Christie’s Adds Streetwear Unit to Sell $1M Air Jordans

Art and luxury business Christie’s is launching a new department devoted to sneakers, streetwear and sports collectibles — such as a pair of sneakers worn by Kanye West during a performance at the Grammy Awards.

The new department will hold both online auctions and private selling exhibitions and will offer live previews of the online auctions in New York, Christie’s said Monday (Sept. 26) in a press release.

“With a finger on the pulse of popular culture, and the evolution of what is defined as luxury today, we are proud to announce the launch of Department X — Sneakers, Streetwear and Collectibles,” Caitlin Donovan, head of department, Americas, for Handbags and Accessories, said in the release.

Donovan will become head of department for Department X, the release stated.

Department X will target a “new generation of collectors” and will focus on rare collectibles related to music, fashion, art and sports history. It was preceded by three years of specialized sales devoted to this category, according to the release.

The department will be launched with a private selling exhibition called “Ye Walks” devoted to two rare pairs of sneakers: the Air Yeezy 1 prototype worn by West at the Grammy Awards and a Donda Jordan VI that is one of only four to six pairs, the release stated.

“With exciting sales that will cross several genres of popular culture and collecting — music, fashion and sports history — I am excited for new and existing clients of Christie’s to embark on this journey with us,” Donovan said in the release.

As PYMNTS reported in July, 350-year-old Christie’s is still finding ways to reach new customers.

Read more: Christie’s Credits Tech Innovation for Performance Results

For example, the company has grown its online-only sales, expanded its digital innovation and stepped into the non-fungible token (NFT) market.

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