Christie's is to host a sale of three upscaled vintage Gucci handbags as part of its Handbags Online: The Paris Edit, that will run from October 31 to November 14.
The bags have been reimagined by Gucci Vault, the experimental space Gucci launched in 2021 to pair young designers with surplus materials and vintage stock. Once coveted vintage Bamboo bags, they've now been upgraded as one-offs for the sale.
The Bamboo bag has been a mainstay of Gucci for more than 70 years, when the shortages of post war Europe compelled the Gucci team to find innovative solutions. Unable to source wood for its bag handles, the team turned to cheap and plentiful bamboo, as it could be moulded to the correct shapes.
In use ever since, each piece of bamboo is given the distinctive scorched patina over an open flame, and remains a bestseller for the house.
For this project, three vintage Bamboo bags were found, revamped, and renamed “Made To Treasure.” One such piece is a classic in canvas with the all-over logo print from the 1960s. Aimed at the purist, and now restored to its full glory, Christie's has estimated it to sell for between $6,000 and $8,000.
A second bag in terracotta red leather now sports a new handle, made from Murano glass. As well as being handmade, the handle is also hand decorated with the “herbarium” floral print. With the painting alone having taken almost 30 hours, the bag is expected to sell for between $21,000 and $32,000.
The most prized item of the trio however, is undoubtedly the black leather. The simplicity of the bag is elevated by the distinctive bamboo handle now made in 18crt gold, and studded with 927 white diamonds. Thanks to this dusting of carbon across the bag's hardware, Christie's expects it to sell for between $159,000 and $212,000.
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
