Christie’s “Handbags x HYPE” Auction: Birkin Bags, ‘DONDA’ Vests
When it comes to the crème de la crème of hype sales, Christie’s basically has the market cornered. The centuries-old auction house has perfected the art of marketing everything from Supreme Bogos to unique Nike sneakers in between stalwart art market fare.
The “Handbags x HYPE” auction, part of Christie’s Luxury Week, continues to mine that audacious spirit.
Here, high-end luxury bags mingle with streetwear grails, a mélange of collectibles with one common thread: scarcity.
It’s tough to choose between the complete collection of YEEZYs (estimated to realize upwards of $50,000) and stunning “Endless Road” Gris Perle Birkin (estimated to reach $26,000) but we caught up with Caitlin Donovan, Christie’s American Head of Department VP for Handbags & Accessories, to break down some of the best bits from “Handbags x HYPE.”
Hermès “Himalaya” Birkin Bag (est. $80k-$100k)
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Basic Birkins, begone: the “Himalaya” is a handbag like no other. Handcrafted from Nile crocodile hide painstakingly dyed to achieve a flawless gradation effect, the “Himalaya” Birkin is basically the measure by which Hermès collectors are judged.
In fact, Christie’s set a world record with the sale of a diamond-encrusted “Himalaya Birkin in 2017, achieving a head-spinning sale price of £293k (about $390k).
“There is no bag more synonymous with luxury than the ‘Himalaya’ Birkin,” Donovan says. “Craftsmanship surpassed only by it’s rarity, it is the holy grail bag for any who consider themselves a serious connoisseur or collector of the brand.”
If the “Himalaya” Birkin sets the standard for Hermès collectors, this signed DONDA vest is the gold standard for Yeezy heads, the ultimate piece of merch.
This same vest made waves when it traded hands for $20k earlier this year, expect its return to be greeted by bids equally worthy of headlines.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton Keepall (est. $2k-$3k)
Christies
It all starts here. Kim Jones' landmark high-low crossover spawned many covetable items, but this co-branded red Keepall is arguably the most iconic.
“The Supreme x Louis Vuitton collaboration is considered by many to be one of the most important and groundbreaking collaborations in the history of fashion,” Donovan says. “The legacy of this collaboration will live on forever, with notions of how luxury is defined transformed forever.”
Hermès Birkin 20 Sellier Faubourg Bag (est. $80k-$100k)
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Amidst all the other exotic and exclusive Birkin bags within Christie’s coffers, this ultra-rare Bleu Marine edition of the Birkin 20 Sellier Faubourg stands tall.
An even scarcer edition of an already sought-after Hermès Birkin, this cool-hued alligator leather Sellier Faubourg bag boasts a facade pieced together by the French label’s in-house artisans to recall the facade of its 150-year-old 24 Rue de Faubourg Saint Honore flagship store.
Birkins are already exclusive, but Hermès only crafts a few dozens of these Sellier Faubourg bags for special occasions, whenever it even deems to make any at all.
Chanel x Medicom Toy Be@rbrick (est. $8k-$10k)
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Released in 2006 during a pop-up at colette, barely of the Chanel Be@rbricks were ever officially released for sale. This one has a little bit of wear and tear but that’s not surprising considering that most of them were posed around the colette store where customers and staff occasionally toyed with them.
“Modeled after Coco Chanel and designed by Karl Lagerfeld, only 1,000 of these Be@rbricks were made, even fewer available to purchase,” Donovan explains. “Coveted by collectors of the brand and Be@rbrick alike, the secondary market prices of upwards of $80,000 have cemented this collaboration as one of the most collectible on the secondary market.”
Jordan XIII “He’s Got Game” worn and signed by Michael Jordan (est. $300k-$500k)
Christies
With Michael Jordan’s game-worn jerseys and sneakers scoring record prices at auction, it’s a good time to be selling some authentic MJ gear.
