Jane Birkin's Original Hermès Birkin

The handbag came about by accident, became a famous fashion icon, and could now fetch $1 million at auction.

Credit: Sotheby's

It's probably not stretching matters too far to say that no handbag in the world carries as much cultural significance as the Hermès Birkin. At last, that is, for fashionistas. But before it became the ultimate symbol of luxury and status, the Birkin was born from a combination of serendipitous circumstances.

Now, for the first time in nearly 25 years, Jane’s very own Original Birkin returns to the spotlight as a highlight of Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction in Paris, running until 10 July 2025. The auction house describes it as an "extraordinary opportunity" for "collectors and fashion enthusiasts to acquire a one-of-a-kind piece that embodies the intersection of craftsmanship, celebrity, and fashion history."

The story of the Birkin began in 1981 aboard an Air France flight, where the actress found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then the artistic director of Hermès. As she tried to stow her belongings in the overhead compartment, Jane’s wicker basket spilled its contents onto Dumas’s lap - a chance encounter that would lead to fashion history.

Jane Birkin

Frustrated with the small bags of the time, Jane lamented to Dumas that she couldn’t find a handbag large enough to hold her daily essentials, especially while traveling with her young daughter Charlotte. Inspired by Jane’s practicality and her signature style, so the story goes, Dumas sketched a bag that would marry function and elegance - a design that would eventually become the Birkin.

Four years later, Hermès presented Jane with the prototype, asking for her permission to name the new model in her honour. This very prototype - the Original Birkin - was the first of its kind, featuring distinctive characteristics that set it apart from the models Hermès would later produce commercially. According to Sotheby’s, Birkin’s prototype bag has seven unique features that were never replicated together on later models.

Birkin auctioned the all-black leather prototype handbag in 1994 for the benefit of a French Aids charity. It was auctioned again in 2000 and bought by the current owner, a collector of luxury goods, who has declined to say how much she paid for it.

How much is the original bag going to sell for? Experts suggest anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million.