Fashion houses like Hermès and Mouawad are known to break records for designing the most expensive items. You’ll be shocked to find out that the most expensive bag is actually made from pre-loved material. Below, we have compiled a list of the top 10 most expensive bags in the world, owned by notable celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian.
DEBBIE WINGHAM BAG
Valued at a staggering amount of US$6.7 million, the Debbie Wingham Bag marks history as the most expensive bag in the world. Wingham, a celebrity couturier, designed this bag for a mystery lady in the US in 2019. The unknown client sent in her old season designer items for Wingham to incorporate into the bag. Who would’ve thought that the world’s most expensive bag would be created using pre-loved items?
The upcycled purse is adorned with 8,000 diamonds, lined with an Hermès scarf and fastens with a pair of US$40,000 Cartier earrings. To add, the core of this meticulously crafted bag is made out of a real Emu egg, which comes from the second largest bird in the world, and strengthened with enamel made from blue diamond dust.
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MOUAWAD 1001 NIGHTS DIAMOND PURSE
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse has been labeled the most expensive bag in the world since 2011. Standing at US$3.8 million, the heart-shaped purse takes second place, just below Debbie Wingham’s Easter Bag. Breaking records is not a new concept for Mouawad, who previously held records for the most valuable jewellery box, necklace and bra.
Designed by renowned Lebanese jeweller Robert Mouawad, the purse incorporates 4,517 diamonds. Breaking it down, that equates to 105 yellow, 56 pink and 4,356 colorless diamonds. This timeless piece of luxury took the skill of 10 artisans continuously working for over 8,000 hours to complete.
HERMÈS KELLY ROSE GOLD
The Hermès Kelly in Rose Gold is worth US$2 million, with only 12 pieces created. The bag, designed by Hermès in collaboration with Pierre Hardy, a renowned French jeweller and shoe designer, was delicately embellished with 1,160 diamonds. The Kelly is made out of solid rose gold, and Hardy skillfully manipulated the shape of the gold to resemble crocodile leather. The bag is seen as a piece of jewellery, more than a bag, since it is quite miniature and can barely hold a pair of sunglasses.
HERMÈS BIRKIN BAG BY GINZA TANAKA
Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka’s Hermès Birkin takes fourth place on the world’s most expensive bags list. The price tag? US$1.4 million. This unique Birkin, made in 2008, features 2,000 diamonds embellished on its exterior and a pear-shaped 8-karat diamond, which is detachable and can be worn as a brooch. Not to mention, its diamond-encrusted strap can be conveniently removed and worn as a necklace.
HERMÈS CHAINE’D ANCRE BAG
The Hermès’ Chaine’d Ancre Bag, set at US$1.4 million, was created in collaboration with jeweller Pierre Hardy in 2012. Working on this bag took hardy two years to perfect, resulting in only three pieces of this particular design. The bag, encrusted with 1,160 diamond-encrusted chain links, gained particular interest for its intricate prison-like design.
LANA MARKS CLEOPATRA CLUTCH
Lana Marks’ signature Cleopatra Clutch ranges anywhere between US$100,000-US$400,000. This is because a new Cleopatra Clutch is uniquely produced every year, each with a different colour and design. The most expensive variant is owned by famed Chinese actress and singer Li Bingbing.
As seen in the image above, Li BingBing’s name was inscribed in pink gold. Lana Marks specifically designed the bag in American alligator leather and 1,600 white diamonds to match the star’s outfit for the red carpet. Indeed, the Cleopatra Clutch has been a long-time staple for red carpet superstars back in the 2000s, such as Helen Mirren and Angelina Jolie.
HERMÈS NILOTICUS CROCODILE HIMALAYA BIRKIN
The famed Crocodile Himalaya Birkin has an unsurprising place in the list of one of the world’s most expensive bags. Valued at US$379,000, this 30cm model was made from the skin of the Nile crocodile, and has an extensive dyeing process to lighten the original material’s tone.
Making headlines, the bag was seen on Kim Kardashian as she casually carried it along to a football game. Her mother, Kris Jenner, and sister, Kylie Jenner, also have versions of their own.
FEATHER EMBROIDERY SELLIER MOSAÏQUE KELLY 32 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
This Sellier Kelly was auctioned at Christie’s for US$352,825 in 2010. Its mosaic-styled pattern differentiates it from other Kellys and, therefore, makes it more valuable.
HERMÈS MATTE ALLIGATOR FAUBOURG BIRKIN
The Hermès Faubourg Birkin, hand-stitched using different types of alligator leathers, is intended to reflect an Hermès storefront. The word “Faubourg” here is named after the house’s flagship store in Paris. This Birkin not only demonstrates the skillful craftsmanship of the Hermès ateliers, but their creativity and minimalist play of colour. Christie’s sold this bag for US$320,000 in 2022.
CHANEL “DIAMOND FOREVER” HANDBAG
Last, but definitely not least, is the Diamond Forever handbag by Chanel, standing at US$261,000. This bag, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, was painstakingly handcrafted from crocodile leather. It includes the iconic Chanel logo as a centerpiece, which is adorned with a total of 334 diamonds. This limited edition piece is high in value due to its scarcity, as there are only 13 of them in the world.
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This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.