UNITED KINGDOM: Luxury frocks and rocks are up for sale at auction aimed at what women want

The concept of holding an auction specifically aimed at women was previously unheard of, but with women's spending power at an all time high, organisers at Bonhams auction house in London said the idea made perfect sense. Traditionally, only men have enjoyed dedicated Gentlemen's Sales of antiques around the world, but all that is about to change next week. Bonhams auctioneers showcased on Wednesday (January 10) items up for sale in an auction aimed at women who love to shop. The sale caters purely to women who want to shop for vintage, contemporary and collectable jewellery, furniture, fashion, art, or even cars. "Here at Bonhams, we're probably closest to New Bond Street which is one of the biggest retail streets in the whole of Europe. But, very few ladies come through the front door. Auctions, predominantly, are participated by men and I thought it about time we changed that," said Jon Baddeley, Bonhams' group head of collectables. Vivienne Westwood and Christian Lacroix designs are among the clothes on the auction block. The sale also sparkles with diamond earrings, gold watches and sapphire rings among many other items of jewellery in the collection. For shoppers looking to fill their home as well as their closet, there's also a selection of furniture, mirrors and picture frames up for grabs. And , goods consigned by celebrities include Robbie Williams' 2002 Smart Crossblade car and Vanessa-Mae's Zeta Quartet Series violin. "We have haute couture. We have jewellery boxes. We have a big collection of crocodile -- crocodile is very difficult to get today," Baddeley said. "The price range is from very little to tens of thousands and I'm sure there's something here for everybody." Luxury brand names will be in abundance throughout the auction including Asprey, Fendi, Gucci, Rolex, Cartier, Bulgari and Hermès. The inaugural What Women Want At Auction Sale will be held next Thursday (January 18) at Bonhams' New Bond Street sale room in London. And, just in case the men start to feel left out, Bonhams will also hold one of its long-standing and more traditional gentleman's sales later in January.

ITN Source | January 13, 2007

Tags:. .christian. .biggest. .probably. .brand. .block