Vintage Fashion on Parade: Inside the September Issue of Kovels Antique Trader
From zoot suits to Tiki flair, September’s Vintage Fashion Issue proves style and collecting never go out of fashion.
Our Vintage Fashion Issue is here, and it’s bursting with history, artistry, and a touch of flair. This month, we drape ourselves in the stories behind timeless styles, from the zoot suits that strutted through Harlem’s jazz scene to the gowns that lit up Old Hollywood.
In our lead features, Augusta Auctions brings rare fashion pieces to the block, including a 1928 Boué Soeurs evening gown that embodies the poetic craftsmanship of interwar Paris couture. We also explore the bold and surprising designs of Napier jewelry in the 1960s—a decade divided in style, where modern geometry mingled with Baroque cherub motifs and playful Easter egg pins.
No fashion issue would be complete without a nod to glamour on the silver screen. Our sales report shines on original costume sketches by Edith Head, Hubert de Givenchy, and Walter Plunkett, showing how drawings once pinned to a studio wall now command five-figure bids at auction. And speaking of icons, Erté’s sweeping Art Deco designs prove that his legacy still dazzles collectors nearly a century after his debut.
We also revisit the enduring allure of designer Ceil Chapman, the woman who dressed Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly in gowns that blended bombshell glamour with wearable elegance. From red-carpet couture to ready-to-wear sophistication, Chapman’s star is rising again in the collector’s market.
Elsewhere, our sales reports are sizzling: a Harlem-born zoot suit tripled its high estimate at $15,000, a pair of 1949 Levi’s 501s brought $4,500, and Jane Birkin’s scuffed Hermès handbag made auction history by fetching $10 million. And for those craving something more playful, we take a tropical detour with a look at Tiki fashion—where vintage clothing, bold prints, and theatrical flair keep this mid-century lifestyle alive and thriving.
Finally, in this month’s Collector’s Gallery, readers share their finds, from Chinese vases with mountain-villa inscriptions to jade-look resin statues with a story to tell. As always, our community of collectors keeps the conversation lively and the discoveries inspiring.
This September, Kovels Antique Trader proves once again that fashion is more than fabric and thread—it’s history, culture, and personality stitched into every seam.