These Jordan 13s, signed by the man himself, are especially meaningful for collectors. They were worn on April 18, 1998 for the last regular season game in Jordan’s final championship season, as documented in last year’s smash documentary, The Last Dance.
Hermès construction hat (est. $600-$800)
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Honestly, this one is a steal. Before Supreme and Chrome Hearts were putting their stamp on everything from bricks to Nikes, Hermès was dishing cheeky collectibles to commemorate its store openings and special events.
This is an honest-to-goodness plastic construction hat simply printed with an Hermès logo and commemorative text to reflect that its origins. That’s all and, frankly, that’s plenty.
“A heritage brand that values craftsmanship and precision above all else, the hard hat created for the opening of the Hermes Toronto store in 2008 speaks to the brand’s underlying playful and creative spirit,” says Donovan. “Rare, the helmet has become a coveted collectors item to many fans of the brand.”
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Alongside the handbags, collectibles, and curios, Christie’s is also serving up a selection of covetable skateboards that span all eras of streetwear. From KAWS' late-’90s Zoo York decks to Supreme’s team-ups with the likes of George Condo and Damien Hirst, a spread of blue-chip art market talent appears in this auction by way of these collectible skate deck polyptychs.
“Supreme’s collaboration with some of the most important players in the current contemporary art market is one of the many reasons why the brand has evolved from a small ’90s skate shop to an iconic household name,” Donovan says.
“Forward thinking, many of the collaborations came at the start of these prolific artist’s careers, and like many of the Supreme collaborations we see, were a social or artistic commentary of pop culture and the present day art market.”
What’s the Point of NFTs?
Imagine if the sought-after horns, tusks, and furs of animals facing extinction could be replaced by digital tokens that could satisfy would-be poachers. In Limpopo, South Africa, Derek Lewitton is trying to make that happen. Lewitton, who runs the Black Rock Rhino wildlife preserve, has long been a proponent of legalizing the international trade of rhino horns and harvesting them humanely so that increased supply will drive horn prices down, making poaching and horn harvesting less lucrative.
Cracking down on poaching rarely eliminates the demand for horns, instead incentivizing poachers to hide their activity. So Lewitton’s preserve is now looking at non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as solutions for the challenges of rhino conservation. Earlier this month, the inaugural rhino horn NFT—a digital replica paired with a humanely harvested horn which is locked away for safekeeping—was auctioned off for 105,000 South African rand ($6,782) on Momint, the continent’s first NFT marketplace. The idea is for these NFTs, not real-world tusks and horns obtained via illegal hunting, to serve as substitutes for the animal trophies these poachers desire. For some trophy collectors, who use these animal parts as stores of value they can gaudily display, this may be desirable—and indeed it was to Cape Town businessman Charl Jacobs, the highest bidder.
Reducing poaching is just one potential use for these digital assets that live on the blockchain, with verifiable transaction histories and owners. Sports fans have already gotten in on the craze; the NBA’s sales pitch tells fans to “own your fandom” via its Top Shot NFTs, created by Dapper Labs—basically digital snippets of high-profile on-court moments. Collectors can choose different tiers of NFTs, in ascending order of scarcity and thus exclusivity. Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou reported to Tech Crunch that the product has been quite popular among fans so far, ratcheting up “from 4,000 to 400,000 users in a matter of weeks.” Just two months later, Top Shot now boasts 600,000 users. Demand for NFTs is high elsewhere, too; During the first two months of 2021, there were almost 150,000 NFT sales, totaling some $310 million, which Forbes reports is “almost quintuple the amount sold in all of 2020.”
But so far NFTs have primarily been a useful evolution within the art world—a way for collectors to verify the authenticity of the assets they’re buying, to ensure that they’re not reproductions. Think of NFTs as original Picassos or Monets, while other digital art that looks the same as the NFT is akin to a Picasso or Monet print you can buy on Amazon. The difference with NFTs compared with traditional art is that blockchain technology assures the buyer that the NFT is the true original, no forgeries allowed. For those who—irrationally or not—care about exclusivity and authenticity, the assurances provided by the blockchain provide a lot of value for which collectors (and crypto enthusiasts) are willing to pay top dollar.
