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Business of Fashion
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Sotheby's to Auction Original Hermès Bag That Belonged to Jane Birkin
Sotheby's will soon auction the original Hermès Birkin bag that once belonged to the late singer Jane Birkin, one of the most coveted designs in the fashion industry. The famed black leather handbag will be put up for sale in Paris on July 10, the auction house said in a statement Thursday. The original Birkin was commissioned in 1984 exclusively for and in collaboration with Jane Birkin by Hermès International SCA's then Chief Executive Officer Jean-Louis Dumas. Birkin recalled in interviews how she bumped into Dumas on a flight and complained about the lack of an Hermès handbag that suited her needs. The British-French singer retold how she sketched a model on a 'vomit bag' and shortly after Dumas presented her with the original Birkin which the brand commercialised under her name. Jane Birkin sold her bag in 1994 to raise funds for an AIDS charity. It was auctioned again in 2000, and has since belonged to the collector who goes by the name 'Catherine B' on Instagram. Her account biography on the platform says she's the 'proud owner of the first Hermès Birkin bag.' A Sotheby's representative confirmed that the collector is the seller. Hermès bags often fetch higher prices at resale than they cost in boutiques due to long waiting lists. The record for a bag sold at auction is held by an Hermès Kelly known as Himalaya, made in crocodile skin and carrying a diamond, which fetched 4 million Hong Kong dollars in 2021 ($510,000) when it was auctioned by Christie's. ByAngelina Rascouet Learn more: Hermès Responds to 'Walmart Birkin', Dupe Culture CEO Axel Dumas called fakes 'detestable' while acknowledging the grey area surrounding many copycat products.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Indian Express
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra review: The ‘It' flip phone of our time
The other day, I was watching a YouTube video by Vogue editor Hamish Bowles, where he does a deep dive into iconic designer bags and what made them status symbols. Not every bag becomes an 'It bag' or reaches the level of popularity of the Hermès Kelly or the Lady Dior, as each hit bag possesses certain qualities that elevate it to that status. I paused for a second and looked at the new Motorola Razr Ultra, and I wondered if the 'status' label could also apply to the Razr—a flip phone with a storied history and a cult following in the early 2000s. Like those cult-classic handbags, the Razr has gone through various iterations (I remember seeing socialite Paris Hilton flaunting the pink Razr back in the day), and in recent years, Motorola has been modernising the iconic flip phone—this time in a foldable form factor. The latest Motorola Razr is, well, familiar—like past versions—but it has also been redesigned to look more fashionable, almost like a Gucci Bamboo number or a Louis Vuitton Capucines, while still retaining its classic appeal. It's a rare combination: a flip-style foldable smartphone that's marketed as a fashion accessory, yet also packed with high-end features, AI capabilities, and improved durability. I have had the Motorola Razr Ultra for a few days now, and here's why it stands out as a different kind of foldable smartphone. What: Motorola Razr 60 Ultra| Price: Rs 99,999 Last year, when I was in New York, I visited a vintage audio shop where I stumbled upon a Bang & Olufsen CD player with a wooden cover. Although I couldn't afford it, I have come to appreciate tech products that incorporate wood ever since. Not only does wood add a premium touch to the design, but it also brings warmth and distinct character. I was surprised to see that Motorola has used real wood on the back of the Razr, and everyone who saw the device was absolutely mesmerized by the finish. It's the FSC-certified Pantone Mountain Trail—not a plastic material made to look like wood, but actual wood. It reminded me of the original Moto X, which was launched a decade ago. While the wooden back of the new Razr may not be customizable, it looks absolutely phenomenal and has the feel of a luxury handbag. Motorola is also offering the Razr Ultra in a soft Alcantara finish, marking the first time this material has been used on a phone. I love both finishes, but I am definitely biased toward the wooden back of the Razr Ultra. The Razr Ultra is a beautiful smartphone to look at, and it's easily recognisable from a distance. Its copper-toned aluminum sides and titanium-reinforced hinge match the colour of the phone, adding to its premium appeal. The Razr Ultra remains a compact, lightweight, and sturdy device. When folded, it's about twice as thick as my iPhone 16 Pro. I would love to see a slimmer Razr in the future, and I think Motorola could take a page out of Samsung's playbook—especially considering how ultra-sleek the Galaxy S25 Edge looks. Sure, the S25 Edge doesn't fold in half like the Razr, but the technology clearly exists to make thin and lightweight phones possible. When unfolded, the Razr Ultra looks and feels like a regular phone, and its hinge is strong enough to keep it flat while you are using it. I could barely see the crease in the middle, which is an improvement—especially from a sixth-generation Razr foldable smartphone. Even without a case, I felt confident using the Razr Ultra