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As director of vintage couture and accessories at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, Abigail Rutherford ’04 admits it’s hard to part with certain items after an auction is over.
A recent auction included a collection of 20th century garments and accessories, featuring a Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Couture evening ensemble. Also included were Moschino garments cited in Franco Moschino’s X Anni Di Kaos book and a Pauline Trigere dress featured in the September 1973 issue of Vogue magazine.
Rutherford actively seeks property from a variety of sources to curate an auction applicable for her company’s market.
“Once the items are in house, I research each one in order to catalog and place an estimate on the lot, manage the client’s expectations, work with photography to make sure everything is shot correctly, and from there work with production to prepare my catalog,” she explains. “Throughout this process, I promote each lot to our list of buyers and make sure new potential buyers are aware of our sale. Once the auction date gets closer, I work with our property department to plan the exhibition. I also make sure that everything is organized right up until the auction.”
Rutherford enjoys handling so many important pieces of fashion history.
“I have always been interested in historical fashion references in today’s fashion,” she says. “Studying abroad in London let me frequent the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has one of the most expansive fashion collections in the world and furthered my knowledge and curiosity. The auction business is a great way for me to really combine my love for fashion history and interest in business.”
Rutherford, an art graduate, says Curlee Raven Holton, professor and head of art, played an important role in her Lafayette experience.
“I performed EXCEL Scholars research with Professor Holton, and he worked with me to couple my love of art/design and business in order to prepare me for my future,” she says. “He gave me a comprehensive understanding of business in the art world. I still keep in touch with him today.”
Rutherford also believes her Lafayette experience helped prepare her for a career in the world of fashion auctions.
“I find my art degree to be very important in my everyday job responsibilities,” she says. “Having a strong understanding of artists and artwork really helps me understand my business. More often than not, my couture clients have significant art collections, and being able to speak knowledgeably allows me to gain creditability and helps our business grow.”