Whitney Houston Foundation Auctions 24-plus Items

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Fashion was a priority for some of the Whitney Houston fans who bid Monday in a sale of the late six-time Grammy winner's memorabilia that was organized by Julien's Auctions.
Held live at The Peninsula Beverly Hills and online, the 'Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation Auction' featured more than 24 apparel pieces and memorabilia. It benefited the musician's namesake foundation that helps provide college scholarships and services to young people who are interested in the arts.
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Forty years after Houston first ventured into the music industry, a few devotees picked up items that Houston wore on stage to perform including ensembles by Marc Bouwer and stilettos from Dolce & Gabbana among other keepsakes.
Saturday would have been the late Grammy Hall of Fame inductee's 65th birthday. She died in 2012 in Los Angeles.
Interestingly, the top-selling item was a 1994 personalized FIFA World Cup Event worn jersey with a photo that sold for $22,400 — well above the pre-auction estimate of $1,000 to $2,000. An embellished catsuit designed by Bouwer that Houston wore for a Madison Square Garden performance during her 1991 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' tour fetched $22,400, outperforming the pre-sale estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. Another one of his designs, a velour suit that the musician performed at a 'Welcome Home Heroes' concert that same year sold for $16,000 — more than five times the pre-sale opening estimate. An embellished ensemble that Bouwer created for 'The Bodyguard' world tour went for $10,240, up from its opening estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. A replica gown of the one that Bouwer designed for Houston to wear for a South Africa concert in 1994 sold for $6,400.
Bouwer told WWD Monday, 'In a time when stylists, collectors, investors and museum historians are universally looking for archival fashion, it's flattering to see these pieces do so well. It proves the impact and worth of designer and celebrity relationships. I think Whitney would be delighted that the high returns are going to her foundation for the benefit of youth and music in education.'
A pair of pale yellow pumps with floral embellishment from Dolce & Gabbana had a final bid of $3,200. A belted yellow dress that Houston sported to wear on 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2009 raked in $12,800 compared to the opening estimate of $800 to $1,200. A Dolce & Gabbana ensemble that Houston donned for the Clive Davis' Grammy party in 2009 had a final offer of $11,520. Another high-ticket item was a Helen Yarmark fur coat at $12,800 that Houston chose for a 2010 outing.
The sale was 'a powerful reminder that the spirit of Whitney continues to move music, inspire generations, and define celebrity,' according to Julien's executive director and cofounder Martin J. Nolan
Having released seven career albums and sold more than 220 million music recordings, Houston also appeared in 'The Bodyguard' in 1992, 'Waiting to Exhale' in 1995, 'The Preacher's Wife' in 1996, 'Cinderella' in 1997 and 'Sparkle.' 'The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album' from 1992 remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time, the bestselling album by a woman in music history, and the bestselling album of the 1990s. Houston received more than 400 awards and she was the executive producer of 'Cinderella' and 'Sparkle,' and produced 'The Princess Diaries,' 'The Princess Diaries 2,' 'The Cheetah Girls' and 'The Cheetah Girls 2.'
In June, Houston's estate received 11 new certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America that were posthumously presented in her honor. Houston is the first African American artist to have three RIAA Diamond-certified albums — 10x Platinum — including her self-titled debut album, her second studio album, 'Whitney,' and 'The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album.' Concert goers took note — Houston's RIAA 'Multi-Platinum' sales award for 'The Bodyguard' was auctioned for $16,000 — eight times its pre-sale opening estimate.
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