Christie’s London will offer Elizabeth Taylor’s first wedding dress for auction on 26 June in the sale of Pop Culture for an estimated $45-75,000. The dress was designed by the legendary costume designer Helen Rose and worn for Taylor’s wedding to Conrad “Nicky” Hilton, Jr. in 1950. It symbolizes one of the most iconic off-screen moments of Golden Age Hollywood.
When the 18-year Taylor got married, she was already a celebrated star and just a year away from her Oscar-nominated performance in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s 1951 A Place in the Sun. Dubbed the “wedding of weddings”, Taylor’s marriage was Hollywood’s social event of the year. MGM even boasted that “more stars than there are in heaven” attended, with the 700 guests representing the A-list of Old Hollywood: Greer Garson, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Esther Williams and Van Johnson were among the many stars who came to congratulate the bride. The sale of this wedding dress is an opportunity of a lifetime for collectors and institutions worldwide to own a timeless heirloom from one of the twentieth century’s most pivotal style icons.
Christie’s Pop Culture sale will take place on Wednesday 26 June at 1pm at Christie’s South Kensington.
