Christie’s Launches Virtual Gucci Antique Road Show

PHOTO COURTESY OF GUCCI

 

Loving Gucci doesn’t mean enjoying a bag or a scarf, but appreciating a force of fashion that’s shaped how the modern world perceives luxury. A scarf worn by Grace Kelly, the Jackie O. bag, the “GG” initialed print—these are not just styles worn by celebrities, they are modern iconography.

And like any other treasured part of art and culture, its purity and legacy will now be upheld by Christie’s Auction House (an institution just as hallowed as Gucci, though not as often imitated). Yesterday. Christie’s has announced the first online appraisal service for Gucci aficionados, which, via a photo uploading process on Christie’s website, can have their items inspected both by Christie’s specialists and Gucci archivists. Looking to create both a database and an auction space, owners of valuable vintage and classic pieces will be able to auction off their goods—and are invited to submit to Christie’s or Gucci for historical significance. Of course, the ongoing auction is open to any collector of the famed Italian house, as it will be the de facto online appraisal source for Gucci (though South Kensington residents can still drop by). Which is fortunate, as a team of Christie’s Fashion and Textiles evaluators alongside Gucci historians will probably know a thing or two more than the local consignment shop.