The sale of the fashion collection belonging to Paris socialite, filmmaker, and former runway star Farida Khelfa has raised €330,000 at auction, half of it for charity, confirming how buoyant the vintage market remains.
Pieces by Azzedine Alaïa and the prices they fetched at the auction – Maurice Auction
Organised by Maurice Auction, a Paris firm focusing on art and luxury, the sale, entitled Garde-Robe Iconique de Farida Khelfa, raked in €332,343.
A notably elegant figure, Khelfa ran away from her family in Lyons at 15 to begin a career in modelling in Paris, where she walked in shows by such legends as Azzedine Alaïa and Jean-Paul Gaultier. In later life she was named brand ambassador for Schiaparelli. Designs by all three fashion houses made up the majority of the auction which also included creations by Saint Laurent, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Prada, Pierre Cardin, and Christian Louboutin.
Sold online, these personal archives of Farida came to approximately 200 pieces, comprising outfits, shoes, and accessories worn by the model in her storied career. During this, Khelfa was also the witness at the 2008 wedding of Carla Bruni to then French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
“I thank the buyers: their gesture shows as much elegance as generosity. These resonate particularly well with RIACE, and I am sincerely grateful to them,” said Farida after the auction, half of whose profits will be donated to the RIACE Fund, engaged in solidarity actions.
The Alaïa lots sparked intense competition, achieving a world record for an Alaïa piece from a private collection. A 1996 ensemble of a flared skirt and gilet by Alaïa reached €50,700, while an epic calfskin Alaïa trench printed in leopard went for €27,300.
The sale attracted international collectors, another confirmation of Farida Khelfa’s status and the market’s interest in these archives.
