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Christie’s x Hermès: When Icons of Craft Become Icons of Investment

Christie’s x Hermès: When Icons of Craft Become Icons of Investment May 7, 2025Art Auction, Paris0 Comments

The Art of the Orange Dream: A Parisian Affair at Christie’s

There are handbags. And then there are haute couture heirlooms — objets d’art that whisper of legacy, craftsmanship, and desire. In Paris, the city of elegance incarnate, Christie’s has once again composed a visual symphony for the fashion élite with its online sale “Unlocking the Orange Dream: Part II.” This is not just an auction. It’s a moment — and for the collectors who breathe in rarity like Chanel No. 5, it’s a pilgrimage.

Group shot © Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

credits: what we adore magazine

From the first gleam of the Rouge de Cœur Porosus Birkin to the pale, celestial dream of the Himalaya Kelly, this curated capsule reads like the love letters of a woman who’s lived beautifully and packed light only when it was crocodile skin. There’s the whisper of matte white alligator, the poetry of embroidery on white Swift leather, and the commanding presence of a Midas black Sellier Kelly — each a statement, a story, a secret waiting to be carried on the arm of a woman who knows her worth.

The Numbers Speak: A Testament to a Thriving Market

76% of lots sold above their high estimate
97% of lots sold in total
100% sold by value, representing 113% against the combined low estimate
35% new buyers
30% new bidders
21% newly registered clients
30% of buyers are Millennials
806 participants from 47 countries

Exceptional Results:

Lot 187: Kelly Sellier Midas 25 in Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile with Yellow Gold Hardware and Handle from 2018, sold for €201,600
Lot 242: Birkin Faubourg Day Sellier 20 in Matte Ébène Alligator and Veau Madame, sold for €176,400
Lot 171: Kelly Himalaya Retourne 25 in Matte White Niloticus Crocodile, achieved €163,800
Lot 8: Birkin Faubourg Tropical 35 in White Swift Leather and Embroidered Canvas, sold for €88,200
Lot 76: Birkin 25 in Shiny Rouge De Coeur Porosus Crocodile, sold for €69,300
Lot 92: Kelly Mini 20 II in Matte Shocking Pink Alligator, sold for €75,600

credits: what we adore magazine

This extraordinary success reaffirms the strength of the market and the rising appetite for rare, meticulously crafted handbags — timeless icons that continue to captivate collectors around the world.

The sale is a masterclass in the power of iconic design. These bags are not trends. They are time-stamped testaments to enduring luxury, hand-stitched in ateliers where artisans breathe life into skin and stitch, their work unseen but unmistakable.

RARE & EXCEPTIONAL, KELLY SELLIER
MIDAS 25 IN POROSUS CROCODILE
SMOOTH BLACK, TRIM AND HANDLE
IN 18K YELLOW GOLD
HERMÈS, 2023
Estimate: €200,000 – €300,000
Price realized: €201,600
©Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

KELLY MINI 20 II IN SHOCKING PINK MATT ALLIGATOR LEATHER, PALLADIUM-PLATED SILVER-TONE METAL TRIM
HERMÈS, 2021
Estimate: €40,000 – €45,000
Price realized: €75,600
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

RARE, BIRKIN FAUBOURG TROPICAL 35 IN WHITE SWIFT LEATHER & EMBROIDERED CAMP CANVAS, PALLADIUM-PLATED SILVER METAL TRIM, LIMITED EDITION
HERMÈS, 2022
Estimate: €32,000 – €38,000
Price realized: €88,200
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

BIRKIN 25 IN SMOOTH RED HEART POROSUS CROCODILE WITH GOLD-TONE METAL TRIM
HERMÈS, 2020
Estimate: €40,000 – €50,000
Price realized: €69,300
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

RARE BIRKIN FAUBOURG DAY SELLIER 20 IN EBONY MATTE ALLIGATOR, MADAME GOLD CALFSKIN, SWIFT AND EPSOM ORANGE H LEATHER, BURNT, EBONY & CHALK, PALLADIUM-PLATED SILVER METAL TRIM
HERMÈS, 2020

RARE, KELLY HIMALAYA TURNED 25 IN WHITE MATT NILOTICUS CROCODILE, SILVER PLATED METAL TRIM
HERMÈS, 2021
Estimate: €100,000 – €130,000
Price realized: €163,800
©Christie’s Images Ltd 2025

And for those who collect not to flaunt, but to archive elegance — these pieces are portals. They speak not just of Hermès, but of heritage. Of Paris. Of the woman who walks ahead of time, heels echoing softly across marble lobbies, gold hardware catching the last kiss of afternoon light.

Christie’s has once again raised the curtain on fashion as investment, emotion, and inheritance. For those who believe that a handbag is never just a handbag — this is your invitation to dream, bid, and ultimately, own a piece of legend.

Tags: auction results, Birkin, Christie's, Christie’s handbags, collectible fashion, designer bags, fashion history, handbag auction, handbag collectors, Hermès, high fashion, iconic accessories, investment pieces, Kelly, luxury handbags, Luxury Lifestyle, luxury market, rare Hermès, record-breaking sale, What We Adore Magazine