Jane Birkin has once again made history, this time, not through music or film, but through fashion. Her personal back leather Hermes Birkin Bag, the very first of its kind, has sold for a staggering $10 million at a Sotheby’s auction, becoming the most expensive handbag ever sold.
The historic bag, well-worn with scratches, stains, and stickers, was used by Jane Birkin nearly every day from 1985 to 1994. Despite its age and imperfections, its cultural significance and celebrity provenance drove bidding through the roof.
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Jane Birkin’s Bag Breaks Auction Records
The hammer came down at €7 million ($8.2 million), but after fess, the total reached €8.6 million($10 million). According to Sotheby’s, a private collector from Japan won the intense 10-minute bidding war, which saw gasps from viewers as the price skyrocketed.
Sotheby’s global head of handbags, Morgane Halimi, called the sale “an important milestone” and praised the enduring impact of Jane Birkin, stating :
“It is startling demonstration of the power of a legend… and the enduring spirit and appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.
A Bag Born on an Airplane
The Jane Birkin bag owes its origin to a chance meeting in 1984. Seated next to then-Hermes chairman Jean-Louis Dumas on flight from Paris to London, Birkin lamented the lack of spacious yet elegant bag. When her wicker basket tipped over, Dumas asked her to sketch her ideal purse, on an airplane womit bag.
That drawing became the iconic Birkin bag, which Hermes first delivered to her in 1985. Birking used the original bag for nearly a decade before auctioning it in 1994 to benefits AIDS research.
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What Makes the Original Birkin Unique?
According to Sotheby’s, Jane Birkin’s original bag features distinct elements never replicated again, including :
- Unique metal rings and hardware
- Custom shoulder strap with dangling silver nails clippers
- Her initials “J.B.” engraved on the flap
- Discoloration from Medecins du Monde and UNICEF stickers
This iconic Birkin bag has since been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
