How the ridiculously luxurious Birkin Hermès bag was born out of humble beginnings

On Sunday, English-French singer, actress and fashion icon Jane Birkin died at 76 in Paris, reports The New York Times. Birkin is notorious for pioneering “French girl style” and her romantic relationship with the singer Serge Gainsbourg. But the dreamy fashion muse will perhaps most notably be remembered for inspiring the ultra-exclusive, ultra-expensive Birkin Hermès bag.

During a CBS Sunday Morning interview in 2018, Birkin joked about how the handbag might be what she is best known for. “I thought, ‘Oh gosh, on my obituary, it will say, ‘Like the bag’ or something,’” she said. “Well, it could be worse.”

Born in 1984, the 39-year-old fashion phenomenon inherited grandeur from its namesake and has a reputation spun by television cameos, impressive celebrity collections (Victoria Beckham allegedly has roughly 100 Birkin bags), several rap songs in its honor and an extensive waiting list.

Carrie Bradshaw summed it up perfectly. “It’s not a bag. It’s a Birkin,” the fashion all-star said in an episode of “Sex and the City.”

Despite its status and coveted design, the Birkin Hermès bag was born out of humble beginnings.

While on a flight to London in 1984, Birkin stored her belongings in a nondescript plastic bag. Days prior, her basket bag had been destroyed so she transferred her possessions into a low-grade replacement. It broke, leading her to complain aloud about how Hermès did not sell a bag large enough to carry all of her papers, per Harper’s Bazaar.

“I remember it perfectly well!” Birkin told Vogue of the monumental day. “On this airplane journey, when everything fell out of whatever bag I had, the man next to me said, ‘you should have one with pockets.’ I said, ‘the day Hermès makes one with pockets I will have that.’ And he said: “‘but I am Hermès, and I will put pockets in for you.’”

Seated next to her was Jean-Louis Dumas, the chairman and head designer of Hermès. He introduced himself and suggested Hermès design a sturdy bag with large enough pockets to house her possessions. Dumas drew a rough sketch of the potential purse on the back of a sick bag.

That same year, Hermès released the now-iconic line of Birkin bags.

At 35 centimeters wide, the luxury bag successfully accommodated Jane Birkin’s busy lifestyle. It is now made in three additional sizes: 25 centimeters, 30 centimeters and 40 centimeters.

Originally sold for $2,000, nowadays a Birkin bag will cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000, per The New York Times — if you are lucky enough to make it through the mysterious wait list.

But the highly-desired handbag had a slow start. It was released during the 1980s, when Chanel bags dominated the fashion world and with discrete, remarkably simple design the Birkin bag had to break through the commanding logo-heavy Chanel handbags.

Eventually the bag caught on and earned its status in fashion world. By the 2000s, like Carrie Bradshaw said, it was no longer just a bag. It was a symbol of wealth, taste and exclusivity.

Following Birkin’s death, house of Hermès shared a statement, per The Washington Post. “With a shared sensitivity, we grew to know each other, we discovered and appreciated the extent to which Jane Birkin’s soft elegance revealed an artist in her own right, committed, open-minded, with a natural curiosity of the world and others.”

Why are Birkin bags so expensive?

Birkin bags are highly sought-after and difficult to find brand new. You can’t just walk in to Hermès and purchase a Birkin bag — you require a reputation.

Each handbag takes a minimum of 18 hours for an expert artisan to make. Each bag is hand stitched using the brand’s signature saddle-stitching technique. Once finished, it is marked with the year it was completed, the workshop it was crafted in and the name of the artisan who crafted it, per Sotheby’s. Craftsman undergo between two and six years of training before they can begin working in the Hermès leather workshop.

“The Birkin is a status symbol for exclusivity, luxury, and refined taste,” Landyn Tedrick, site merchandising specialist at fashion resale website Fashionphile told Bustle. “Its simple design and superior craftsmanship, combined with the difficulty obtaining one directly from the designer, are ingredients that make the holy grail bag

To buy a Birkin bag directly from Hermès customers are required to have a purchase history with the brand. And Hermès allows boutiques to purchase a limited number of Birkin bags at a time on a biannual basis.

The simplest way to get a Birkin bag is through resale.

“I highly recommend purchasing a vintage piece from a reputable source,” Rachel Koffsky, auctioneer and international head of handbags at Christie’s told British Vogue.

It will still cost you a pretty penny. A 2017 study found that Birkin’s value has increased by 500% in the last 35 years, noting that Birkin bags maintain a higher value than gold.

In 2017, a Birkin bag with 18-karat white gold and diamond hardware sold for £293,000, then in 2022, Sotheby’s sold a Diamond Himalaya Birkin for more than $450,000.

Although ridiculously luxurious, the bag remains synonymous with the elegantly simple Jane Birkin.

How much does a Birkin cost?

A Birkin bag costs anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 (and beyond). The price depends on several factors such as leather, size and hardware, and if being purchased second-hand the age and condition are also taken into account. Exotic style bags such as ones made from crocodile or alligator leather typically cost upwards of $40,000, reports Sotheby’s.

“The most common Birkin — the 30-centimeter in black Togo leather with gold hardware — sells between $16,000-$24,000 in very good to excellent condition,” Tedrick told Bustle. “This can vary a bit, depending on the wear, the year of production, and whether it has a full set (box, lock and keys, etc.).”