By
Lee Tokouzis
Director of OperationsLot Details
Description
Hermès Original Birkin crafted for Jane Birkin
Black Box Birkin Brass Hardware, 1985
Features non removable strap and Jane Birkin’s initials
Dimensions : 36 W x 21 D x 27 H cm, H with handles: 42 cm
Includes:
Original certificate of the charity auction “Les Enchères de l’Espoir”, signed by Jane Birkin, 5 October 1994
Original Hotel des Ventes du Palais auction catalog, Poulain Le Fur, 12 Mai 2000
Exhibition catalog ‘Bags Inside Out’, V&A, 2020.
The origins of the Birkin lie in the famous meeting between Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas on an Air France flight. Traveling with her very young daughter Charlotte, Jane complained to the Hermès director that she couldn’t find a bag big enough for her daily life. It was then Dumas decided to create the bag for her. The company offered her the bag in 1985 and asked Jane Birkin for permission to name the model after her.
More than just a bag, the Birkin has evolved from a practical accessory to become a timeless cultural icon. Its presence spans the worlds of music, film, television and the arts; it is a red carpet staple, a fashion magazine mainstay, and a coveted piece in the wardrobes of celebrities, artists and stylists alike. While the Birkin’s colourways, leathers, and sizes may vary across continents and individual tastes, The Original Birkin stands apart – above all trends – as the very origin and embodiment of the Birkin legend.