This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/21/john-travolta-saturday-night-fever-suit-up-for-sale-with-authentic-sweat-marks

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever suit up for sale – with ‘authentic’ sweat marks John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever suit up for sale – with ‘authentic’ sweat marks
(31 minutes later)
One of the two identical white three-pieces worn by the star in his 1977 role is expected to fetch $250,000 One of two identical white three-pieces worn by star in 1977 role expected to fetch $250,000
It’s one of film’s iconic images: a smouldering John Travolta, in a white three-piece suit where the lapels lick the shoulders, raising his right arm aloft on a glowing dancefloor. It’s one of film’s iconic images: a smouldering John Travolta, in a white three-piece suit, lapels licking the shoulders, raising his right arm on a glowing dancefloor.
And now, the white polyester outfit from Saturday Night Fever – the 1977 chronicle of the dying days of disco – could be yours for a quarter of a million dollars.And now, the white polyester outfit from Saturday Night Fever – the 1977 chronicle of the dying days of disco – could be yours for a quarter of a million dollars.
The suit, which cost less than $100 and came off the rack from a small menswear shop in Brooklyn, New York, is expected to sell at auction for close to $250,000. The suit, which was bought for $100 off the rack from a small menswear shop in Brooklyn, New York, is expected to sell at auction for close to $250,000.
Designed by Leading Male, the jacket, matching waistcoat and 28in-waist flared trousers will go under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, along with the black polyester shirt worn with the suit, a bespoke slimline mannequin – and Travolta’s 45-year-old sweat marks.Designed by Leading Male, the jacket, matching waistcoat and 28in-waist flared trousers will go under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, along with the black polyester shirt worn with the suit, a bespoke slimline mannequin – and Travolta’s 45-year-old sweat marks.
“The sweat is how you know it’s authentic,” says Martin J Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions, which acquired the suit from an anonymous collector who had been given it as a gift by the film’s director, John Badham, in 1991. “The sweat is how you know it’s authentic,” said Martin J Nolan, the executive director of Julien’s Auctions, which acquired the suit from an anonymous collector who had been given it by the film’s director, John Badham, in 1991.
Travolta had two identical suits for his role as Tony Manero, and would rotate them between scenes while one dried out.Travolta had two identical suits for his role as Tony Manero, and would rotate them between scenes while one dried out.
“It was incredibly hot during filming, so you can still see the sweat marks around his waist [on the suit to be auctioned],” Nolan told the Guardian. “We never wash memorabilia. People want the stains, the DNA, particularly when a suit like this one hasn’t been auctioned before.”“It was incredibly hot during filming, so you can still see the sweat marks around his waist [on the suit to be auctioned],” Nolan told the Guardian. “We never wash memorabilia. People want the stains, the DNA, particularly when a suit like this one hasn’t been auctioned before.”
Buyers would pass up the opportunity of owning memorabilia if it had been cleaned, he added, noting that in 2008, a tissue used by Scarlett Johansson sold for $5,300 on eBay.Buyers would pass up the opportunity of owning memorabilia if it had been cleaned, he added, noting that in 2008, a tissue used by Scarlett Johansson sold for $5,300 on eBay.
Travolta’s suit was chosen by costume designer Patrizia Von Brandenstein for its authenticity. The film had budget for bespoke costuming – but it was felt that Manero, a 19-year-old working-class Italian-American character, could not have afforded an expensive suit. “Dancing was his escape, his life raft, and this suit embodied that,” says Nolan. Travolta’s suit was chosen by the costume designer Patrizia Von Brandenstein for its authenticity. The film had a budget for bespoke costuming, but it was felt that Manero, a 19-year-old working-class Italian-American character, could not have afforded an expensive suit. “Dancing was his escape, his life raft, and this suit embodied that,” Nolan said.
During filming, the black polyester shirt was sewn into the trousers to allow for Travolta to pose without baring his stomach. “When choosing what goes in to such a major dance costume, I paid attention to the usual factors of cut [and] danceability,” Brandenstein told the V&A, who displayed one of the suits in 2012. During filming, the black polyester shirt was sewn into the trousers to allow for Travolta to pose without baring his stomach. “When choosing what goes in to such a major dance costume, I paid attention to the usual factors of cut [and] danceability,” Brandenstein told the V&A Museum, which displayed one of the suits in 2012.
That a $100 suit could go for more than $200,000 was indicative of what Nolan described as an “all-time high” in these sorts of estate sales and auctions of memorabilia, which have become full-blown cultural events. Last year, Joan Didion’s estate made almost $2m, including $27,000 for a pair of Celine sunglasses. A few months later, an auction of the late Vogue editor André Leon Talley’s possessions raised $1.4m.
