Rare handbags to go under the hammer at Christie’s France

RELAXNEWS

It will be handbags at dawn for luxury auction house Christie’s France, when it launches its third annual luxury arm candy sale.
‘Handbags & Accessories’, set to take place on March 5 in Paris, will feature rare and special edition pieces from fashion houses including Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton, with price estimates ranging from €2,000 to €70,000.
Highlights will include a ‘Vert Celadon Natura Kelly 28’ by Hermès, believed to be one of fewer than 10 in the world. The bag is a nod to the styles of the 1920s, when it was impossible to remove pigment from certain exotic skins, meaning that the original skin color could be seen through the finished product. Around the year 2000, Hermès revisited this process, and the resulting handbag is considered to be one of the most desired in the world. It is being offered at a very conservative estimate of €15,000-20,000 (approximately $17,000-22,000).
Additional pieces include a ‘Himalaya Birkin 35’ in grade 1, being offered conservatively at €70,000 – €90,000, and a limited edition “Birkin 35” from the So Black collection. This discontinued alligator edition is characterized by its metal hardware plated in black, rather than the usual gold or palladium. It is estimated between €40,000 and €45,000.
Other important Hermès examples include a barénia leather and wicker Kelly Picnic 35 and a custom-ordered Kelly 32 in Bleu Saphir, Bleu Marine and Bleu Jean alligator.
Christie’s is also holding a rare handbag auction in Dubai on March 17 to celebrate its 10th anniversary in the city. The event will feature handbags, trunks, watches and jewelry, with star pieces including an Hermès ‘Grand Mariage Kelly 32’ in ostrich, alligator and lizard.
A custom-ordered “Birkin 30” in anémone, rose confetti and bleu aztèque will also be on offer, estimated between US$15,000 to US$20,000.