Item is a ‘Handmade Prototype’, recorded with Jane Birkin’s initials JB, name of English singer and actress who inspired Jean-Louis Dumas, Hermès manager in 1984, creating the play
Hermès’s first Birkin bag, designed especially for Jane Birkin in 1984, was sold on Thursday on an auction for 8.582 million euros (almost 55 million reais), Sotheby’s said on its site. This large black leather bag, which gave rise to what would become one of the most famous and expensive bags in the world, was “the central piece” of the sale entitled “Fashion Icons”. The auction coincided with the last day of the Paris Host-couture Week. This “handmade historical prototype”, recorded with the initials JB, is distinguished by several particularities that make it a unique piece: its size, its closed metal rings, its unbearable handle and the presence of an integrated nail cutter.
The idea of the bag came during a Paris-London flight. The English singer and actress, deceased in 2023, complained to the neighbor of not finding a bag adapted to her needs as a young mother. The latter was nothing but Jean-Louis Dumas, Hermès manager at the time. The article, designed with a pocket dedicated to a bottle, earns life in 1984 and bears the name of Birkin. Forty years later, this leather bag became the emblematic product of the manufacturer of French leather items. Produced in very limited quantities, the bag is a symbol of exclusivity.
Price can vary significantly, from a few thousand dollars to the simplest models to several hundred thousand dollars for the most luxurious. This first copy is the most expensive bag ever sold, and the most expensive luxury object sold in an auction in Europe, Sotheby’s said in a statement. The last bag that broke records on a auction was a Kelly model, also from Hermès, in crocodile leather version, for the sum of 513,000 euros (3.2 million reais in the current price) in November 2021.
“I am impressed by the result, but, as a passionate collector, I am above all deeply emotional,” said the owner of the Birkin bag, presented as Catherine B. in the Sotheby’s statement. “It made me revive my own bids battle, twenty -five years ago, and the fierce and indescribable feeling that was to win this wonderful bag,” he added. Birkin was a muse and companion of French rock singer Serge Gainsbourg, and mother of actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. The family is one of the most celebrated strains in the Parisian intellectual world.
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Jane Birkin used to take this Hermès bag everywhere, and even glued stickers from organizations that he publicly supported, such as doctors from the world or Unicef. However, the auction also attracted the wrath of animal rights activists: During sale, a PETA activist held a fake and bloody cow’s head outside the room, accompanied by a bag -shaped sign saying “here is the rest of your Birkin.”
*With information from AFP
Posted by Fernando Dias
Source: Jovempan
I have been working as a journalist for over 10 years. In that time, I have covered the news from all corners of the world, and written about everything from politics to business.I’m now a full-time author, and my work can be found at Global happenings. My aim is to bring you up-to-date news and views on global affairs, in a format that is easy to read and understand.
