Jane Birkin's unique Hermes handbag up for auction
The very first Hermes Birkin bag—created after a chance encounter between Jane Birkin and Hermes CEO Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984—is about to be auctioned at Sotheby's Paris. Born from a chance meeting between Birkin and the Hermes CEO, this prototype kicked off the entire Birkin craze. The sale happens on July 10, 2025, as part of Sotheby's Fashion Icons event.
The bag that started it all
This isn't just any designer bag—it's made from classic Hermes Black Box leather, features a one-of-a-kind hybrid size, and still has all of Jane Birkin's personal touches: her "J.B." initials and even a nail clipper on the strap. It looks exactly as she last used it, making it a true piece of fashion history.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
For collectors and fashion fans, this is a once-in-a-generation chance to own the original Birkin—the bag that started an icon. Sotheby's calls it "the origin of the phenomenon," and opportunities like this haven't come up in nearly 25 years. If you love fashion or pop culture history, it doesn't get much more legendary than this.