It all began with a wicker basket tipping over on a flight from Paris to London. Jane Birkin, carrying more than her handbag could hold, happened to be seated next to then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. That moment – accidental, simple, and strangely cinematic — led to the birth of a handbag that would go on to redefine luxury. Now, 40 years later, the very first Hermès Birkin, the one that was made especially for Ms. Birkin herself, is heading to auction.
Sotheby’s has announced that The Original Birkin will be the headline lot in its Fashion Icons sale in Paris on July 10. As the global fashion world gathers for Paris Haute Couture Week, this one-of-a-kind piece will take center stage at Sotheby’s Rue du Faubourg St Honoré galleries, where it will be on view from July 3 to 9. But before that, the bag is making a rare appearance in New York, on public display at Sotheby’s galleries until June 12.
Commissioned in 1984 and delivered to Ms. Birkin in 1985, the all-black leather prototype was the result of a collaboration between the actress and Mr. Dumas, following their conversation mid-flight about the lack of large, practical handbags. Ms. Birkin had mentioned she found most bags too small and preferred carrying a large wicker basket. That conversation inspired Hermès to create a new design, a hybrid that combined function with unmistakable elegance.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said, “This bag, initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin, has become the most desirable bag in history. It will most likely continue to be so for many years to come.”
Unlike the commercialized Birkins that followed, the Original Birkin stands apart with seven unique features that were never repeated. It is slightly larger, combining the height and width of a Birkin 35 with the depth of a Birkin 40. It features closed metal rings — a detail borrowed from the Hermès Haut à Courroies bag — smaller bottom studs, gilded brass hardware instead of the later gold-plated versions, and a zipper from the ‘éclair’ company, which predates Hermès’ long-term partnership with Riri. Most notably, the bag includes a shoulder strap that was never produced in later Birkins and a nail clipper hanging from a chain inside, an understated personal touch added by Ms. Birkin herself.
“There are rare moments in the world of fashion when an object transcends trends and becomes a legend. Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin bag is such a moment. A true unicorn in the world of fashion and accessories, this iconic handbag stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional items with similarly dazzling provenance,” said Ms. Halimi.
The Birkin was not just a bag for its namesake — it was her everyday companion. She carried it constantly, often cradling it with both arms. The initials “J.B” are still marked on the flap beneath the lock, and remnants of stickers promoting causes like Médecins du Monde and UNICEF remain. Despite being a high-fashion icon, the bag was used as a tool for activism, worn with intention and purpose. Sotheby’s will present the Birkin in the exact condition in which Ms. Birkin left it.
The actress kept the original for nearly a decade before donating it in 1994 to Les enchères de l’espoir, a charity auction supporting the French AIDS organization Solidarité Sida. It changed hands again in 2000 and has remained in private ownership ever since. Its reappearance on the auction stage now comes at a moment when fashion and cultural nostalgia are more intertwined than ever.
The Birkin joins a roster of Sotheby’s landmark fashion and pop culture auctions that have included Princess Diana’s symbolic Black Sheep sweater (sold for $1.14 million), Tupac Shakur’s crown ring ($1.01 million), and Freddie Mercury’s stage-worn crown and cloak ($801,560). The most expensive handbag ever sold at auction remains the White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28, which fetched $513,040 — a benchmark that the Birkin could potentially surpass.
The Fashion Icons sale is Sotheby’s first of its kind in Paris and will include a curated selection of fashion spanning the 1950s to 2010s, with pieces by Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler, and Azzedine Alaïa. Bidding will open on June 26 and close on July 10.
The Birkin has since become one of the most recognisable and commercially successful handbags in the world, with long waitlists and consistently high resale values. However, this prototype stands apart as the only one made specifically for Jane Birkin, with features never reproduced in later models. It marks the beginning of what is now a global luxury category. As the fashion market continues to turn to archival pieces with strong provenance, the sale of the Original Birkin represents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a foundational object in modern fashion history.
