Portrait of an icon: unforgettable private collections from the world’s most celebrated figures

Since first opening its doors in 1766, Christie’s has stewarded the private collections of countless celebrated figures. From Audrey Hepburn and George Michael to Princess Diana and André Leon Talley, each of these luminaries was a household name and recognisable around the world. From royalty to those in fashion, film, music and more, these sales paint a highly personal and nuanced portrait of the icon, encapsulating their life and loves through the objects they chose to live with.

Christie's has also been privileged to sell the collections of world-famous designers including Hubert de Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent — whose creations have adorned the world’s most iconic stars and whose own exquisite taste has been universally celebrated with record-breaking results achieved for their personal collections.

Charlie Watts: Gentleman, Collector, Rolling Stone, 2023

The personal collection of Charlie Watts, the drummer and ‘heartbeat’ of the Rolling Stones, comprised the music legend’s prized collection of literature and jazz. Watts’s lifelong passion for jazz led him to amass a rare archive of recordings and jazz memorabilia, while his love of literature – particularly works by the 20th century’s most celebrated authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie – led to the creation of a stunning library of first editions, including copies of The Great Gatsby, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Thirteen Problems.

Featuring nearly 500 individual objects, the sale achieved a total of £3,815,280 and was 99% sold by lot. Over 70 records were set for titles by authors including Samuel Beckett, George Orwell and Dylan Thomas. In addition, 15 author records were achieved for James Baldwin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Patricia Highsmith and Langston Hughes, among others. Fitzgerald's Gatsby — an important presentation copy inscribed to ‘the original Gatsby’ — led the sales, fetching £226,800. Itself emblematic of the ‘Jazz age’, the book encapsulated both strands of Watts’s collecting passion represented by these sales.

The Collection of Donna Summer, 2023

The Queen of Disco’s personal collection brought Summer’s costumes, memorabilia, awards, hand-written lyrics and more to the public in June 2023. Through this vast array of objects, the sale mapped the five-time Grammy winner’s stunning rise as the first solo artist to achieve three consecutive #1 platinum albums.

The top lot of the sale was a Billboard Disco Forum VI award for Best Disco Album presented to Summer in 1979 for the double-LP Live and More. The award sold for $47,880 against a low estimate of $400. Summer's paintings — a lifelong passion of the performer's — were also of interest to bidders, with three of her works each earning over $27,000. In total, the collection achieved more than $900,000. A portion of the sale’s proceeds went to the Save the Music Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, charities that Summer held dear.

The Collection of André Leon Talley, 2023

The Collection of André Leon Talley, showcased the larger-than-life Vogue editor and writer’s deep love of luxury. Spanning fashion, handbags, jewellery, fine and decorative art and literature, the collection captured Talley’s glamorous and distinct personal taste. His many friendships with big names in fashion were also apparent across multiple lots, from custom couture made by designers like Tom Ford to personal drawings and correspondence from famed German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Achieving over $3.5 million across a live and online auction, the power of Talley’s name and legendary spirit was evident in the enthusiastic bidding, with some items going for more than 30 times their low estimate. The collection sold 100 per cent by lot and over 500 per cent hammer above the low estimate. The auction proceeds benefitted the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City and Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, two very important institutions in Talley’s life. 

The Roger Federer Collection, 2021

As one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer is known for his unparalleled elegance on and off the court. In 2021, the 20-time Grand Slam champion sold items from important moments throughout his career, including outfits from French Open championships, custom Air Jordan sneakers and a white tournament blazer worn at Wimbledon.

The top lot of the sale was Federer’s championship outfit and racket from the 2007 Wimbledon final, during which he beat Rafael Nadal in an epic 5-set match that lasted nearly 4 hours. The items were sold for over £180,000, more than 6 times the low estimate. 

Overall, the collection totalled £3,429,125, selling 100% by lot and achieving more than 3 times the pre-sale low estimate. All proceeds benefitted the Roger Federer Foundation to support education initiatives in Switzerland and countries across South Africa.

The David Gilmour Guitar Collection, 2019

The collection of the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Pink Floyd encompassed the largest and most comprehensive sale of guitars ever offered at auction. Achieving over $21 million — all of which was donated to the environmental charity ClientEarth — David Gilmour’s guitar collection drew 12,000 fans across London, Los Angeles and New York during its world tour. 

Gilmour was revered for his distinctive sound and song writing, and his collection showed incredible depth and breadth. His devotion to his instrument is showcased in the variety of shapes, sizes, colours and makers he amassed — from a double neck steel guitar to a Dobro resonator with an aluminium diaphragm. His legendary Fender Stratocaster ‘The Black Strat’ — featured on several seminal albums including The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and Wish You Were Here (1975) — was the top lot of the sale. Selling for nearly $4 million, it was, at the time of the sale, the world-record price for any guitar ever sold at auction.

The George Michael Collection, 2019

George Michael was one of the best-selling musicians of all time, however his talents were not limited to music and song-writing. He was also drawn to ‘rockstars’ of the art world, particularly the Young British Artists of the 1980s and 90s. He got to know these contemporary creators on a personal level and invested deeply in their work.

George Michael’s art collection, which was auctioned at Christie’s in 2019, included a vast array of boundary-pushing photography, painting, sculpture and installation. He collected artists such as Damien Hirst, Cecily Brown and Tracey Emin in-depth, drawn to their frank portrayals of life and death. The 175 objects offered achieved over £11 million, a testament to George Michael’s genius as a collector.  

