LONDON.- A handbag designed by Louis Vuitton as part of the company’s tribute to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle on May 19 will be sold by leading furniture and collectables auction house, The Pedestal, on Tuesday 16th October at Kent House, Knightsbridge SW7. Sold for £1,340 originally it is expected to sell now for more than £6,000!

It is expected to set a new record at auction for this limited edition ‘Speedy’ bag. The bag, priced at £1,340 new was one of a limited collection of 85 pieces across four styles: Keepall, Speedy, Néo Noé, and Petite Malle. Now the value of this ‘Speedy’ bag by Louis Vuitton has rocketed and it is available for sale with The Pedestal at a low estimate of £6,000.

It is one of the most hotly contested bags of 2018. Collectors worldwide and buyers are still after it, as they know its value will only increase over the coming years.

Handbags have become one of the newest collectables and many of the international fine art auction houses are now holding sales dedicated to designer handbags. Currently the world record for a handbag is for an Hermès matte white Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin 30 designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. It sold in a Hong Kong auction in June 2016 for £208,250. It was described by Christie's as the "rarest, most sought-after, most valuable bag. Only one or two of the Diamond Himalayas are produced each year.''

The value of branded women’s handbags have gone through the roof and today are one of the most collectable alternate investment categories at auction say The Pedestal. “So next time your partner says that she wants a handbag and the price horrifies you, just think that it may in fact prove to be an investment,” says specialist Charlotte Rogers. .

As well as many other covetable designer handbags, watches and silver, the auction features an exclusive group of Artbags by artist Debra Franses Bean. These highly individual and personal pieces demonstrate that handbags can truly transcend into fine art. .

Estimates for the nine Artbags start at £1,200.

Debra describes Artbag as a window into her soul and it was whilst studying at Central St Martins School of Art (2002-2005) that the idea for these first materialised. Debra took a beautiful handbag from a top couture house and adapted it into a silicone mould for casting. The first bag was in heavy white plaster, but, her next bag, Catch, was cast in resin, and featured a goldfish inside a tank of water, mounted on a plinth. Her first pieces were highly autobiographical as through these Debra visualised how she was feeling about various areas of her life. Although this focus has shifted over time Debra acknowledges that every bag is a distillation of who she has met, where she has been and what she has seen in the world. As Debra explains, ‘…all interactions leave a trace in me which inspire my work’. Every Artbag has a title and these are equally as intriguing: ranging from a single, punchy word through to smart, thought-provoking statements which brand and define the Artbag.

Debra explores ideas centred on consumption and mass production, and recognises the complex relationship we have with material objects as consumable goods. With their kitschy elements these works are a clear nod to pop art, however, they also reference our contemporary digital age, as the contents would be acquired through online shopping and social networking. Objects span the low and high levels of comfort, prestige and style. The process of resin encapsulation results in a visually-heightened presentation of the chosen items, with the anticipation of their consumption forever suspended in time and never to be realised.

The creation of an artbag has been likened to mummification in a slick and chic resin coffin. Objects are selected to ensure that they won’t break or melt in the casting process, and occasionally delicate items need their own mould. The silicone mould of the handbag is in two parts and an initial layer of objects is laid out in each half. Liquid resin is poured in, in layers, with a day in between for each layer to cure and with further objects added to build up the layers. The completed handbag is then put into a pressure chamber where any last bits of air are removed. This is the most delicate stage of the process as bubbles can be created in the resin. Once cured the handbag stays in the mould for several days and when removed it is sanded down, polished to a high sheen and lacquered.

The Viewing will be in the historically interesting Kent House, aka Westminster Synagogue.