Jane Birkin Original. Credit: Instagram @sothebys
Jane Birkin’s well-worn Hermès handbag – the original – will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Paris between June 26 and July 10, 2025, marking a rare opportunity to own one of the world’s most iconic bags.
The original Jane Birkin Hermès bag that launched a fashion empire
The Original Birkin, created in 1985 for actress and singer Jane Birkin, is set to be auctioned as the centrepiece of Sotheby’s upcoming Fashion Icons sale. The event runs from June 26 to July 10, 2025, with a preview on display at Sotheby’s New York from June 6–12, according to Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s describes the bag as “a one-of-a-kind piece that embodies the intersection of craftsmanship, celebrity, and fashion history.” It was the first ever Birkin bag and became synonymous with Jane herself, as she carried daily for almost a decade.
The Birkin bag was born on a plane – sketched on a sick bag
The Birkin bag’s origin story is legendary. As Jane Birkin explained to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a 2020 interview:
“He said, ‘Well, draw it for me,’ and so I drew it on one of those sick bags – the vomit bags – in the airplane.”
That flight in 1981 seated Birkin next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès CEO. After Jane’s wicker basket spilled onto his lap, she lamented the lack of a large, stylish bag, prompting Dumas to sketch out a design that would soon become fashion history.
Hermès presented the finished prototype in 1985, later naming it the “Birkin” with Jane’s permission. As Sotheby’s explains, “This very prototype – the Original Birkin – was the first of its kind.”
Seven features of the original Jane Birkin bag
According to Sotheby’s, this is the only Birkin bag ever produced with the following unique design elements, never repeated together in future models:
- Fixed shoulder strap – commercial Birkins never included one.
- Hybrid size – the width and height of a Birkin 35, but the depth of a Birkin 40.
- Gilded brass hardware – later versions used gold-plated hardware.
- Closed metal rings (pontets) – similar to Hermès’ original riding bag.
- Smaller bottom studs than later models.
- Éclair zippers – now replaced with Riri zippers in modern bags.
- Stamped initials “J.B.” on the front flap.
Also attached to the strap are Jane’s nail clippers, still intact. As Sotheby’s notes, “She kept a nail clipper attached to a chain hanging from the base of the shoulder strap… for easy and frequent use.”
The bag’s condition reflects heavy use. It was Jane’s favourite accessory until 1994, when she donated it to a charity auction. It changed hands again in 2000 and hasn’t been seen publicly since.
How much will the original Jane Birkin bag go for at auction?
Although Sotheby’s declined to give a price estimate, fashion insiders expect it to fetch a jaw-dropping sum. According to USA Today, “A new Birkin can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000 (or more).”
But this isn’t just any Birkin, it’s the Birkin. As Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, told CNN:
“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.”
She added:
“Like Princess Diana’s black sheep sweater and Freddie Mercury’s crown, the Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records.”
Jane Birkin herself once joked during her CNN interview:
“Bless me, when I’m dead… (people) will possibly only talk about the bag.”
Jane Birkin passed away July 16, 2023, at the age of 76. Sadly, just days after her death, an attempted burglary of her Paris home was made.
Even Jane recognised how her name had become more associated with fashion than music or film. She famously requested that Hermès discontinue crocodile versions of the bag in 2015 due to concerns about animal cruelty, according to USA Today.
Meanwhile, companies like Walmart have launched $78 dupe versions, bringing the look to the masses and blurring the line between luxury and accessibility.
Would you pay a fortune for a bag with used nail clippers attached?
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