Nkonkonsa Celebrity Gossip From Africa
Sotheby’s has sold 200 pairs of sneakers designed by the late Virgil Abloh for a “record breaking” collective $25.3 million, the auction house said Wednesday — more than eight times the initial $3 million estimate.
A spokesman for the auction house told AFP that the most paid for one of the pairs was more than $350,000 during the online sale that ran from 26 January to 8 February.
Abloh, a multi-talented DJ, architect and designer died in November at the age of 41 following a private battle with cancer.
The auction marked the first time the sneakers were released for sale, Sotheby’s said. A spokesperson told CNN Thursday that, as a collection, the sneakers had secured “a record auction total” for fashion.
The sums greatly exceed the initial estimates of Sotheby’s, which had started the bidding for at $2,000 and had predicted they would sell for between $,5000 and $15,000 each.
In the end, the sneakers, which ranged in size from five to 18, averaged more than $100,000 per shoe. The cheapest sold for just over $75,000.
The special edition sneaker, made of calf leather, was originally created for Louis Vuitton’s spring-summer men’s collection for 2022 of which Abloh was artistic director.
A close associate of Kanye West, Abloh was the first Black American to be named creative director of a top French fashion house and brought streetwear and a less elitist approach to the world of luxury.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
