From hair brushes to jeweled shoe clips to a metal four-drawer filing cabinet, some 849 things that once filled the home and life of Greta Garbo are going on the auction block this week courtesy of her family members in charge of her estate and all in the name of funding future art.
The fire sale at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills kicks off tonight with a preview reception hosted by neo-burlesque queen Dita Von Teese, fashion industry activist Sonja Nuttal and yours truly from 6 to 9 p.m.
The beneficiary of all these items is Creative Visions Foundation, which provides mentoring and grants to budding documentary filmmakers and other socially conscious artists. My pal Julienne Ho left the beauty world to work with this worthy group, which was founded by the mother of Dan Eldon, a young Reuters photojournalist killed in Somalia in 1993.
Strange bedfellows? Perhaps, but the nephew of Garbo sat on the CVF board for a time and continues to be a friend. Among the more pedestrian items on auction, from Swedish toys to used make-up, is the largest collection of dresses by Valentina, the maverick New York designer with whom Garbo had a complicated friendship.
Scroll through the gallery above featuring a few of my favorite things, some which I will definitely try to score during the auction later this week.
See you tonight.
-R
Posted in Cinema, Style
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