Freddie Mercury's Early Stage Worn Wrap-Around Top, with a pair of black satin flared trousers, 1972-1975

Freddie Mercury's early stage-worn wrap-around top

hand-decorated by Freddie Mercury; with a pair of black satin flared trousers, 1972-1975

a bespoke dancer’s top of stretch black velvet with three-quarter length sleeves and long ties to wrap around the waist and tie at the side, the right shoulder and upper arm hand-sewn by Freddie with aurora borealis diamanté and imitation seed pearls to form stylized flower heads, the left front similarly decorated, unlabelled; and a pair of bespoke black satin flared trousers, fastening at the waist with two black buttons and concealed hook and eye fastening, the interior waistband with cream, red and black striped satin lining, unlabelled.

(qty 2)

This combination of wrap-around top and satin flared trousers was a staple of Freddie’s stage wear from early 1972. In June 2023, Wendy Edmonds [née de Smet] confirmed the account of how she came to make costumes for Freddie that was published in Queen in Cornwall by Rupert White (2011). Wendy Edmonds created Freddie’s famous ‘Mercury Wing’ catsuits (see lots 44, 150 and 151), but prior to that Freddie asked her make dancer’s wrap-around tops for him: "I made him these wrap-around tops to wear on stage. He was very specific about what he wanted and he’d ask me to copy things. So he had these little women’s ballet tops, crossover things, and he’d give me the stretch velvet and say ‘Can you copy this?’"

Wendy has examined all the wrap-around tops included in this auction and has confirmed that she made the plain black velvet wrap-around top (lot 105) and recalled that Freddie gave her a plain black woollen one to copy (see lots 40 and 108). He decorated several of these tops himself, including this example: these as well as the one included in this lot: "Freddie knew how to sew. He was pretty good, so for example, he’d….sew on sequins himself”. See also lots 141-143.

This particular top is captured in photographs by Mick Rock. It was worn by Freddie on stage at Imperial College, 1973 with the black and white trousers which Freddie also wore with the Zandra Rhodes top (lot 117), at The Rainbow Theatre, March, November and December 1974, and on tour in 1975.

Freddie appears to have stopped wearing this style of top as stage wear after 1975 when he started wearing his famous catsuits.

LITERATURE

Rupert White, Queen in Cornwall, 2nd Edition, Athena Publications, 2022, pp.276-277.

Killer Queen, Genesis Publications, illustrated throughout (p.37, 64, 70, 97, 94, 102, 106, 110, 111, 132, 133, 137, 155, 176)

Phil Sutcliffe, Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History Of The Crown Kings Of Rock, Voyageur Press, 2009, pp. 58 – 60 (illus.)

SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.