The original Birkin bag, designed by French luxury house Hermès for actress and singer Jane Birkin, is headed to auction this July in Paris, sparking anticipation among collectors and fashion enthusiasts worldwide.
Created in 1984, the iconic tote was born from a chance encounter aboard a Paris–London flight, where Birkin voiced her frustration to fellow passenger Jean-Louis Dumas, then CEO of Hermès, about the lack of practical yet elegant handbags for young mothers. The result was a spacious leather carryall—engraved with her initials “J.B.” and featuring unique elements like closed metal rings, a fixed shoulder strap, and even a built-in nail clipper.
The prototype bag, which shows signs of wear from years of use by the late actress, will be sold by Sotheby’s on July 10. It is expected to draw fierce bidding given its historic significance and cultural cachet. While the auction house has not disclosed a reserve price, experts say it could challenge records.
“The Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion.
The current record for the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction is held by a diamond-encrusted Birkin 30 made of crocodile skin, which fetched $510,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2017.
The seller of the original Birkin is Catherine B., a prominent Paris-based handbag collector and dealer known for her appointment-only boutique in the city’s upscale 6th arrondissement. She described the bag as the “jewel in my collection” in an interview with The New York Times. The bag has changed hands twice since Jane Birkin first auctioned it in 1994 to raise funds for an AIDS charity.
The upcoming sale comes amid a resurgence of opulent fashion trends. After years of “quiet luxury” dominating runways, designers have embraced a bold, statement-making aesthetic—dubbed “boom boom” by some trend analysts—making the reemergence of the original Birkin especially timely.
Over the decades, the Birkin bag has become synonymous with status, style, and exclusivity. Produced in extremely limited numbers and only offered to select Hermès clients, the bags typically start at around $10,000. They are favored by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Khloé Kardashian.
That exclusivity has not gone unchallenged. In 2024, frustrated shoppers in the U.S. filed a class-action lawsuit against Hermès, alleging unfair sales practices after being denied access to the coveted bags.
Birkin herself had a complex relationship with the brand. In 2015, she publicly requested that her name be removed from the crocodile-skin versions of the bag over concerns about animal cruelty—a cause she actively supported throughout her life.
Before the auction in Paris, the prototype Birkin will be exhibited at Sotheby’s in New York from June 6 to 12. It will then go on display in the French capital ahead of the July 10 sale.
The bag will headline Sotheby’s “Fashion Icons” auction, which also includes runway pieces from legendary designers such as Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler, and Alexander McQueen. Bidding opens online on June 26.
