D.It is difficult to find a more desired, iconic and timeless bag. There Birkin bag by Hermès it is the favorite accessory of the stars and remains stable despite the passing of the years at the top of wishlists (and also of waiting lists). Difficult to have one, due to the high price and the several years (at least 5) to grab it; but that doesn’t detract from his timeless charmwhich it continues to practice after decades.
Hermès Birkin bag: the story
It was the year 1984, and the Maison Hermès created the It Bag par excellence. Few people know that the Birkin was born from a chance encounter: the one between Jane Birkin and Jean Louis Dumas, then CEO of the fashion house. Their eyes meet on a Paris-London flight, the British actress is then a young mother who complains to her travel companion about the lack of capacity in her bag, from the pockets to the interiors. Is it possible that there is not a large and at the same time elegant bag? The intuition, then, of the entrepreneur: to create a bag suitable for the purpose of containing everything necessary and at the same time being noticed for refinement. The Birkin, in fact, which takes its name from the star who inspired it.
Jane Birkin with the It Bag that takes her name in 2013 (Photo: Jun Sato / WireImage).
Birkin bag by Hermès: the measures
The main model, the saddle holders that Hermès produced in the nineteenth century: even if there is no more modern bag. Designed in four measures25 × 19 cm, 30 × 23 cm, 35 × 28 cm and 40 × 31 cm – in addition to the more fashionable and custom variants – one of the essential characteristics of the Birkin handbag is always remain open. This is thanks to the central handles positioned on both sides of the closure, sewn at the top and embellished with a padlock.
Hermès Birkin bag: the materials
Colors, exclusive materials, details and charms contribute to the uniqueness of the Birkin, whether small or large, from parallelepiped line, extremely classic and simple. 25 hours of work are required for the production of the most basic model, entrusted to only one craftsman at a time. The Birkin is dressed in an emblematic leather, the result of an entirely vegetable tanning: a natural cowhide that has a transparent finish, which is patinated and embellished over time, smooth or grained. The most popular colors, Hermès orange and black. Crocodile, ostrich and python are the variants of the most precious Birkin bag: like that of Jennifer Lopez, the Himalaya Birkinconsidered the most valuable in the worldin Nile crocodile.
Jennifer Lopez with the Himalaya Birkin, considered the most expensive in the world (Photo: Bellocqimages / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images).
The cult variants
Many variations and original patterns: from the Birkin bag 3-en-1three bags in one with canvas detail, to Birkin Faubourg which replicates the windows of the Hermès shop in Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, up to the Birkin bag Jumboin brown crocodile leather, called Haut à Courroies: the first ever product from the Maison, released at the beginning of the 20th century (lucky owner: Travis Scott).
Travis Scott with the Jumbo Birkin bag in brown crocodile (Photo: Getty Images).
Hermès Birkin bag: the price
The price of the Birkin bag, let’s face it, is its only sore point. Basic versions are sold starting from 7000 euros – to rise, of course: in the year 2022 the average price of a Hermès bag increased by 200% compared to 2021, according to Vestiaire Collective. The luxury used site is also the place to be to find special second hand Birkin, as one of the most expensive ever spotted, a very rare Faubourg sold at the record price of 158,000 euros in May 2022. It beats with what is considered the most expensive Birkin bag ever, the Himalayas with diamonds sold at auction in 2020 on Christie’s for 255,700 euros (not that of JLo: the buyer preferred to remain anonymous).
The Faubourg bag sold at the record price of 158,000 euros in May 2022 on Vestiaire Collective.
Undoubtedly, the most desired (and imitated) bag
There are those who, with a brilliant marketing move, have recreated it in a fake version with vegetables. If the Birkin bag by artist Dan Blazer will go down in history as Vegan, there are many imitations of the bag on the market. First of all, she is often confused with her sister Kelly, which has only one handle, closes and can be worn over the shoulder – yes, it costs at par. To fuel the Birkin myth, the starcollectors of dizzying bags: in pole position, Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, the Kardashian sistersbut also Chiara Ferragni And Olivia Palermo.
To demonstrate that the charm of the Birkin invests everyone, at all ages: to be combined with nonchalance with sneakers or used as a travel bag, as the celebs dictate. OR jealously guard like a relic: in fact, they represent a better investment than shares on the stock market. And no, it’s not a play on words.
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