From January 24 to 29, 2025, at the height of Fashion Week, the Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house will be opening its doors for an exceptional free exhibition. The latest pieces from Didier Ludot's Haute Couture collection will be unveiled, prior to their auction on January 30.
For over 50 years, Didier Ludot has reigned under the arcades of the Palais-Royal with his boutique, which has become a veritable sanctuary for luxury vintage fashion. Antiquarian and passionate collector, he has captured the soul of the most refined creations and breathed new life into them. But now it's time to draw the final thread. This final sale brings together over 350 pieces of twentieth-century Haute Couture by Balenciaga, Madame Grès, Chanel, Dior, Karl Lagerfeld and many others.
Among these lots, 80 Yves Saint Laurent-branded creations from the wardrobes of elegant women, both anonymous and famous, have pride of place. In Ludot's own words: "With them, I want to shout out all my love for Monsieur Saint Laurent!" The tone is set, the emotion palpable, and the treasures ready to change hands.
Each piece in thefashion exhibition tells the story of a time when elegance was second nature. Cocktail, evening, daytime suit, each outfit reflects a vanished art of living, when each moment had its own uniform. Didier Ludot doesn't mince his words about the evolution of style:"Today's millennials, generation Z ... come to try on evening gowns with UGGs ... The singer Yseult parades in Cannes in a Monsieur Dior Bar suit ... I have a lot of trouble with the lack of culture of today's era!" Sulky? Perhaps. But behind that taffeta carapace lies a man deeply attached to French chic and savoir-faire.
Ah, the little black dress... Didier Ludot has always revered it. In 1996, he devoted an exhibition to it, before publishing a book in 2001. Among the lots, creations by Balenciaga, Dior and Madame Grès from the 50s and 60s will pay tribute to this timeless classic.
Under the subdued lights of the Palais-Royal, Ludot didn't just sell clothes, he introduced his customers to a veritable art of living. Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone... Many have passed through his doors to treat themselves to couture treasures. Ludot also salutes the anonymous, those who, for the time of a fitting, have gained access to a world of elegance hitherto reserved for a select few.
For Didier Ludot, this step is a real stopping-off point, a well-thought-out setback. "After more than 50 years at the Palais-Royal, promoting French luxury and craftsmanship, and offering my customers all over the world the very best Haute Couture has to offer, I've decided today to bid farewell to this profession I've loved so much!" confides the man who grew up following his mother to her couturier's, and has elevated vintage fashion to an art form.
From January 24 to 29, visit Bonhams Cornette de Saint-Cyr, in Paris's 8th arrondissement, to discover this new couture exhibition. Didier Ludot doesn't just turn a page, he embroiders a timeless chapter in the great book of fashion.
Dates and Opening Time
From January 24, 2025 to January 29, 2025
Location
Maison Cornette de Saint Cyr
6 Avenue Hoche
75008 Paris 8
Access
Metro 3: Courcelles
Official website
csc.bonhams.com