Legend Cilla Black's wardrobe to go under the hammer with Nesbits next month
Cilla Black's wardrobe featuring designer pieces is being auctioned for charity next month.
On Friday, November 28, the entire wardrobe of famed sixties singer and actress, Cilla Black, will be going under the hammer with Nesbits Auctioneers, in Southsea.
A decade after her death, her son, Robert Wallis, has decided to sell her outfits for Variety, the Children’s charity, which aims to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK.
Spanning four decades, the collection contains designer pieces by huge names including Jean Varon, John Bates, Thea Porter, Biba, Jean Muir, Alexander McQueen and Escada.
John said: “My wife is from Liverpool so I have been visiting the city for nearly 40 years and it has become my second home.
“Some years ago I was asked by Variety to conduct an auction in Liverpool in conjunction with the Hillsborough Family Support Group.
“Our aim then was to raise enough money for two buses, one in Liverpool and one in Everton colours. We managed to raise enough for four buses on that occasion.
Many of the dresses were worn by Cilla Black during appearances on the Royal Variety Performance, the Morecombe and Wise Show, Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise.
John added: “Cilla – whose fame can be gauged by the fact she only needs one name – was a star from the 1960s until she died 10 years ago.
“She was championed by her friends the Beatles and had a string of huge hits in the 1960s and 1970s and then she went into television and attracted absolutely enormous audiences. In 2013 she celebrated 50 years in showbiz.
“Her image was crucial throughout her career and these outfits are what helped craft that image.”
John employed the assistance of fellow BBC Bargain Hunt presenter Stephannie Connell to assist with the cataloguing and with her expert knowledge and attention to detail, they have been able to identify many of the outfits and the appearances in which they were worn.