samedi 7 novembre 2009

Going, going, gone

Stuck as I am at home, I have a few hours of “liberty” whereby I could carry out errands and other essentials. When I’m feeling well enough, it is also the perfect opportunity to walk around and see what’s happening around the city. Yesterday was one such perfect opportunity and I made the most of it by popping into Art Curial (picture above, the only one I could take), one of Paris’ venerable auction houses. And while I don’t make the habit of visiting auction houses, yesterday was special as it was one of the viewing days of the upcoming Hermes Vintage auction which will take place on the 10th of November. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I read about this auction. Not so much for the idea of being able to acquire my own Hermes bag (the prices are completely out of this world) but just the idea of seeing the whole lot up close and personal.

And what a lot it was! Something like over 600 Hermes bags are up for grabs at the auction, one of which is a beautiful pale green croco skin Birkin offered by Naomi Campbell in celebration of her 25 years in the modeling industry. Just to digress a bit, Art Curial has been organizing auctions for the past 12 years of Hermes bags, and over the last three years, they have been fortunate enough to obtain celebrity bags (Jane Birkin and Princess Stephanie were the previous celebrity donors) to auction off for the benefit of certain charities. This year, the proceeds from Campbell’s bag will be for the White Ribbon Alliance, a non-profit group fighting against maternal and infant mortality. A pretty good cause I have to agree!

The Campbell Birkin aside, the other bags merit just as much attention. There are outstandingly beautiful ones (models included the Kelly, its precursor the Haut a Courroies, the Constance and the Bollide, to name a few) in different leathers and skins—croco of course, but also ostrich and suede and all of them beautifully preserved and shining with the well-loved patina of age. Its clear that these bags came from owners that truly loved them and took good care of them. It isn’t a big surprise then that the starting estimates are still a hefty price. Still and all, I suppose it beats having to go to an Hermes store and being told to wait for xxxx number of years unless your last name is Beckham or Mittal.

As Hermes is not only renowned for their bags, the auction is also featuring a good number of their silk scarves. I wish I could have taken a photo of the auction rooms to show you as even the scarves were beautifully presented, almost like museum pieces. Imagine if you will, a whole row of silk scarves of all colors and prints hanging from the ceiling and decorating the walls of the room like tapestries and you will get an idea of how Art Curial has presented them. If scarves are not your thing but you still want to come away with a little something, the auction will also feature several timepieces, some carefully selected beautiful bangles and for the less the menfolk feel a bit neglected, there are some nice shoes for them. And for the real Hermes obsessive, there are some vintage playing cards and notepads too!

As I wasn't allowed to take a photo of the actual rooms, I've had to content myself with this prepared photo...the Campbell Birkin is the one in the middle


Viewing of the Hermes lots for sale continues this weekend at the Hotel Marcel Dassault 7 Rond Point des Champs Elysees from 11 to 9 and by special appointment on Monday (9November). And the auction will be on Tuesday the 10th of November .

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