Going once, going twice — sold! Spanx founder Sara Blakely purchased the iconic black greaser pants and the leather biker jacket Olivia Newton-John wore in Grease for a total of $405,700.
The bid was finalized on Saturday, November 2, but it wasn’t until Wednesday, November 5, that CBS News revealed that the anonymous buyer of the ensemble was, in fact, Blakely. She purchased the pants for $162,500 and the jacket for $243,200.
“I’ve been the biggest fan of Olivia since I was a little girl, since Grease came out,” Blakely said in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily. “My friend called me two days before the auction. I didn’t know it was happening and she said, ‘Sara, they’re putting the pants up, the outfit for charity,’ and I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to try to get these.’”
There’s a special reason why Blakely wanted those pants, besides the obvious fact that they’re famous.“We have black faux leather leggings and they have become a cult following and they’re inspired off of Olivia’s pants,” said the entrepreneur. “She is the OG of black leggings. I had to own them as the Spanx founder.”
Newton-John decided to auction off that famous greaser outfit she wore to dance to “You’re the One That I Want” in honor of the movie’s 40th Anniversary. The auction took place on November 1 and 2 at the at The Standard Oil Building in Beverly Hills, California and a portion of the proceeds are going towards the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.
Julien’s Auctions executive director Martin Nolan told Page Six that he expected the pants to sell for $260,000. He said, “If you ask Olivia, she thinks it’ll go for a million dollars. It’s so iconic, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
As for what Blakely’s going to do with her new prized possessions, she said, “I’m going to frame [the pants] and hang them at Spanx.” They’re a masterpiece, after all.
