Sydell Miller, together with her husband, Arnold, had a seismic influence on the beauty landscape. In the ’70s they created Ardell (a portmanteau of their first names), the world’s first pre-cut strip eyelash sets. In 1980, they went on to launch Matrix, a groundbreaking salon-quality haircare brand that was the first of its kind. And yet, the name Sydell Miller is not one that instantly rolls off the tongue. That’s all set to change this month.
The late Miller, who passed away earlier this year, had a penchant for the finest jewellery and luxury fashion, and the pieces in her vast collection can now be perused and purchased in the Sotheby’s online sale A Legacy of Beauty: The Fashion Collection of Sydell Miller. There are incredible pieces from legendary jewellery names such as Graff, Harry Winston, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, David Webb and Tiffany & Co., as well as Chanel and Valentino couture and handbags by Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior and more.
“It’s amazing that she’s not more of a household name, considering what a dramatic impact she had on revolutionising the beauty industry and inventing components of it,” muses Frank Everett, vice chairman of jewellery at Sotheby’s New York. “Then, in other aspects of her life, what she accomplished as a philanthropist, collector, mother and grandmother… The impact and the legacy she leaves. I don’t know how she managed to squeeze so much into her life.”
But squeeze it in, she did. And just as she helped to give other women the freedom to play with their image, she too enjoyed expressing herself, via everything from her wardrobe to what hung on her walls (Picasso, Monet and Kandinsky). She was a woman unafraid to make her own decisions. “By far, the vast majority [of her jewellery collection she] purchased herself. I think it’s important to note that’s part of her legacy, the way she supported women and empowered women in her industry to take care of themselves and develop their businesses. So, self-purchasing was probably something that came quite comfortably to Sydell Miller. She drove that collection herself.” Evidently, her entrepreneurial skills and creative bent served her well. “What a wonderful eye for details she had,” enthuses Everett.
“I particularly love that she bought sets of things,” he continues. “So, when she came across a design she liked, she bought the necklace, bracelet, earrings, brooch, all of it. I think that’s an interesting component, and it falls nicely into two wonderful groups of day and night jewellery. This is something that you don’t get much anymore. The modern woman is obsessed with finding things she can wear all the time. But women of Sydell’s generation wanted the opposite. They loved a piece of jewellery that they could wear occasionally, two or three times a year – they’d be matching jewels to outfits.”
There are plenty of big hitter white diamond pieces, including “the most impeccable suite of Graff diamonds – it’s such a beautiful quality and cut of stones”. But you can also find a couple of outliers, such as Everett’s favourite piece in the collection: cultured pearl and diamond ear clips by Hemmerle that look like a “very modern take on an 18th-century girandole”. There are also ’70s and ’80s pieces from Tiffany & Co. by Angela Cummings, who “had a particularly wonderful way with modern sculptural looks”, and is having a moment right now.
But for all Sydell clearly appreciated little flourishes – be they lashes or jewellery – she also understood the main event: clothes. Her love of fashion was established when she and her husband first started out in the 1960s, and she convinced him to let her open a fashion boutique on the floor above his hairdressing salon. Even then she was trailblazing, offering separates “during an age when women were still really wearing dresses”, points out Lucy Bishop, handbag and fashion expert at Sotheby’s.
Roll time forward and Sydell herself “belonged to one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, that of a Chanel Haute Couture client”, says Bishop. Lots include gasp-worthy outfits largely from the last 20 years of her life, including classic Chanel tweed ensembles and exquisitely embroidered and beaded gowns. Her handbag collection includes the Hermès Kelly and Chanel 2.55 and Flap bags. It shows that Sydell never lost her zest: among the classics, there’s a Chanel Hula Hoop bag, for instance. “She was a lady who clearly liked to have fun,” says Bishop.
Ultimately, Sydell understood the power of style, both for herself and others. “We’ve come up with some beautiful, flowery names for our single-owner collections,” muses Everett. “But I don’t think there’s ever been one more appropriate than ‘A Legacy of Beauty’ for Sydell Miller. This is what she pursued in every phase of her life.”
A Legacy of Beauty: The Fashion Collection of Sydell Miller sothebys.com
