In the realm of luxurious and extravagant accessories, Hermès Birkin bags stand as an undeniable masterpiece, inspired by the British singer and actress Jane Birkin. Despite her passing on July 16, 2023, her legacy lives on through these ever-desirable handbags.
Summary of Contents
- Metallic Birkin
- Ombré Birkin
- Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Birkin
- Fuchsia Crocodile Diamond Birkin
- Birkin Sac Faubourg
- Himalaya Birkin
- Hermès Birkin by Ginza Tanaka
- Sac Bijou Birkin
The Original Birkin Design In a serendipitous encounter, the inspiration for the Birkin design emerged, making it one of the most intriguing handbags with a story. In 1984, Jane Birkin sat next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the CEO of Hermès (1978-2006), on a flight. During the Air France flight, Birkin spilled her belongings from her straw bag she carried. She lamented about not finding a leather bag in a boho style that could hold everything she needed. A conversation ensued, and Dumas began sketching a design on the anti-motion sickness paper bag. That fateful encounter seemed to open a new chapter in fashion.
The Birkin bag | How and where to buy Hermès’ most iconic design Jane Birkin with her Birkin bag No one can deny the craftsmanship of the renowned French brand combined with the iconic allure and boho-inspired design, which has transformed the Birkin into a legendary item of the era. Over the years and across different generations, some Birkin bags have undergone minor changes. So, let’s step into this “Birkin territory” together with Style-Republik!
Metallic Birkin Price: $136,490 USD (equivalent to 3.272 billion VND)
Material Used: Chevre goat leather
First introduced in 2005, the Hermès Metallic Birkin limited edition is a modern and stunning luxury accessory. Available in both copper and silver, this relatively small handbag measures only 25 cm in width at the base.
While the silver Metallic Birkin version features a silver metallic piece attached to the bag’s body, the copper version creates a highlight with gold. Inspired by the window displays by Leïla Menchari for the Hermès Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré storefront, this metallic bag will allow fashionistas to express modern and savvy style. However, achieving the perfect metallic layer requires craftsmen to add multiple metal pigments until the leather completely changes its texture.
In 2021, Sotheby’s auctioned a silver Metallic Birkin 25 made in 2004 for a record-breaking price of $126,000 USD at a handbag and accessory auction in New York. However, just a year later, the auction house sold another silver Metallic Birkin at an even higher price than the previous one.
Ombré Birkin Price: $137,500 USD (equivalent to 3.297 billion VND)
Material Used: Varanus Salvator lizard leather
A luxurious Birkin crafted from lizard leather and high-quality metal components combines to create a timeless design. That’s why the ombré-colored Birkin, made from lizard leather, is rare and expensive.
This leather features some symmetrical patterns that can immediately catch the eye. Finished with the typical Hermès palladium piece, the ombré-colored Birkin bag features a distinctive lock and clasp. Due to its rarity and the relatively small size of lizard bodies, this accessory is usually small, about 25 cm wide, and extremely hard to find.
In 2020, Sotheby’s sold an ombré lizard Birkin for an astonishing $137,500 USD at an auction in New York. Additionally, three years earlier, a similar lizard Birkin was sold for $120,300 USD.
Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Birkin Price: $203,150 USD (equivalent to 4.865 billion VND)
Material Used: Porosus crocodile leather, white gold (a combination of gold and other metals to increase durability), diamonds
When Heritage Auctions sold this royal red bag in 2011, it set a world record for the most expensive Birkin bag ever sold. The materials used and the brand value “elevated” it to a pinnacle with an exorbitant price tag.
This is a Birkin 30cm bag from Hermes’ Special Collection – Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile with white gold metal parts and solid diamond. In addition to the body being crafted from red-dyed crocodile leather, the lock and clasp are made of white gold and adorned with diamonds. Although many other expensive and iconic Birkin bags have broken this record in subsequent years, this red model remains an outstanding highlight.
Fuchsia Crocodile Diamond Birkin Price: $222,000 USD (equivalent to 5.270 billion VND)
Material Used: Crocodile leather, white gold, diamonds
In 2015, Christie’s set a staggering record when they successfully auctioned a fuchsia-colored Birkin bag with a six-figure price tag. The metal parts were adorned with 18-carat white gold and encrusted with diamonds, and the auction took place in Hong Kong with a value of over 1,720,000 HKD. With this sale, the fuchsia Birkin bag surpassed the value of one of Elizabeth Taylor’s rare gold and diamond purses, sold for $218,000 USD the same year, to become the most expensive bag ever auctioned. At that time, the Fuchsia Birkin also exceeded the value of one of Elizabeth Taylor’s rare gold and diamond purses sold for $218,000 USD, making it the most expensive bag ever auctioned.
Birkin Sac Faubourg Price: $322,340 USD (equivalent to 7.720 billion VND)
Material Used: Alligator leather
One of the most stylish bags, the Sac Faubourg is a rare limited edition version of the Birkin. It was launched in 2019 and is designed to resemble the front of the Hermès store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, France. CEO Charles-Émile Hermès moved the brand’s flagship store to this street in the 1880s, and since then, it has remained there.
The Sac Faubourg has three windows with orange awnings, a crocodile leather top, crocodile leather handles, a cadena lock, and a clochette leather piece. The bag is quite small, measuring only 20 cm, and comes in various colors such as dark brown, sea blue, black, and white. They are usually retailed for around $200,000 to $300,000 USD.
In 2022, Christie’s sold an expensive Birkin Sac Faubourg for 2,520,000 HKD (over $322,340 USD). It was expected to fetch between 1,400,000 and 2,200,000 HKD ($180,000 – $280,000 USD), but due to the rare color combination and the allure of such an exquisite accessory, the price skyrocketed.
