2025 was another very busy year in the Fashion, Costume and Textiles Department at Tennants, where we have had the privilege of handling costume and textiles from across the centuries, whilst also being entrusted to sell numerous treasured private and family collections. In total, over 1600 lots were offered for sale, realising a total hammer price of £347,080, and the specialist sales achieved an average selling rate of 92%.
Harlequin Mini-Crini
Perhaps the highlight of the year for the department was the single-owner sale Vivienne Westwood: Five Decades at the Cutting Edge in August, which was thought to be the largest private collection of Westwood to be sold outside London. The collection offered nearly 300 garments by the iconic British designer, and was put together over two decades by Susan Baker, a passionate admirer of everything Westwood. After opening the sale with a private view and fashion show, the top lot was a two-piece Harlequin Mini-Crini from the Voyage to Cythera Collection, which is now part of a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia (sold for £13,000 all figures exclude buyer’s premium).
Coinciding with the centenary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, which saw the Art Deco style reach peak fruition, we were delighted to sell an extensive private collection of 1920s and 1930s costume, textiles, accessories and millinery which had been beautifully curated by the vendor over decades.
Circa 1800 Chintz and Patchwork Quilt
Costume and textiles with good historic provenance were in demand, with notable lots from private family collections from Aberdeenshire, Cornwall and Cheshire selling well above estimate. Antique Louis Vuitton luggage is perennially popular, but with added provenance was a Late 19th Century Louis Vuitton Large Case that once belonged to the Earl of Lonsdale, which helped the case realise a hammer price of £4,500. Whilst the makers of most antique textiles have been lost to history, a Circa 1800 Chintz and Patchwork Quilt was embroidered with the makers name – Sally Filkes of Warminster. With research it was discovered that Sally was from a wealthy family, and in 1787 she married James Grant Filkes who was a wool stapler (wool merchant); they were both buried at St Denys with St Lawrence Church in Warminster.
Early 19th Century Persian Robe
Throughout the year, world costume and textiles have sold well, with Central Asian textiles generating much interest amongst bidders. The most collectable items have been decorative, colourful and mainly hand-worked pieces from Persia and the Ottoman Empire, India and China. Highlights of the year included an Early 20th Century Chinese Red Silk Long Robe (sold for £1,900), and an Early 19th Century Persian Robe (sold for £2,200).
18th Century Needlepoint Memento Mori
One of the most enigmatic lots of the year was a Memento Mori or ‘reminder of death’, that had been worked in needlepoint, a medium that is normally used for decorative scenes rich with flowers and animals (sold for £1,300). Whilst rather faded, this 18th Century needlework had a skull, a vase with a wilted flower, and a recently blown out candle trailing a wisp of smoke. Below, written in Latin, is the phrase “My days have faded away like smoke” which is taken from Psalm 102 verse 3. It is a lament attributed to David that deals with sorrow, humility and faith, and is often read during lent and at funerals. Other good antique textiles included a Late Elizabethan/Early Jacobean Fine Needlework depicting a stylised aerial view of a garden from a Private Collection (sold for £3,200).
Circa 2007 Hermès Black Leather Birkin Bag
In contrast to the historic textiles, luxury modern designer fashion and accessories has been increasingly sought-after at auction, with buyers looking for pieces from iconic brands in good condition. Curated sections of designer fashion and accessories are quarterly, offering the likes of Chanel handbags and Hermès blankets and scarves. Some of the most in demand lots of 2025 were a Circa 2007 Hermès Black Leather Birkin Bag (sold for £6,500), a Circa 1970s/80s Hermès Black Leather Sac Mallette (sold for £2,200), and a Louis Vuitton Limited Edition Kimono Multicolour Monogram Canvas Bag (sold for £1,800).
Mollie Welch (r) in Norman Hartnell's Workroom
This year looks set to be another exciting year in the department, commencing with the February sale which stars the Mollie Welch Archive, the collection of a tambour embroiderer who worked for designer to Royalty Norman Hartnell, and a collection of over one hundred lots of antique costume, accessories and textiles from a London Collection.
Looking forward to the rest of the year, we will be offering a Private Collection from Glasgow of primarily Victorian and later costume, a Private Collection from Yorkshire of 18th century and later costume; both collections were put together over the course of several decades.
Learn more about consigning Fashion, Costume and Textiles at Tennants.
