She was followed everywhere, and every detail of her life was scrutinised.
One aspect of Diana’s life that the media paid great attention to was her fashion sense and it seemed at times that Diana used her clothing to communicate with those around her. She developed a very glamorous regal style for trips overseas, often paying homage to her hosts. For a state visit to India in February 1992 Catherine Walker designed a Mughal inspired lavishly embroidered, pink slubbed silk evening gown and bolero dress. Great care was taken when choosing the colours of the needlework for the elaborate embroidery - it needed to be exuberant to reflect the country of her visit. The long line of the bodice with the dropped waistline, combined with the short boxy shape of the bolero helped to emphasise the height and slimness of the Princess - a technique Catherine Walker often employed in clothes she made for the Princess.
Diana also had a sense for how clothing would enhance her physical presence. She would purposely choose cheerful, colourful clothes to convey approachability and warmth. She was known to wear velvet outfits when visiting blind people so that when they reached out to touch her, they would feel warmth and softness. Eleri Lynn, curator of “Diana: Her Fashion Story,” an exhibit currently running at Kensington Palace says “She didn’t wear gloves because she liked to hold people’s hands. She would sometimes wear chunky jewellery so that children could play with it, and she never wore hats to children’s hospitals after a while, because she said you couldn’t cuddle a child in a hat.”
When it came to style, Diana’s transformation from the bashful “Sloane Ranger” who earned the epithet “Shy Di”, to the elegant, regal woman whose confident appearance at official engagements made her the most-photographed women in the world, was almost Cinderella-esque.
“She is stepping into that same sort of space as an Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy,” said Lynn, “a fashion icon whose style is so emulated and so loved, really.”
Princess Diana’s India dress, engagement blouse and “Revenge Dress” are all on permanent display at Newbridge Silverware’s Museum of Style Icons.
SMELLS LIKE ‘TEEN SPIRIT’
-KURT COBAIN’S ICONIC FENDER MUSTANG GUITAR USED IN NIRVANA’S LANDMARK ‘SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT’ VIDEO COMES TO NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE-
THIS EXHIBITION IS NOW CLOSED
Kurt Cobain founded the band whose music has been described as the soundtrack to ‘Generation X’, and now one of Nirvanas frontman’s most famous guitars will be on display at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare from Thursday 5th to Sat 7th of May, 2022.
In what is a world exclusive event for the home of style in Ireland, Newbridge Silverware will proudly display Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Mustang, competition Lake Placid blue finish electric guitar. The left-handed guitar was used by the Nirvana frontman in the band’s seminal and cultural defining 1991 music video, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The guitar will be on view at the famous Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Ireland) from Thursday the 5th of May to Saturday 7th of May, 2022.
Cobain and the music of Nirvana are regarded as being the fire starter to the alternative rock revolution and generations later is still igniting the alternative rock world. Cobain’s painting of Michael Jackson and his own ‘Nevermind Australian Tour 1992’ laminated personal back stage pass will also be on display.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Martin Nolan of Julien’s Auctions said, “Kurt Cobain was a hugely influential figure not just in music, but in popular culture too. Kurt Cobain’s acoustic guitar sold for a record breaking US$ 6 million in 2020 and that guitar currently holds the record for the most expensive guitar ever sold. This electric Fender Mustang guitar from ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was Kurt’s favourite guitar and is much more iconic and an extremely important piece. It was also used in the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ music video and also while recording the albums ‘Nevermind’ and ‘In Utero’. This guitar has been on display at the MoPop Museum in Seattle since 2010. In my opinion this guitar could beat the current world record for a guitar sold at auction and could sell for in excess of US $10 million
The guitar and other Kurt Cobain and Nirvana items will go for auction by Julien’s Auctions in a celebrity studded auction at the Hard Rock Café in New York from the 20th – 22nd of May 2022. For more information on Newbridge Silverware see www.visitnewbridgesilverware.com or call + 353 (0) 45 431301.
Fans Can View the Kurt Cobain Guitar and Other Items on Display at the Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland from Thursday 5th of May to Saturday 7th of May 2022
GROWING UP KURT COBAIN’ JULY 19 – September 30 2018
THIS EXHIBITION IS NOW CLOSED
The Cobain family to open an exhibition of personal artefacts belonging to the legend Kurt Cobain, at Ireland’s Museum of Style Icons, one of the world’s leading pop culture museums. His car, his clothing, his art.
Kurt Cobain’s mother, sisters and daughter will bring to Ireland, never before exhibited, personal artefacts belonging to the legendary rock star. The Cobain family will be meeting international and national press on the 17th and 18th July from 11am, as part of the opening event and the exhibition will continue through to 30th September 2018.
Cobain’s Irish roots are well known. He believed that his family originated in County Cork but in fact his Irish ancestors emigrated from Carrickmore, County Tyrone, in 1875.
Cobain’s family has specially curated some of his very personal items for this once in a lifetime commemoration. The Museum of Style Icons will house Kurt’s drawings and sketches along with clothing, hand-written lyrics and the only known car Kurt owned during his life, a powder blue 1965 Dodge Dart.
The opening of ‘Growing Up Kurt Cobain’ Exhibition will be attended by Kurt’s mother Wendy O’Connor, two sisters Kim Cobain and Olivia O’Connor and daughter Frances Bean Cobain to celebrate his Irish heritage.
Frances Bean Cobain, says: “I am so thrilled to participate and support my family as they honor their brother and son at The Museum of Style Icons in Ireland. I have always been the most intimately informed of who my father was by my grandmother and aunts. I am so ecstatic that their view of who Kurt was gets to be celebrated with Nirvana fans the world over”.
William Doyle, owner of the Museum of Style Icons, comments: “These items have never previously been seen by the public and it’s an incredible honor to be a part of this amazing exhibition. We have handled exhibitions of Michael Jackson, Cher, Prince and many other fashion icons and we expect this exhibition of Kurt’s life to be one of our greatest exhibitions curated by our museum.
As the Cobain family has never done anything like this previously, industry pundits say that it “will likely be as big as the recent Pink Floyd and David Bowie exhibitions that took place at the V&A in London.”
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Born in Aberdeen Washington, Cobain formed the band Nirvana with Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene which later became known as ‘Grunge’. Nirvana's debut album Bleach was released on the independent record label SubPop in 1989.
