MILAN.- Inside the Orange Box: A Lifetime of Collecting, Christie’s first handbags and accessories auction in Italy, and the largest single owner collection of Hermès ever offered by the department, totalled €2,299,248 / £1,976,997 / $2,404,029. The auction achieved a sell-through rate of 99% by lot and attracted international bidding from 39 counties, with millennial collectors accounting for 53% of new registrants to the sale. The extraordinary single owner auction was a celebration of one collector’s passion, showcasing a unique collection of Hermès handbags, accessories, lifestyle objects, textiles, jewellery, watches and more.

The leading lots of the sale included a rare 2010 denim and black Evercalf leather Shadow Birkin 40 customised by Petit H (estimate: €10,000-12,000), which sold for €63,000 / £54,170 / $65,871. The Shadow Birkin was first introduced in 2009 by famed French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermès’s Creative Director from 2003 to 2010. The Shadow employs a trompe-l’oeil effect through the illusion of a top flat and sangles. In reality, the design is a raised impression, making it the only Birkin to stray from the traditional structure.

An Osier Picnic Kelly 35 (estimate: €18,000-24,000), first seen in 2011 as part of the Spring Summer Collection by Jean Paul Gaultier, achieved €44,100 / £37,919 / $46,110, while a limited edition naturel sable butler leather Sellier Kelly 40 (estimate: €6,000-8,000) sold for €40,320 / £34,669 / $42,157.

Rachel Koffsky, International Head of Handbags, Christie’s: “We are thrilled with the phenomenal results of the Inside the Orange Box. This historic sale, the department’s inaugural sale in Italy and the largest single owner collection of Hermès to appear at auction at Christie’s, achieved more than 200% of the low estimate, and featured many unusual, rare and special models – some making their auction debut. The encyclopaedic diversity of the collection, including lifestyle objects from the Petit H metier, was resoundingly embraced by collectors and new clients alike.”

Lucile Andreani, Head of Handbags, Christie’s EMEA: “The results of this important single owner handbags and accessories collection demonstrates the strength of the market and the international network of collectors. It has been extremely exciting to see such competitive bidding from across the globe, welcoming a significant number of new collectors to the category.”