OMG and it’s happening right here almost right now, on the 1st of December, in fact: Christie’s South Kensington at 11.00, selected from The Billy Boy collection (the wunderkind who owns the largest PRIVATE vintage collection in the world) , and a couple of other owners too. I am totally fascinated by Billy Boy who schooled in Europe, counted Yves Saint Laurent as a chum, wore his pieces and grew his collection over 40 years whilst successfully managing a career as an author, model, artist and designer, ever so elegantly. He promised himself that a certain age he would refine the collection and then put together a museum. There are some stupendous pieces. The runaway sample of a green and gold lame tunic from Saint Laurent’s first solo collection (below) and the 1948 Lahore from Christian Dior’s second collection – selected at the time by the Duchess of Windsor and Wallis Simpson. And then the jewellery, shoes and accessories…just swoon. Swoon.

Encrusted beaded sheath dress, 1960 Balenciaga est. £1,000-£2,000
Telephone Dial Compact, 1950 after Salvador Dali for Schiaparelli est. £5,000-£6,000