Nirvana found breakthrough success with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ from their second album ‘Nevermind’ in 1991. Following that success, Nirvana was labelled "the flagship band" of Generation X, and Cobain hailed as "the spokesman of a generation". Cobain, however, was uncomfortable with the label, believing his message and artistic vision had been misinterpreted by the public, with his personal problems often subject to media attention.
Kurt’s sister, Kim Cobain, concludes: "With this exhibition we hope to bring the focus back to his roots, vision, and artistic genius to inspire everyone not to lose their creativity and childlike wonder."
After the Exhibition ends at The Museum of Style Icons on September 30 in Newbridge, Ireland, it will continue at The Museo de la Moda in Santiago Chile.
-PREVIOUS EXHIBITION ARCHIVE-
Olivia Newton-John visits Newbridge Silverware’s Museum of Style Icons
THIS EXHIBITION IS NOW CLOSED
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - STYLE ICON AND HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR
Martin Nolan of Juliens Auction House interviews Olivia Newton-John before her visit to Newbridge Silverware on Monday July 22nd 2019. Olivia officially opened an exhibition of her costumes worn in the making of the iconic movies Grease, Xanadu together with notable outfits worn on stage.
Four-Time Grammy Award-Winning Pop Diva and Hollywood Superstar’s Iconic “Grease” Leather Jacket and Pants, “Physical” and “Xanadu” Wardrobe Pieces, Gowns, Awards and More to Rock the Auction Stage...
Portion of the Auction Proceeds to Benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.
Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons, in partnership with Julien’s Auctions is honoured to present this pre-auction exhibition celebrating one of pop music’s greatest talents and treasured icons, Olivia Newton-John. “Her extraordinary career - that includes her starring role in Grease, one of the most successful Hollywood films and soundtracks of all time - and her recordings of some of the biggest pop singles of the 20th Century, makes her more than just a star but a pop culture phenomenon.” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions.
Newbridge was the first stop on this exhibition tour, giving Irish fans the first glimpse of some of Olivia’s most iconic film costumes and memorabilia.
The Cambridge, England born and Melbourne, Australia raised singer and actress began her music career at the age of 14, when she formed an all-girl group, Sol Four, with her friends. She became a regular on Australian radio and television shows where she performed as “Lovely Livvy” and toured nightclubs in Britain and across Europe with Pat Carroll (now Pat Farrar) as the duo “Pat and Olivia.” Newton-John was also a regular on “The Cliff Richard Show.” Newton-John recorded her first single, “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” in 1966 and recorded her first solo album in country music, If Not For You, in 1971.
In 1978, Newton-John would become not just an international movie star but a pop culture icon when she co-starred opposite John Travolta in the high school musical film, Grease (Paramount, 1978). Set in the 1950s, Newton-John played Sandy Olson, a virtuous and demure Australian high school senior and Travolta played Danny Zuko, a tough but tender greaser. Grease became a blockbuster smash and one of the most successful movie musicals of all time. The soundtrack would become one of the top best-selling soundtracks, spending 12 weeks at No. 1, producing three Top 5 singles for Newton-John with the platinum and No. 1 hit single “You’re the One That I Want” with Travolta, the gold “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” and the gold duet “Summer Nights” with Travolta. Newton-John earned a Golden Globe nomination as “Best Actress in a Musical” and performed the Oscar-nominated “Hopelessly Devoted to You” at the 1979 Academy Awards.
The exhibition featured the Hollywood Superstar’s Iconic “Grease” Leather Jacket and Pants, “Physical” and “Xanadu” Wardrobe Pieces, Gowns, Awards and More to Rock the Auction Stage.
The Museum of Style Icons at the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre is located in Newbridge, Co. Kildare in Ireland. It is open 7 days a week and admission is free. The museum also features garments and interesting artefacts from several Hollywood stars, musicians, and celebrities. For more see www.visitnewbridgesilverware.com or call (045) 431301.
-Previous EXHIBITION Archive-
Happy Birthday Mr President
The iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy will go on display at the Newbridge Museum of Style Icons ahead of being Auctioned in LA with Julien’s Auctions. This will be one of the most significant auctions of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia ever seen.
Newbridge Silverware is the only place in Europe where the famous dress can be viewed before it goes under the hammer in LA later this year, where it is expected to fetch millions.
A full length evening sheath dress of flesh-colored soufflé gauze encrusted with 2,500 hand stitched rhinestones embroidered in a rosette motif. The skin-tight dress was custom made by Jean Louis and was so tight fitting that Marilyn wore nothing underneath and had to be sewn into it last minute.
The dress went down in history when Marilyn stepped on stage at Madison Square Gardens to sing a breathy Happy Birthday to President John F Kennedy in 1962. The performance was one of Monroe’s last major public appearances before her death less than three months later on August 4, 1962.
The dress and the performance sparked rumours of an affair between the pair. First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy famously did not attend the gala but instead, spent the day with her children John and Caroline. President Kennedy died a year later and that infamous night was the last known time they saw each other.
Martin Nolan, executive director at Julien's Auctions, said: "We have had remarkable opportunities to offer unique objects related to Marilyn Monroe in the past.
"To be part of the continued interest and excitement around this legend is always thrilling.
"This dress, this story, this momentous occasion represents a defining moment in history. This auction will remind the world why Marilyn Monroe remains an icon."
This dress will be on display in Newbridge from Saturday, October 29th until Sunday, November 6th 2016.
- PREVIOUS Exhibition archive -
Elizabeth Taylor Exhibition 2019
Taylor Made!
THE LIFESTYLE OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR
Jewellery and costume highlights form the wardrobe of Elizabeth Taylor to go on view at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware.
-ONLY EUROPEAN EXHIBITION-
Newbridge Silverware, together with Julien’s Auctions and House of Taylor, will exhibit a rare collection of jewellery and costumes from the wardrobe of movie icon Elizabeth Taylor at the Museum of Style Icons. The exhibition entitled, ‘The Lifestyle of Elizabeth Taylor’ opens tomorrow (Tuesday, 10th of September) and runs until, October 6th, 2019. The exhibition at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware is in fact the only European showcase of the Hollywood icon’s most unusual jewellery pieces, garments and film costumes. Included are garments and jewellery that were the property of the star, created by designers Christian Dior, Nolan Miller, Valentino, Versace, and many more. The collection offers visitors a rare opportunity to see the many dazzling garments and jewellery, which were once worn by Elizabeth Taylor, before they go to auction on the 6th 7th and 8th December, 2019 in Los Angeles, California, where they will be sold by Julien’s Auctions.
