When British actress Jane Birkin sat next to Hermes CEO Jean-Louis Dumas,
On a flight from Paris to London, she told him about her desire to find a bag suitable for her needs as a young mother.
It was 1984, and Louis, a natural creator with a keen eye,
immediately sketched out a roomy, flexible rectangular bag with a polished lid and saddle stitching.
He then added space for baby bottles, and Hermès introduced the Birkin bag in 1984.
It was handmade from leather and was named after the English-French actress and singer Jane Birkin, who was considered the inspiration for the idea at the time.
The bag quickly became a symbol of wealth and exclusivity due to its high price and great demand.
The bag is a popular item among handbag collectors.
It was once considered the rarest handbag in the world,
with the bag’s value attributed to its deliberately high price.
Which led to it being described as a Veblen commodity.
Original Birkin bag specifications
The “Shooting Star” Birkin features a metal image resembling a shooting star,
stamped next to the “Hermès, Paris Made in France” stamp.
It is made of gold or silver to match the hardware and engraving.
The seal is rarely transparent or colorless,
if the bag is made of one or two different types of leather without using any metal seal.
Sometimes, Birkin bags or other Hermès bags may be made by independent craftsmen for “personal use”,
But only once a year.
Each bag bears the stamp of the craftsman who made the bag.
These identifications vary greatly, but they do not differ for each bag that is manufactured.
It is possible to find stamps of more than one craftsman on a bag because the stamp is not a serial reference.
The lines and arrangement of the seal may vary depending on the craftsmen.
Birkin bags are sold in a variety of sizes, and each one can be made to order using different leathers,
colors and hardware combinations of the customer’s choice.
There are also other individual options, such as diamond setting.
The bag also comes in a variety of leathers, such as calf, lizard, and ostrich.
One of the most expensive leathers used is saltwater crocodile,
and bags with smaller scales cost more than those with larger scales.
Each bag is lined with goat leather, and the interior color matches the exterior color.
Birkin bag prices depend on leather type, color and hardware combinations.
What are the sizes and colors of the Birkin bag?
Birkin bag sizes range from 25, 30, 35 to 40 centimeters (10 inches, 12 inches, 14 inches to 16 inches),
With suitcases of 50 and 55 centimeters (20 inches and 24 inches).
They also come in a variety of colors such as black, brown, gold, navy blue, and olive green.
Orange, pink, light blue, red and white.
What are the components of a Birkin bag?
The bag has a lock and keys surrounded by a leather cord,
which is carried by wrapping it through a handle.
The bag is locked by closing the top flaps over the buckle loops,
twisting the buckle straps, or closing the lock on the front hardware.
Locks and keys are coded with numbers,
while early locks had only one number at the bottom of the lock.
The hardware (lock, keys, buckle hardware, and base buttons) is plated in gold or palladium,
while diamond detailing is another custom option.
How much do Birkin bags cost?
In 2020, prices started at $11,000 for a regular leather bag.
Costs can vary greatly depending on the type of leather,
if exotic hides are used, and if precious metals and jewelry are part of the bag.
The bag made of exotic leather and diamonds was sold at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong for a record price of US$380,000 (HK$2.94 million) in May 2017.
What is the strategy for distributing the Birkin bag to stores?
Birkin is distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities,
creating scarcity and exclusivity.
They have flooded the high-end resale market and are often resold in thrift stores and via social media.
