From Tom Ford’s Gucci to Demna’s Balenciaga, Luxury in Melbourne: A Private Archival Collection celebrates three decades of visionary design. This private collection tells the story of fashion’s most iconic houses through the garments, accessories, and silhouettes that defined them.
This single-owner offering traces a decisive arc through fashion’s most influential runways, from Tom Ford’s velvet-smoked Gucci renaissance to the sculptural clarity of Mugler and the future heritage of Balenciaga. Assembled in Australia with an eye for true runway resonance, the collection spans over three decades of design history and privileges pieces that speak in fashion’s most enduring codes: silhouettes, materials and finishes that signal a house at its peak, over logos or trend cycles. Every lot, whether street-inflected or haute, has been catalogued with its season attribution and provenance, forming an archive that moves between ready-to-wear, accessories, and experimental footwear.
Among the standouts, Tom Ford’s Gucci bookends the 1990s narrative with two mood-defining moments. Lot 2: Gucci, Velvet “Smoking” Blazer, FW1996 (1990s) distils louche glamour into clean lines and satin piping, a razor-sharp tux reimagined for hedonistic nights. A year earlier, Lot 23: Gucci, Faux-Fur Peacoat, FW1995 (1990s) delivered plush, double-breasted confidence, the kind of winter statement that turned outerwear into seduction. Tom Ford’s faux-fur Gucci coat, as worn by Elizabeth Hurley in 1995, echoing the FW95 runway piece modelled by Amber Valletta.
Balenciaga appears across multiple eras, reflecting the house’s ongoing dialogue between structure and innovation. Under Nicolas Ghesquière, Lot 27: Balenciaga, Tweed Jacket, FW2007 (2000s) re-engineers heritage with black binding and aerodynamic proportion, proof that tradition can be made futuristic without losing its soul. A decade later, Lot 12: Balenciaga, Embellished Pumps, FW2016 (2010s) reframes couture ornament for a street-sharp stride: pointed, structured, jewel-set. Together they show how Balenciaga keeps rewriting the same sentence with different punctuation.
Elsewhere in the collection, rock grammar runs through Lot 13: Saint Laurent, One-Shoulder Printed Mini, SS2015 (2010s), weightless, asymmetric and unapologetically nocturnal, while Olivier Rousteing’s atelier armour appears as Lot 57: Balmain, Asymmetrical Blazer, FW2016 (2010s), a one-sleeve cut with a cinched waist and strict peplum. These examples trace the mid-2010s pivot to power tailoring as performance, echoed throughout the broader wardrobe.
Azzedine Alaïa’s mastery is presented in several forms, from body-conscious tailoring to footwear innovation. The knit signature appears in Lot 24: Alaïa, Chenille “Houpette” Dress, FW1994 (1990s), tufted, shadow-casting and exquisitely obedient to the body, his quietest form of architecture. As worn by Naomi Campbell at the CFDA Awards (1994) in Alaïa’s houpette knit. By contrast, Lot 169: Alaïa, Stud Lace-Up Sandals, c. 2010 (2010s) bring graphic punctuation to the leg with high vamp, mapped lacing and precise hardware. Between them runs a single idea of control, expressed as softness or edge.
Completing the tailoring canon, Lot 87: Thierry Mugler, Sculpted Hourglass Suit, late 1980s (1980s/early 1990s) remains the blueprint for power dressing with heightened shoulder, corseted waist and aerodynamic seams. A closely related suit (Ready-to-Wear, Autumn/Winter 1988) is illustrated in the museum publication Azzedine Alaïa / Thierry Mugler 1980/1990 (ed. Olivier Saillard), reinforcing the period cut and couture-grade construction presented here. The study of silhouette continues through the collection’s broader tailoring and outerwear, where sharpness and sensuality meet across decades.
The dialogue culminates in Lot 90: Giuseppe Zanotti, “Adele” Heelless Crystal Pumps, SS2012 (2010s), a symbol of the decade’s experimental spirit. Conceived while collaborating with Lady Gaga, the aerodynamic, heel-less wedge pursues balance and stability in the “total absence of the heel”. The full crystal pavé turns engineering into theatre, mirroring the collection’s fascination with innovation and design authorship.
Provenance: Private Australian Collection
Viewing: Melbourne rooms, 10–12 [Month]
Auction: Online via Leonard Joel BidLive
Full catalogue entries, condition reports and measurements are available on request. Together, the archive forms a living study of fashion’s modern canon, an evolution from atelier to street, couture to concept, and a record of how design continues to shape cultural identity.
By Julia Gueller, Luxury Specialist
Top Image: Gucci, iconic faux fur coat, Fw1995 Tom Ford, $600 – $800
October 2025