The first Hermès Birkin bag personally used by Jane Birkin has been sold for $10 million in an online auction organized by Sotheby’s. The worn leather bag has now become the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.
This iconic item, once owned by the French-British actress and musician Jane Birkin, was purchased on July 10 during an online auction conducted by Sotheby’s. The sale set a new record, making it the highest-priced handbag ever sold at auction.
Featuring black leather and stainless steel details, the bag is notable for its worn texture, visible scratches, and sticker embellishments. Designed in 1984 by Jean-Louis Dumas, then-chairman of Hermès, at Jane Birkin’s request, this model marked the beginning of the brand’s iconic “Birkin” line. Dumas and Birkin had met by chance while seated next to each other on a Paris–London flight, where Birkin mentioned her need for a large handbag. Hermès delivered the custom-designed bag to her in 1985. The artist used the bag actively between 1985 and 1994 before auctioning it to support AIDS research. Since then, the bag has changed hands several times and has been displayed in institutions like MoMA New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Prior to the auction, Sotheby’s had not released an estimated price. However, early bids exceeding €1 million reflected the high level of interest. The auction, which lasted around 10 minutes, involved nine collectors and ultimately concluded with a bid from a private collector in Japan.
Morgane Halimi, Head of Sotheby’s Handbags and Accessories Department, described the sale as a “historic milestone in fashion”:
“This sale not only reflects the power of a legend but also demonstrates how Jane Birkin’s influence continues to resonate.”
Jane Birkin passed away in 2023. In a previous interview, she once joked, “When I die, everyone will only talk about the bag,” humorously acknowledging the impact of the iconic accessory associated with her name.
The sale significantly surpassed previous records, including the $450,000 Diamond Himalaya Birkin sold in 2022 and the $390,000 crocodile leather model sold in 2021. The previous record-holder was a Kelly bag sold for $513,000 in 2020.
