USA: ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S 1969 PERIWINKLE BLUE OSCAR GOWN GOES UNDER THE HAMMER AT CHRISTIE'S AUCTION HOUSE

Record ID: 545722

  • Title: USA: ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S 1969 PERIWINKLE BLUE OSCAR GOWN GOES UNDER THE HAMMER AT CHRISTIE'S AUCTION HOUSE
  • Date: 19th March 1999
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA (FILE 1997) (REUTERS) (FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) MADONNA AT 1997 OSCAR EVENT, WEARING DRESS TO BE SOLD
  • Embargoed: 3rd April 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Business,Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA5DWG6R4QI6OEBN3JDPP805H5I
  • Story Text: Elizabeth Taylor's 1969 periwinkle blue Oscar gown fetched $167,500 at Christie's auction house in New York Thursday evening (March 18) in a charity sale.
    A dress worn by Elizabeth Taylor to the 1969 Academy Awards was sold at auction on Thursday (March 18) for US DOLLARS 167,500.
    The periwinkle blue and violet colours of Taylor's dress matched the stunning eyes of the actress, who wore it to present the Best Picture award to "Midnight Cowboy."
    ToymakerMattel, Inc.bought the sleeveless crepe evening dress.
    Fetching the second highest price of the evening was Madonna's full-length, V-necked black silk and dove-gray tulle ensemble worn to the 1997 Academy Awards.
    Designed by Olivier Theyskens and Jean Paul Gaultier, it was bought for US$79,500 by the Home Shopping Network, which said it would be used to publicise and raise more money for AIDS research.
    Both Taylor and Madonna have been heavily involved in raising money for AIDS research.
    The 56 dresses at Thursday's auction were created by such designers as Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani and Valentino and donated by actresses including Lauren Bacall, Cher, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.
    The Christie's auction raised US$786,000, and the entire proceeds will go to the American Foundation for Aids Research, or AmFAR.
    More than 300 people attended the standing-room only auction in Christie's Park Avenue showroom.
    Taylor, who donated the top-selling dress, did not attend but listened to the bidding over the telephone.
    Taylor's dress was the second highest price ever after a gown that belonged to Princess Diana, Christie's auction house said.The top seller is the off-the-shoulder, ink-blue velvet gown worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, when she danced with John Travolta at a 1985 White House dinner.
    That dress sold for $222,500 at a charity auction at Christie's in June 1997, just months before her death.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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