Cher to
have "garage sale"

Fashion icon and award-winning singer and actress Cher is clearing her Malibu, Calif., home of its Gothic contents and reshaping her life in a giant "garage sale."

Following a trend set by rock star Elton John, Cher is selling nearly 800 items, from stage costumes to gem-encrusted jewelry, works of art, furniture, and even a huge Hummer car, in an auction expected to raise more than $1 million.

"This is a lot more than a garage sale. Apart from the dresses and jewels, there are Old Masters and architectural drawings," said Darren Julien of Julien's auctions.

"She has a huge following. She is an icon. Her career in song, stage, and screen has spanned nearly four decades," he told Reuters as some of the items went on show in London on Monday, ahead of the sale in Los Angeles on October 3-4.

The sale is being jointly organized by Sotheby's New York office and Julien's of the United States.

Among the items on show are several dresses by star designer Bob Mackie, white and yellow gold rings and necklaces, and a book of architectural drawings by 19th-century Gothic revivalist Augustus Pugin.

Cher, born Cherylin Sarkisian in May 1946, first hit fame alongside Sonny Bono with the 1965 hit "I Got You Babe," and her roller-coaster career has been echoed by her turbulent and often front-page private life.

An Oscar nominee for Silkwood and winner for Moonstruck, she has also won a Grammy and an Emmy, been awarded Best Actress by the Cannes Film Festival, and won three Golden Globes.

But she is probably equally well-known for her willowy body and contour-hugging flamboyant dresses.

"She decided a while ago that she wanted to sell off a few things and change her style, and it grew from that to this collection of some 200 gowns and costumes and nearly 800 items in total," Julien said. "She is redecorating her home, going for a Moroccan-Tibetan look, and selling the Gothic revival items," he added, noting that the mannequins supporting the dresses had to be especially made because of Cher's special figure.

But not all the money from the sale at the Beverly Hilton will go back into Cher's home--an undeclared but "substantial" portion will go to a range of charities that she supports, Julien said.

And it is not as though she needs the money--in 2002 Rolling Stone magazine estimated her personal wealth at $600 million. (Reuters)