like any other regular smartphone. Maybe I have become a pro at using foldable phones after reviewing so many of them—I am not sure about that, but there's definitely a sense of comfort and confidence that comes with using foldables. Both the Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic on the cover screen and the pre-applied screen protector on the inner display contribute to the device's durability. After days of intensive use, both the cover screen and the rear still look clean, with no scratches or nicks. The phone now has an IP48 rating for water and dust resistance, meaning it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. The fingerprint sensor is built into the power button instead of being embedded in one of the displays. I think this makes sense on a foldable, as it allows you to unlock the phone while using the cover display. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor felt fast, reliable, and very natural to use. There's also a dedicated button for Moto AI, which, when pressed, activates all the swanky AI features—but more on that later. As I mentioned earlier, I would love to see a slimmer Razr, but I can't deny the fact that its foldable form factor shrinks the Ultra into a truly compact phone. I am a huge fan of compact smartphones, and with the limited choices available in the mainline market, flip-style foldables are definitely worth considering — especially if, like me, you don't enjoy carrying large, heavy phones. Perhaps the first thing that caught my attention was the 4-inch cover screen on the Razr Ultra. It's the largest external display I have ever seen on a flip-style foldable smartphone. It's massive—almost covering half of the front panel and taking up nearly the entire top half of the phone's back. But the question is: what can you actually do with the cover screen? In my experience, quite a lot. You can run most apps without even opening the 7-inch internal display—check Gmail, browse photos in Google Photos, play games (yes, games on a 4-inch screen), or even send a text (if you are comfortable typing on the smaller display). My favorite use, though, is controlling Spotify directly from the cover screen using just the top half of the phone. I really appreciate how Motorola has made the cover screen genuinely useful. It's easy to manage the panels and customise widgets, and I actually find myself using widgets on the cover screen more than ever. Think of it as a shortcut hub—it really elevates the foldable phone experience. For me, the best part is that it has helped curb my habit of endlessly checking LinkedIn, social apps and mindless scrolling all day. The 4-inch screen is surprisingly usable. It's an AMOLED LTPO panel with an adaptive refresh rate that goes up to 165Hz. The display is bright, colourful, and sharp, with a high resolution and a pixel density of 417 ppi. What's surprising (in a good way) about the Razr Ultra is its inner screen. It's a 7-inch panel pOLED LTPO panel that has an adaptive refresh rate up to 165Hz and has a 2,992×1,224-pixel resolution and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits – hard to believe at first, yes, this phone has a 7-inch screen – that's tall and narrow, with a 22.9 aspect ratio. It's fantastic for watching YouTube Shorts and Reels on Instagram, though it's a bit odd to watch movie trailers shot in a 185:1 aspect ratio. Both the cover screen and the internal screen stand out on their own. They may look separate, but let me tell you — each screen has a purpose. I use the cover screen when I don't want to open the internal screen, like when I am not in the mood to respond to an email or text message but still want to see whether it's important. Things like that. It helps me stay aware of what's happening in my connected world. The good thing about them is that they are seamlessly connected — largely thanks to the software. So basically, you are able to pick things up on the other screen right where you left off. For example, if I am browsing a website on the inner screen and then switch to the cover screen, I can continue right where I left off. While the Ultra's screen is brighter, the device comes with some typical foldable drawbacks, such as the use of plastic displays. The top layer of the foldable screen is a non-removable plastic protector with high reflectivity, which can make it harder to see the display in certain lighting conditions. It's not that the plastic protector significantly hinders the experience, but you do have to be careful not to scratch the inner screen. Inside the Razr Ultra is Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The phone performed as expected: apps opened quickly, animations were smooth, and games ran without any issues. It's a snappy phone. The Razr Ultra also comes packed with a host of AI features — and I wasn't surprised. Brands continue to layer AI capabilities on top of core software experiences, and Motorola is no exception. Each brand has its own take on AI (which stands for artificial intelligence), and as I have mentioned repeatedly in my recent reviews, I do like Moto's approach to AI. This time around, it includes features powered by Gemini, Meta Llama, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. The Ask and Search bar appears throughout the UI, including as a floating Moto AI icon. It can also be found in the app drawer and is integrated with the AI button on the Razr Ultra. Moto AI also includes