Vintage glamour on offer at Shrewsbury fashion auction

From the Hollywood glamour of the 1930s to the quirky geometric designs of the 1970s – a fabulous array of vintage clothing is to go under the hammer in Shrewsbury.

Featuring items by iconic designers such as Christian Dior and Gina Fratini, the collection of 40 pieces is expected to fetch a minimum of £3,000 at auction at Halls' Welsh Bridge saleroom next Wednesday.

• Click on the image to the right for photos

The items will be sold in lots of three to six dresses, with starting prices ranging from £50 to £100.

Staff at Halls took the opportunity to try on a selection of the retro dresses – which paved the way for modern fashion trends.

Meg Randell, 23, Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, 25, and Nikki Green, 38, have been showing off the styles which defined a generation.

Meg, the head of Halls' textiles department, modelled a light pink satin ball gown from the 1940s and said the elegant piece made her feel 'like a princess'.

All the items going up for auction come from Shropshire collectors and many of the dresses date back to the 1970s – an era which has enjoyed a fashion comeback this summer.

Meg said: "1970s styles are very 'in' at the moment. Fingers crossed this will mean a lot of interest in the auction."

One of the 1970s dresses in the collection is a stunning floor length gown by fashion label Yuki.

Yuki designer Gnyuki Torimaru from Japan was famed for his draped jersey dresses inspired by monastic styles which were popular during the 1970s. One of his dresses is currently on display in a British ball gowns exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

Another 1970s item in the collection is a light green chiffon and silk dress featuring geometric patterns made by famous designer Gina Fratini, who is known for creating Elizabeth Taylor's wedding dress for her second marriage to Richard Burton in 1975, which sold at auction for more than 60 million dollars.

Nikki modelled another 1970s black kaftan style dress, with large princess sleeves and embroidered gold lamé.

Meanwhile, Maryanne tried on a vintage Dior Boutique peasant style jersey dress – also from the 1970s.

She also modelled a glamorous silk and velvet red dress, which dates back to the 1930s. The elegant design is similar to the iconic green silk dress worn by actress Keira Knightley in the 2007 blockbuster Atonement – which is set in the 1930s and 1940s.

Meg said: "It's the third time that our collective auction has included a textiles section, which is the largest entry to date and looks set to continue the trend for great prices.

"The 1960s and 70s have recently been revived on both the catwalks and the high street and are well represented in this sale.

"Despite being over four decades old, classic names such as Yuki, Bill Gibbs, Christian Dior, Gina Fratini and more show that good quality design never goes out of fashion."

She added: "With prices ranging from £30 onwards, there is something for every fashion enthusiast at the auction."

For more information, call (01743) 284777.