Chantal Thomass Puts Fashion Designs under the Hammer

FASHION FIRST: Chantal Thomass may be best known for her cheeky lingerie creations, but before her intimate apparel became de rigueur, she was also a prolific fashion designer, first under the Ter et Bantine label then under her own name. Alongside contemporaries like Kenzo Takada, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Thierry Mugler, she was at the heart of the Paris fashion set of the 1970s and 1980s, championing androgynous dressing by mixing tailored silhouettes with the bows and lace that have become her style language.

The label, which she exited in 2018, has belonged to Groupe Chantelle since 2011.

On March 5, the “Chantal Thomass: 40 Years of Fashion” sales will see a selection of one-off fashion and accessories pieces put together by her and vintage expert Didier Ludot go under the hammer.

Some 274 pieces will be offered by auctioneer Millon at the Drouot auction house, including many one-off runway looks worn by the likes of Claudia Schiffer and Carla Bruni, as well as a range of quirky accessories and footwear. A double-breasted down coat created for Moncler in 1992 and an ostrich feather coat worn in 1984 by Isabelle Adjani for the César awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, are among the most expensive items, with respective guide prices of between 400 and 500 euros and 500 and 600 euros.

As well as the physical auction, there will be an online sale of 355 pieces that will run on Millon’s website from Feb. 12 through March 6.