Elizabeth Taylor was a trailblazer from a young age, marking the start of new fashion trends, igniting screens around the world as the greatest and most beautiful classic movie star, and courageously stepping forth as a philanthropist and activist during the height of the global AIDS crisis. This is a unique opportunity to see first-hand some of the personal effects of one of the 20th Century’s most fascinating and influential people, and to be up close and personal with personal pieces from the lifestyle of such a cultural icon.
A dazzling array of Taylor’s most provocative and style statement-making jewellery is in the exhibition including a cutting edge, Thomas Sabo designed ensemble consisting of a long chain link necklace, with a sword, a motorcycle, and skull pendants in marcasite, together with a coordinating pair of dangling skull earrings. There is also a bamboo trunk designed sterling silver cuff bracelet, marked "925 / Thailand” and a sectional gold-tone metal bracelet adorned with yellow glass and geometric-shaped rhinestones together with a matching rectangular-shaped brooch.
The collection is fascinating and not to be missed, showing Taylor’s lesser known whimsical and quite often tongue in cheek, personal style, which is a unique perspective to add to Taylor’s well-known high-octane glamour. A multi-strand black leather choker with an attached grand piece of amber housed in a large sterling silver square setting with a large coordinating bracelet is one of the show-stopping pieces in the collection. There is also a double strand silver-tone metal purple crystal necklace with rhinestones, and a set of ‘Elizabeth Taylor designed for Avon’ bracelet cuffs with a detailed Egyptian motif, from the successful line of costume jewellery the star sold through the company in the 1990s.
Other interesting pieces include a sterling silver and amethyst wrap-around cuff style necklace which is illegibly signed on the back with an added notation of "2/3/98 / Sterling / w/Amethyst;" and a fun bracelet made of vintage Coca-Cola bottle frosted glass.
Some of the most eye-catching pieces include a bold Janus roses and petals designed coat brooch set in rose gold-tone metal, encrusted with red and lime green rhinestones; a man's narrow necktie designed silver-tone metal and rhinestones necklace and a Mizrahi gold-tone metal affixed with six life-sized nut pendants charm bracelet.
The collection includes several pieces worn by Taylor that were symbolic of her astrological sign as a Pisces, including a pair of dangling fish earrings, adorned with multi-colored beads and rhinestones, a pounded brass choker with two fish pendants with red glass eyes and a silver-tone multi-colored rhinestones fish ring. The jewellery collection also features a pair of extra-large sterling silver round hoops worn by the star in her appearance on the “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1993.
One of the most important garments in the exhibition is the costume Taylor wore in her last ever film which was a Nolan Miller purple silk jacket with fox fur and matching blouse and pants. Taylor wore it in the made-for-television film “These Old Broads” (ABC Television, 2001). Other special garments include a Valentino dress and jacket in pale pink linen as well as a Valentino Couture maroon vest and pants ensemble worn in Night Watch (Avco Embassy Pictures, 1973). A custom made multi-coloured striped pattern silk coat worn by the star in 1982 when she visited the cast of the Broadway musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" in New York City is another interesting garment.
Also, on display is a yellow "Jimmie Jean Jackson" satin robe costume worn in Hammersmith is Out and Taylor’s costume from the film X, Y and Zee consisting of a suede vest and pants by Cordoba with an off-white blouse by Dior.
One of the most eccentric pieces is a Laise Adzer cotton vest and yellow harem pants worn by the star in 1991 when she went to Neverland Valley Ranch to give Michael Jackson an elephant for his birthday.
William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons said, “Elizabeth Taylor is a true Hollywood icon, her style, grace and beauty lives on through her many films and through countless books and documentaries. We, at the Museum of Style Icons have always been interested in the movie icon’s style and own several original Elizabeth Taylor garments ourselves. When Julien’s Auctions and House of Taylor asked us would we exhibit this very interesting collection of Elizabeth Taylor affects we were of course thrilled to accept. The Museum of Style Icons will in fact be the only venue in Europe where people will see this very interesting collection, so we are very grateful to Julien’s and House of Taylor to allow us to exhibit this very important collection. We were also quite taken with how different the items are. The garments and jewellery are unexpected in that they are quite bold, and even eccentric at times. The pieces show off Elizabeth Taylor’s sense of fun, and whimsical relationship with fashion and show a side to her that many of us were not aware of.”
-PREVIOUS EXHIBITION ARCHIVE-
SHARON TATE EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 25 2018
1960S STYLE ICON AND “VALLEY OF THE DOLLS” STAR’S RED CARPET ENSEMBLES AND MOD FASHIONS HEAD TO THE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS IN NEWBRIDGE FOR A WORLD EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITION
Newbridge Silverware is delighted to announce a world exclusive exhibition of items from the estate of Sharon Tate, which will go on display at the Museum of Style Icons from 8th October until 25th October 2018. The exhibition in partnership with LA based Julien’s Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house, celebrates the beauty and style of one of Hollywood’s most promising actresses and 1960s fashion icon.
Known as one of Hollywood's most magnetic stars of the era, actress and model Sharon Tate’s life and style embodied the very essence of the decade now known as the swinging 60's. Tate was amongst the celebrities that influenced the sights and sounds of that era’s culture, joining the likes of Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy.
Born in 1943 in Dallas, Texas as the daughter of a career military officer, Tate was destined for stardom, winning beauty contests before she was a year old which continued through her teens. After being noticed in the streets of Verona, Italy, she was cast in the epic film Barrabbas in 1961, as well as a Pat Boone television special. She was noticed by production staff in Italy for the filming of Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962). Tate landed her first big acting role in 1963 as the bank secretary Janet Trego in the popular television series “The Beverly Hillbillies” (CBS 1963-1965). Tate was signed by Filmways and her first major starring role was in the 1966 occult classic Eye of the Devil.
