DALLAS, TX.- A rare and highly coveted Herm鑣 20cm So Black Matte Alligator Midnight Faubourg Birkin Sellier Bag realized $137,500 in Heritage Auctions' October 3 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature Auction, leading the event to a $2,076,935 finish.
First released in 2019 as a limited-edition bag, the Birkin 20 Faubourg, also known as the "House Birkin," replicates the fa鏰de of Herm鑣' flagship boutique at 24 Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honor in Paris. The Faubourg, which is steadily becoming the must-have bag for connoisseurs and collectors, is extremely difficult to obtain from a boutique, regardless of one's spend history with Herm鑣.
Another standout in the auction was the Herm鑣 Box Calf Leather Clout Mini Kelly 20, which also pays tribute to Herm鑣' flagship boutique. This modern take on a timeless classic, which sold for $56,250, is embellished with palladium studs. It's no coincidence that there are exactly 24 perfectly placed studs on the bag's bottom row, echoing the address of the Parisian flagship, which was completed in 1924.
Diane D'Amato, Heritage's Director of Luxury Accessories, Private Sales & The Boutique, says all of the auction's Herm鑣 Mini Kellys sold above expectations, in fact, including a Miel Shiny Alligator & Gold Madame Leather Touch Mini Kelly 20 that realized $31,250, more than $10,000 above its high pre-auction estimate. But even though the autumn auction proved that good things really do come in small packages, D'Amato adds one important note: "Although smaller bags continue to dominate the market, there is renewed interest in larger bags."
Case in point: the Herm鑣 Limited Edition 32cm So Black Matte Niloticus Crocodile Kelly Retourne Bag that realized $56,250. Also performing well were an Herm鑣 35cm Fuchsia Porosus Crocodile Birkin and an Herm鑣 35cm Black Matte Alligator Birkin, each of which sold for $37,500.
Another larger bag that caught bidders' attention was the Herm鑣 35cm Cocoan Shiny Porosus Crocodile Birkin that realized $36,250. The handbag hails from a splendid assortment of Herm鑣 and Chanel bags known as Negeen's Collection. Amassed by the late collector Negeen Dehesh, the bags are not only lovely but also purposeful, as all proceeds from the collection will benefit the Negeen Foundation, a nonprofit organization Negeen's mother created to help children and young adolescents suffering with mental health issues.
Other auction highlights included a Louis Vuitton Virgil Abloh Yellow Monogram Courrier Lozine 110 Pickleball Steamer Trunk that sold for $35,000, an Herm鑣 Violet Shiny Niloticus Crocodile Kelly Pochette that realized $31,250, an Herm鑣 25cm Black C魌e C魌e Tuffetage and Swift Leather Birkin that brought $27,500 and an Herm鑣 Gris Perle Ostrich Kelly Pochette that sold for $26,250.
