"Announcing the up coming auction of forty years worth of fabulous costumes, sets, and memorabilia: Darren Julian Auctions 11/12/11," she tweeted yesterday. ("how much for the wind beneath your wings?" one fan tweeted back.)
"I think [Lady Gaga] should go for a real wheelchair and a real fishtail because these are really beautiful. They are decorated and hand-beaded," Midler gushed in an interview with AP, referring to her mermaid-in-a-wheelchair costumes. Earlier this year, The Divine Miss M tweeted up a bruhaha over Lady Gaga (discussed in a previous blog entry), in which she claimed the young diva stole her mermaid-in-a-motorized-wheelchair idea.
"If she is interested," Midler said of Gaga, making nice, "she can have whatever she wants because she is a very talented girl, and I love her a lot."
Midler is not just selling multiple mermaid outfits and wheelchairs, but several different garments from her 40-year career during the November 12 auction. "I am waiting for Gaga to get in there and grab hers," Midler said during the interview. The auction includes the Valentino gown Bette wore to the 64th Annual Academy Awards when she was nominated as Best Actress for For The Boys. (I love that movie!) It is expected to sell for $1,500.
Bette's also letting go of the Vegas showgirl outfit that she wore during "The Showgirl Must Go On" from 2008 to 2010. It is estimated to fetch $2,000 to $3,000. The collection will be on display to the public from Halloween until November 11 in Beverly Hills.
The actress and singer said that the reason why she's selling everything now is because she doesn't want her daughter to deal with all the items after she passes away. Let's hope the Divine Miss M is planning for the distant future when she says that! Also, Bette says she wants others to experience the joy of owning the pieces. Some proceeds from sales will go to the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization Midler created to help restore parks, community gardens and open spaces in New York.
Bette explained that, when Julien's came to look through her stuff, there were a couple of things she couldn't give up. Like the dress she wore down the red carpet for the opening of The Rose because "it was such a wonderful time in my life, and I was surrounded by friends. And I was so thin!"
Midler claims that she can't believe she wore some of those outfits. "You can say that about practically everything. But, I remember it all so fondly. It was a great ride. Just the best ride, just the most fun," she added whistfully.
Waxing over her career as if it's in its twilight, loving Lady Gaga to bits, bringing up the subject of her mortality? I do hope Miss M is ok -- and that the best from her is yet to come. Her sense of humor seems unimpaired, however. Her tweet two days ago: "Last week I shot a commercial, and the agency made me sign a morals clause. Who do they have me confused with?" Vintage Miss M.
A gown worn by Bette Midler to the Oscars when she was nominated only expected to fetch $1500?? What was it, a Valentine knock-off bought at K-Mart?
ReplyDeleteYes, very reasonable, Anon. I think I'll buy two.
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