Auctioning off Deceased Celebrity Fashion

<![CDATA[<p style="text-align:auto">n</p><figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5f70469db50d4bdcac31dc75d34c5f64.jpg/v1/fit/w_3072,h_2048,al_c,q_80/file.png" width="3072" height="2048" title="Image"></figure><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">In recent news, Kim Kardashian was once again trending for her choice in fashion purchases. Kim purchased Princess Diana’s Attallah Cross necklace for $197,000 at the Sotheby’s Auction, reported by the dailymail.com.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Naim Attalah first purchased the pendant in the 1980’s and was never seen again until the recent <em>Sotheby’s</em> auction (Davis, <em>Harper’s Bazaar </em>2023). (Davis, <em>Harper’s Bazaar </em>2023). Diana did not own the necklace, Attalah allowed her to wear the piece out to events on multiple occasions.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">This is not Kim Kardashian’s first time owning an item from a deceased celebrity. Last year at the Met Gala, Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s jeweled sheer nude dress that she wore while singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Debates on Twitter started, one Twitter user @spillme2 said “ What’s the obsession with owning the belongings of famous dead people”.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Auctioning off prized positions of dead celebrities is nothing new. The controversy is who purchases these items and the intent behind the purchase. Kim Kardashian is a businesswoman and socialite. Purchases like these not only add to her closet but bring attention to her brand.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Depending on the third party seller, money from auctions could go to a well deserving charity. According to abcnews.com, AllStarCharity.com was a company back in 2000 that used to partner with celebrities, 100% of the proceeds would go to a charity of their choice.n</p><p style="text-align:auto">Sony BroadBand Entertainment was a partner of the Los Angeles based site. Celebrities like Elton John, Babyface and Phil Collins were some participants.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Julien’s Auction, is another well known auction house to the celebrities. They have auctioned off pieces from The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. According to their website juliansauctions.com, they auctioned off Michael Jackson’s fantasy glove for $192,000.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">They have also worked with the late Amy Winehouse’s family and auctioned off her performance dresses. Those proceeds then went to charities of their choice, according to mirror.co.uk</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">President/CEO Darren Julien, gave a statement “We are merely an agent and sell the items on behalf of the celebrities. In most cases they do it for charity” said Julien.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">The similarity between the two third party companies is the care that goes into handling prized positions. If celebrities like Kim Kardashian want to pay homage to public figures, that is fine. The intent should be to preserve history, not use it as a PR stunt.</p>]]>