Jane Birkin’s bag sold at Sotheby’s for over €8 Million

A Japanese collector became its new owner

Yesterday, Sotheby’s concluded an auction held as part of Paris Haute Couture Week. Among the featured lots was the original Hermès bag created for singer and actress Jane Birkin in 1984.

The iconic accessory was expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of euros. However, including commission, the final sale price exceeded all expectations. The symbolic item was sold for €8.6 million.

The new owner of the bag is a private collector from Japan. The auction lasted a total of 13.5 minutes.

As a reminder, the now-famous bag was born out of a chance encounter between Jane Birkin and then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. The actress dropped the contents of her handbag and complained to her fellow passenger that she couldn’t find a spacious and practical bag for everyday use. Her seatmate turned out to be the head of Hermès, and he invited Birkin to the company’s headquarters. Together, they sketched out the design of what would become one of the fashion house’s most iconic pieces.

Photo: Instagram @sothebys, @hermes