Christie’s launches Department X division for sneakers and streetwear – Footwear News

Christie’s is expanding its sneaker and streetwear offering with the launch of “Department X – Sneakers, Streetwear & Collectibles”, a new division focused on these emerging collectible spaces, led by a dedicated auction and private sales team.

According to the famous auction house, Department X offers rare collectibles in a number of genres: music, fashion, art and sports history – from “historical shoes” to “hip culture” pieces. Christie’s added that Department X will hold online auctions, with live previews in New York, as well as private sales exhibitions throughout the year.

The new division of Christie’s will be led by Caitlin Donovan, a native of downtown New York, as department head. According to Christie’s, Donovan led this division within the company, introducing this new category during three years of specialist sales. Prior to that, Donovan was also a founding member and current Head of the Americas Department for Handbags and Accessories.

“With exciting sales that will cross multiple genres of popular culture and collectibles – music, fashion and sports history – I am thrilled that new and existing Christie’s customers are embarking on this journey with us,” Donovan said in a statement. .

To mark the launch, Christie’s will present a private sale exhibition of two pairs of rare sneakers entitled “Ye Walks”. According to the auction house, this exhibition focuses on the impact of Kanye West in the landscape of design and sports iconography.

The sale features a pair of the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototype, the first West sneaker designed with Nike Creative Director Mark Smith and designer Tiffany Beers in the Nike Innovation Kitchen. The original Yeezy design features notable elements including the Air Tech Challenge II, with the midfoot strap as well as midsole tooling inspired by the Air Jordan 3.

Featuring a glow-in-the-dark outsole, translucent red “Y”-shaped lace, and soft leather, the design of this shoe is the origin of the now common Yeezy design features. “This model was the first of what would become a historic part of West’s design legacy,” Christie’s added in a statement.

Worn during West’s emotional performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008, this pair was the first Air Yeezy 1 prototype seen in a public arena, a significant moment for sneaker culture and the birth of West’s career as a designer. and mark.

The second item in the sale, the Nike Donda West Air Jordan VI, was created in memory of West’s mother, Dr. Donda West. The classic silhouette features the lyrics to West’s song “Roses” and features his mother’s name on the sock liner. The toe box and upper panels are decorated with intricate laser roses throughout. The heel and tongue are beautifully finished with embroidered roses. The Air Jordan VI was one of West’s favorites at this time in his career.

These Donda Jordan VIs were never released for public sale, but created for West and a few of his close friends and family. There are only four to six official pairs, one of which Christie’s is proud to carry.

This sale and Department X builds on Christie’s focus on luxury and popular culture, following the recent success of “Six Rings – Legacy of the GOAT”, featuring Michael sneakers and collectibles. Jordan rare.