Despite high-profile entrées into the NFT space by auction houses like Sotheby’s—which auctioned off the first-ever NFT by Kevin McCoy for $1.4 million earlier this year—and Christie’s—which auctioned off a $69 million work by Beeple—NFTs have pruned away some of the middlemen and traditional gatekeepers, thus their allure. In traditional markets, artists have to pay their dues, currying favor with auction houses or galleries or collectors if they want to make it in that world. Digital artists are now able to go onto a platform where they can sell directly to buyers. There’s no multi-year career process or secretive set of collectors where only a specific broker can get in touch with them. “Having represented artists who feel like the internet has robbed them of their choice of where their work lands (i.e., Instagram), to me it’s a positive spin to be able to add a digital fingerprint and provenance to art in the digital age,” writes gallery owner Danny Fuentes in Rolling Stone. “Artists can attach a royalty arrangement to their NFT, meaning every time the NFT is resold, the artist gets a percentage” which allows less famous artists to make a living if they have a loyal-but-small group of fans.
NFTs also allow some interesting experimentation that was formerly just possible at in-person installations: Terra0’s Two Degrees, sold by Sotheby’s, is programmed to fully destroy itself if Earth’s temperature “reaches at least 2 degrees Celsius above average global temperatures” today. Artist Damien Hirst is experimenting with the destruction of his own art; his project “The Currency” involves selling 10,000 unique works of physical art, each of which corresponds to an NFT. “Buyers would have one year to decide if they wanted to keep the NFT, in which case the physical artwork would be ceremonially burned,” reports artnet news. “Or they could keep the physical work, and relinquish rights to the blockchain-based artwork.” This allows individuals in the market to bet on which form of art ownership is more valuable to them, offering Hirst and onlookers valuable data about how people, in the aggregate, perceive the promise of NFTs.
Some worry that NFTs are overhyped, while others are convinced they’re a subpar application of blockchain technology. “Over the past decade, the blockchain has become a refuge for people who need another place to rest their assets,” writes skeptic Anil Dash, who worked with McCoy on creating the first-ever NFT, in The Atlantic. Since few apps are blockchain-based other than cryptocurrency trading marketplaces, argues Dash, this “hermetically sealed economy” means “people who have made those bets can’t cash in their chips anywhere,” so they resort to buying art, in NFT form, with their crypto. “Think of a kid who’s spent the day playing Skee-Ball and now has a whole lot of tickets to spend. Every toy looks enticing. NFTs have become just such a plaything.”
At their core, NFTs are the current means creators can use to capitalize on the fact that people still seek ownership and value exclusivity even in the digital age. Whether warranted or not, whether for bragging rights or personal satisfaction, people prefer real Vermeers to dupes; real Birkin bags to replicas; authentic Cartier watches to fakes. NFTs can be considered a blockchain-age extension of the allure Veblen goods have long carried.
“The technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition,” philosophized Walter Benjamin in 1935, for “even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: Its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.” NFTs are necessarily untethered from a specific point in space the way Benjamin probably meant it, but they’re in a way still tapping into what he remarks on; people long for authenticity, and are, for now, willing to pay for it. “For the first time ever, images of art have become ephemeral, ubiquitous, insubstantial, available, valueless, free,” John Berger said in 1972, working off of Benjamin’s ideas and arguing that artwork has been degraded with such easily-available means of reproducing them. Though Berger’s words ring true today, NFTs are an attempt to tap into this market for authenticity amid ubiquity.
