Christie’s worked with two designers to curate its interiors auction. Image credit: Christie’s
Auction house Christie’s is collaborating with two tastemakers ahead of its summer interiors sale this month.
Fashion designer Alexandra O’Neill and interior designer CeCe Barfield Thompson created capsule collections of dresses and home goods inspired by the auction lots that are now available at department store Bergdorf Goodman. Although Christie’s has had similar influencer partnerships in the past, this is the first time its pieces have been recreated for retail.
Christie’s collection
Christie’s Interiors department worked with Ms. O’Neill, designer of the ready-to-wear line Markarian, and Ms. Barfield Thompson, principal of the interior design firm CeCe Barfield, Inc. to curate the auction. Bidding will take place on Aug. 21 and 22.
“Christie’s is thrilled to partner with CeCe Barfield Thompson and Alexandra O’Neill, who are both young entrepreneurial designers who incorporate art historical heritage and legacy in their designs to create fresh, of-the-moment interiors and clothing,” said Bliss Summers, cohead of the interiors sale at Christie's, in a statement. “Their collection and their lot choices from the auction reflect their shared admiration for the history of design and a return to gracious living that imbue these objects.”
Among the pieces both women gravitated to are a 20th century floral print recamier sofa and a 20th century Italian marble tea table. The design on the table inspired floral etching on crystal glasses designed by Ms. Barfield Thompson.
Ms. Barfield Thompson’s capsule collection also includes vases, plates and table linens, while Ms. O’Neil designed a custom fabric to create a five-piece fashion collection. Both collections are sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman’s New York flagship.
CeCe Barfield Thompson and Alexandra O’Neill discuss their capsule collection
The pair, who have been friends since college, also appear in a video for Christie’s in which they discuss their friendship and creative process for the collaboration.
“We love antiques, we love design, we love history,” says Ms. Barfield Thompson in the film. “So we thought it would be fun to take [those elements] and create something together.”
This is not the first time Christie’s has worked with creatives in the design field to bring an outside perspective to an auction.
Last summer, Christie’s worked with publisher Modern Luxury to showcase high-end items up for auction in a manner consistent with their quality in photography and film.
Christie’s invited an interiors editor from Modern Luxury and an interior designer to take a look through the auctioneer’s warehouse in New York. In a series of vignettes, the two showed off Christie’s antiques with bold coloring and interior design staging (see story).