Summary
- Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sold for a staggering $10 million USD
- This makes it the most expensive handbag ever auctioned, reflecting its unique origin and cultural status
The ultimate symbol of luxury and an icon born from a serendipitous airplane encounter, Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag has sold at auction for an astounding $10.1 million (8.6 million euros), including fees. The sale, conducted by Sotheby’s in Paris, has shattered previous records, making it the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction and the second most valuable fashion item in auction history.
The prototype, famously sketched out on an air sickness bag by Birkin during a 1981 flight with then-Hermès head Jean-Louis Dumas, was handcrafted for her in 1984 and delivered in 1985. Birkin used the battered black leather bag daily until 1994, even adorning it with stickers from Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, and incorporating practical details like a nail clipper. These personal touches and its unique origins distinguish it from all subsequent commercial Birkin bags, which became a global symbol of exclusivity and high fashion.
The 10-minute bidding war saw nine collectors vying for the piece, with a private collector from Japan ultimately securing the legendary bag. Its sale price eclipses the previous record for a handbag, a diamond and crocodile Kelly bag that sold for $513,040 USD in 2021, and far surpasses a white-diamond Himalaya Birkin that fetched $450,000 USD in 2022. Before the bidding, auctioneer Aurélie Vandevoorde said, “Today, the Birkin has become a veritable fashion icon,” calling it “the most famous bag of all time.”
Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, called the sale “an important milestone,” stating, “It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin, has become the most desirable bag in history.” The staggering price reflects not only the bag’s rarity and provenance but also its deep cultural significance as a piece of fashion history intertwined with the life of its muse, Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023.
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