Doris Brynner was a leading figure of elegance in 20th-century artistic and high-society circles. In a move that comes to honour her legacy and impact in the world of fashion, style, entertainment and beauty, Sotheby’s Paris is holding a sale exhibition at the end of January 2026 that traces the journey of a woman for whom taste was a guiding principle and craftsmanship a lifelong devotion. Coinciding with Paris Haute Couture Week, the event uncovers the refined and commanding world of Doris Brynner through a retrospective curated by her daughter, Victoria Brynner. The exhibition runs from January 23 to January 26, preceded by a two-part auction: a live session on January 27, followed by an online sale on January 28, putting on display rare pieces of jewellery, haute couture and objets d'art, all of which shape the portrait of a lady who traversed life with an innate sense of beauty and style. This collection highlights the private and artistic dimension of an influential personality whose work continues to inspire collectors and designers around the world.
Doris Chez Dior
A glimpse into her background reveals that Doris was shaped not by a single place but by a succession of cultures, each having left its mark on her eye and sensibility. She was born in the former Yugoslavia in 1931, grew up in Chile, and later moved to France in the 1950s. Her early career took off with modelling, saw her work for Pierre Cardin upon her arrival in Paris, and later at Valentino, where she took charge of client relations at the couture house and helped accelerate the brand’s growth and impact through her premier network.
In 1997, she joined Christian Dior as head of the Maison & Gifts department, a role she held for over two decades. Her arrival at Dior signalled a significant shift in the brand’s creative vision, masterminded by a woman of impeccable taste and boundless energy. Doris brought a daring yet lighthearted approach to the giftware department at Avenue. Montaigne, over which she presided until 2018, transforming the way the Dior home boutique resonated with global audiences. From tableware, picture frames, wicker baskets and candles to Limoges china, Murano vases, Theresienthal goblets and hand-embroidered table linens, Doris curated an entire universe of refined, functional and whimsical items that can help turn a home into a palace. Every object commissioned by her filled the space it inhabited with its essence and charm, giving it an aura of less a store and more a salon where socialites mingled with LVMH executives.
Brynner was decorated with the Order of Arts and Letters in 2012, for her contributions to art and lifestyle and for her legacy in haute couture homewares.
A Circle of High Society Friendships
Doris Brynner moved through the cultural life of the 20th century forming close and enduring friendships with figures who defined the glamour and creative force of that era. Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor became part of a closed circle that gathered around Doris for intimate soirees and socialising, with Sinatra reportedly teaching Brynner how to mix a martini at his Palm Springs compound. Taylor, who was also godmother to Doris’s daughter Victoria, remained a lifelong presence, a relationship that was later reflected in Doris’s appearance in the 2024 documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.
Her friendships extended just as naturally into fashion and design, including names such as Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar de la Renta, Alain Delon and François Catroux, among others. Within Victoria’s private archive, there are photographs that reveal moments of her parents at the premiere of Cleopatra, her mother backstage as Marie-Chantal of Greece prepares for her wedding, followed by evenings in the South of France with the Catroux family or the Niarchos children gathered around the table.
Alongside these images are tangible pieces of those bygone days, from Balenciaga invoices to gifts and a book inscribed by Jean Schlumberger, now offered at Sotheby’s for sale, as objects marked by a life lived at the heart of an extraordinary era.
A Collection that Shines with Depth and Diversity
The sale spans more than sixty years of aesthetic dedication from the world of Doris Brynner, including exceptional pieces by Bulgari and Boucheron and ruby and diamond brooches owned by Audrey Hepburn and gifted to her by Elizabeth Taylor. A large jewellery selection represented by Jean Schlumberger creations includes floral-inspired diamond earrings, a sculptural starfish brooch from the 1960s, and a rare gold and diamond minaudière dating to the 1950s.
Fashion is equally central at the auction, led by an ivory evening gown by Cristóbal Balenciaga, immortalised by Inge Morath, alongside elegant creations by Christian Dior that speak to Brynner’s lasting relationship with couture. The collection extends to include a sketch by John Galliano, a drawing dedicated to Doris by Karl Lagerfeld, and two photographs by Andy Warhol, one of which shows her alongside Audrey Hepburn. A three-branch candelabrum by Claude Lalanne sits alongside contemporary works by Jean-Michel Othoniel and bronze pieces by Peter Marino, reflecting a unique perspective on material, form, and artistic intimacy.
Final Note
The exhibition Hommage à Doris Brynner at Sotheby's Paris is one of those events that leaves a definite mark, through the promise of an encounter with, not just a celebrity, but a living personality whose life was guided by a constant search for beauty. It is an invitation for all those who are fascinated by a strong aesthetic heritage embodied by special objects to visit and appreciate a collective story: fashion history lovers, jewellery collectors and those with an affinity for contemporary interior design.
Behind each piece of jewellery, each sketch or decorative object, lies a chapter from the life of Doris Brynner, a woman who combined creativity with cosmopolitan flair and style with function, in a deeply personal narrative and a shared cultural memory.
