HOW DID YOU FIRST CONNECT WITH JONATHAN COHEN AND HIS WORK?

Jonathan reached out to me and very kindly invited me to attend a lovely studio reception!

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO INCORPORATE JONATHAN COHEN’S DESIGNS INTO YOUR PERSONAL WARDROBE?

I love Jonathan’s particular mix of femininity, strength, and playfulness—I find it a great balance that feels like a natural fit to me.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE REFLECTED IN YOUR LOOK FOR FALL/WINTER 2025?

I fully subscribe to and appreciated the mix of textures in that look. Black leather with knits any day!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WORKING IN THE AUCTION INDUSTRY AND HOW HAS THE LANDSCAPE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED?

I love the unpredictable nature of the work—you never know what masterpiece you are going to come across, or who you will meet in doing so. The landscape has changed tremendously as the way people consume art has changed. Digital platforms have changed everything, from how we view art, how we communicate, how people bid, how the auctioneer engages the audience… you name it. Globalization has resulted from the digital conveniences, and that has influenced how people collect art as well. I see more and more eclectic acquiring, instead of collecting in a narrow focus.

WE LOVED SEEING YOU SET A WORLD AUCTION RECORD BY SELLING THE STEGOSAURUS SKELETON FOR $44.6 MILLION. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE?

Apex the stegosaurus will be forever a highlight in my auctioneer career, and I am so fortunate to be a part of its own very long history! That was an incredible experience; from learning about the fossil, its discovery, its reconstruction, starting with the story of the paleontologist who found Apex on his birthday! My wonderful colleague, Cassandra Hatton, taught me about Apex’s life, the story told in the bones and scars on the fossil itself, and I fell in love with that dinosaur. During the sale, of course, there was palpable excitement in the auction room. I remember feeling elated. It all seemed to glide smoothly. An auctioneer’s dream.

HOW HAS YOUR FASHION EVOLVED ALONGSIDE YOUR CONFIDENCE AND STYLE AS AN AUCTIONEER?

I feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin now, compared to my first sale, some 15 years ago. I have always been happy to show my own style, but there has been a rise and maturation of my confidence that pushes me farther and farther away from caring about fitting certain molds and expectations. I want to feel fabulous every time I step into the rostrum, and I have more clarity on what ‘fabulous’ means to me these days.

SOTHEBY’S HAS GAINED A STRONG PRESENCE ON TIKTOK. WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF AUCTIONING WITH YOUNGER BIDDERS AND RISING AUCTIONEERS?

I’m not yet on Tik Tok but I guess I should be! I heard the videos of me went ‘viral’ and it blows my mind. I am continuously surprised by the young age of people who are responding to those videos, and who come up to talk to me in public. A lot of this audience don’t seem to have had any prior contact whatsoever with the auction world, and it is wild to think a video of me is what brought them in. I suppose it’s conceivable that some of these viewers will become clients someday. When that happens, I will welcome them into the auction room with open arms!

IN YOUR SOTHEBY’S “MEET THE AUCTIONEER” VIDEO, YOU MENTIONED AUCTIONEERS ARE SUPERSTITIOUS. WITH YOUR GAVEL, GRANDDAD’S RINGS, AND LUCKY GREEN WATCH BEING PART OF YOUR ROUTINE. HOW DO YOU RECOVER IF SOMETHING FEELS OFF DURING AN AUCTION TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE?

You have to develop a way to make yourself calm down, instantly forget, and move on. I have some heartening images in my mind that keep me happy and make me feel protected. Have a positive little chat with yourself internally, and if all else fails, just smile. It’s never as bad as you think.

THERE IS CLEARLY AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS THAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE AN AUCTION WITH RESEARCHING THE EXHIBITION, AND LEARNING ABOUT THE PIECES YOU ARE SELLING. CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO ADAPT TO AN “ON THE FLY” SITUATION AT AN AUCTION?

I have had to fill in for auctioneers who have suddenly fallen ill. Luckily, those situations have been pretty light in pressure, and I was able to literally just step in and carry on. I have clocked a lot of time in the rostrum, in all sorts of sales, and it helps. In those surprise moments, your comfort level with improvisation, your level of technique, your generalist knowledge, and your experience really show.

AS A VP OF CLIENT STRATEGY AT SOTHEBY’S, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER WOMEN NAVIGATING THIS SPACE? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE INTERESTED IN AUCTIONEERING BUT UNSURE WHERE TO START?

For anyone entering the auction world, I would urge them to try everything before committing. The day-to-day is never what you think, so try on every hat, in as many categories that interest you, as you can. For women in the auction industry, I think it is helpful to remember that we are an old industry, with old habits, and lots of senior colleagues. Some ‘old ways’ are not necessarily bad, and there is much to learn from elders with tons of experience. At the same time, it is important to realize that there are a lot of senior colleagues in our industry who are afraid of change. Be respectful, learn from them when you can, and remember to be true to yourself. Be a respectful sponge, not a doormat.