Original Birkin Bag Breaks Auction Record with £7.4 Million Sale
The very first Birkin bag, created for British-French singer Jane Birkin in 1985, has become the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction, fetching an astonishing €8.6 million (£7.4 million or $10.1 million) at Sotheby’s in Paris.
The iconic black leather bag, which inspired one of fashion’s most sought-after accessories, sparked a fierce 10-minute bidding battle among nine collectors before being claimed by a private buyer from Japan. The final price far exceeded the previous record of €439,000 set by a Hermès Kelly bag in 2021.
Sotheby’s described the atmosphere during the sale as “electrifying,” and called the result a powerful reflection of the bag’s cultural and fashion legacy.
“This prototype marks the beginning of a modern legend,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion. “It’s a testament to the allure of origin stories and the passion they ignite among collectors of truly exceptional items.”
The Birkin bag was famously born mid-flight when Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas sat next to Jane Birkin and witnessed her struggle with a small handbag. After she expressed a need for a more functional design, Dumas sketched the idea on an airplane sick bag. That spontaneous design would later evolve into the Birkin bag, now a symbol of luxury and exclusivity.
The original prototype holds unique features that distinguish it from later models, including Birkin’s initials etched on the flap, a fixed shoulder strap, and personal touches like a pair of nail clippers and faded marks left by stickers promoting causes such as Médecins du Monde and UNICEF.
Jane Birkin kept the bag for a decade before donating it to an AIDS charity auction in 1994. It was then acquired by Paris boutique owner Catherine Bénier, who held on to it for 25 years until Thursday’s historic sale.
The Birkin remains one of the most coveted luxury items in the world, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to over $400,000 and multi-year waiting lists. Owners have included global celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Kate Moss.
Sotheby’s noted that the previous record for a handbag sale belonged to a white Hermès Himalaya crocodile diamond Kelly bag, which sold for over half a million dollars in 2021. This latest sale more than doubles that benchmark, setting a new standard for collectible fashion.