The Resident Evil director on how Welcome to Raccoon City' s ending sets the stage for sequels
The Resident Evil director on how Welcome to Raccoon City' s ending sets the stage for sequels
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Resident Evil director Johannes Roberts is already thinking about what the future holds for the franchise beyond his new movie reboot, Welcome to Raccoon City.
Aside from Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) and her brother Chris (Robbie Amell), cops Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen) and Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia), and the young Sherry Birkin (Holly de Barros) surviving one horrific night in their crumbling town, the film concludes with an end-credits scene that tees up more things to come.
Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper) seemed to die after confronting Dr. William Birkin (Neal McDonough) to steal samples of the T-virus bioweapon. And he did technically die. But the end-credits scene shows Wesker waking up inside a body bag. He then tumbles off his slab and crawls on the floor, trying to regain his senses. He can barely see until someone hands him a pair of sunglasses — the same kind of sunglasses the Wesker of the Resident Evil games wears.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Shane Mahood/Screen Gems Tom Hopper stars as Albert Wesker in ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.’
His impaired vision is “a side effect” of “one of the things we had to do to bring you back,” says the woman who gives him the glasses. But who is she?
The answer is the spy Ada Wong, another well-known character from the games, played by actress Lily Gao.
“I think [Welcome to Raccoon City] sets up an origin story for each of our characters,” Roberts tells EW. “I would like to explore the other games. I think it would be really important to me that we don’t just use this as a springboard to go off into our own crazy world. There’s so much in the games that is fascinating and exciting that I would really love to continue to explore.”
Welcome to Raccoon City is a mashup of story elements from the first and second Resident Evil games, but Roberts now wants to tackle the events of Resident Evil 4 and perhaps even Resident Evil: Code Veronica. He’s also not counting out Resident Evil 3. Whatever the case, Hopper’s Wesker and Gao’s Wong would be key to a sequel treatment.
Story continues
“If they were getting the same team back together and going back into this world and taking the character further, maybe bringing two of the games again as source material, creating a hybrid, that would be very exciting,” Hopper says. “The Wesker from here, and how he comes back to the group as closer to the Wesker in the games, is very interesting — what his life will be like in sunglasses.”
Roberts confirms Gao’s return as Wong in a potential sequel would also be “up for discussion” if another film moves forward. “She’s a tricky one in terms of trying to ground the movies,” the filmmaker says. “It is a heightened world. It isn’t grounded grounded. There’s something about Ada Wong with her trench coat and red dress that is so off the scale. But I think she’d be a lot of fun.”
(LtoR) Avan Jogia and Kaya Scodelario in Screen Gems RESIDENT EVIL WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY
Shane Mahood Avan Jogia as Leon Kennedy and Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield in ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’
Roberts' main goal with the end-credits scene was recreating a more obscure moment from the Resident Evil games: a loading screen in which we see a zombie sit up in a morgue from inside a body bag.
“I didn’t know where I was gonna put it, but I wanted to do it because, to me, that was a super iconic thing,” he says. But he didn’t want it to feel like “cosplay.”
“I remember chatting with Tom about whether [Wesker] should have frosted tips for his hair and stuff like that,” says Roberts, noting other signature stylings of the Wesker in the games. “I was like, ‘That doesn’t feel right to me. It doesn’t feel like part of this world.’ It just felt a little fake.”
Realizing Welcome to Raccoon City was essentially an origin story for Wesker came with the added epiphany that the body bag scene could be the post-credits stinger that teases Wong’s involvement and Wesker’s transformation.
Hopper really “gave it” in the performance, Roberts says. “He really did go clunk off the slab.”
Says Hopper, “I think something happened with the mat I was supposed to land on. It wasn’t there or something. I think that was one of the best takes we did because it looked the most legit, but there was a slight ‘ugh!’ when I landed.”
Putting on the sunglasses as Wesker was a special moment for the actor. “I felt it really completed Wesker’s origin story,” Hopper says. “[It gave] a little taste of what I look like with them on.”
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is currently playing in theaters.
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