Wearing the Perfect Ensemble

Ms. Sue Blair broke into the fashion industry in Paris when John Fairchild of Women’s Wear Daily introduced her to Jules Francois Crahay, the then head designer for Nina Ricci and later Lanvin. Ms. Blair went on to rub elbows with some of fashion’s biggest names throughout her career. The October 7 Luxury Accessories and Vintage Fashion auction at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will feature a special session of couture garments from the collection of Ms. Sue Blair, an international model and associate for important designers.

Sue Blair with designer Jules Francois Crahay, Sue Blair with Bill Blass

Ms. Blair moved to both Paris and Jerusalem with her husband who had worked as the foreign correspondent and bureau chief for The New York Times. In Paris she became the “muse” of Jules Francois Crahay and so began a great friendship that lasted until his death in 1988. While living in Jerusalem, Ms. Blair maintained her modeling career, flying to Paris for one week each month. It was then that she began collecting couture clothing.

In the late 1970s Ms. Blair worked for designer Thea Porter and began collecting her clothing. When she moved back to New York in the early 1980s, John Fairchild introduced her to Bill Blass where she worked as his personal assistant for eight years before moving back to Kansas City to care for her ailing mother. Her socialite status in New York prompted her to collect many Blass ensembles that captured the eye-catching sparkle of his evening clothes.

Sue Blair with other models at Nina Ricci (front and center)

As Fashion Week concludes in Paris, buyers will be able to bid on this amazing compilation of couture clothing including garments by French design houses Nina Ricci and Lanvin as well as ensembles by Bill Blass, Issey Miyake and Thea Porter.

Outside of her professional and personal connections, Ms. Blair continued to love fashion and collect throughout her years. Whether dressing for a country evening in the Hudson Valley or a luncheon in New York City, she wanted to wear the perfect ensemble. She considered her collection of clothes to be beautiful and full of craftsmanship and history.

Highlights from her collection to be auctioned on October 7 include a Thea Porter blue caftan ensemble, a Nina Ricci seafoam and metallic silver gown, a Lanvin green velvet floor length skirt and a Bill Blass gold sequin bolero.

Aside from this single owner session, the Luxury Accessories and Vintage Fashion sale will offer many exciting opportunities such as a pristine olive green ostrich Hermes Birkin bag estimated at $30,000-50,000 and wonderful stamped designer costume jewelry by Hermes, Chanel and Valentino.

The October 7 sale at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is the perfect event to wrap up the celebration of fall fashion weeks across the globe.