OG Birkin bag, the one that basically kicked off the whole “luxury handbag as status symbol” craze, just went for a jaw-dropping €8.6 million (that’s about £7.4m or $10.1m if you’re counting pennies). I mean, that’s not just some purse; that’s straight-up history packed in black leather.
Back in ’85, Jane Birkin herself yeah, the singer/actress who had that cool, effortless vibe was on a flight with the Hermès boss when her stuff just kind of exploded out of her bag and scattered everywhere. Classic. She was like, “Hey, why don’t you make bags that actually fit things?” So, dude grabs an airsick bag and starts sketching out the now-iconic Birkin right there on the plane. Talk about a wild origin story.
Fast-forward to this week Sotheby’s in Paris, a collector from Japan, and a bidding war that probably had more drama than the last season of Succession. Nine people battling it out for ten minutes, and the price just keeps climbing. That old record? Crushed. The previous top sale was only €439k, which suddenly feels like couch change.
Morgane Halimi, who runs the handbags show at Sotheby’s, said the whole thing was “electrifying” which, honestly, is a bit of an understatement. She went on about how the Birkin isn’t just a bag, it’s the spark behind a legit fashion legend. I mean, she’s not wrong.
This particular Birkin isn’t just any old purse. It’s got Jane’s initials on the front, a shoulder strap you can’t take off, her nail clippers dangling from it (because why not?), and random marks from stickers she slapped on for causes like Médecins du Monde and Unicef. The thing’s got more personality than half the people I know.
Jane Birkin herself had the bag for 10 years before auctioning it off for AIDS research in ’94. After that, it lived with Catherine Benier, a Paris boutique owner, for 25 years before ending up back under the hammer this week.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, the last “most expensive bag” crown belonged to a White Himalaya Croc Kelly just in case you’re keeping score on luxury arm candy. And yes, Birkin bags are still the ultimate flex. Celebs like J.Lo, Beckham, and Kate Moss have them, but the waiting list is longer than your grandma’s stories.
Honestly, if you’re going to drop eight million on anything, you might as well make it a piece of fashion history, right?