Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag fetches record-breaking Rs 87.5 crore at auction
Engraved with the initials "J.B." and featuring distinctive elements like closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap, and even a built-in nail clipper, the bag is steeped in personal history and worn character.
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In a jaw-dropping moment for both fashion lovers and collectors, the original Hermès Birkin bag - custom-designed for the late actress and singer Jane Birkin - sold for a staggering 8.58 million euros (approximately Rs 87.5 crore) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, reports AFP.
The price sets a new world record for the most expensive handbag ever sold at an auction.
The bidding opened at a cool 1 million euros, drawing audible gasps from the room and quickly escalating into a fierce telephone bidding war that soared past 7 million euros before final fees and commissions pushed it to the final amount, according to the Sotheby's.
The previous record was held by a diamond-studded crocodile Hermès Kelly 28 bag, which fetched $513,000 at Christie's in Hong Kong in 2021.
The buyer of the iconic fashion artifact remains anonymous for now.
Sotheby's had earlier signalled that the Birkin prototype - considered a modern design classic - was expected to shatter records. Owned by Parisian collector Catherine Benier, who called the piece the "jewel in my collection," the bag has passed through a storied lineage since Jane Birkin first auctioned it in 1994 to support AIDS charities.
Engraved with the initials "J.B." and featuring distinctive elements like closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap, and even a built-in nail clipper, the bag is steeped in personal history and worn character. "It's condition reflects the many years of use by the actress and singer," Sotheby's noted in the report.
The Birkin bag's original story has achieved legendary status in fashion circles. In 1984, during a chance encounter on a Paris-London flight, Birkin lamented her lack of a functional yet stylish handbag to her seatmate - who happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. The resulting design, a spacious leather tote named after her, went on to become one of the most coveted luxury items in the world.
While Birkin herself passed away in 2023, her namesake bag remains a symbol of elite fashion. Over the years, it has become the flagship product of the Hermès brand, adored by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Khloe Kardashian, and Victoria Beckham, the report added.
Yet, its cult status has also sparked backlash: a class-action lawsuit was filed in California last year by frustrated customers in the U.S. who were denied access to buy the elusive accessory.
The sale also mirrors the fashion industry’s current pivot from “quiet luxury” to bolder, more expressive aesthetics — a trend dubbed “boom boom” by style forecasters.