The Personal Collection of Audrey Hepburn, 2017

Few stars rival Audrey Hepburn. The darling of Hollywood’s golden era and a respected humanitarian, Hepburn remains one of the most famous actresses of all time. One of only 18 people to have won the coveted EGOT — an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award — Hepburn was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her dedicated work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, underscoring her equally significant contributions outside of the limelight.

Her personal collection, which included film memorabilia as well as clothing from her wardrobe, chronicled her incredible career and offered a behind-the-scenes view into her life. Items related to her most famous projects, such as an annotated film script from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and a black satin cocktail dress worn by Hepburn in Charade, were especially coveted by buyers.

Other noteworthy objects included portraits from her personal archive and her private correspondence. Hepburn’s enduring popularity was evident in the enthusiastic bidding, which resulted in a final total of nearly £7 million, a figure over seven times the original low estimate.

The Private Collection of Joan Rivers, 2016

Sharp-tongued and acerbic, the pioneering comedian Joan Rivers was one of the first women to break into the historically male-centric world of comedy. As her star power grew, Rivers further established herself in the entertainment business, working as an actress, writer, producer and the first female host of a network late-night talk show.

Her private collection, sold at Christie’s in 2016, embodied her exuberant and multi-faceted spirit. Encompassing nearly 300 lots of jewellery, costumes, handbags, fine and decorative art and silver, the collection laid bare Rivers’s passion and personality.

Her particular love for man’s best friend shone through lots like a Tiffany dog bowl and silk pagoda dog bed, while her vast assortment of Fabergé revealed her keen eye. The top lot was one of her many Fabergé masterpieces with exquisite provenance: a gold-mounted frame that was presented by Queen Victoria to Queen Louise of Denmark in 1898. Overall, the auction earned over $2 million — with a portion of the proceeds benefiting both God’s Love We Deliver and Guide Dogs For The Blind — a testament to Rivers’s enduring legacy.

Andy Williams: An American Legend, 2013

Celebrated American singer and television host known for songs like Moon River and It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Andy Williams was a gifted and prolific musician who sold more than 100 million albums across an eight-decade career.

Outside of his musical pursuits, Williams had a lifelong passion for art and spent decades building a dynamic and expansive personal collection. Sold by Christie’s in 2013, the collection spanned genres from modern and contemporary works to American paintings, African & Oceanic art and design, and was anchored by blockbuster names including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Helen Frankenthaler and Ed Ruscha. 

A testament to Williams’s learned eye and breadth of knowledge, the sale surpassed expectations by millions, earning over $45 million across a series of auctions in New York, London and Paris. 

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, 2011

Synonymous with Hollywood glamour and innate talent, Elizabeth Taylor remains a household name and celebrated beauty. Taylor’s extraordinary collection or jewellery, clothing and accessories nodded to both her on-screen successes and her vibrant life off-camera. Several items offered in the sale were worn by Taylor while filming blockbusters like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Boom, and many others were gifts from her seven husbands.

Taylor was most passionate about jewellery, and her collection — comprising pieces by the likes of Bulgari, Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef — included over 1,700 lots and realised a total of $156,756,576. The highlight of the jewels sale was a La Peregrina necklace featuring a 16th-century pearl, which achieved $11.8 million, as well as the storied 33.19-carat ‘Krupp’ diamond ring. A gift from Richard Burton, to whom Taylor was married twice, the ring sold for $8.8 million. Overall, Taylor’s collection achieved over $140 million, and her jewellery set a world record. 

The James Brown Collection, 2008

The ‘Godfather of Soul’ and pioneer of funk, James Brown is one of the most iconic musicians of the twentieth century. A three-time Grammy Award winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and best-selling singer-songwriter, Brown’s contributions to the musical arts cannot be overstated.

His personal collection, which was sold by Christie’s in 2008, included over 300 lots that traced the arc of his career, from childhood photos to Grammy Awards. Costumes, hand-written lyrics, personal instruments and more showcase his unique style, iconoclastic stage persona and legendary musical talents.

From his heeled boots and flamboyant, flared jumpsuits to colourful sunglasses and funky headwear, Brown’s radical fashion sense was demonstrated in many of the sale’s top lots. Two high-performing examples were a black satin cape embroidered with his name that fetched over $47,000 and another blue satin cape embroidered with ‘Thy Name Is Godfather of Soul,’ which earned $35,000. In total, the collection earned over $850,000, with some lots, like a medical bracelet, selling for over 150 times the low estimate. 

The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, 1999

With a new documentary on Netflix and a recent biopic starring Ana de Armas and Adrien Brody, it feels as if Marilyn Monroe is as much a star now as she was throughout her career. A Hollywood heavyweight with unforgettable charisma, Monroe remains one of the most beloved icons of all time. In 1999, her personal collection went under the hammer at Christie’s in New York, where it earned more than $13 million. Over 500 items of Monroe’s were auctioned off, including photographs, jewellery, clothing, memorabilia, furniture and even cosmetics.

The star’s role as a fashion luminary was also highlighted. One of the sale’s standouts was the dress she wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. It was purchased for nearly $1.3 million, making it the most expensive dress ever sold at auction. It recently stole the spotlight once more when worn by Kim Kardashian to the 2022 Met Gala, a testimony to Monroe’s enduring resonance. 

Dresses from the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales, 1997

An international icon whose popularity endures today, Princess Diana needs no introduction. In 1997, shortly before her untimely death, Diana auctioned off 79 of her dresses at Christie’s in New York, with proceeds benefitting the Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Fund and the AIDS Crisis Trust.

The auction raised over $3 million, with the top lot of the evening — an off-the-shoulder velvet dress worn at a White House State Dinner during which the Princess danced with John Travolta — selling for $222,500.

As a whole, the sale underscored her unique style: a combination of glamour and grace that continues to inspire.