Christie's Is Auctioning Off the Holy Grail of Hermès Handbags
Wallets at the ready! Christie's is auctioning off an ultra-rare Hermès Kelly valued between $150,000 and $200,000.
Bids starts at $120,000 for the bag, a 2020 "Himalaya" Kelly 25 made of snow white crocodile hide mottled with cool gray. Produced in extremely limited quantities for top Hermès clients, the bag is widely considered the crème de la crème of accessories — and one of the rarest handbags in the world.
"There is no bag more synonymous with luxury than the 'Himalaya' Birkin," Caitlin Donovan, Christie's American Head of Department VP for Handbags & Accessories, told Highsnobiety last year. "Craftsmanship surpassed only by its rarity, it is the holy grail bag for any who consider themselves a serious connoisseur or collector of the brand."
Despite its staggering price, the Kelly currently up for grabs isn't the most valuable Hermès Himalaya ever sold. In 2021, a Himalaya Kelly 28 with diamond-encrusted, white gold hardware sold for HKD 4,000,000 (approximately $515,000).
If you can't swing $200,000, Christie's is also selling a Himalaya Birkin, worth a slightly more conservative $70,000 to $90,000. Both exotic-skinned bags are part of the auctioneer's latest rare accessories auction, "The New York Edit," an online-only sale launched with Fashionphile.
Other notable lots include a Virgil Abloh-designed Louis Vuitton duffle bag (worth an estimated $20k to $30k), an alligator version of Chanel's classic flap bag (15k to $20k), and a pair of B23 high-tops from Dior's Peter Doig collaboration ($10k to $15k).
Bids are open through June 9 — luxuryheads, prepare for battle.
