The very first Birkin handbag was sold in Paris for 8.6 million euros – as expensive as no other handbag in the auction history before, as the Sotheby’s auction house announced.
The iconic piece from 1984 is considered the primeval mother of all so-called IT bags- handbags, which are the coveted fashion and status symbols. She was designed together with the British actress and singer Jane Birkin (1946-2023), who also gave the bag her name.
According to the Sotheby’s auction house, nine bidders fought an exciting betting for around ten minutes before the surcharge fell on the record sum. The auction started at one million euros.
Idea for the handbag came on the plane
The creation of the bag is based on a legendary event: During a flight from Paris to London to London, Birkin’s overcrowded willow basket tipped the then Hermès boss Jean-Louis Dumas. This gave rise to the idea for a spacious but at the same time elegant bag – the Birkin Bag.
The now auctioned model is unique with shoulder strap, particularly deep cut, brass fittings, a built -in nail snap – and clear signs of wear, since Birkin wore the bag for years. Fashion experts see her a pop culture phenomenon that embodies luxury in a particularly sophisticated form.
Previous handbag record far exceeded
Incidentally, the previous world record for a handbag is said to have been exceeded at the first hammer blow. The latter came from 2021, when a so-called Hermès Kelly 28 Diamond Retours made of white crocodile leather for $ 513,040 was auctioned.