It was 1981 on a flight from Paris to London when Jane Birkin dropped the entire contents of her handbag onto the floor. Her things were scattered all over the carpet. She had reached for some bag that morning. Just days earlier, her husband, French actor Jacques Doillon, had run over her beloved wicker bag in his car. A mishap without which the most coveted handbag in the world would probably never have come into existence.
As luck would have it, Birkin was sitting next to Hermès boss Jean-Louis Dumas during the flight. He helped collect her belongings again. “You should have one with inside pockets,” he reportedly told her when he saw the mess inside. At the time, Jane Birkin did not know who the man next to her was. So she replied, “The day Hermès makes one with bags, I’ll buy it.” Dumas is said to have said, “But I’m Hermès and I’m going to put this bag in for you.”
They planned the prototype during the flight. Birkin had clear ideas: the bag should be larger than a Kelly Bag, the name of the Hermès classic named after Grace Kelly, but smaller than one of her husband’s suitcases. “I think I sketched her on a sick bag,” Birkin recalled a few years ago when she gave an interview to Vogue.
The leather model, which she later picked up from the atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, had a trapezoidal shape and was sportier than the elegant Kelly Bag. It had two handles, a metal clasp, several inner compartments, including a holder for baby bottles. When the actress wanted to pay for the bag, Dumas refused. He did not want money for it, but recognized a lucrative business. He offered to pay Birkin in her good name only. He also assured her that he would give her 30,000 euros a year, which she could use for her various charities. The actress agreed. From then on the model was called the Birkin Bag.
Today, 42 years later, the bag is one of the most coveted in the world. It adorns the wrists of stars like Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham. Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of the British Formula 1 icon, is said to have her own glass shrine for her 30 models, and hip-hop star Drake also claims to have a lucrative collection.
While the bag cost around 2,500 euros when it was introduced into the Hermès range in 1984, the entry-level price today starts at around 9,000 euros. Depending on the leather, size and equipment, it can also cost as much as a single-family house. As with luxury watches, you cannot walk into a Hermès boutique and walk out with a model on your wrist. The demand is huge, for years the bag makers in the workshops have not been able to keep up. The production of a handmade model takes 15 hours. Some time ago, Hermès announced that it would build three new production facilities by 2024.
Due to the scarcity, the prices of the vintage models are rising. In 2016, a model called “Hermès Birkin 30 Niloticus Himalaya Blanc” changed hands for around 200,000 euros. It was made of white crocodile leather with 18k white gold and diamond fittings. In 2019, a similar model of the “Himalaya Birkin” was auctioned for around 500,000 US dollars.
Unlike many stars, Jane Birkin only owned a few Birkin bags during her lifetime. Almost as if the hype that the fashion world was celebrating about the bag bounced off the actress. She didn’t need a status symbol, she was one herself. The few models that Hermès gave her as gifts, she often auctioned off for a good cause.
When the luxury brand fell into disrepute a few years ago for not keeping crocodiles that were bred for handbag production in a species-appropriate manner, the actress was not afraid to turn against Hermès. But since Birkin hadn’t sold her name as a license, she couldn’t refuse the brand to use her name. An agreement was reached to prevent a scandal.
When the star met Jane Birkin for an interview a few months ago, she said she currently only owns one model. A black bag, with clear signs of wear and many small chains and pendants. Although she was a great actress and musician, she had a glimpse of what to look back on. “I’m afraid it’s going to be this bag that ends up being remembered for,” she said.
In fact, it could happen that way. Nevertheless, what is special about fashion is that it celebrates the iconic – even across generations. It doesn’t matter whether you’re still watching “Blow Up” in 20 years or listening to “Je t’aime…moi non plus” – Jane Birkin’s fashion style will be remembered forever. A little more laissez-faire would suit fashion.
