GOING, GOING, GONE!

When it comes to collectable pieces, luxe bags are up there with art…

Christie’s auction house runs handbag and accessories sales as a standalone category. ‘They exist between fashion and art, combining quality craftsmanship with the best materials in the world,’ says Lucile Andreani, Christie’s handbag specialist. Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Dior are leading brands, but the Fendi Baguette is making waves, too. ‘We offered nine limited-edition Baguettes in our London sale last year and they sold well, between €690 and €1,330 each,’ says Andreani. If you’ve never bought at auction don’t be intimidated – first-timers make up one-third of participants at each sale. ‘The range of estimates is wide – from €100 to €100,000. We have clients who own more than 100 bags but also people who’ve saved to buy their first investment bag. Collectors can try everything in our preview exhibitions and ask our specialists questions.’ Christie’s next online handbags auction will run from 24 November to 10 December. For more details visit bit.ly/302XDCS

THIS LIMITED-EDITION HERMES BIRKIN WENT FOR €24,900 AT A RECENT CHRISTIE’S AUCTION after the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, the Mulberry Gisele debuted on Luella’s catwalk in 2002 – modelled, of course, by Gisele herself. It was an instant hit, leading Mulberry to repeat the same formula with 2010’s Alexa (named after model Alexa Chung), 2012’s Del Rey (named after singer Lana) and 2014’s Cara (named after model Cara Delevingne, pictured above). Other bags that owe their success to their namesakes include Marc Jacobs’s Stam (named after the model Jessica Stam) and Saint Laurent’s Kate (named after

Kate Moss).

While it felt cool and innovative in the early 2000s, some might say that naming a handbag after a celebrity is a formula that has worn thin. In an era of influencer culture, customers have