Dame Felicity Lott’s cherished couture gowns to go on show at Firle Place

A remarkable collection of couture gowns and costumes belonging to the late internationally acclaimed soprano Dame Felicity Lott will go on display at Firle Place on Wednesday 23 September 2026, ahead of their auction in support of Friends of Sussex Hospices.

Known affectionately as “Flott”, Dame Felicity had decided to sell her collection of concert gowns, including designs by Givenchy and Bruce Oldfield, to raise funds for a charity she had supported as a patron for more than 20 years.

Speaking about the collection in one of her final interviews, Dame Felicity joked that buying her gowns outright in Paris, rather than borrowing them from fashion houses, had left her with “a fantastic collection” all needing appreciative new homes.

The Firle Place evening will give guests a special opportunity to see a selection of those gowns and costumes before they go under the hammer at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London on 13 October.

Guests are invited from 5pm for exclusive access to selected rooms at Firle Place, followed by a drinks and canapés reception in the Georgian Riding School from 6pm to 8pm.

Auctioneer and television presenter Tim Wonnacott, a patron of Friends of Sussex Hospices who helped bring the auction together, will be among those attending. Lord Gage of Firle Place is also a patron of the charity.

A particularly poignant part of the evening will be a screening of the award-winning short film Felicity Lott: Dressed for the Part (Dir. Lizzie Thynne, 14 minutes). In a moving interview recorded just weeks before she died, Dame Felicity recalls highlights from her remarkable career and the clothes that helped make them.

Kathy Sambrook, President of Friends of Sussex Hospices, said: “Dame Felicity was a generous and steadfast supporter, as well as a wonderful patron. She performed at many of our events and regularly attended and supported many others held by the charity. The drinks reception and preview of her gowns at Firle Place feels especially fitting, given her deep affection for nearby Glyndebourne and the South Downs.”

The gowns will subsequently be auctioned by Kerry Taylor Auctions on 13 October 2026. The auction house has generously agreed to waive its commission so that the proceeds from the sale will go to Friends of Sussex Hospices.

Tickets for the Firle Place preview are £30, including access to Firle Place, drinks and canapés.

For tickets, further information or to make a donation, visit friendsofsussexhospices.org.uk.