The luxury fashion world is all a-twitter! The original Birkin bag just went for a shock €8.6 million (£7.4 million, $10.1 million) at auction, breaking new records. This epic transaction took place at Sotheby’s in Paris — remarkable! Today, that bag occupies the record for the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction. The online sale honors the legacy of muse and actress, Jane Birkin, who recently passed away in 2023 at the age of 76. It further highlights the Birkin bag’s century-full cachet as a potent, if sometimes challenging, marker of luxury and status in the fashion world.
Jane Birkin, the late, iconic actress and singer for whom the black leather Birkin bag was created, carried hers for 10 years. The bag was originally designed for her in 1985. The bag itself was the product of a serendipitous encounter on an airplane. Unfortunately for her, Birkin made the mistake of spilling her things all over the lap of Jean-Louis Dumas, then-head of Hermès. After this unfortunate experience, Dumas went to create the prototype for what became one of the most sought after bags in existence.
In 1994, screen star and singer Jane Birkin gave the original bag to the auction house to aid an Aids charity. This action cemented her reputation for fierce philanthropy. As the bag was passed around the room, it eventually came to rest with luxury boutique owner Catherine Benier in Paris, where it remained for 25 years. Her decision to sell it has become a new high water mark in the sale of luxury accessories.
With all commissions and fees included, the final price came to €8,582,500. It’s hard to overstate just how much this amount eclipses the previous record of €439,000 (£378,000, $513,000) for another handbag. This eye-popping number highlights the increasing desire from collectors to own things with one-of-a-kind provenance.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, remarked on the sale’s significance:
“This is a startling demonstration of the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance, to own its origin.”
In that sense, the Birkin bag continues to be one of the world’s most exclusive status symbols. Indeed, certain styles command prices well into the six-figures, and willing buyers are subjected to years-long waiting lists. In fact, many of your favorite celebrities have pilots, like Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Lopez. Their ownership continues to make its reputation as the height of luxury.
Auctioning this rare original Birkin bag seems like a fitting tribute to Jane Birkin’s extraordinary life. It further cements the bag’s position as a modern luxury fashion icon. Halimi added:
“The Birkin prototype is exactly that, the starting point of an extraordinary story that has given us a modern icon, the Birkin bag, the most coveted handbag in the world.”