Sotheby’s to Auction Jane Birkin’s Original Hermès Bag A Piece of Fashion History Returns to the Spotlight
- Luxe magazine Switzerland
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
Sotheby’s to Auction Jane Birkin’s Original Hermès Bag A Piece of Fashion History Returns to the Spotlight
By Holdener Patricia
June 6, 2025
Paris In an extraordinary moment for fashion collectors and admirers alike, Sotheby’s Paris has announced the upcoming auction of a singular artifact from the world of haute couture: the original Hermès Birkin bag, crafted in 1984 for the actress and singer Jane Birkin herself. This historic item, the prototype that inspired one of the most iconic handbags in fashion history, will go under the hammer on July 10, 2025.
The story of the Birkin bag is one of serendipity. In 1981, Jane Birkin found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then CEO of Hermès, on a flight from Paris to London. As Birkin attempted to manage the contents of her straw travel bag, everything spilled onto the floor prompting a conversation with Dumas about her desire for a handbag that was both elegant and functional. From that encounter, the Birkin bag was born.
The bag now heading to auction is not merely any Birkin it is the original, a one-of-a-kind prototype made for Birkin herself in 1984. The piece is strikingly different from later commercial versions: it features a non-detachable shoulder strap, gilded brass hardware, and a hybrid structure that combines the dimensions of both the 35 and 40 cm Birkins. It bears unmistakable signs of Birkin’s personal touch: stickers supporting humanitarian organizations such as Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, her initials “J.B.” embossed in gold on the interior flap, and a nail clipper fastened to the a nod to her no-nonsense, lived-in approach to fashion.
Birkin used the bag daily for nearly a decade before auctioning it in 1994 to raise funds for the French AIDS charity Association Solidarité Sida. The bag resurfaced in 2000 when it changed hands once again and has remained in private ownership since. Throughout the years, it has also been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, underscoring its cultural and artistic significance.
Sotheby’s will showcase the bag at exhibitions in New York and Paris in the lead-up to the sale. While no public estimate has been provided, experts anticipate intense bidding given the bag’s storied provenance and its symbolic importance in fashion history.
“This bag represents not just the genesis of an icon, but the spirit of Jane Birkin herself unpretentious, stylish, and profoundly human,” said a Sotheby’s spokesperson. “To collectors and admirers of her legacy, this is more than an accessory it’s a relic of design history.”
Jane Birkin, who passed away in July 2023, left behind an enduring influence on fashion and culture. Her eponymous bag became a global symbol of understated luxury and has remained a must-have among collectors and celebrities for over four decades. This auction, therefore, is not only a rare opportunity to own the original Birkin but a moment to honor Birkin’s unique legacy as both muse and maker.
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