For her last live performance in 2011, Amy Winehouse took the stage in Belgrade, Serbia, wearing a bamboo-print halter dress designed by her stylist and friend Naomi Parry.
The pair had collaborated on a collection of 11 frocks to be worn by the “Rehab” singer for her upcoming European tour. But that night in June 2011 was a disaster, with the Grammy winner slurring and wandering off stage. Her tour was cancelled as a result, and the beautiful outfits were hardly worn.
“I feel an immense amount of sadness when I look at that dress,” Parry told The Post, noting that, during the time, Winehouse, who struggled with addiction, had just been to rehab. “[The dress] was supposed to be the start of something new and moving forward. She had been doing so well.”
Instead, Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning a month later. She was only 27.
“[The dress] went from symbolizing something new and exciting to absolute devastation,” said Parry.
The bamboo number is one of hundreds of items from the soulful singer’s wardrobe that will be up for bid at Julien’s Auction in Beverly Hills Saturday and Sunday, with proceeds benefitting the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which assists young people who are battling addiction. It’s expected to raise between $15,000 and $17,000.
Also on offer are accessories from Miu Miu, a pair of Freed ballet flats donned on stage with Mick Jagger, a Dolce & Gabbana cardigan and a heart-shaped Moschino bag — estimated to fetch $15,000 to $20,000 — that Winehouse wore to the BRIT Awards in 2007.
That appearance was a turning point for Winehouse. She would soon become a household name, with designers sending her boatloads of luxe clothing. (Once Winehouse’s addiction began to spin out of control, Parry said some fashion houses distanced themselves, but “Dolce & Gabbana always looked after us.”)
Following her tragic death, Winehouse’s belongings went in storage for nearly a decade until her family decided to exhibit and auction off her personal effects for a good cause.
“It was costing [her family] an arm and a leg and it was just miserable to see this stuff sat here. We all agreed, there was just so much of it,” Parry said. “What is the point of having it in the locker when it could make money for the foundation and raise awareness? And do an exhibition with it at the same time?”
In January 2020, the Grammy Museum launched “Beyond Black: The Style of Amy Winehouse” to showcase the items. Later this month, many of the articles of clothing will be moved to London’s Design Museum for “Amy: Beyond the Stage.” Buyers will receive their items after the exhibit closes.
Seeing the wardrobe on display brought Parry “comfort.” After all, it was the London-based creative director who helped turn Winehouse, with her signature beehive and retro flair, into a style icon.
“She wasn’t rockabilly even though that’s how her look was manifesting,” said Parry, who brought a modern eye to Winehouse’s trademark vintage look, dressing her in contemporary designers.
“I streamlined it as much as you can with someone who was as inclined as Amy to distress anything she was wearing.”
And Parry, who recently released a book about her friend, “Amy Winehouse: Beyond Black,” said the exhibits and the auction have been cathartic.
“They’ve got quite a few difficult memories,” she said. “I want something more positive to come from them.”
See more items from the Amy Winehouse sale with Julien’s Auction:
