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Daily Mail 2015 11.16

A Birkin for Baby Jesus! Iconic Boticelli paintings and classic works of art are given a high-fashion makeover in parody images

Paintings by the Old Masters have been given a modern update with the hottest designer accessories such as Chanel and Hermès handbags.

Chris Rellas, 19, a student at Georgetown University has won over 24,000 Instagram fans with his irreverent takes on paintings by classic artists.

His version of Botticelli's iconic painting The Virgin And Child Enthroned, shows the baby Jesus clutching a Hermès Birkin bag. And Raphael’s Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga has been updated with a pair of designer sunglasses.

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'I'm very rich b***h': NeNe Leakes defaces $8,000 Hermes Birkin bag with Real Housewives catchphrases

Daily Mail 2014.07.21

Hermes Birkin bags often fetch five figures, but NeNe Leakes didn't let that deter her from drawing all over hers.

Giving new meaning to the term 'statement bag,' the Real Housewives of Atlanta star scrawled some of her favorite sayings from the reality show on the expensive leather tote, including 'Close your legs to married men,' 'I said what I said,' 'So nasty and so rude,' 'Fix that body,' and 'I'm very rich bitch.' 

The bag looks like a standard leather version of the Birkin, and likely cost between $8,000 and $10,000.

Mrs Leakes, 46, recently showed off her artwork on Instagram, writing: '#personalized #birkin #neneisms #hermès custom by me & my husband had a fit.'

She has previously been spotted carrying a bright blue Birkin, but presumably hasn't yet doodled on that one.

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Anything to get a good snap! Tyler Shields photographs an alligator and actress gnawing on $100,000 crocodile skin Hermes Birkin bag

Daily Mail
2014.05.14

He’s made a name for himself thanks to his controversial photo shoots, and Tyler Shields’ latest offering is up there with the most shocking.

This time, the celebrity photographer has fed a Hermes Birkin bag worth around $100,000 to an alive and deadly alligator.

Tyler snapped pictures of the reptile and actress Ana Mulvoy-Ten sinking their teeth into the hugely expensive and highly-coveted handbag, which poignantly was blue crocodile skin.

The 32-year-old told MailOnline that it took him seven months to get hold of the bag – the second he has destroyed in the name of art – due to a waiting list, but just four days to find an alligator.

The shocking images show Ana, 22, just separated from the animal with the tote, while lying on the ground in a black leotard and matching heels.

In some of the shots they are both gnawing on the handbag, while others see Ana feeding it to the alligator and in one he is left to get stuck into it himself.

Tyler, who most recently photographed Rumer Willis, said they were ‘inches from death at any moment’.

‘At one point during the shoot when Ana and the gator were both biting the bag it closed one of its eyes as if it was going to attack her, but did not,’ he revealed to MailOnline. ‘It was one of the most insane moments I have ever photographed.’

As for how they set up the shot in the first place, Tyler explained that it involved a lot of time and patience.

‘It was a game of inches,’ he said. ‘When we started the day it was feet, and slowly as the day progressed we got closer and closer to the gator until Ana was inches away.’

He added: ‘I have been wanting to do this for over a year and finally made it happen.’

Tyler took the pictures of the Nickelodeon alum and star of his new movie Outlaw, and their scaly friend in downtown Los Angeles, and reveals that the Birkin is now ‘full of gator teeth holes and is destroyed.’

He made headlines in May 2012 when he set another Hermes Birkin bag, this time in red crocodile skin, on fire and then sliced it with a chainsaw.

The alligator images are each an edition of three and part of Tyler’s latest art series Indulgence.

Indulgence will be shown at the Guy Hepner gallery in Los Angeles and Imitate Modern gallery in London.

Is This Art?

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Money to burn! Francesca Eastwood and boyfriend Tyler Shields set a $100,000 Hermes Birkin bag on fire in new shoot

It is one of the most sort after handbags in the world and customers are often required to go on a very long waiting list in order to obtain one.

But the fashion world is without one less Hermes Birkin bag after Francesca Eastwood and her boyfriend Tyler Shields set one on fire in a new photo shoot.

The 18-year-old daughter of legendary actor Clint Eastwood and her photographer beau burnt the $100,000 crocodile skin version of the bag in the name of art.

