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This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
8 King Street, St. James's, London, SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 2869
Brought to you by
Adrian Hume-SayerDirector, Specialist
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Lot Essay
The Fool were a Dutch design collective led by Marijke Koger and Simon Posthuma, best known for their work with the Beatles, which included designing the tunics the band wore for their 1967 television broadcast of All You Need Is Love, decorating John Lennon's piano and George Harrison's Mini, painting a circular mural at the Harrisons' Surrey home Kinfauns, designing the inner sleeve of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP and, most famously, painting a three-story psychedelic mural on the facade of the Beatles' short lived Apple Boutique in London's Baker Street, which was subsequently painted over by order of the local council. Pattie Boyd and her sister Jenny were fans of the collective and would model their clothing designs for the Apple Boutique. According to Boyd, this minidress was custom made for her by The Fool and she wore it through the late 1960s. Jenny Boyd is seen wearing an identical dress in the cover shoot and music video for Donovan's 1967 single Wear Your Love Like Heaven, shot by Karl Ferris.
Pattie Boyd: The focal point of our [Kinfauns] sitting room was a huge circular brick fireplace inspired by Salvador Dali, whose work we liked, and we asked a Dutch couple, Simon Posthuma and Marijke Roger, known as The Fool, to paint it for us. They were talented, creative people, who wore outfits they had designed and made in velvet, richly decorated with beads and sequins. We must have got to know them through Robert Fraser, who owned an art gallery in Duke Street, or John Dunbar, Marianne Faithfull’s ex-husband who ran the Indica Gallery in Masons Court, St. James’s. They made amazing clothes for us all, and later for the Apple shop in Baker Street, which they also designed. On the night before the opening they took a bunch of art students to paint psychedelic murals on the outside of the building. Wonderful Tonight, 2007.
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Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
Waist approx. 27 in., bust approx. 30 in. This dress is in remarkably good overall condition considering its age. There is minimal marking and wear from use. There is a little straining to some of the seams and notably there is a small fray/split at the seam joint below one arm, which would benefit from minor stabilisation. There are some very faint marks, possibly pen, to the side of the bodice below one arm but these are very unobtrusive.
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Lot 11Sale 22891
A psychedelic minidress by The Fool, 1967Pattie BoydEstimate: GBP 1,000 - 1,500
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