Amy Winehouse's belongings slated to fetch $2.7m at auction

NEW YORK • Hundreds of items that belonged to late Grammy-winning artiste Amy Winehouse, including the dress she wore during her final concert, are going up for auction in the United States.

Auction house Julien's will put the more than 800 personal effects - which include shoes, clothes, books and records - under the hammer in Beverly Hills, California on Nov 6 and 7.

They went on display in New York on Monday and are expected to fetch up to US$2 million (S$2.7 million) in total.

The British soul diva died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011, when she was 27.

"It's very difficult when you have to do an auction when you're working with the parents of their deceased child," said Julien's executive director Martin Nolan.

"It took them a long time to come to terms and decide to let go, with the realisation that, of course, there are fans, museums and collectors all over the world that will want to own some of these items, care for them, show them at museums, keep her legacy and memory alive and, at the same time, raise some money for the foundation," he added.

The proceeds will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports vulnerable young adults facing addiction.

Winehouse, who won several awards for her 2006 album Back To Black, often spoke of her personal experiences battling alcohol and drug addiction.

The star, clearly struggling, was booed at her last concert in June 2011 in Belgrade.

Her tour was cancelled and she died a month later.

The short green and black dress she was wearing, designed by her stylist and close friend Naomi Parry, is expected to sell for between US$15,000 and US$20,000.

"That's very iconic. But all of these dresses represent Amy - fantastic musician, songwriter, but also a fashion icon," said Mr Nolan.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 14, 2021, with the headline Amy Winehouse's belongings slated to fetch $2.7m at auction. Subscribe