Tate was then cast in director Roman Polanski's film The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) where the two fell in love. They married in London in January 1968 in a wedding ceremony that included a star-studded after party at The Playboy Club with guests that included John and Juliet Mills, Joan Collins, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Terry Downes and more. Her other prominent roles included the comedy beach farce Don't Make Waves (1967) and the spy spoof The Wrecking Crew (1968) with Dean Martin and Elke Sommer.
Her most famous role and acclaimed performance came as Jennifer North in the 1967 cult classic film Valley of the Dolls, which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best New Actress. Her final film role was in The 13 Chairs, also known as 12+1, which was released posthumously in 1969.
Marie Brennan from the Museum of Style Icons commented, “We are delighted to bring yet another world exclusive exhibition to Ireland at the Museum of Style Icons. Sharon’s style was renowned and this exhibition shows a true fashion icon from the era. We even had to order special mannequins due to the skirt lengths.”
Darren Julien, CEO of Julien’s Auctions added, “We honour Sharon Tate’s life and loves in this personal collection that captures the style of a woman whose life was cut way too short and has long been overshadowed by an unspeakable tragedy.”
Highlights of the exhibition include a black floral lace Christian Dior mini dress worn by Sharon Tate to the London premiere of Roman Polanski's film Cul-de-Sac in 1966 (estimate: $15,000-$30,000); Tate’s chocolate sheer silk Alba gown worn by Sharon Tate at The Golden Globe Awards with Roman Polanski in 1968 (estimate: $4,000-$6,000); Tate’s ivory silk moiré mini wedding dress worn at her London wedding held at the Chelsea Registry to Roman Polanski in 1968 (estimate: $25,000-$50,000); Tate’s chocolate mink swing coat designed by "Fuhrman's Beverly Hills” with asymmetrical collar and fur puffs for buttons (estimate: $20,000-$40,000; a two toned jersey mini dress worn by Tate while attending the Cannes Film Festival with Roman Polanski in 1968 (estimate: $5,000-$7,000) and more.
-PREVIOUS EXHIBITION ARCHIVE-
Supermodels & Playboy
THIS EXHIBITION IS NOW CLOSED
– THE EVOLUTION OF SEX SYMBOLS –
Newbridge Silverware and the free to enter Museum of Style Icons (MOSI) launched a new photographic exhibition that charts the evolution of some of the world’s most iconic sex symbols. Entitled, ‘Supermodels and Playboy- The Evolution of Sex Symbols’ it features original signed photographs and Playboy magazine covers of well-known models. Famous names include Naomi Campbell, Bo Derek, Christy Turlington, Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford, Rachel Hunter, Elle Macpherson, Gisele Bündchen, Tyra Banks, Adrianna Lima and Liz Hurley among others.
From Marilyn Monroe the original pin-up girl of the 1950’s through to the supermodels who dominated the catwalks of the 1990’s, the exhibition provides an interesting insight into the evolution of the supermodel and some of the most famous women in the world.
The free exhibition includes original and signed ‘Playboy’ magazine covers of famous models and actresses who posed topless for the famous entertainment magazine. The iconic actress, Bo Derek appears on several front covers, even posing with an Orangutan in one image when she was promoting her role in the movie, ‘Tarzan’. Elle Macpherson appears on another cover in a pose that leaves no doubt as to why she is known as “The Body”. Rod Stewart’s wife, Rachel Hunter was also a Playboy model and the exhibition includes a signed cover of the topless blonde bombshell. The exhibition goes on to show that the models were becoming much more than just skinny clothes horses, they could move easily off the catwalks and onto the pages of Playboy with style, class and a sense of female empowerment.
A particularly important item in the exhibition is a signed copy of a limited-edition book called, ‘Naomi’ which features beautiful, tasteful images of supermodel, Naomi Campbell. Encased in a book case in the shape of a female torso the book is signed ‘Love and Respect, Naomi’ and includes some of the most incredible photographs ever taken of Naomi, often fully nude. With multiple artwork by British pop art luminary, Allen Jones and Naomi’s own autobiographical text, this is an intimate and breathtaking encounter with a beauty icon.
Also, on display is a signed photograph of Elizabeth Hurley in the famous Versace safety pin dress often referred to as “that dress”. The actress and model wore the garment when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the movie premier of ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ in 1994. The dress is regarded as Versace’s best-known creation and is largely considered to be the turning point of Hurley’s career, catapulting her onto the global stage. Held together by strategically placed gold safety pins, the dress was wide open at the front, from the neck down to at least halfway across the bust. Hurley said in response to comments about the revealing nature of the dress, "Unlike many other designers, Versace designs clothes to celebrate the female form rather than eliminate it”.
The celebration of the supermodel was at an all-time high in 1989 when photographer Herb Ritts took the now-iconic shot of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz and Stephanie Seymour huddled together completely naked. The black and white photograph is signed by each of the five models and is on display in the exhibition. It captures a moment in time showing the top five models of the day whose beauty was almost ethereal. The supermodel had become ‘superhuman’ she was no longer just a body to dress - she was an enigma.
The world went wild for the supermodels and they were known by their first name alone. Today Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, Patitz and Turlington are still regarded as the ‘Original Supermodels’. Many became the faces of cosmetics brands, they had their own television programs and fitness videos and their own lines of lingerie. Indeed, the lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret enlisted Tyra Banks, Gisele Bündchen, Alessandra Ambrosia, Heidi Klum, Karoline Kurkova and Adrianna Lima to be part of their lingerie show. Each model walked the catwalk with giant angel wings attached to their backs, wearing the sexy lingerie which Victoria’s Secret is known for. There are several signed photographs of these famous Victoria’s Secret models in the exhibition including photographs of the girls both on and off the catwalk.
Right throughout the exhibition the viewer is brought on a pictorial journey which starts with the original camera of photographer Andre De Dienes whose 1949 Rolleiflex camera was used by De Dienes in his 1949 Tobey / Jones Beach photo session with Marilyn Monroe. The images show Marilyn in a bathing suit in playful mood posing with a red polka dot umbrella, the original of which is featured in the exhibition and is on permanent display in the Museum of Style Icons. The photographs showed the world a different side of a girl who was to become known as the greatest sex symbol of all time. However, even though she was in a swimsuit, the shots of Marilyn taken by De Dienes, were fun and youthful rather than sexy. De Dienes showed all the youth and vigour that Marilyn possessed. He showed that she was just a girl, playing with the surf and the sand and she looked happy and natural. The display of images is accompanied by De Dienes’ original brown leather camera case with its original serial number still clearly visible.
