A limited edition gift handed to private guests at the opening of the new Ralph Lauren store in Hong Kong in 2013, the alligator-skinned Ricky bag – inspired by a vintage English saddlebag and named after the designer’s wife – would normally sell for around $20,000.
At Sworders of Stansted Mountfichet it carries the bargain estimate of £6000-8000, accompanied by a personal handwritten note to the vendor from the Ralph Lauren Asia team, the original box, dust bag and authentication card.
The buyer will also be helping a good cause, as the proceeds will go to the child bereavement charity Grief Encounters, whose patron is Kevin Wells. The charity helped his son Oliver after their daughter and sister Holly was murdered in Soham.
Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hermès, Dunhill, Cartier and Chanel are all names that also feature in the 240-plus-lot inaugural Accessories sale at the auction house.
From jewellery and watches to handbags, clothing, hats, shoes and sunglasses, the catalogue also displays a selection of luxury luggage and even costume designs from the 1940-80s.
Evening dresses date from the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s right up to recent designs by leading names such as Bruce Oldfield and Caroline Charles carry estimates from as little as under £100 to about £250.
Burberry, Versace, McQueen, Fendi and Prada are just some of the names that feature among the handbags and purses section of the sale. Again estimates are attractively in the low hundreds for most of these.
“Accessories is an exciting new category for Sworders to launch as it not only celebrates classic fashion designs of more recent years, but also creates a new opportunity for people who have not taken part at auctions before to bid, either in person or online,” said auctioneer Guy Schooling.
Accessories join Asian Art, 20th century design, interiors, fine art, wine, silver and jewellery in the sales calendar at the auction house.
“We will be holding another Accessories sale in December and the concept is already creating quite a buzz among our existing clientele,” said Guy.