Black artist sells luxury bag at Art Basel

Since 1970, Art Basel is the place for artists, gallery owners and art enthusiasts with deep pockets to see and be seen.

One of the artists having everyone talking this year is Haitian-born artist and diamond mining developer Evens Saint Clair, who owns a collection of beautifully handcrafted handbags that will cost buyers a small fortune – including one he calls “La Reine.” According to information, it is about 1.2 million dollars The New York Post.

Saint Clair spent two years meeting with artisans in Japan to create the million-dollar bag, which features luxurious features including a handcrafted Japanese wooden frame, Italian leather and gold leaf-dusted pieces of rare silk kimono fabric. And we haven’t even talked about the bling, which includes over 18 carats of diamonds, gold chains, emeralds and pearls.

His collection also includes a Wicked-inspired green alligator bag with a jade badge surrounded by diamonds. This has a price tag of $670,000. according to The Post.

For Saint Clair, his sophisticated pieces are a tribute to craftsmanship rather than fast fashion.

“Nowadays everything is just sent to China to be made as cheaply as possible, but real luxury is not mass-produced. I have invested years of travel, research and innovation into these pieces and their luxury cases because I believe in beauty, happiness and giving back.” he told the New York Post.

He calls the pieces in his collection “smart investments,” which is why each piece comes with a custom-made, James Bond-esque fingerprint-recognized storage box.

Not only does Saint Clair make beautiful bags, they also give back. Ten percent of profits from sales of his bags and artwork are donated to charities including Best Buddies, Make-A-Wish, Saint Jude and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. according to his Instagram account.