Latest news with #British-French
Gulf Today
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Original Birkin bag sells at auction for record $10 million
The original bag custom-made for actress Jane Birkin, which became one of the era-defining designs of the 20th century, was sold in Paris on Thursday for a record 8.6 million euros ($10.04 million), auctioneer Sotheby's said. According to fashion lore, the first Birkin bag was born when the Franco-British actress and singer sat next to Hermes executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight in 1984 and told him she needed a stylish yet functional bag as a young mother. Dumas immediately sketched out the rectangular handbag, with a dedicated space for baby bottles. The company made that one for her, then started selling smaller versions to the public. The design became a hit and has helped fuel the growth of the fashion brand. Former owner of the original Birkin bag created by Hermès for Jane Birkin, Catherine C, who does not want to release her family name, from France, reacts after the bag was sold at auction. AP Regular Birkin bags sell for more than $10,000. The first one - which has Birkin's J. B. initials on the flap and, unlike its descendants, has a strap that cannot be removed - was bought by a private Japanese buyer over the phone, Sotheby's said. The price was the highest on record for a fashion item, it added. "It was a travel bag. Clearly, it was worn for nine years by Jane Birkin on a daily basis and the form is still very beautiful," Aurelie Vassy, head of the Handbags and Fashion Department at Sotheby's Europe and Middle East, told Reuters. This combination of pictures created on July 09, 2025 shows the 'Birkin' bag by Hermes which belonged to British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin at the Sotheby's auction house in Paris. AFP Birkin auctioned the bag in 1994 to support Sidaction, a French charity that fights HIV/Aids. In 2000, when it went on sale again, a private French collector bought it. When British-born Birkin died in 2023, the French capital's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said the "most Parisian of the English has left us." Birkin had lived in her adopted France since the late 1960s and was remembered as much for her warmth and campaigning as for her acting and singing, most famously on the hit single "Je t' non plus.' Reuters
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Original Birkin bag sells for Rs 86 crore; becomes most valuable handbag ever auctioned
The very first Birkin bag, once owned and used by the late Jane Birkin herself, has shattered records by fetching €8.58 million ($10 million or Rs 86 crore, approximately) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris, Reuters reported on Thursday. This sale not only marks a historic moment for luxury fashion but also makes it the most expensive handbag ever auctioned. The record was previously held by a Hermès White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28, sold in 2021 for $513,040. The original Birkin didn't just top that, it left it far behind. The bag in question was crafted specifically for the British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin in 1984. According to the Associated Press, Birkin met then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight to London. After spilling her belongings on the cabin floor, she commented on how handbags never seemed to have enough space. Dumas responded by sketching a new design for her, right there on an airplane vomit bag. That offbeat sketch led to what would become one of fashion's most enduring and exclusive status symbols. Hermès asked Birkin if they could use her name when they launched the bag commercially. She agreed, and the Birkin was born. This exact prototype–the one Dumas had made for Birkin after their encounter–was the one that went under the hammer this week, ultimately landing in the hands of a private Japanese collector. The original Hermès Birkin just sold for a jaw-dropping €7 million and this video captures the historic moment. Created 40 years ago, Jane Birkin's personal bag marks the beginning of a global cultural phenomenon. Video via The Perfect Magazine (IG) — art8amby (@art8amby) July 10, 2025 Sotheby's described the jet-black leather piece as 'one of the most iconic fashion items ever created,' noting that it carries seven unique design features not found in any subsequent Birkin bags. 'More than just a bag, the Birkin has evolved from a practical accessory to become a timeless cultural icon,' Sotheby's said. 'Its presence spans the worlds of music, film, television and the arts; it is a red-carpet staple, a fashion magazine mainstay, and a coveted piece in the wardrobes of celebrities, artists and stylists.' And while $10 million might seem like the peak, the Birkin still isn't the priciest fashion item ever sold at auction. That honour belongs to the ruby red slippers worn in The Wizard of Oz, which went for a staggering $32.5 million in 2024, according to Sotheby's.
