Scuffed, scratched and stained, this black leather Birkin bag just sold for €8.6 million ($10 million), with fees, becoming the most expensive handbag to ever sell at auction. The hammer fell at a winning bid of €7 million ($8.2 million).
The first ever Birkin to have been created by Hermès, the bag was designed for the British actor and singer Jane Birkin. The Francophone style icon used it nearly every day from 1985 to 1994, before it became the ultimate symbol of luxury. On Thursday, the rarefied bag was sold by auction house Sotheby’s in an online sale of notable luxury fashion, including designs by Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior.
The auction house declined to provide an estimate of the original Birkin to CNN ahead of the sale, but advanced bidding had already smashed records at €1 million. During a live stream of the sale, gasps could be heard as the bidding pushed higher and higher. The 10-minute bidding war between nine collectors ultimately ended in victory for a private collector from Japan, according to a Sotheby’s press release.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and accessories, called the historic sale “an important milestone” for the history of fashion and luxury. “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,” she said in the press release. “The sale of the Original Birkin is also, ultimately, a celebration of the enduring spirit and appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.”
In setting a definitive new record, the original Birkin beat out more opulent iterations. In 2022, Sotheby’s sold a white-diamond-studded “Diamond Himalaya Birkin” for over $450,000, while Christie’s sold a crocodile-skin version for nearly $390,000 in 2021. The previous record for the most expensive handbag was set by a diamond and crocodile Kelly bag at $513,040.
Credit: CNN