There is also a photograph of Marilyn Monroe dressed as a ballerina and taken by photographer, Milton Greene. The photograph was shot in October 1954 at Milton Greene’s New York studio. Designer Anne Klein sent various outfits to Milton’s studio for Marilyn to wear, however, they were two sizes too small. The pose in this sitting shows Marilyn trying to hold up the ill-fitting tulle and satin dress. This image captures Marilyn appearing angelic yet seductive, a look that became legendary and defined her appeal. With her toes pointed inward, a smile on her face, and a finger on her chin, Marilyn evokes the demure child playing dress up. This image was chosen as one of Time Life’s three most popular images of the 20th century. The original photograph in the exhibition is signed by the photographer on the back and is inscribed to Sammy Davis Jnr in Greene’s handwriting, “To Sammy / Love.”
The overall exhibition is interesting in that it shows how some models became part of popular culture. Some of them even made history – Naomi Campbell became the first black model to appear on the front cover of Time, British Vogue, French Vogue and the September issue of American Vogue, traditionally the year’s biggest and most important issue. Others, such as Elizabeth Hurley successfully moved from the catwalk to the big screen with the help of an iconic, sexy dress and a memorable photograph. Meanwhile Marilyn Monroe’s legacy and mystique continues to live on through the many iconic images taken of her during her short life. She was probably the original supermodel, the girl who paved the way for the catwalk queens of today. ‘Supermodels and Playboy- The Evolution of Sex Symbols’ runs until 31st May, 2019.
-PREVIOUS EXHIBITION ARCHIVE-
THE DORIS DAY SHOW
-AN EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF HOLLYWOOD ICON, DORIS DAY-
-JEWELLERY AND GARMENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WARDROBE OF DORIS DAY TO GO ON VIEW AT THE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS AT NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE, NEWBRIDGE, CO. KILDARE (IRELAND) –
-ONLY EUROPEAN EXHIBITION-
Newbridge Silverware, together with Julien’s Auctions and The Doris Day Animal Foundation, will exhibit a rare collection of garments, jewellery and accessories from the wardrobe of movie icon, Doris Day at the Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Ireland). The free to enter exhibition entitled, ‘The Doris Day Show’ opens on the 26th of November and runs until 3rd February, 2020. The property will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles on 4th – 5th April 2020, the day after what would have been the stars 98th birthday. Doris Day was famed for her love of animals and all proceeds will go to her charity ‘The Doris Day Animal Foundation’ which the singer and actress founded in 1978. For more information www.ddaf.org
This exhibition is in fact the only European showcase of the Hollywood icon’s personal garments, jewellery, awards and film costumes and offers viewers a rare opportunity to see a piece of film history. Included are garments and jewellery that the star wore to the Golden Globes and on her TV show, the world famous ‘The Doris Day Show’. There are also several garments and pieces of jewellery with dog motifs. The star famously loved dogs and often wore clothing which reflected her passion for animals. The collection also features some stunning gowns, cocktail dresses and several capes which Day liked to wear in both her film work as well as in her personal life.
One of the most important garments which will be on display at the Museum of Style Icons is Doris Day’s formal white trouser suit ensemble which she wore when she received a lifetime achievement award, at the 1989 Golden Globes. The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment". This two piece Valentino outfit includes an ivory, coloured silk blouse with a high collar and long sleeves. It has ornate ruffles on the front and the sleeves and lace floral adornments on the neck and cuffs. The star paired them with a pair of matching trousers in the same colour when she attended the glitzy awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Doris Day was photographed wearing this outfit with fellow Golden Globe winner Clint Eastwood. That same evening Eastwood picked up a gong for the movie ‘Bird’ which he produced and directed.
Several garments bearing dog motifs and imagery will be shown in the exhibition including a 1980’s beige silk blouse with patterns of various dogs and their breed names in cursive text throughout. There is also a cute dog shirt, a button up dog patterned shirt and even a Christmas jumper with a picture of white West Highland Terrier. Even her jewellery bore canine motifs – a 14k gold Poodle charm bracelet will also be on show. The bracelet has 11 gold charms which feature various dog breeds including three Poodles and a Schnauzer. It has five pink sapphires and a diamond and is inscribed ‘All Our Love Terry & Dad’, (her son and husband).
Doris Day was a renowned style icon known for her sunny disposition and zest for life and that was reflected in her clothes which were usually in bright colours and heavily printed. She famously said, “I want to wear beautiful clothes and look pretty. I want to smile, and I want to make people laugh. And that's all I want. I like it. I like being happy. I want to make others happy.”
Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons also own a two-piece Doris Day garment which is on permanent display. It is a costume which Day wore in the 1951 movie ‘On Moonlight Bay’ in which, the star played the part of ‘Marjorie Winfield’. Designed by costume designer, Marjorie Best, this teal coloured period skirt and blouse will also be shown as part of the new exhibition but will not be sold as part of the auction. It is a beautiful garment consisting of an artisan blue wool pleated long skirt, topped by a sheer silk-tulle blouse with integral satin bustier.
Doris Day was the top box office draw of the 20th century and hit number one four times in the 1960’s. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio as Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, Day began her career as a dancer then later as a singer. She went on the big band circuit singing with Les Brown and His Band of Renown and recorded No. 1 hits, ‘My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time’ and ‘Sentimental Journey’.
Soon after embarking on a singing solo career, Hollywood came calling and she got her first film role in ‘Romance on the High Seas’ (Warner Bros., 1948) which produced her No. 2 hit as a soloist, ‘It’s Magic’. Shortly after, her duet with Buddy Clark ‘Someone Like You’ became her first No. 1 as a solo artist which was featured in the 1949 film ‘My Dream is Yours’. Day had 30 Top-20 singles from 1948 to the late 1950s, including the No. 1 hits ‘Love Somebody’ and ‘A Guy Is a Guy,’ and recorded over 30 albums.
