Elizabeth Taylor was an iconic figure in life and now in death. Her famous jewelry collection was auctioned by Christie’s and fetched quite a handsome amount. This time around Christies is auctioning off her first wedding gown as part of their Pop Culture sale. The pre-sale estimates are around $45,300, but the actual final bid could go much higher. The highest bidder will get a provenance and picture of Taylor wearing the gown at her wedding as a complimentary document. The auction will be held on June 26.
Taylor wore this silk gown to her marriage to hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr., son of Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotels and the great uncle of the current Hilton heiresses Paris and Nicki. The wedding was the first for both and lasted less than a year. Hilton was married one more time while Taylor went on to marry seven more times. She was just 18 years old when she wore this gown.
This stunning silk satin gown was designed by Helen Rose, the chief costume designer of MGM. She also designed the iconic wedding gown of Grace Kelley to Prince Rainier of Monaco. This dress has long fitted sleeves, a mere 20 inch waistline and a translucent silk gauge off shoulder neckline. The bodice, cuff, skirt, and neckline have a foliated motif embroidered with glass bugle beads and seed pearls. The veil is made of silk and comes with a beaded Juliet cap.
This dress is truly an iconic piece of film star memorabilia. But if the buyer is thinking of wearing it, she would have to have a really teeny tiny waist. Some time back we saw the auction of Princess Diana’s gowns, which fetched over a million dollars. If they ever decide to auction off all of Taylor’s wedding gowns, of which there are many, I am sure the total would easily cross the million mark.
