Melania Trump loves them, but would you spend over US$60,000 on a Hermès Birkin bag in an online auction?
Beloved by the Kardashian clan and Victoria Beckham, luxury handbags from coveted designers like Chanel and Hermès have reached record prices at an online-only auction
As the coronavirus struck the world, the luxury industry accelerated into the digital space, from fashion brands live-streaming shows to launch new autumn/winter collections to jewellers selling high-end collections on China’s leading online platforms Tmall and JD.com. Auction houses are also moving their treasures online, and the results seem a lot more positive than experts had first feared.
Christie’s online-only auction The Power of Colour fetched a massive HK$14,391,875 (US$1,857,000), the highest figure raised through an online handbag sale in Asia. This was an 85 per cent increase on the amount raised at their online sale in September 2019.
The auction, which took place from May 20 to June 3, featured appropriately 190 lots of highly desirable handbags and accessories from coveted brands like Chanel and Hermès; America’s first lady Melania Trump is known to have an extensive array of covetable bags from the latter. Her collectibles include a 35cm Birkin bag in bordeaux and parchemin with gold hardware, and Rouge Casaque with palladium hardware, as well as a 32cm white Kelly with palladium, and a 30cm gold Birkin with gold hardware.
The offerings at the Christie’s auction ranged from a Hermès rose Extrême Swift Leather Mini Constance 18 with palladium hardware as well as a beautiful Chanel matte pink Python Medium Classic Double Flap Bag with gold hardware.
But it was a Hermès bag that topped the charts: a matte black Porosus Crocodile Birkin 40 with palladium hardware fetched a whooping HK$475,000 (US$61,300), almost twice its presale estimate of HK$200,000-HK$260,000.
A limited edition 30cm Etrusque, Mousse & Marron Fonce Ostrich Ghillies Birkin Bag with permabrass hardware was sold for a lofty HK$375,000. Another beauty, a shiny rose Schéhérazade Niloticus Crocodile Sellier Kelly 32 with palladium hardware fetched HK$350,000. Look out for the lucky person swinging these beauties off their shoulders.