The Hermès Birkin
A bag sketched on a plane in 1984. The Hermès Birkin was created in 1984 for actress Jane Birkin. How each bag is made by one artisan, and the original's 8.6 million euro sale in 2025.
A crocodile Birkin: Ohconfucius, CC BY 3.0
A meeting in the air
The Birkin began with a chance meeting in 1984 between Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès, and the actress and singer Jane Birkin. She explained that she could not find a leather bag big and practical enough for daily life, and he sketched a design for her.
Hermès made the first Birkin, a supple black leather bag, that year and named it after her. It is related to an older Hermès design, the Haut à Courroies, a large bag first made for carrying riding gear.
One artisan, one bag
Each Birkin is made by a single craftsperson, usually in one of the company's workshops in France, and takes roughly 15 to 20 hours. The leather pieces are cut, then stitched by hand with two needles using a saddle stitch, which Hermès developed from its history as a harness and saddle maker founded in 1837.
The craftsperson stamps an identifying mark inside the bag, so the house knows who made each one. Bags come in many leathers, colours and sizes, including exotic skins such as crocodile.
Before stitching, the edges of each leather piece are sanded, dyed and polished by hand so that they are smooth and sealed. The hardware, including the turn lock and the small padlock and key that come with each bag, is fitted with care, and the handles are shaped and stitched to hold their form.
Record prices
Rare Birkins have set auction records for handbags. In 2017 a matte white crocodile Birkin with white gold hardware set with diamonds sold at Christie's in Hong Kong for about 377,000 US dollars, a handbag record at the time.
In July 2025, Jane Birkin's original prototype bag, with a shoulder strap and features that later bags do not have, sold at Sotheby's in Paris for 8.6 million euros, about 10.1 million dollars. It became the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.
Facts, not forecasts
Because some Birkins resell for more than their shop price, the bag is often discussed as an asset. Greatest Prestige does not make predictions: prices depend on condition, rarity and the moment, and past results tell you nothing certain about the future.
What is clear is the craft involved. A Birkin is a good example of how traditional hand techniques, limited production and a memorable story combine to create one of the most recognised objects in fashion.
- A crocodile Birkin: Ohconfucius, CC BY 3.0
- A pink leather Birkin: Theorb, Public domain
Text written by Greatest Prestige.
