Well not in cash. But she did carry a clutch that was worth $250,000 to this year's Oscars - a haute couture Lana Marks Cleopatra clutch. "Here I am with my purse..." Mirren said upon taking the podium to accept her award for best actress.
The bag really did need an introduction (and perhaps body guard), you see, it featured 776 individually cut and set diamonds on an 18k yellow gold frame and was inspired by a royal tiara. It incorporated scrolls, garlands, and collets with a coronation inspired crown - a good luck charm for Mirren - delicately placed in the front of this cream alligator handbag, taking a month to produce in four countries.
It's paid off for the designer. "We've had such a high demand for the Cleopatra Clutch," says designer Lana J. Marks, "that I'm overwhelmed and humbled to have utilized my most creative design skills working with such a talented actress."
Because the demand for the Lana Marks Diamond Cleopatra Clutch is so great, starting in 2004, only one actress has been granted permission to carry the $100,000 handbag down the Academy Awards Red Carpet. In 2004, Charlize Theron wore a $100,000 Lana Marks Cleopatra Clutch on the Red Carpet; in 2005 Kate Winslet carried a $100,000 Deco Cleopatra Clutch; and in 2006, Jennifer Aniston wore a Cleopatra Clutch.
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