Sotheby's Sells Jewels of "First Supermodel"
June 01, 26
(IDEX Online) - Sotheby's London is selling a private collection of rare Art Deco Cartier jewelry that once belonged to 1920's "supermodel" Phyllis Frank (nee Francatelli).
She was an original model for The House of Lucile, the world's first global couture brand and a groundbreaking British fashion house that was founded in 1894.
Francatelli (1892 - 1972) met and married New York financier, Jesse Frank, who showered her with Art Deco jewels that epitomized Cartier's mastery of style and design throughout the Roaring 1920s and beyond.
Sotheby's is offering seven lots, several featuring lapis lazuli, her favorite blue stone.
Highlight of her collection is a pair of diamond bracelets (pictured), circa 1925, millegrain-set with old brilliant-cut diamonds (estimate £ 20,000 to £ 40,000 (USD 27,000 to USD 54,000).
There's also a diamond bow brooch, a sapphire and diamond bracelet and a lapis lazuli and diamond bracelet.
The House of Lucile, with salons in New York, Paris and Chicago, was founded by visionary British designer Lucy Christiana, also known as Lady Duff Gordon, who pioneered the modern catwalk and the concept of the fashion model.
All lots are offered in an online sale that closes on Wednesday (3 June).