Last Thursday, a Hermès Himalaya Kelly sold for €352,800 (US$353,400) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris. It broke the record for any luxury handbag sold at auction in Europe and the United States, but fell short of the worldwide record—a Himalaya Retourne Kelly bag that sold for HK$4 million (US$510,000) at Christie's in Hong Kong last November.
Hermès Himalaya Kelly, dubbed the "Holy Grail of handbags," is named after actress Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, who famously concealed her pregnancy with a Hermès purse. Since then, the bag has become a prestige symbol, desired by celebrities, socialites, and collectors alike. Orders for new versions, which are only accepted by appointment, can frequently take months or years to complete.
The one auctioned at Sotheby's in Paris was made this year by the French luxury goods company Hermès. According to Sotheby's, it is one of a very tiny number of limited editions available only to VIP clientele. Six bidders competed for the legendary crocodile-skin bag, driving the price up to more than double the presale high estimate of €120,000.
A somewhat earlier version of Himalaya Kelly, from 2021, has a starting price of HK$1 million (US$127,388) in another Sotheby's online sale. Bidding will end on October 13. A collection of more than 200 Hermès handbags from a private European collector, a lifelong Hermès fan, is on display at Christie's until Thursday, with prices ranging from €500 to €14,000.
Several limited edition purses and bespoke items are included in the collection. The most expensive lot is a Cognac ostrich skin Hermès Birkin bag from 2016, with a presale estimate of €12,000 to €14,000. A custom-crafted Vermilion Mouette leather Birkin, produced in 2017, is priced between €10,000 and €12,000. So far, seven offers have been received, with the highest bid being €10,000.