She starred in several hit films for Warner Brothers which displayed her singing and comedic talents, ‘Tea for Two’ (1958), ‘On Moonlight Bay’ (1951), ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon’ (1953), ‘Young at Heart’ (1954) opposite Frank Sinatra, ‘Teacher’s Pet’ (1958) opposite Clark Gable as well as the western themed musical, ‘Calamity Jane’ (1953). The song ‘Secret Love’ recorded for ‘Calamity Jane’ won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year and became her fourth No. 1 hit single.
During the decade, Day had her own radio program ‘The Doris Day Show’ and albums from six of her movie musicals charted in the Top 10, three of them at No. 1. In the latter half of the 1950s, Day’s success on the silver screen and music charts reached even greater heights as she took on more dramatic acting roles as singer Ruth Etting opposite James Cagney in the film ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ (MGM 1955) which Day considered to be her best film performance and which the film’s soundtrack went to No. 1.
The following year, Day would star in her breakthrough dramatic role as Josephine Conway McKenna in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ opposite James Stewart and became her tenth film to be in the Top 10 at the box office. In the film, she sang two songs ‘We’ll Love Again’ and what would become the song most synonymous with Day, ‘Que Será, Será’ (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
She would return to her musical comedy roots in the 1957 film ‘The Pajama Game’ with John Raitt and would achieve even greater box office success in a slew of romantic comedies from 1959 to 1968, beginning with her film ‘Pillow Talk’ starring opposite Rock Hudson with Tony Randall. The film won an Oscar for Best Screenplay and an Oscar nomination for Day for Best Actress and from then on, Day became an even bigger household name with her roles playing working women in post war America.
Day and Hudson went on to become one of Hollywood’s most iconic film duos of all time and would star together in two other hit romantic comedies, ‘Lover Come Back’ (Universal Pictures, 1961) and ‘Send Me No Flowers’ (Universal Pictures, 1964). Their on-screen chemistry continued off screen in their lifelong friendship and the incredible bond they shared throughout their lives and up until Hudson’s death from AIDS in 1985. Day helped open the door to tolerance and understanding of the disease by publicly demonstrating her support and empathy for Hudson who became the first celebrity to announce that he had AIDS.
From 1968 to 1973, Doris Day starred in her own successful television show on CBS, ‘The Doris Day Show’ and as well as two television specials, ‘The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special’ (1971) and ‘Doris Day Today’ (1975). She devoted her life to her passion and advocacy of animal rights and welfare activism and helped found the ‘Actors and Others for Animals’, an organisation that rescues stray and mistreated animals and later founded ‘The Doris Day Animal Foundation’ and the Washington-based ‘Doris Day Animal League’. After her retirement from acting, Day lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea in California where she also co-owned a hotel called the Cypress Inn, considered one of the most pet friendly hotels in the U.S.
Day received many distinguished honours including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award in 2012. She recorded more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967 and her songs ‘Sentimental Journey’ and ‘Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be’ were both inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Sadly, Doris Day passed away just this year, on May 13, 2019 at the age of 97.
William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons said, “Doris Day was a true Hollywood icon, her talents, style and beauty lives on through her many films and songs. She had a real affinity with Christmas and had a very famous Christmas album where she sang some of the festive seasons most charming and memorable Christmas songs. We at the Museum of Style Icons are delighted to be the only European venue for this exhibition and feel that people will really enjoy this fun exhibition in the lead up to Christmas. It shows off Doris Day’s happy disposition, her love of animals and her own uniquely personal style which was both glamourous and fanciful.”
The collection will remain on public exhibition at the Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Ireland) from the 26th of November 2019 to the 3rd of February 2020. Entry to the Museum of Style Icons is free. ‘The Property From The Estate Of Doris Day’ goes for auction through Julien’s Auctions on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of April 2020. For more information on the auction please email - info@juliensauctions.com For more on Newbridge Silverware see www.visitnewbridgesilverware.ie or call 00353 (0) 45 431301.
Fashion And Fantasy at Newbridge Silverware
– A LIFETIME CURATION OF HAUTE COUTURE –
This Thursday, (13th of June) Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons will launch an exhibition which pays homage to the most iconic names in fashion that ever lived. The exhibition ‘Fashion and Fantasy – a Lifetime Curation of Haute Couture’ contains a collection of one off or extremely rare designer pieces which date from the 1950’s to the 2000’s. The pieces, which have been curated and collected by German native Monika Gottlieb are either one off Haute Couture pieces that were made by a designer for a runway show or are one off creations, made to measure for a private client. The priceless, private collection curated by international fashion collector, Gottlieb include rarely and one of a kind pieces by Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Givenchy, Balmain, and Hermes among many others.
Ironically, the year before he died in a letter to his friend, Jacques Rouet, Dior had written, “Yves Saint Laurent is young, but he is an immense talent. In my last collection, I consider him to be the father of thirty-four out of the 180 designs. I think the time has come to reveal it to the press. My prestige won’t suffer from it.”.
Just one year later following the sudden death of Dior from a heart attack, the young Saint Laurent was tasked with bringing his mentors vision to life and at the age of just 21 he became the world’s youngest couturier and finished the collection that Dior had started. This green, cocktail dress which will go on show at the Museum of Style Icons has come out of a private collection and has never been shown before to the public. It bears the DNA of Dior and the finger prints of Yves Saint Laurent.
The piece is particularly precious to Monika Gottlieb who is one of the few surviving people in the world who personally knew and met Christian Dior. “I first met Christian Dior when I was just a 4-year-old child and was visiting the Dior House in Avenue Montaigne with my mother. I remember well that Dior was in his white shirt which all the couture designers wore at the time, a he offered me chocolate. I will never forget this moment because at this time of my life I had several eye surgeries and that white shirt looked so familiar to me. It made me think of the doctors in their white coats. But I never got chocolate from the doctors! So, I kept this visit with all the wonderful things around that famous atelier in my mind all these years.”
Monika credit’s her mother’s love of style for her own life-long love of fashion. She recognised at a very early age that incredible designs and one of a kind Haute Couture pieces were extremely valuable, and she started to collect pieces she loved from a very early age. She has now amassed hundreds of rare, vintage pieces with some 118 items coming to Newbridge Silverware including some stunning designer coats, jewellery, shoes, bags, gowns and even luggage. There are also some unusual items such as a miniature Dior chair, fashion drawings, Christmas cards signed by various designers and a limited-edition Barbie doll made by Mattel in 1997. This unusual Barbie shows the famous new look of 1947 when Christian Dior changed the fashion world.
