On June 12, Bruun Rasmussen will host their Handbags and Jewelry live auction. More than 200 lots will be presented in the premises at Nørgaardsvej 3 in Lyngby, Denmark. Among the highlights are four exclusive Birkin bags. The model was created by the French fashion house Hermès 40 years ago and has become one of the world's most famous handbags.
The auction's top highlight is the rare Himalaya Birkin 30 bag, made of Nile crocodile leather with palladium fittings, which has an estimated value of between 600,000-800,000 Danish kroner (about $87,400-$116,534).
"Made in very limited numbers, the Hermès Himalaya Birkin is both an exclusive collector's item and one of the most prestigious and luxurious handbags available," said Daniel Foldschack, head of jewelry, watches and fashion.
In addition to the Himalaya Birkin 30, three other Birkin bags will be offered: a Birkin 30 made of dark brown crocodile skin (DKK 150,000-180,000), a Birkin 30 made of dark blue alligator skin (DKK 140,000-150,000) and a Birkin 35 made of purple Togo leather (DKK 40,000-50,000).
The iconic bag actually came about by accident when style icon Jane Birkin and Hermès' then-CEO Jean-Louis Dumas met on a flight between Paris and London in the early 1980s. During the flight, Birkin explained the difficulties of finding a bag that was both chic and practical. Dumas asked her to draw her ideal bag on a piece of paper. He saved the drawing and in 1984 Hermès created the iconic Birkin bag.
The bag quickly gained cult status and became extremely sought after. Each bag is handmade in France and to buy it you have to join a long waiting list at Hermès. In an episode of Sex and the City that involved the purchase of a Birkin bag, the quote "It's not a bag, it's a Birkin" stuck with millions of viewers worldwide and underlined the bag's cultural significance.
Bruun Rasmussen also offers another iconic Hermès bag – the Kelly bag. American actress Grace Kelly first discovered the bag in 1954 when she bought it as a prop for Alfred Hitchcock's film To Catch a Thief. The big breakthrough came two years later when she was photographed with the bag and graced the cover of Life Magazine. The newlywed Princess of Monaco reportedly tried to hide her pregnant belly with the bag.
It was a reincarnation of an Hermès bag from 1923 which in 1935 was revived as a larger suitcase, known as the “Sac à dépêches” (French for “expedition bag”). In 1977 it was officially renamed the Kelly. In their auction, Bruun Rasmussen will offer a Kelly Long Clutch in dark brown crocodile skin (DKK 80,000-100,000) and a Kelly 32 in black crocodile skin (DKK 80,000).
In the catalog you will find 12 colorful Capucines Mini bags from the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton. First launched in 2013, the Capucines is named after the street in Paris where Louis Vuitton opened its first store in 1854. The bags auctioned at Bruun Rasmussen come in a variety of shades, from yellow and red to mint green and rainbow.
In addition to these, classics such as Dior's Saddle and Lady Dior, as well as Chanel's Double Classic Flap and Boy will pass under the hammer. In the catalog you will also find jewelry from well-known brands such as Georg Jensen, Ole Lynggaard, Tiffany & Co., Lapponia, Bulgari, and Cartier. If you happen to be in Copenhagen between June 6 and 9, you can visit the display and experience these handbags and jewelry up close.
