PRESS RELEASE:
Items from the estate of fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger will be sold Sept. 26 by Vintage Galleries
Items from the estate of Tommy Hilfiger – the international fashion designer – will be sold without reserve (everything sells, regardless of price) at an auction slated for Sunday, Sept. 26, by Vintage Galleries in Stamford, Conn., at 1 p.m.
Items from the estate of Tommy Hilfiger – the international fashion designer and founder of the brand that bears his name – will be sold without reserve (everything sells, regardless of price) at an auction slated for Sunday, Sept. 26, by Vintage Galleries, located in the heart of Stamford’s burgeoning antiques district, at 528 Canal Street.
It will be just the fifth auction for Vintage Galleries, which held its inaugural sale last September. It was able to secure this consignment because Mr. Hilfiger frequents the shop across the street – Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center – and the owner of that business, Sam Pizzichillo, introduced Mr. Hilfiger to Philip Amaradio, one of the owners of Vintage Galleries.
“Tommy Hilfiger, aside from being a truly genuine human being and a kind, humble man, is a dedicated collector in a wide range of categories,” Mr. Pizzichillo said. “He has a very discerning eye and only buys the best. That’s what will make this auction so special. It is not only quality, fresh-to-the market merchandise; it is a chance to own a part of a fashion icon.”
The auction, which begins at 1 p.m., will feature around 500 items from the Hilfiger estate. Traditional pieces will include dining tables and chairs, Italian leather, bookcases, wing chairs, chests, coffee and end tables and armoires. Unusual pieces will include custom wooden Balinise furniture designed by Mr. Hilfiger himself, antler hunting lodge chairs and other items.
Mr. Hilfiger decided to consign some of the items in his vast collections after selling his estate home in Greenwich (for about $22 million), as well as his estate homes in East Hampton, N.Y., and Vermont. He recently bought another home in Greenwich, and maintains an apartment in New York City. The need to redecorate both residences led to his decision to sell some items.
Continental furniture will dominate the day’s offerings. Certain to pique bidder interest will be a pair of green painted and upholstered chairs in the style of Louis XVI, stamped Jansen (est. $4,000-$6,000). a pair of Louis XIV-style cream painted and parcel-gilt armchairs, also stamped Jansen (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a pair of plush red velvet upholstered French settees (est. $1,000-$2,000).
Also from France: a fabulous provincial hutch with wired doors, supported by a two-door cabinet base (est. $2,000-$4,000); a gorgeous antique armoire (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a French glass display case from Best & Co., with beautiful carving and gilt details (est. $1,500-$2,000). Also offered will be a lot set of three monumental decorative floor mirrors (est. $1,000-$2,000).
English pieces will include a fine 19th century mahogany partner’s desk, the top with green embossed leather inset over a frieze fitted with four drawers each(est. $2,000-$3,000); a breakfront of four glass doors over three drawers, standing on a two-door cabinet (est. $1,500-$2,000); and an antique Victorian desk with Chinoiserie paint decorations (est. $1,000-$2,000).
For the walls, offerings will include a set of two hand-colored prints by the Hungarian print-maker and illustrator Marcel Vertes (1895-1961, est. $1,000-$2,000); a set of five framed prints of English crowns (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a set of five framed prints of English flags (est. $1,000-$2,000). Also sold will be a signed Picasso drawing and many original paintings.
Georgian furniture will include a charming highboy lacquered in red (est. $1,000-$2,000) and a pair of painted and carved Georgian-style demi-lune consoles (est. $1,500-$2,000). Rounding out the list of expected top lots are a beautiful pair of antique Austrian hand-painted hutches (est. $4,000-$6,000) and an interesting vintage carriage that was used in New York’s Rockefeller Center, in one of their Christmas displays (est. $1,000-$2,000).
Previews will be ongoing leading up to the day of sale, from Sept. 12-25 (10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day). The auction will also feature the contents of an upscale Park Avenue estate, an estimated 100 lots from a lighting warehouse containing mostly antique French lighting and decorative lighting, and other estates and collections. All these, too, will be sold without reserve.
Online bidding (for about 200 of the lots from the Hilfiger estate only) will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Additional items from the Hilfiger estate will be sold at a second auction, with a date still to be determined (probably the last weekend in October). Watch the website for details: www.vintagegalleriesauction.com.
Vintage Galleries offers a large selection of fine antiques, art and accessories. The firm caters to upscale collectors, decorators and dealers and specializes in American, English and Continental furniture, fine art, glassware, porcelain pieces, 20th century design and more. The company also has a large showing of Maison Jansen furniture and accessories for sale across the street at Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center. Their phone number is 203-274-5130.
Vintage Galleries is located two blocks off I-95. The firm’s newly renovated and air-conditioned gallery is less than an hour from midtown Manhattan. Vintage Galleries is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or a collection, please call (203) 504-8485, or send an e-mail to info@vintagegalleriesauction.com.
For more information about Vintage Galleries and the upcoming Sept. 26 auction, please log on towww.vintagegalleriesauction
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