High five! Doyle’s $539K Louis Vuitton sale achieved white-glove status

Louis Vuitton Lily Pons shoe trunk, $37,800

NEW YORK – Doyle‘s auction titled Luxury Travel: The Louis Vuitton Sale, held on June 21, saw determined bidders from around the world drive exceptionally strong prices. This international competition yielded an auction total of $539,424, more than doubling the sale’s collective estimate of $204,900-$311,050. All 117 of the lots offered were sold, qualifying the event as a white glove sale.

The June 21 auction presented an opportunity to acquire Louis Vuitton pieces spanning the era of the luxurious trans-Atlantic liners to the modern jet age. Collectors, designers, influencers and travel aficionados vied for a wide range of luxurious trunks, cases, bags and other items from the estate of Joanna S. Rose and a large collection of suitcases and bags from the estate of a Park Avenue Lady.

Louis Vuitton monogram canvas steamer trunk, $25,200

The top lot of the day was a Louis Vuitton Lily Pons shoe trunk that soared above its estimate of $7,000-$10,000 to achieve a stunning $37,800. Born in France and raised in America, international opera star Lily Pons was renowned both for her elegant fashion and for having the tiniest feet in Paris. The original Lily Pons shoe trunk could hold 36 pairs of her shoes – or 36 single shoes belonging to a larger person. This trunk was a symbol of Parisian chic at the time, and may now be used for jewelry or other smaller items.

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