Christie's launches Department X for streetwear, sneakers

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Sep 27, 2022

Auction house Christie’s announced on Monday the launch of a new department that will house sneakers, streetwear and collectibles.

Dubbed 'Department X', the department will offer rare collectible items across a number of genres including music, fashion, and sports history. Items will be available via online auctions, with live previews in New York, as well as private selling exhibitions throughout the year.

The department will be led by Caitlin Donovan, where she will take on the role of head of department, Department X. She has spearheaded the initiative at Christie’s, introducing this new category over the course of the past three years of specialized sales.

She has extensive interest in and knowledge of the luxury and fashion markets, specifically sneakers and streetwear, and is a founding member and current head of department, Americas, for handbags and accessories.

“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',” said Donovan. 

“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.”

To mark the launch, Christie’s will present a private selling exhibition of two rare pairs of sneakers titled 'Ye Walks'. Christie’s said the exhibition aims to focus on Kanye West’s impact on the landscape of design and sports iconography.

Featured in the sale are The Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototype, the first sneaker West designed with Nike creative director Mark Smith and designer Tiffany Beers, and The Nike Donda West Air Jordan VI, created in memory of West’s mother, Dr. Donda West.

In 2022, Christie’s achieved record-breaking sales.