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Rodrigo Flores to auction Mexico's biggest fashion collection
Rodrigo Flores, considered by many to be the only apparel collector in Mexico and one of the very few in Latin America, will auction his collection of approximately 1,500 pieces of clothing and accessories from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries at the end of the year in New York. In an interview with newspaper Reforma, the collector and antiquarian declined to give the date or location of the auction, but confirmed that given the difficulties of storage and conservation of the garments that "the time has come to find a destination for them and unfortunately that could not be in Mexico."
Rodrigo Flores’ collection, which is comprised mostly of 18th century garments, includes four dresses by Charles Frederick Worth, one of the fathers of haute couture; embroidered silk vests and dresses from the era of the Empress Carlota and Porfirio Diaz.
The City of Mexico native also owns a 1947 dress worn by Mexican actress Maria; a 1919 Lanvin dress; one by Oscar de la Renta and Cristóbal Balenciaga; as well as a 1970s Dior vest and two dresses by Nina Ricci.
According to Flores, Mexico could not become the new home for its collection since the country’s museums "are not interested in having it and do not have a budget destined for this type of item," and said that he even tried to sell them to Mexican institutions and entrepreneurs, but received no response.
Flores acquired many of the pieces in his collection in Mexico, from families who had held on to the clothing and accessories, as well as from antique dealers, and other pieces he came across in New York, London and Paris.
Some of the garments of his renowned collection have been shown in Mexican exhibitions and museums, such as at the Balenciaga show at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City in 2016.
Rodrigo Flores plans to keep about 100 pieces by Mexican designers of the 20th century and will later decide their fate.
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