Original Birkin prototype to be auctioned

The original prototype of Hermès' first Birkin bag , created in 1984 for actress Jane Birkin , will be auctioned by Sotheby's on July 10. The piece, which is on display in Manhattan until June 10, will then travel to the auction house's gallery in Paris, where it will be on display from July 3 until the auction date.

The estimated value has not been made public, but organizers believe it will cost as much as a sweater worn by Princess Diana . “We are communicating privately with potential bidders,” Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s head of fashion, told the New York Times . “It’s a unique piece, completely unlike any other bag or even any other Birkin. We are breaking records with Birkin bags frequently at auction,” she said, adding that the item “has value for what it is and what happened because of this particular one.”

The cult object that is up for auction has several different details from the model that is currently sold by Hèrmes. First of all, its size is unique, with a height of just under 35 centimeters and a width of just under 40 centimeters. The handle is not removable, the bottom is made of brass, the internal clasp is from another brand and the top clips have a different shape. In addition, the bag has a nail clipper that was attached to the outside of the item by Jane Birkin herself.

The actress first sold the prototype in 1994 at an auction to help AIDS patients. The item was auctioned again in 2000 and was bought for an undisclosed price. Jane Birkin owned five Birkins when she died in 2023 — one of which sold for around €140,000 at auction in 2021.

The model is said to have come about after Jane Birkin took a flight with Jean-Louis Dumas, the great-grandson of the founder of Hèrmes and who had been in charge of the company for five years at the time. During the journey, some of the actress’s belongings fell on the floor and her travelling companion rushed to help her. That was when Dumas is said to have commented that Jane should use a bag with pockets. “The day Hermès makes one with pockets, I’ll buy one,” Birkin replied. The model was supposedly sketched out on the spot, in an airsickness bag. The aim was to make a piece “bigger than Kelly and smaller than Serge [Gainsbourg]’s suitcase”.

Birkins are handmade in limited batches and made available to customers who have already registered on a waiting list. Prices can vary between 15,000 and 50,000 euros, depending on the size and material.