Joanna Lumley wardrobe auction raises $24,000 for charity

Joanna Lumley is perhaps best known as the alluring Purdey in the New Avengers, or the drunken fashion editor in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, and now a London auction has sold her stylish wardrobe to raise funds for charity.

The sale brought in £15,000 ($23,792), which will be donated to The Prince's Trust - a UK-based charity that provides practical and financial support to young people.

Joanna Lumley Absolutely Fabulous Auction wardrobe
Lumley as the ever fashionable Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous


The auction is not the first time Lumley has supported a sale for a good cause. In 2011, the actress modelled a stunning diamond necklace in support of animal welfare charity Born Free. She has dedicated much of her recent years to supporting charitable causes, including the Free Tibet Campaign and the Gurkha Welfare Trust.

With Lumley herself joining the auctioneer on the rostrum and recalling tales of the items as they were offered for sale, a white cotton Mexicana dress that she was wearing when she met her future husband sold as top lot for ?�400 ($634).

Following were two 1980s Jean Muir jackets, about which Lumley commented: "Jean Muir was a lifelong friend and if you were to cut open my heart you would find her name written there". Sold as a single lot they brought ?�300 ($475).

Also starring was a black velvet cocktail dress by Chantal Thomas in which Lumley had "once sidled up to Sly Stallone", that brought ?�220 ($348).

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