Haute couture: Didier Ludot's personal collection up for auction in Paris

On July 8, Sotheby's France will stage its first auction of haute couture at its headquarters inside the Galerie Charpentier in Paris. The auction will feature items from the personal collection of Didier Ludot, France's greatest "fashion antiquarian."

Auction goers will be presented with more than a simple haute couture collection. A veritable panorama of 20th century fashion, with designs dating from 1924 to the early 2000s, will pay tribute to the great fashion houses, of course, but also to the tailors, embroiderers, leatherworkers, feather merchants and lace makers who work to make each outfit and accessory a unique creation.

In all, 150 items will be sold at auction, and whether they belonged to famous or anonymous women, every piece tells a story. Collectors and fashionistas will go head to head for Chanel's sequined "little black dress" owned by Romy Schneider, the Duchess of Windsor's psychedelic 60s dress, Loulou de la Falaise's Yves Saint Laurent hat or the Cartier jewel box that belonged to Barbara Hutton.

The auction will also shine a light on the most famous designers in the world, presenting designs by Paul Poiret, Yohji Yamamoto, Madame Grès, Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, John Galliano, Paco Rabane and Comme des Garçons,

The auction of Didier Ludot's personal haute couture collection, organized by Sotheby's France in association with Kerry Taylor Auctions, will take place on July 8, 2015, at the Galerie Charpentier, located at 76 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris.