It’s scuffed, scratched, stained, and now the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.
The very first Hermès Birkin bag, once owned and used daily by the late British actress and singer Jane Birkin herself, has just sold for an eye-watering €8.6 million (about $10 million with fees) in an online Sotheby’s sale setting a new record for the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.
The hammer came down at €7 million ($8.2 million), following a dramatic 10-minute bidding war between nine determined collectors. According to Sotheby’s, the winning bid came from a private collector based in Japan.
Designed in 1984 by Hermès specifically for Jane Birkin after a now-iconic encounter with Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight, this particular black leather Birkin is the prototype ; the one that started it all. Birkin, known for her effortless style and French-British charm, carried the bag almost daily from 1985 to 1994, giving it the kind of wear and patina that would horrify collectors of pristine luxury but only added to its legend.
“This sale is an important milestone in the history of fashion and luxury,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Accessories, in a press statement. “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. The sale of the Original Birkin is also, ultimately, a celebration of the enduring spirit and appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.”
The auction , part of Sotheby’s online “Luxury Week” sale that also featured pieces from Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior drew significant attention even before it began. While the house didn’t reveal a public estimate, advanced bidding had already crossed €1 million prior to the live sale. When it came time to place final bids, audible gasps could be heard on the live stream as the price climbed to record-breaking heights.
The Birkin has long held its place as the most exclusive handbag in the world, but until now, the title for the most expensive bag sold at auction was held by a diamond-and-crocodile-skin Kelly bag, which fetched $513,040. Other high-profile sales include a white-diamond-studded “Himalaya Birkin” that Sotheby’s sold for over $450,000 in 2022 and a crocodile-skin Birkin that sold at Christie’s for $390,000 in 2021. But those sales dazzling as they were involved bags that owed their value to their opulence and rarity. The appeal of this Birkin lies in its history.
Birkin originally sold the bag in 1994 to raise money for AIDS research. Since then, it has changed hands multiple times, appearing on display at major exhibitions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It last came to auction 25 years ago, purchased by a collector identified only as Catherine B. Recalling that moment, she said, “The sale made me relive my own bidding battle… and how raw and indescribable the feeling of winning over this wonderful bag was.”
Jane Birkin passed away in 2023 at the age of 76, but her legacy continues in music, film, fashion — and now, a handbag that’s become a cultural artifact. She once joked to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that her name would probably live on more through the bag than through her work. If this week’s record-breaking sale is anything to go by, she may have been right.