There are also several vintage and one off jewellery pieces including cuffs, earrings, necklaces and broaches. A stunning pair of vintage Chanel earrings with red coloured stones and Swarovski crystals which was especially made for the famous fashion house for a couture show in Paris in 1970 is one of the many eye-catching jewellery inclusions. The earrings were made for Chanel by Gripoix, a third generation jewellery design house that was founded in 1868. Gripoix had the knowledge to make the red coloured stones out of powder and heat. The stones in this particular set are called, ‘Pate de Verre’ and there are no more than three pairs of these earrings to be found anywhere in the world.
Lacroix, the designer much loved by Eva Mendes and Rachel McAdams features prominently in the exhibition. A standout piece in the collection is Lacroix’s stunning 1998 Haute Couture wool red coat which was made as a one-off piece for a runway show. The wool is ‘laine cardee lustree’, whereby the wool has been painstakingly heated and combed several times to make the natural wool fibres lengthen and drape down the garment so that they would take on the appearance of fine fringes.
Visitors to the Haute Couture exhibition will also see vintage designer Chanel bags and handbags made by Italian fashion designer Roberta di Camerino who is regarded as one of the most important handbag designers of the last century. Camerino started her company in 1946 in Venice and just a few years later was honoured by The White House for her efforts to improve trade between the USA and Italy. Her exclusive bags were seen on the arms of a host of style icons including Jackie Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.
The Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware regularly changes its exhibitions, offering something for music fans, film buffs and fashionistas as well as keeping permanent displays in place dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Grace Kelly and even Kim Kardashian. among many others. Visiting exhibitions at the Kildare attraction have included Marilyn Monroe’s famous gold dress which she wore while singing Happy Birthday to JFK, an exhibition dedicated to Lord of the Rings and most recently a Nirvana and Kurt Cobain exhibition.
William Doyle is the instigator of the Museum of Style Icons and created the museum after he bought a very famous black dress. “The little black Givenchy ensemble worn by Audrey Hepburn in ‘Charade’ started it all. We bought the dress at an auction at Christie’s of London 11 years ago and it started from there. We actually set out to buy the floor-length sleeveless black Givenchy sheath worn by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Truman Capote's l961 romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, but was outbid by an anonymous French telephone bidder. We didn’t know it of course at the time but the other bidder turned out to be Givenchy himself who was desperate to have the dress back. We continued to bid for the dress but the price sky-rocketed and was eventually sold for €607,000 – seven times its pre-sale estimate. We did buy a number of other Audrey Hepburn items however, and that fateful day at Christie’s marked the start of our passion for collecting and it has really gone from there.”
“We buy notable artefacts which we believe our visitors will appreciate. The Museum of Style Icons is unique in that visitors can see all kinds of rare and beautiful pieces which were once owned or worn by some of the greatest names of the big screen or of the fashion or music world. The museum has permanent displays which are always available to view but we often have visiting exhibitions, such as our newest couture exhibition which Monika Gottlieb unveils next week. It is with great pleasure that we get an opportunity to share the collections to the public who appreciate the chance to savour something special, something unique and quite often something very rare and of huge historical importance.
I appreciate great design – innovation, style and creativity forms the very corner stone of our business. The Museum of Style Icons offers us the opportunity to showcase the greatest designs of the last century. Fashion is one of the most powerful storytellers in the world, it captures a moment in time and in history and is often reflective of the demographic and popular culture of the day. We have so many special artefacts and garments in the museum but if I were pushed to choose my all-time favourite, as a Beatles fan it would have to be the four matching Beatles suits with the mandarin collars. They are the only surviving matching suits left in the world which were worn by the fab four and are a ‘must see’ exhibit for any Beatles fan.”
The Museum of Style Icons contains one of the most unique collections of fashion and cinema memorabilia in the world and welcomes over 350,000 visitors a year. The free to enter museum has several permanent exhibitions dedicated to design and style while celebrating some of the world’s most iconic personalities from the worlds of fashion, film and entertainment.
The Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware is located in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. It is open 7 days a week and is free to enter. The museum also features garments and interesting artefacts from several Hollywood stars, musicians, and celebrities. For more see www.visitnewbridgesilverware.com or call (045) 431301.
-PREVIOUS EXHIBITION ARCHIVE-
THE BILL WYMAN AND HIS ROLLING STONES ARCHIVE EXHIBITION
THIS EXHIBITION IS NOW CLOSED
-AN EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO THE INCREDIBLE ARCHIVE OF FORMER ROLLING STONES MEMBER, BILL WYMAN-
- FEATURING THE PROPERTY OF BILL WYMAN INCLUDING MUSICAL TREASURES, COSTUMES AND MEMORABILIA AT THE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS, NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE, NEWBRIDGE, CO. KILDARE (IRELAND) –
-ONLY EUROPEAN EXHIBITION-
Newbridge Silverware, together with Julien’s Auctions will exhibit a rare collection of musical treasures, costumes and memorabilia from the iconic former Rolling Stones member, Bill Wyman at the Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Ireland). The free to enter exhibition is courtesy of Ripple Productions and is entitled, ‘The Bill Wyman and his Rolling Stones Archive Exhibition’. It opens on the 10th of March 2020 and runs until the 20th of April 2020. The property will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California on Friday, 29th May to Sunday, 31st May 2020 with a portion of the proceeds of the auction benefiting The Prince’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and CCMI (Central Caribbean Marine Institution).
This exhibition is in fact the only European showcase of the former Rolling Stones member’s collection. The archive contains not only an unprecedented collection of Bill Wyman’s instruments, stage worn ensembles, personal items and artifacts collected during his illustrious three-decade career as a founding member and bassist of the World’s Greatest Rock Band, the Rolling Stones, but also important instruments and artifacts from his ongoing solo career.
