Latest news with #OriginalHermèsBirkin
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jane Birkin's original Hermes bag breaks sale record
Jane Birkin's original Hermes bag has been sold for a staggering $10.1 million. The fashion house designed the Birkin accessory for the late singer-and-actress and it went under the hammer in France this week as part of Sotheby's Paris Fashion Icons sale. An unidentified Japanese bidder won the auction after a competitive "battle" between nine collectors, who participated in person, online and over the phone, with the sale opening at $1.7 million. The sale broke multiple records and is now the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction, taking over from a Hermès' White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28, which sold at $513,040 in 2021. Jane's Birkin bag has also now become the second most valuable fashion item ever sold, with Judy Garland's ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz retaining the top spot it clinched in December 2024 when they sold for $32.5 million. Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion Morgane Halimi said in a statement: 'The spectacular sale of the Original Hermès Birkin today at Sotheby's Paris marks an important milestone in the history of fashion and the luxury industry more widely. 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 its origin." Hermes' Birkin bag dates back to 1981 when the fashion house's artistic director, Jean-Louis Dumas, saw the actress needed a fashionable but large bag when her belongings fell out of her wicker basket on board a flight. In 1985, Jane was asked if they could name the accessory in her honour. Her original bag features a non-removable shoulder strap, closed metal rings, smaller studs, a build measuring somewhere between a Birkin 35 and Birkin 40, and gilded brass hardware. It also included a chain with a nail clipper at the end and had Jane's initials engraved on the front flap. In 1994, Jane - who died in 2023 aged 76 - donated her original prototype to an auction in aid of French AIDS charity Association Solidarité Sida. Sotheby's noted: "The bag was sold again at auction at Poulain Le Fur in May 2000 and has remained in private hands ever since." Throughout her life, Jane received four additional Hermes bags, but always remained loyal to her original.
Tokyo Weekender
5 days ago
- Business
- Tokyo Weekender
Japanese Company Buys Original Birkin Bag for ¥1.47 Billion
The original black leather Birkin bag, owned and loved by Hermès muse Jane Birkin, has sold for ¥1.47 billion (€8.58 million) to Valuence Japan, the company behind luxury buyer Allu. The historic acquisition took place at a Sotheby's Fashion Icons auction in Paris on July 10, setting a new world record for the most valuable handbag ever sold. Sotheby's opened bidding for the Birkin prototype at €1 million, and a fierce battle ensued between nine collectors. Valuence Japan participated via telephone through Maiko Ichikawa, Head of Sotheby's Japan, and won the item after the 10-minute bidding war. 'The spectacular sale of the Original Hermès Birkin today at Sotheby's Paris marks an important milestone in the history of fashion and the luxury industry more widely,' stated Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion. '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.' List of Contents: A Legendary Fashion Accessory Reemerges Who Bought the Original Birkin Bag? Related Posts A Legendary Fashion Accessory Reemerges The much-anticipated auction marks the original Birkin's first market appearance in 25 years. The handbag has been sold twice, initially in 1994 when Jane Birkin donated it to an auction benefiting the French AIDS charity Association Solidarité Sida, and again at auction at Poulain Le Fur in May 2000. Private collector Catherine B., who kept the Birkin for over two decades, told Sotheby's that the sale 'made me relive my own bidding battle … and how raw and indescribable the feeling of winning over this wonderful bag was.' The mystical Birkin had not been seen by the public until autumn of last year, when it was exhibited at Sotheby's Paris Galleries. A series of viewings this year at the Sotheby's Maison in Hong Kong, New York and Paris again attracted thousands of visitors, generating global interest for yesterday's auction. Jane Birkin with her stickered Hermès bag in London, 1996 | Image: Mike Daines/Shutterstock Originally designed by Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas after a chance encounter with British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin in 1981, the Birkin bag is one of the most famous accessories in fashion history. The story goes that Jane Birkin — who was sitting next to Dumas on a flight — spilled the contents of her wicker basket bag onto his lap, inspiring the then-artistic director to conceptualize a practical handbag large enough to hold her essentials. The Birkin, intended to fuse the bohemian-chic actress' effortless elegance with durability and functionality, has evolved into a highly-coveted status symbol around the world. Over the past decade, the handbag has also been at the center of much cultural discourse around overconsumption, wealth disparity and declining individuality, in ironic contrast to its original role as a canvas for Jane Birkin's self expression. Her well-worn purse was famously decorated with jewelry fragments, scarves and charms. The original Birkin still bears the traces of Jane Birkin's personalizations, including her initials 'J.B.' and her nail clipper, hanging from the bag's strap. The prototype is crafted in Hermès Black Box leather with gilded brass hardware, and features a unique construction, blending the Birkin 35's width and height with the Birkin 40's depth. It includes details not found on modern models like closed metal rings, an Eclair zipper, a non-removable strap and small bottom studs. So… Who Bought the Original Birkin Bag? The buyer who acquired the original Birkin is Tokyo-based company Valuence Japan, which operates several luxury fashion businesses, including big-name buyers Allu and Nanboya. Valuence Japan has emphasized that the acquisition is not for resale purposes. Instead, the company views it as a valuable addition to society — a piece of cultural heritage that will be made accessible to a broad audience. Shinsuke Sakimoto, CEO of Valuence Japan, shared his thoughts on the acquisition. 'Ms. Jane Birkin's embodiment of freedom and originality deeply resonates with our group's philosophy,' he told Fashionsnap. 'We hope the bag can be a symbol of empowerment, diversity and confidence.' Related Posts How a ¥15 Japanese Snack Became a ¥100,000 Art Sensation in Tokyo Where To Shop for Vintage Designer Bags in Tokyo That's Punk: Vivienne Westwood and Japan How Japanese Construction Uniforms Went High Fashion
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The OG Birkin bag sells for a record-breaking $10 million at auction
A 40-year-old worn-in Hermès Birkin bag has become the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction. Bidders battled for 10 minutes on Thursday for the original Birkin worn by its muse, Jane Birkin. It ended in a $10.1 million sale to a private collector in Japan who bid via telephone. In a video of the live auction, gasps can be heard as the war waged on. "The spectacular sale of the Original Hermès Birkin today at Sotheby's Paris marks an important milestone in the history of fashion and the luxury industry more widely," Morgane Halimi, global head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby's, said in a statement. The Birkin, a highly coveted status symbol among the wealthy, was inspired by the late singer-actor after a conversation with Jean-Louis Dumas — who was chairman of Hermès at the time — on an airplane in 1981, Jane told Vogue in 2012. She drew the design on an airplane sickness bag and eventually went on to carry the prototype for nearly a decade. It last went up for auction 25 years ago, Sotheby's said. This time around, bidding opened at $1.7 million. It "made me relive my own bidding battle, 25 years ago, and how raw and indescribable the feeling of winning over this wonderful bag was," the bag's previous owner, Catherine B., said in a statement released by Sotheby's. The Birkin bag is a staple for Hermès. It starts at around $10,000 and has a long, unofficial vetting process to purchase. The prototype unseated the Hermès White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28 bag, which sold for a record $513,040 at auction in 2021.
