The original 1984 Hermès Birkin bag made for Jane Birkin will be auctioned in Sotheby’s Paris Fashion Icons sale on July 10. Discover the story behind this fashion legend. Jane Birkin’s very own Hermès Birkin bag, the very first of its kind, is set for auction at Sotheby’s Paris this July. Known for its exclusivity and iconic status, this bag holds a unique place in fashion history.
If you’ve ever struggled to get your hands on a Birkin bag despite having the budget, here’s a rare chance to get your hands on the very first Hermès Birkin bag made for the singer and actress Jane Birkin which is going up for auction. Sotheby’s will offer this historic piece as part of its Paris Fashion Icons sale on July 10.
Hermès’ website shares the bag’s unique origin story: “Who could have imagined that one of the most coveted objects of recent decades would be born in the sky, in 1984, on a flight from Paris to London? British actress Jane Birkin, sitting next to Jean-Louis Dumas, Executive Chairman of Hermès (1978–2006), was complaining that she couldn’t find a bag suitable for her needs as a young mother.” The site adds, “A born creator with a keen eye, he immediately sketched a supple and spacious rectangular holdall with a burnished flap and saddle stitching. With a dedicated space for her baby’s bottles!”
In 1994, Birkin sold the bag to raise funds for AIDS charity. Business of Fashion reports that it was auctioned again in 2000 and has since been owned by a collector known as ‘Catherine B’ on Instagram, who proudly calls herself the ‘proud owner of the first Hermès Birkin bag’.
The auction lot includes several notable items: the original charity auction certificate Les Enchères de l’Espoir signed by Jane Birkin on October 5, 1994; the Hôtel des Ventes du Palais auction catalogue from May 12, 2000; and the 2020 exhibition catalogue from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Bags: Inside Out exhibit.
Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, commented, “There is no doubt that the original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind and a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most refined way possible.”
The bag will be presented exactly as Jane Birkin used it, complete with the wear that tells its story.
In recent years, Jane Birkin requested Hermès to remove her name from the crocodile-skin Birkin handbags. As The Cut reported, she stated, “Having been alerted to the cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter to make Hermès handbags carrying my name… I have asked Hermès to debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place.”
