The first-ever Birkin bag, made for and inspired by actress Jane Birkin herself, has been sold at auction for €8.5 million by Sotheby’s in Paris.
The lot began at €1 million, with advanced bids having already been placed at €1.3 million before bids went to the room at 15:18 BST.
It quickly jumped from €1.5 million to €2.4 million and €2.8 million within a minute before a fair warning was given.
Another fair warning was given at €4 million, before climbing to €6.5 million when another was given.
The bids escalated for a further eight minutes until the hammer was lowered and sold to a mystery buyer for €7m (€8.5m including commission fees), smashing previous price records for a handbag.
The Hermès Birkin is now known to be the most coveted designer bag in the world.
The ultimate style symbol of status and social ascension – the Birkin’s growing high-profile fan club, which includes models Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, the Kardashian-Jenners, Jennifer Lopez and more, helps it remain one of the most desired bags in the world.
The current owner, Catherine Benier, a private collector and founder of the Paris vintage boutique Les 3 Marches, announced she was selling it on 5 June.
Bernier purchased the bag for an undisclosed sum in 2000, and even today, she declines to reveal how much she spent.
The tale of the Birkin begins in 1981, when actress Jane Birkin happened to be seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas – then artistic director of Hermès – on an Air France flight.
As she attempted to store her belongings in the overhead compartment, the contents of her now-iconic wicker basket came tumbling into Dumas’s lap. It was a serendipitous mishap that would go on to change fashion history.
Bemoaning the lack of handbags spacious enough to carry the essentials – especially while travelling with her young daughter, Charlotte – Birkin explained her frustration with the dainty designs of the day.
Ever inspired by a practical muse, Dumas and Birkin began sketching a concept on the back of a sick-bag. That drawing would become the basis for what is now arguably the world’s most coveted handbag.
By 1985, Hermès had produced a prototype and presented it to Birkin, requesting her permission to name the new style in her honour. That very first design – known as the Original Birkin – was unlike any the house would later release commercially, with subtle distinctions that set it apart as a true one-off.
This is the bag being auctioned. It features a shoulder strap, which was never included on the commercial version, gilded brass hardware instead of the classic gold-plated and zips sourced from Éclair instead of Riri, which has manufactured Birkin zippers since the 1990s.
The most exciting differentiating details, however, are undoubtedly the personalisation of the bag.
Birkin’s Original Birkin was deeply personal to her and proudly bore her initials, "J.B" embossed on the front flap.
And known for her effortlessly cool, ‘French girl’ chic style, Jane Birkin preferred a natural look over long, painted nails. So in order to keep her nails neatly trimmed on the go, she kept a nail clipper attached to a chain hanging from the base of the shoulder strap inside her bag, which is being included in the sale.
Birkin, who died at the age of 76 in 2023, was paid an annual royalty, which was then passed on to her nominated charities.
Birkins have never gone out of style – and never will – and have historically increased in value over time owing to the heritage at their core.
And the Original Birkin represents a piece of fashion folklore – a moment where function, personality and design came together to create something truly iconic.
With its sale in Paris yesterday, a new chapter begins for a bag that redefined what luxury means, not just in price, but in cultural impact.