other features, like Pay Attention, which can record and summarise conversations—similar to the Google Recorder app. However, unlike Google's app, the summarisation happens in the cloud rather than locally. Do take note of that. You also get Perplexity integration, allowing you to instantly search based on on-screen content. The list of AI features included in Moto AI is extensive. I must say, at times, Moto AI can feel overwhelming. Again, the question is: can anyone realistically use all of these AI features? And the answer is obviously no. I think companies are still figuring out which AI features truly resonate with users — and maybe that's part of the strategy. Apart from Moto AI, the Razr Ultra ships with Android 15. The user interface is clean, and navigating the menus and apps is easy. The phone doesn't come with too many pre-loaded apps, and Motorola has tried to keep the user experience (UX) close to stock Android. The Razr Ultra offers three years of software updates and four years of security updates. I find that disappointing — especially considering the phone costs around a lakh. More brands are now offering software support for up to seven years. It's a shame to see the Razr Ultra offering such limited support at a time when people are holding on to their phones for longer. Battery life on foldables has been middling, to say the least. However, Motorola has somehow managed to include a fairly large 4,700 mAh battery in the Razr Ultra. That resulted in battery life lasting a full day — and I stand by that: a full day. This is not a multi-day phone, meaning its battery will comfortably last through one full day, but not beyond. Then again, that also depends on what type of user you are. In my case, I used the cover screen more frequently. Even more impressive is the Razr Ultra's charging speed, reaching up to an impressive 68W. If you follow me and read my reviews, you already know that I am not a big fan of Motorola smartphone cameras. But this year, I am seeing improvements in the onboard cameras on Motorola devices—though they still don't quite match the quality of cameras found on the Google Pixel or Apple iPhone. The Razr Ultra features two rear sensors: a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens. Unfortunately, there's no telephoto camera. On the inside 7-inch screen, there's also a 50-megapixel selfie camera. Motorola cameras tend to favor longer exposures—something I have also noticed on Samsung phones. That said, I genuinely enjoyed using the Razr Ultra's cameras over the course of a week. They deliver richer detail, nicer skin tones, and generally sharp, colourful photos. Motorola's partnership with Pantone also plays a role here, and for good reason—the colours are accurate and the overall vibe of each scene is well captured. The Razr Ultra performs decently in low-light scenarios, but I would still choose the Pixel 9 Pro XL or the iPhone 16 Pro any day, as those phones have a clear edge in night photography. But the Razr Ultra isn't about chasing perfect shots—and that's something I came to appreciate after several days of use. There's a fun side to using a foldable phone, and the Razr Ultra captures that spirit well. Take the handycam mode, for example. Thanks to its foldable design, the phone can be used like a 90s camcorder, and the Camcorder mode works for both landscape and portrait videos. It's a lot of fun—trust me. I also liked the Moto Actions on the Razr Ultra, especially the double-twist gesture to quickly open the camera. The selfie camera is phenomenal. Interestingly, when the phone is closed, the Razr lets you take selfies using the main camera sensors with the external display as a viewfinder. The Razr Ultra isn't trying to claim it has the best camera, the longest battery life, or the most extended software support. Its goal isn't to compete with traditional smartphones, but rather to explore the fun and cool side of phones that's often missing. In that sense, Motorola succeeds with the Razr Ultra, which aims to be a fashion accessory—much like a Louis Vuitton bag or a pair of Gucci loafers. That's not to say the Razr Ultra is underpowered—absolutely not. It's the most capable flip-style foldable phone on the market, capturing the nostalgic vibe of the classic Moto Razr while also modernising the experience.
Vogue
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Lauryn Hill's 2025 Met Gala Look Was All About the Birkin
Stop the presses! A rare Lauryn Hill sighting had everyone talking at the 2025 Met Gala tonight. The iconic singer was on hand for the red carpet affair this evening, bringing a dash of sunshine in her sculptural yellow double-breasted suit. Paying homage to the 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' theme this year, a spotlight on Black dandyism and tailoring, Hill chose a modern suit look that was dramatic, very much avant-garde—and totally on point. Her traditional shirt and tie? 10 out of 10—no notes. Her choice of bag, meanwhile, was a total showstopper as well. Hill carried around a classic (and very luxurious) Hermès Kelly bag in cerulean blue—the ultimate status bag that offered the perfect pop of color to her look. A big Kelly in such a covetable color? It's almost as rare of a find as a splashy red carpet appearance from Hill herself! Combined, it was the most epic pairing. Now, Siri, please play 'Killing Me Softly'—because she was one of the most iconic divas of the night.