A number of Wyman’s fine collection of guitars will be on view with highlights including: a 1969 Fender Mustang Bass with a Competition Orange finish designed by Leo Fender before he left the company used by Wyman on The Stones’ concerts and recordings in 1969. There is also a 1978 custom built Travis Bean Custom Short Scale Bass used by Wyman on the band’s recordings, videos and tours in 1978 and the 1980s. Another important instrument is the 1981 black Steinberger Custom Short-Scale XL-Series Bass played during the 1988 A.I.M.S. Gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Rolling Stones 1982 tour. The guitar collection also includes a 1974 Dan Armstrong Prototype Bass used by Wyman on several performances such as, the Rolling Stones’ 1975 performance on a flat-bed truck in New York City, the Rolling Stones 1975-76 tour and Wyman's 1981 Top Of The Pops performance of his hit single, "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star”. The 1968 Gibson Les Paul Standard Model Gold Top guitar and case used by Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus concert show and film in December 1968 and on other recordings will also generate huge interest.
Other items from the archive include Wyman’s gold and black satin two-piece stage ensemble worn in the 1970s from famed London boutique Mr. Freedom. The boutique located at 430 King's Road in Chelsea was famous for its pop art inspired fashion often incorporating stars, thunderbolts and ice cream cone motifs in their designs. This suit features a zip front jacket with matching trousers and a signature melting ice cream cone design on the back of the jacket. Wyman's records indicate that he purchased this ensemble in September of 1970 and wore it during stage performances with the Rolling Stones.
There is also a Jim Morrison Tribute To Brian Jones Original Pamphlet. This bi fold pamphlet contains a poem by Jim Morrison of The Doors titled ‘Ode to LA While Thinking of Brian Jones, deceased’. This is one of only 500 copies of this poem printed in July 1969. This work, the third of Morrisons four self-published poetry works reflects on the death of Brian Jones who died on July 3rd1969. Morrison distributed the pamphlet during two performances by The Doors at the Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood on July 21st 1969. Very few survive as many concert goers failed to save them.
Bill Wyman said, “Collecting and archiving has been one of the great pleasures of my life and will undoubtedly be one of my legacies, it feels like the right time to share my archive with the world. I hope people will get as much joy from my collections as I have. It is easier to let these items go knowing that a portion of the proceeds from this sale will support three causes that are close to my heart: The Prince’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and CCMI (Central Caribbean Marine Institute) who are at the forefront of restoring the health of the world’s reefs and oceans.”
Born William George Perks Jr. in Lewisham, South London on 24th October 1936, Wyman began taking piano lessons at the age of 10. He bought his first guitar, a Burns electric guitar, in 1959. He later fell in love with the bass guitar after hearing one at a Barron Knights concert. He used the stage name Lee Wyman (later changed to Bill Wyman), taking the surname of a friend with whom he had served alongside in the Royal Air Force from 1955-1957. He legally changed his surname to Wyman in August 1964.
After realising his band, The Cliftons, needed a bass-player, and as nobody wanted to play bass, Wyman decided to do it himself, and in 1961, he created and played the world’s first fretless bass guitar with his band, and later with the Rolling Stones.
On December 7th, 1962, the 26-year-old bassist went to the Wetherby Arms pub in London to audition for the Rolling Stones - whose lineup consisted at the time of Ian Stewart, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Tony Chapman. After buying the poor musicians a round of drinks while impressing them with his musical instrument and his 1962 Vox AC30 Normal model amplifier, Rock ‘N’ Roll history was made.
Soon after Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts joined, the Rolling Stones went on to become one of the most popular and notorious bands in the universe. Their unique blues, Rock ‘N’ Roll and R&B sound, coupled with their youthful swagger, provocative song lyrics and stage performances and rebellious attitude, made them 1960s counterculture idols. The band became a cultural phenomenon who conquered the United States in 1964 and the rest of the world soon after.
In addition to playing bass in the band, Wyman contributed his vocal and songwriting talents on two of The Stones’ early recordings and performances including lead vocals and composition of “In Another Land” from their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request and "Downtown Suzie" written by Wyman and sung by Jagger on the 1975 Metamorphosis compilation.
From the mid-1970s and onward, Wyman recorded three solo albums that produced the Top 20 hit “(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star,” from his self-titled album; Monkey Grip which produced the hit “It’s a Wonder;” and Stone Alone. Wyman also played on The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions 1971 album with Howlin’ Wolf members, Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts and Steve Winwood and on the 1972 album, Jamming with Edward, featuring Ry Cooder, Nicky Hopkins, Jagger and Watts.
In the 1980s, he composed music for the films Green Ice and Dario Argento’s horror classics, Phenomena and Terror at the Opera. In 1989, Wyman with the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 1993, Wyman left the Rolling Stones to pursue other projects and new musical endeavors including the formation of “Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings” the acclaimed rhythm and blues band, and his fourth solo album, Back to Basics. Since 1996, The Rhythm Kings has recorded six studio albums and two live albums which produced the singles, “Groovin,'" "Can't Get My Rest at Night," "Gambler's Lament," "That's How Heartaches Are Made," and "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" with a rotation of some of the top musical artists of all time including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Peter Frampton, Mark Knopfler, Mick Taylor and more.
Wyman is an acclaimed photographer whose images have been exhibited all over the world and in his book, Wyman Shoots Chagall, which captures his friendship with artist Marc Chagall. Wyman is also the founder of Sticky Fingers, the world-famous restaurant in London; a metal detector enthusiast; an inventor and a best-selling author of many books on a wide range of topics including his time with the Rolling Stones, Blues music, and his passion of finding archaeological treasures. His latest book – Stones From the Inside – is a collection of rare Rolling Stones images that went on sale in February.
William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons said, “It is a huge privilege for us to host this wonderful exhibition. Bill Wyman is a musical legend and we are looking forward to showcasing this important archive of musical treasures. This exhibition is a ‘must see’ for anyone who loves music, Rock and Roll and The Rolling Stones.”
The collection will remain on public exhibition at the Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Ireland) from the 10th of March until the 20th of April 2020. Entry to the Museum of Style Icons is free. The collection goes for auction through Julien’s Auctions on Friday, 29th May to Sunday, 31st May 2020. For more information on the auction please email - info@juliensauctions.com
The Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware is located in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. It is open 7 days a week and is free to enter. The museum also features garments and interesting artefacts from several Hollywood stars, musicians, and celebrities. For more see www.newbridgesilverware.com or call (045) 431301.