At the Sotheby’s auction in Paris, an original Birkin bag was sold for a record price of 10.1 million US dollars. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This is the most expensive handbag sale in history, setting a new peak in the fashion industry. This black leather bag was designed in 1985 for the famous British-French artist Jane Birkin.
According to the story, while flying on a plane with the head of the Hermes fashion house, Jane Birkin's belongings fell out of her bag. After that, the CEO of Hermes suggested creating a more practical and larger bag for her.
This idea was sketched on paper. The first prototype bag made based on that sketch became the foundation for the emergence of the globally famous “Birkin” brand after it was handed over to Jane Birkin.
This unique prototype bag was purchased by a Japanese private collector at the Sotheby’s auction in Paris in July 2025. During the auction, there was intense competition among 9 determined buyers within 10 minutes.
While the previous highest price was 515,500 US dollars, the new price nearly increased this figure by 20 times. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of fashion and bags, described this record price as “the power of the legend.”
According to her, the Birkin bag is one of the most famous symbols of modern fashion, possessing not only a unique design but also significant historical importance. The bag has changed several owners, retaining Jane Birkin's initials, a shoulder strap, a nail clipper that is always hanging, and stickers related to UNICEF and Medecins du Monde organizations.
Jane Birkin used this bag for ten years and donated it to a charity auction against AIDS in 1994. Later, the bag was purchased by Catherine Benier, the owner of a luxury boutique in Paris, and was kept for 25 years.
Today, Birkin bags hold a high status, often requiring years of waiting to obtain one. Famous stars, including Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, and Jennifer Lopez, are proud owners of such bags.
This historic sale reaffirmed not only the place of the Birkin bag in fashion but also its value among collectors.