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Hermès Birkin prototype used by Jane Birkin sells for record price
A prototype Hermès Birkin bag once owned by British-French singer and actress Jane Birkin has sold for $10.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in Paris. The sale marks the highest price ever paid for a handbag at auction. The black leather bag was created by Hermès in the early 1980s following a chance encounter between Birkin and then Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas. According to reports, Birkin sketched her ideal bag design on an airplane sick bag, inspiring this early version. The result was a unique model featuring Birkin's initials and a fixed shoulder strap elements not present in later mass-produced versions. Birkin used the bag regularly for nearly a decade before donating it to a charity auction in 1994. Since then, it had been in the possession of private collectors before returning to the public market. The auction reportedly saw a competitive 10-minute bidding period, with Japan's Valuence Group winning the item via phone. The final price far surpassed the previous record for a handbag, which had been held by a diamond-encrusted Hermès Kelly bag. It also ranks as the second-highest auction result for a fashion item, behind the sale of Judy Garland's ruby slippers. Sotheby's described the bag as a historically significant artifact, both as a fashion prototype and as a personal item belonging to the woman who inspired an entire luxury line. While standard Hermès Birkin bags remain popular and expensive in their own right, this particular piece's origin and provenance contributed to its exceptional value.
Sinar Daily
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sinar Daily
Original Hermès Birkin becomes most valuable handbag ever auctioned
The original Birkin is now also the second most expensive fashion item to ever be sold. 11 Jul 2025 01:22pm This combination of pictures created on July 09, 2025 shows the "Birkin" bag by Hermes which belonged to British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin at the Sotheby's auction house in Paris on July 2, 2025 and which will be auctioned by Sotheby's as part of the Fashion Icons auction sale. Photo by AFP LONDON - British actress and singer Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin has sold for €8.6 million (US$10 million), becoming the most valuable handbag to ever be sold at auction. The original Birkin is now also the second most expensive fashion item to ever be sold, after it went under the hammer at Sotheby's in Paris on Thursday. The classic handbag was designed for Birkin, who starred in many French and British films from the 1960s onwards, and died in 2023. Birkin happened to be seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then artistic director of Hermès, on an Air France flight in 1981. Carrying all her items in a wicker basket, she complained to Dumas that the handbags of the day tended to be too small to fit all of her belongings. Dumas and Birkin began sketching designs on the back of a sick bag, and by 1985, Hermès had produced a prototype and presented it to Birkin, requesting her permission to name the new style in her honour. The leather bag has become a status symbol, worn on the arms of celebrities including Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, Kylie Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, said the spectacular sale of the original Hermès Birkin at Sotheby's Paris marks an important milestone in the history of fashion and the wider luxury industry. "It is a startling demonstration of the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance, to own their origin. "The Birkin prototype is exactly that, the starting point of an extraordinary story that has given us a modern icon, the Birkin bag, the most coveted handbag in the world. "The sale of the original Birkin is also, ultimately, a celebration of the enduring spirit and appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.' The previous world record for a handbag was the Hermès white Himalaya niloticus crocodile diamond retourné Kelly 28, which sold in 2021 for US$513,040. The most expensive fashion item to ever be sold was the pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz, which sold for US$32.5 million in 2024. - BERNAMA
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag sold for $10 million after intense bidding war
A handbag once tossed around by Jane Birkin like a casual everyday tote has officially made history. Yes, the OG black Hermès Birkin, scuffed, scratched, and basically dragging decades of chic chaos behind it, has just been sold for a staggering €8.6 million ($10 million) at a Sotheby's auction. That is not a typo. From worn-out to worth millions, the original Birkin breaks records Designed for the British-French icon herself back in the mid-1980s, the now-legendary leather accessory started as a practical fix for a problem she spilled mid-flight, literally. Birkin complained to then, Hermès exec Jean-Louis Dumas that she could not find a big enough bag for her daily mum life. So, they sketched it on an airplane sick bag (yes, those vomit bags) and boom, fashion history was born. A bag with baggage, and a LOT of b During the online auction this week, gasps echoed through Sotheby's live stream as the price kept soaring. What started at €1 million quickly escalated into a full-blown bidding war between nine collectors. Ten adrenaline-filled minutes later, a private Japanese collector emerged victorious with a €7 million hammer bid, which rounded off to €8.6 million with fees, officially making this the most expensive handbag ever auctioned. Sotheby's head of handbags and accessories, Morgane Halimi, described the sale as a milestone moment, not just for fashion but for cultural legacy. She said the bag's wild success showed how an object with true provenance could spark intense passion among collectors. This Birkin lived, stickers, scratches and all Unlike other pristine Birkins that sit behind glass cases like untouched trophies, this one lived. The bag still has Jane Birkin's initials, 'J.B.,' engraved on it and sports silver nail clippers dangling off the strap, because she liked to keep her nails tidy on the go. Stickers from Médecins du Monde and UNICEF still leave their discolouration behind, marking her activism as much as her style. Birkin, who passed away in 2023, once joked that her legacy might end up being all about the bag. 'Bless me, when I'm dead... people will possibly only talk about the bag,' she told CNN. Well Jane, they are, and it just made fashion history.