Sign up to The GuideSign up to The Guide
Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every FridayGet our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday
after newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion
That a $100 suit could go for over $200,000 is indicative of what Nolan describes as an “all-time high” in these sorts of estate sales and auctions of memorabilia, which have become full-blown cultural events. Last year, Joan Didion’s estate raised almost $2m, including $27,000 for a pair of Celine sunglasses. A few months later, an auction of the late Vogue editor André Leon Talley’s possessions raised $1.4m. “We can never predict which sales will take off,” said Elizabeth Seigel, the head of private and iconic collections at Christie’s, which oversaw the Talley sale. “But it tends to be objects that are most closely associated with them rather than the highest value ones. We use conservative estimates – as if the object belongs to you and me – and that way, you see what really matters to people. In the case of Mr Talley, it was the monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage.”
“We can never predict which sales will take off,” says Elizabeth Seigel, head of private and iconic collections at Christie’s, who oversaw the Talley sale. “But it tends to be objects that are most closely associated with them rather than the highest value ones. We use conservative estimates – as if the object belongs to you and me – and that way, you see what really matters to people. In the case of Mr Talley, it was the monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage.” Nolan cited the pandemic as one reason for high prices. In 2020 a sale of Doris Day’s possessions predicted to go for $600,000 made $4m. “I guess people couldn’t go to restaurants but they could go down memory lane,” he said. “People began seeing this stuff as an alternative investment, a tangible asset.”
Nolan cites the pandemic as one reason for high prices. In 2020 a sale of Doris Day’s possessions predicted to go for $600,000 raised $4m. “I guess people couldn’t go to restaurants but they could go down memory lane,” he says. “People began seeing this stuff as an alternative investment, a tangible asset.” Seigel agreed: “These sales tell stories of individuals through their objects and this increases their value in ways you can’t foresee.”
Seigel agrees: “These sales tell stories of individuals through their objects and this increases their value in ways you can’t foresee.” Younger buyers are also getting wise to the idea of buying memorabilia while someone is alive. “Once they’ve gone, that item can go for five times higher and it becomes a blue chip,” Nolan said. Equally, celebrities have become so canny at commodifying themselves, memorabilia is the next logical conclusion. “They know how to market themselves and we learn how to market their stuff,” he said.
Younger buyers are also getting wise to the idea of buying memorabilia while someone is still alive. “Once they’ve gone, that item can go for five times higher and it becomes a blue chip,” Nolan says. Equally, celebrities have become so canny at commodifying themselves, memorabilia is the next logical conclusion. “They know how to market themselves and we learn how to market their stuff,” he says. Julien’s Auctions was founded in Beverly Hills 20 years ago, when celebrity memorabilia was considered “junk”. Julien’s sold the memorabilia, Sotheby’s sold the jewellery, Nolan said. The auction house sold collectibles from Barbra Streisand, Cher, Angela Lansbury, and most famously, Marilyn Monroe’s “nude dress”, which the star wore when she sang Happy Birthday to John F Kennedy.
Julien’s Auctions was founded in Beverly Hills 20 years ago, at a time when celebrity memorabilia was considered to be “junk”. Julien’s sold the memorabilia, Sotheby’s sold the jewellery, Nolan says. The auction house would go on to sell collectibles from Barbra Streisand, Cher, Angela Lansbury, and most famously, Marilyn Monroe’s “nude dress”, which the star wore when she sung Happy Birthday to John F Kennedy. The dress sold for a record $4.81m in 1999; Monroe had bought it for herself for $1,400 when she was 36. The same dress made headlines last May when Kim Kardashian wore it to the Met Gala, where she allegedly damaged it. Nolan said this was not true. “She put it on at the bottom of the step, took it off at the top and wore a stole where she couldn’t quite do it up,” he said. “If anything, it made it twice as famous. If we were to auction it now, it would go for $10m.”
The dress sold for a record $4.81m in 1999; Monroe had bought the dress for herself for $1400 when she was 36. The same dress made headlines last May when Kim Kardashian wore it to the Met Gala, where she allegedly damaged it. Nolan says this is not true. “She put it on at the bottom of the step, took it off at the top and wore a stole where she couldn’t quite do it up,” he says. “If anything, it made it twice as famous. If we were to auction it now, it would go for $10m.” saysremain
Nolan is confident the sale of Travolta’s white suit will surpass all estimates. The other one was sold by Christie’s at auction for $145k in 1995, far exceeding the estimate after a bidding war in which Jane Fonda’s partner, Ted Turner, lost out. At the time, Deney Terrio, Travolta’s dance teacher for Saturday Night Fever, said he thought the sale “went a little high”. Nolan is confident Travolta’s suit will surpass all estimates. Christie’s sold the other one at auction for $145,000 in 1995, far exceeding the estimate after a bidding war in which Jane Fonda’s partner, Ted Turner, lost out. At the time, Deney Terrio, Travolta’s dance teacher for Saturday Night Fever, said he thought the sale “went a little high”.