LEADING LADY: By a sad coincidence, French film star Anouk Aimée passed away last year just a few months after Chanel paid tribute to her most well-known film, “A Man and a Woman,” with a campaign starring Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz.
Now items from the New Wave style icon’s personal wardrobe, including a Chanel suit, slingbacks and necklaces, are going under the hammer as part of a sale organized by her daughter Manuela Papatakis with auction house Penelope’s.
Among the 130 lots of clothing and accessories available in the online auction, which will run from Feb. 28 to March 10, is the sheepskin coat Aimée wore in “A Man and a Woman.” The film won awards including the Grand Prix at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival and two Academy Awards, for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay.
Estimated at 1,000 euros to 2,000 euros, the coat appears in a climactic scene where she reunites with Jean-Louis Trintignant on the beach in Deauville, to the film’s iconic “da ba da ba da” song by Francis Lai. Aimée famously wore her own clothes and accessories in the film, included the quilted Chanel handbag she prominently placed on the table in a restaurant scene.
“From the 1960s, under the influence of her friend Coco Chanel, she became the symbol of a pared-back style and low-key sophistication, in tune with her style of acting: introspective, minimalist, but infinitely expressive,” Penelope’s said in a statement.
Coat worn by Anouk Aimée in the film “A Man and a Woman.”
Courtesy of Penelope’s
In the ‘80s, the actress became close with Emanuel Ungaro, donning more ostentatiously feminine looks like the hourglass skirt suit with power shoulders, estimated at 700 euros to 900 euros, that is featured in the sale.
She also favored designs by Yves Saint Laurent, such as a red wrap dress that she wore on stage for “Love Letters,” a play in which she appeared several times over the years with partners including Trintignant, Alain Delon and Gérard Depardieu.
Aimée posed for leading photographers including William Klein, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton, cementing her status as an ambassador of French chic.
Launched last year, Penelope’s stages several auctions a month, with upcoming themes including Hedi Slimane’s jewelry designs for Dior Homme, and sales dedicated to Paco Rabanne and Gianfranco Ferré — a first on the auction scene.
Founder Pénélope Blanckaert, a vintage and contemporary fashion expert with 18 years of experience working with auctioneers including Artcurial, Piasa and Millon, previously helped private auction platform Fair Warning sell a Paco Rabanne dress for $100,000.
An Yves Saint Laurent haute couture dress worn by Anouk Aimée in the play “Love Letters.”
Courtesy of Penelope’s
