the birkin bag: how one conversation gave birth to an icon

since its inception in 1984, the Hermés birkin bag has become one of the most coveted fashion accessories not to mention the ultimate status symbol. but how exactly did the handbag come to be a (reportedly) better investment than gold? as told to business insider, the story begins with british actress jane birkin, an airfrance flight, and a little bit of serendipity.

history goes that when birkin was upgraded on a flight from paris to london in 1981, she ended up sitting next to jean-louis dumas, the former chief executive of Hermés. as she struggled to fit her bag into the overhead locker on the plane, everything fell out, leading dumas to suggest she try a bag with pockets. as birkin told the telegraph in 2012, this exchange then led to the creation of her namesake handbag as the pair spent the rest of the flight sketching the perfect design on the back of an airfrance sick bag, no less. 

jane birkin’s original birkin bag

image courtesy of les 3 marches de catherine b

the birkin bag wasn’t an immediate hit after it was first released, so what gave it the icon status it holds today? firstly, there’s the price tag; a birkin bag begins at around $9,000 USD. the fashion accessory also broke the record for the world’s most expensive bag when it sold for an eye-watering $500,000 USD in 2019, a 30% increase from its previous selling price three years earlier. the model in question was a himalaya birkin bag with a rare crocodile hide, which is dyed to look like the snow-capped himalayan mountains, and 18k white gold and diamond detailing. 

a himalaya birkin bag with 18k white gold and diamond ‘hardware’

image courtesy of christie’s

if the hefty cost isn’t enough, it’s also pretty difficult to actually get your hands on a birkin. there are no more waiting lists and Hermés is said to only produce a limited number each year, meaning demand vastly outstrips supply. business insider reports that there is an estimated 200,000 birkins currently in circulation with many now being sold on resale marketplaces.  

as well as the exclusivity and legendary origins story, the birkin bag also offers luxury as standard. each bag is handmade by skilled artisans in france in a process that takes around 48 hours. they use different animal hides such as cowhide, ostrich leather or calfskin, and an array of colors. Hermés has also added precious metal and diamond ‘hardware’ in recent years. 

image courtesy of christie’s

jane birkin’s humble bag drawn on an airfrance sick bag has transmuted over time to become a work of art and a much sought-after investment. statistics from 2017 showed that the value of the bags has increased 500% in the last 35 years. Hermès also reported a huge 44% sales increase in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2020, proving that, even in pandemic times, the appeal of the birkin bag endures.

article via business insider