KERRY TAYLOR AUCTIONS SELLS AUDREY HEPBURN COLLECTION FOR $550,000

THE BLACK COCKTAIL DRESS WORN BY AUDREY HEPBURN IN 'HOW TO STEAL A MILLION' HAS SOLD FOR NEARLY $100,000 AT A RECENT AUCTION. KERRY TAYLOR AUCTIONS, LONDON, SAYS THE CHANTILLY LACE DRESS SOLD TO AN ANONYMOUS BIDDER FOR $97,700. IT WAS ONE OF 40 ITEMS FROM HEPBURN'S WARDROBE SOLD OFF BY HER FRIEND TANJA STAR-BUSMAN. THE AUCTIONEER SAID THE RECENT SALE MADE A TOTAL OF $550,000, WITH HALF OF THE NET PROCEEDS GOING TO THE AUDREY HEPBURN CHILDREN'S FUND. AUDREY HEPBURN WAS NOT JUST A FILM STAR, SHE WAS A MAJOR STYLE ICON OF THE 20th CENTURY. SIMPLICITY AND SEEMINGLY EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE WAS HER TRADEMARK. ABLY AIDED AND ABETTED BY THE YOUNG COUTURIER HUBERT DE GIVENCHY, SHE BECAME THE PERSONIFICATION OF CHIC ELEGANCE IN THE 1950s AND 60s. GIVENCHY SAID OF HER "ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WAS AUDREY LOOKED IS HERS. SHE MADE THE SELECTIONS." AUDREY HAD IT WRITTEN INTO HER FILM CONTRACTS THAT DE GIVENCHY WOULD MAKE ALL THE CLOTHES SHE WORE AND ALSO ASTUTELY HAD IT AGREED THAT SHE RETAIN THE MAJORITY OF HER PARISIAN WARDROBE.