Hot stuff: Francesca Eastwood and her boyfriend Tyler Shields set a $100,000 Hermes Birkin Bag on fire in a new photo shoot

In one snap, Francesca is also seen fanning the flames even further by blowing on it with her red-painted pout.

As well as engulfing the leathergood in flames, the teenager also put the handles of the bag in her mouth in order to play a game of tug of war.

Destroyed: The pair finish off the tote by slicing it in half with a chainsaw

This isn't the first luxury item that has been destroyed for one of Shields's shoot.

A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes were also wrecked in the name of photographic art.

The new pictures come after Shields‘ recently opened his Mouthful exhibit in support of Love is Louder in Los Angeles.

Opening night was last weekend and actress Emma Roberts was one of the guests-of-honour.

It's mine! As well as engulfing the leathergood in flames, the teenager also put the handles of the bag in her mouth in order to play a game of tug of war

The event, held at a private studio, was the most exclusive ticket in town as guests clamoured to get close to the cult photographer.

Also in attendance at the exhibit, presented by A/X Armani Exchange were Tyler‘s girlfriend Francesca, Harry Shum, Jr., and Modern Family‘s Sarah Hyland - who was with boyfriend Matt Prokop - and beauties, Christa B. Allen and Brittany Snow.

The cult snapper posed happily with Eastwood's beautiful daughter and Roberts at the wonderfully surreal event.

Two for the price of one: The Hermes bag is one of the most sought after accessories in the world

Roberts, 21, looked stunning in a black Dolce & Gabbana dress with matching bag with Christian Louboutin shoes.

And the niece of superstar Julia Roberts seemed to enjoy the event, mingling with the giant rabbits and panda wandering around the studio playing chess.

Roberts and Eastwood have often teamed up for a series of stylish photoshoots with Shields.

In love: Shields‘ recently opened his Mouthful exhibit in support of Love is Louder in Los Angeles with Francesca at his side 

The photographer is famous for his provocative snaps of stars like Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton.

At the event, guests were greeted by human pandas and rabbits donning black A|X suits and 'viewed the out-of-the-box photography before signing special edition A|X Armani Exchange tee shirts in support of Love is Louder and Tyler Shields.

The tees will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards the foundation, created to support anti-bullying efforts.

Article and Photo Sources: Daily Mail

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Not quite perfected the WAG look: Corrie star Helen Flanagan spends day with footballer beau

Daily Mail

With her Hermes Birkin bag in one arm and a large plastic sports bag in the other it seems Helen Flanagan has yet to nail the WAG look down to a T.

The Coronation Street star arrived at her home in Bolton earlier today with her footballer beau in tow.

The 20-year-old actress was dressed in a pair of navy skinny jeans a black and white striped T-shirt teamed a pair of high brown heels.

And in true footballer girlfriend style she covered her eyes in a pair of sunglasses and carried her Hermes bag- the brand which is a firm favourite with Victoria Beckham – slung over her forearm.

While she carried her handbag and she left the heavy lifting to Swansea City boyfriend Scott Sinclair who carried her Louis Vuitton branded luggage into her home.

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What kind of woman spends £49,000 on a used handbag?

Fashion fanatics battle over Birkins at a Christie's auction

Daily Mail

9th December 2010

An elderly but extremely handsome woman in pink, trailing a fur coat and a very young husband behind her, wafts in to Christie’s grand hall and tries to find a seat in the auction room.

There, the crowd - mostly men in suits and women wearing silk scarves and expensive blow-dries - sit in reverential silence, their faces hardened in focus.

All of them are here to buy one thing. No, not a classical painting or an antique vase - they’re here for a handbag.

So, what’s so special about this bag?

Victoria Beckham is rumoured to own 100 of them worth £1.5 million, Lady Gaga enraged fashion lovers across the world by defacing one, there’s a six-year waiting list to have one made, but now you can own your very own (albeit second-hand) version... if you’ve got a spare £49,000, that is.

Yes, you read that right. Yesterday, at Christie’s, an anonymous bidder paid £49,000 for a second-hand bag.

But this was no ordinary bag: this was a limited-edition Hermes Birkin bag and, it appears, women will do (or pay) whatever it takes to get one over their arm - even in the middle of a recession.

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