The original Birkin bag, famously created for Jane Birkin, commands an unprecedented auction price, reflecting its significance as a luxury symbol and collector's item.
**Historic Sale: The Original Birkin Bag Fetches £7 Million at Auction**
**Historic Sale: The Original Birkin Bag Fetches £7 Million at Auction**
A stunning €8.6 million sale solidifies the Birkin bag's iconic status in fashion history.
The original Birkin bag, a masterpiece of luxury fashion, has just set a new record by selling for €8.6 million (£7.4 million; $10.1 million) at Sotheby's in Paris. This remarkable event marks it as the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction, eclipsing the previous record of $513,000 (£378,000; €439,000). The legendary bag was originally crafted for British-French singer Jane Birkin in 1985 after a serendipitous encounter on a flight where she expressed her frustration about the lack of spacious handbags.
The design, sketched during the flight on a sick bag, quickly became a fashion phenomenon. The auction featured an intense bidding war that lasted ten minutes among nine competitive collectors, highlighting the Birkin bag’s enduring allure. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, remarked on the sale's significance, emphasizing the cultural and historical resonance of the Birkin bag and its status as a luxury icon.
Distinctive features of this original bag include Birkin's initials, a non-removable shoulder strap, nail clippers attached to it, and remnants of old stickers supporting causes she cherished, like Médecins du Monde and UNICEF. For a decade, Birkin used the bag before donating it for a charity auction in 1994 aimed at raising funds for AIDS research. It later passed into the hands of Catherine Benier, a luxury boutique owner in Paris, who kept it for 25 years before its record-breaking sale.
The fervent demand for this timeless creation underscores the Birkin bag's legacy within fashion, with its styles revered by numerous celebrities, including Kate Moss and Jennifer Lopez.
The design, sketched during the flight on a sick bag, quickly became a fashion phenomenon. The auction featured an intense bidding war that lasted ten minutes among nine competitive collectors, highlighting the Birkin bag’s enduring allure. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, remarked on the sale's significance, emphasizing the cultural and historical resonance of the Birkin bag and its status as a luxury icon.
Distinctive features of this original bag include Birkin's initials, a non-removable shoulder strap, nail clippers attached to it, and remnants of old stickers supporting causes she cherished, like Médecins du Monde and UNICEF. For a decade, Birkin used the bag before donating it for a charity auction in 1994 aimed at raising funds for AIDS research. It later passed into the hands of Catherine Benier, a luxury boutique owner in Paris, who kept it for 25 years before its record-breaking sale.
The fervent demand for this timeless creation underscores the Birkin bag's legacy within fashion, with its styles revered by numerous celebrities, including Kate Moss and Jennifer Lopez.
