Step into the private world of an icon where each object tells a story of style and freedom... Sotheby's Paris presents an exceptional exhibition dedicated to Doris Brynner, a figure of cosmopolitan elegance in the 20th century, from January 23 to 26, 2026. This exhibition, organized during Fashion Week, precedes a two-part auction: a live session on January 27, followed by an online sale on January 28. Through this retrospective, curated by her daughter Victoria Brynner, the auction house highlights a life guided by taste, audacity, and a constant search for beauty.
Jewelry, haute couture, objets d'art, sketches, and rare pieces compose the portrait of a woman who traversed the decades with an innate sense of style and a deep attachment to craftsmanship.The exhibition immerses visitors in the private and artistic spheres of an influential personality whose mark continues to inspire designers, collectors, and aesthetes around the world.
Born in Zagreb in 1931 and raised in Chile, Doris Brynner found her creative outlet in France in the 1950s. Protected by patron Arturo Lopez, she frequented the Parisian artistic scene, collaborated with Pierre Cardin, and in 1960 married actor Yul Brynner, who was then in the midst of filming The Magnificent Seven. This marriage paved the way for a Californian lifestyle filled with legendary parties and unforgettable friendships with Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton. Several gifts and mementos from these legendary figures are now up for sale, like fragments of an era of audacity and intimacy.
Over the decades, Doris Brynner has established a personal style in decoration and lifestyle, notably with the opening of La Véranda, a boutique-gallery that has become a benchmark in Geneva, Morges, and Gstaad. In 1997, she joined Christian Dior Maison, where she spent twenty years redefining the world of gifts and decoration under the guidance of Peter Marino, building bridges between craftsmanship of excellence and contemporary aesthetics.
The collection presented at Sotheby's shines with its diversity and depth. It includes a Bulgari brooch that belonged to Audrey Hepburn, a diamond brooch given to her by Elizabeth Taylor, jewelry by Jean Schlumberger, and haute couture pieces such as an ivory evening gown by Cristobal Balenciaga, immortalized by photographer Inge Morath. Sketches by John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld, signed for Doris, sit alongside two rare photographsby Andy Warhol, one of which shows her alongsideAudrey Hepburn.
The collection also includes carefully selected contemporary art objects, such as works by Claude Lalanne, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and bronze creations by Peter Marino. Each piece reflects a unique perspective on material, form, and domestic life, in an intuitive and refined collection.
This exhibition is aimed at all those who are fascinated by the subtle elegance of extraordinary trajectories:fashion history enthusiasts, jewelry collectors, aesthetes passionate about lifestyle and contemporary design, and luxury and interior design professionals. If you are sensitive to the stories embodied by objects, this visit is for you. However, it is probably not intended for those looking for purely decorative pieces with no connection to a historical context or a strong aesthetic heritage.
It is a journey into the world of a woman who always combined high standards with creativity, craftsmanship with cosmopolitanism. It is a place for discoveries with friends, for couples to share a cultural interlude, or even for solo visitors to take the time to appreciate, piece by piece, a life shaped by style.
Behind each piece of jewelry, each sketch, each decorative object, lies a chapter in the life of Doris Brynner. This exhibition acts as a sensitive portrait, where design, fashion, and decorative arts become the vectors of an intimate and collective story. You will discover a woman whose refinement was not merely superficial, but embodied in every choice, every gesture, every combination of beauty and function.
The promise is that of an encounter, not with a celebrity frozen in history, but with a living personality through rare pieces deeply connected to her vision, her tastes, and her era. The exhibition Hommage à Doris Brynner at Sotheby's Paris is one of those events that leaves a mark, halfway between memory and contemporary inspiration.
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Dates and Opening Time
From January 23, 2026 to January 26, 2026
Location
Sotheby's
83 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris 8
Access
Metro 9 or 13 Miromesnil
Prices
Free
Official website
www.sothebys.com
