A monumental moment in fashion history is about to occur: Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin bag is going up for auction at Sotheby’s in Paris on the 10th July. And as Hanushka Toni, founder of luxury resale site Sellier, says, “we’re not just talking about a Birkin, we’re talking about the original—Jane’s personal bag and one that sparked a global icon”.
As any fashion fan will know, the story goes that the British actress was sat next to then–artistic director of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, on an Air France flight in 1981. When packing up her belongings into her signature wicker basket—one she toted everywhere—they quickly spilled onto Dumas’s lap, prompting Birkin to share her frustrations that she could never find a bag large enough, yet still chic, to hold all of her and her daughter’s belongings. Not long after, the Birkin bag was born—an ode to Jane and her timeless, insouciant style. And it’s the very first version she received that is now about to go under the hammer.
French director Bertrand Tavernier and French actress and singer Jane Birkin toting her Birkin in May 1990
"This is without a doubt a monumental and historic cultural moment in time," says Marian Kwei (formerly Kihogo), a celebrity stylist, editorial director and fashion expert. "First and foremost because the Hermès Birkin is the most legendary bag in the existence of handbag design, in the whole history of fashion design."
But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this specific bag enter the auction house. In 1994, Jane sold it to raise funds for an AIDS charity, and it was auctioned again in 2000. Now, Toni estimates it could fetch up to a million pounds. "Previous bags from Jane Birkin’s collection have sold around the £150k mark; however, I imagine we will see this one hit the high six figures, potentially even pushing seven."
Why such a staggering estimate? Because “this is the first Birkin ever given to Jane and still bears traces of her use,” says Toni. “There’s a serious emotional and cultural value attached to this piece, which always commands a premium. It carries the same cultural weight as moments like Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn’s dress or the Princess Diana dress and pearl jewellery auctions,” she adds. Noting, “these kinds of sales mark a shift in the market as they remind us that fashion isn’t just about what we wear, it’s about the legacy we leave behind.”
Jane Birkin holding her Birkin bag in 2013
Toni also highlights why Birkin’s namesake bag became so legendary in the first place: “Jane Birkin had this irreverent, almost throwaway relationship with her Birkin bags. She wasn’t precious about them and let them wear and soften with time," she says. "That raw authenticity is what made the bag legendary in the first place, and her styling of it has carried on into the modern day through the likes of The Olsen Twins, highlighting how the Birkin wasn’t elevated by marketing—it was elevated by her.”
So, best bookmark your calendars—come 10th July, all eyes will be on the Sotheby’s auction room. Whether it’s snapped up by a private collector, a fashion historian, or a museum, one thing’s for sure: this is a key moment in fashion history.
