Audrey Hepburn's personal collection goes on sale at auction

An auction of items from Audrey Hepburn's personal collection starts on Tuesday. The lot includes a satin cocktail dress by Hepburn's main couturier, Hubert de Givenchy, a Burberry trench coat, a pair of leather ballet pumps, a swizzle stick from Cartier and an archive of photographs. 

Further highlights of the auction are the film scripts to some of her most popular works, including "Breakfast at Tiffany's," annotated by the Hollywood legend herself. 

Stars' personal items successful at auction

Celebrity names have been making auction houses owners very happy lately. Earlier this September, a private collection of paintings owned by Vogue fashion photographer Mario Testino went to auction, raising almost 6.3 million pounds (7.1 million euros, $8.5 million) in total.

In July, a collection of Madonna's private items, such as the corset she wore on the cover of her "Like a Virgin" album (1984), raised almost $70,000 at auction.

The items had however not been put to auction by the star herself, but by a former friend. Madonna objected to the sale of a series of very intimate items, from breakup letters to a hairbrush with some of her hair. 

Read more: Madonna blocks auction of her intimate items

Other weird celebrity items have made headlines in the past. 

In 2008, Scarlett Johansson sold a tissue into which she had sneezed during "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Auctioned off on eBay at 99 cents, it fetched $5,300. The money went to charity.

Read more: Sotheby's space auction to feature Neil Armstrong's moon bag, Yuri Gagarin's notes

Audrey Hepburn's enduring appeal

In 2006, the black gown worn by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" fetched 456,200 pounds. The personal items of the Hollywood legend are now being sent to auction by her family. 

"We are thrilled to have been entrusted with the sale of items from Audrey Hepburn's personal collection," said Adrian Hume-Sayer, director of private collections at Christie's.

"Her name is one that instantly resonates, and her appeal and relevance remain as strong today as they ever were. The sales will offer fans and collectors alike the opportunity to acquire unique personal objects which have never before been seen on the market, and which will undoubtedly offer new insights into the remarkable life of a remarkable woman," he added.

The online auction ends on October 4, and a live auction takes place on September 27 at Christie's in London.