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A piece of fashion history reached a record-breaking price of $10.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Thursday. The very first Hermès Birkin bag, once owned by the late Jane Birkin, became the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction. The iconic black leather bag, born from a chance encounter between Birkin and then-Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a 1984 flight, has become synonymous with luxury and exclusivity.
The story goes that Birkin, a British actor celebrated for her roles in French cinema classics like “La Piscine” and “Blow-Up,” was traveling with a straw basket as her purse. Dumas, her fellow passenger, overheard her lamenting the lack of suitable bags for young mothers. Inspired, he immediately sketched a design for a spacious, rectangular holdall – the now-famous Birkin bag.
The bag’s popularity soared after Birkin was seen carrying it, creating high demand and limited availability. Author Marisa Meltzer, who penned a biography on Birkin, described the Birkin bag as an “accidental icon,” noting its scarcity contributed to its legendary status.
While a standard Birkin bag typically retails between $20,000 and $30,000, prices on the secondary market can skyrocket, influenced by factors like color, material, and limited-edition status. Acquiring a new Birkin is a notoriously challenging feat. The bags are not sold online, requiring a visit to an Hermès boutique where limited stock and discerning sales associates can make the purchase an exclusive affair.
Ironically, Birkin herself rarely carried the bag later in life, finding it “too heavy.” Preferring to fill her pockets, she famously adorned her original Birkin with stickers supporting various charities, transforming the symbol of luxury into a testament to her humanitarian work. She eventually sold the original bag in 1994 to benefit a French AIDS charity.
Despite inspiring the iconic handbag, Birkin maintained a humble perspective on fashion. She stated she never considered herself a fashion icon and simply wore what she liked. The beloved actor, singer, and inadvertent fashion icon passed away in 2023 at age 76 following a stroke in 2021.