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An open, pink, Hermès Birkin bag[1]

The Birkin bag (or simply Birkin) is a tote bag introduced in 1984 by French luxury goods maker Hermès.[2] Birkin bags are handmade from leather and are named after the English-French actress and singer Jane Birkin.[3]

The bag quickly became a symbol of wealth and exclusivity due to its high price and assumed long waiting lists.[4] Birkins are a popular item with handbag collectors, and were once seen as the rarest handbag in the world.[5][6] The bag's value is a matter of its intentionally high price, which has led to its being described as a Veblen good.[7][8]

In 2020, retail prices start at US$11,400 for a Birkin 25 bag.[citation needed][9] Costs can vary widely according to the type of leather, if exotic skins are used, and if precious metals and jewels are part of the bag. A bag made of exotic skin and diamond was sold at auction by Christie's in Hong Kong for a record price of US$380,000 (HK$2.94 million) in May 2017.[7][10] Birkins are distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities, which creates artificial scarcity and exclusivity. They have flooded the upscale resale market and are frequently resold in second-hand boutiques and through social media.[5]

History

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English-French actress and singer Jane Birkin, the eponymous inspiration for the bag

In 1983, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin had just placed her straw basket in the overhead compartment of her seat when the contents fell out onto the floor, leaving her scrambling to recover them. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked.[11] In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag,[12] based on a 1982 design. She used the bag initially, but later changed her mind because she was carrying too many things in it: "What's the use of having a second one?" she said laughingly. "You only need one and that busts your arm; they're bloody heavy. I'm going to have an operation for tendinitis in the shoulder."[13] Nonetheless, Birkin did use the bag for some time.[14] The Birkin bag has, over the years, become a status symbol, with prices ranging from US$10,000 to $500,000.[15]

In 2015, Birkin wrote a public letter to Hermès requesting her name be removed from the bag,[15] stating she wanted the company to "debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place", referring to the cruel methods used to acquire the skins for the crocodile variant of the bags.[16] Hermès announced soon afterwards that it had satisfied Birkin with new reassurances on this.[17]

Design

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Hermès red crocodile-skin Birkin bag
Hermès Ostrich Birkin bag, with matching leather-covered lock and key lanyard, displayed with a plaid bow

Birkin bags are sold in a range of sizes.[18] Each one may be made to order with different customer-chosen hides, colour, and hardware fixtures. There are also other individual options, such as diamond encrusting.

The bag comes in a variety of hides, such as calf leather, lizard, and ostrich.[19] Among the most expensive used to be saltwater crocodile skin and bags with smaller scales cost more than those with larger scales.[20] Each bag is lined with goat-skin, the colour of the interior matching the exterior.[21] Prices for the Birkin bag depend on type of skin, the colour, and hardware fixtures.[22]

Sizes range from 25, 30, 35, to 40 centimetres (10", 12", 14" to 16"), with travelling bags of 50 and 55 centimetres (20" and 24"). It also comes in a variety of colours such as black, brown, golden tan, navy blue, olive green, orange, pink, powder blue, red, and white.[22] The bag comes with a lock and keys. The keys are placed in a leather lanyard called a clochette, which is looped through a handle. To lock the bag, you close the top flaps over the buckle loops, wrap the buckle straps, or secure the front lock. The locks and keys have number codes. Earlier locks had one number on the bottom. Recently, Hermès added a second number under the Hermès stamp. These numbers are batch codes, meaning many locks may share the same numbers.[19][23] The metallic hardware (the lock, keys, buckle hardware, and base studs) are plated with gold or palladium. Detailing with diamonds is another custom option.[19] Hermès offers a "spa treatment," which is a reconditioning treatment for heavily used bags.[24]

A "Shooting Star" Birkin has a star stamp next to the "Hermès, Paris Made in France" mark, matching the hardware in gold or silver. Sometimes, the stamp is blind (no color) if the leather doesn't use metallic stamping. Occasionally, independent artisans make Birkins for "personal use," but only once a year. Each bag has the artisan's stamp, though it's not unique to every bag. Stamps from more than one artisan may appear on the same bag, as the stamp isn't a serial reference. Fonts and stamp order can differ between artisans.[24] The Birkin bag may be distinguished from the similar Hermès Kelly bag by the number of its handles. The single-handle handbag is the Kelly, but the Birkin has two handles.

Crafting

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The bags are handmade in France using the company's signature saddle stitching, developed in the 1800s.[25] Each bag is hand-sewn by a single artisan, and is then buffed, painted, and polished, taking up to 18 hours to make.[26] Artisans purportedly train for five years before they are allowed to make their first Birkin bag.[27] Leathers are obtained from different tanners in France, resulting in varying smells and textures. The company justifies the cost of the Birkin bag compared to other bags because of the degree of skill involved in their creation.[28]

Demand

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According to a 2014 estimate, Hermès produced 70,000 Birkin bags that year.[29] The bag is highly coveted and as of 2006 was reputed to have a waiting list of up to six years.[30] The rarity of these bags is purportedly designed to increase demand by collectors.[31]

As a result of strong demand, the Birkin bag has a high resale value in many countries, especially in Asia, and to such an extent that the bag is considered by some people as an instrument of investment.[32][33] One 2016 study found that Birkin bags had average annual returns of 14.2% between 1984 and 2015, significantly beating the S&P 500 Index in returns over the same period.[34] In April 2010, Hermès announced that the waiting list would no longer exist, implying that these bags are potentially available to the general public.[35]

The Philippine Star reported in March 2013, that a high-end, 30-cm Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile Birkin with 18-carat gold fittings and encrusted with diamonds was sold for US$203,150 at an auction in Dallas, Texas, US.[36]

In May 2017, a 30-centimetre (12") matte white Himalaya niloticus crocodile Birkin with 18-carat white gold and hardware bearing 245 diamonds was sold at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong for HK$2.94 million (US$377,261), creating a new record for the most expensive handbag in the world.[10][37]

According to an analyst quoted by The New York Times in 2019, there are more than one million Birkin bags on the market, while a resale boutique in Miami has sold more than US$60 million in used Birkin bags in five years.[5]

The limited availability of the bags is in part due to the unclear sales strategy in boutiques; there is a low likelihood that a given Hermès boutique will facilitate sale to any prospecting customer, as popular rumour suggests that one must have a long-standing relationship with one of the Hermès sales staff in order to acquire a Birkin, and waiting lists for them no longer exist.[38] The alleged need to purchase other items from Hermès and supporting commission structure for sales associates is the basis of a 2024 California anti-trust lawsuit.[39]

Counterfeits

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In addition to the possible counterfeits that all well-known brands are subject to, fake Hermès bags—including the Birkin bag—are alleged to have been made by a group including seven former Hermès workers.[40] Ten people went on trial in June 2020, alleged to have made dozens of counterfeit bags that sold for tens of thousands of euros each, for a total profit of over €2 million.[40] The crime was discovered by police investigating unrelated stolen products. Four of those on trial were skilled leatherworkers; the bags were made using Hermès stitching methods. The counterfeiters imported crocodile skins. Leather offcuts, tools, zips, and faulty bags that were to be destroyed had been stolen from Hermès.[41]

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The Birkin bag is a major plot point of the Sex and the City episode "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda", in which Samantha is placed on a five-year waiting list for the bag. She is so desperate to obtain one that she falsely says the bag is for her celebrity client Lucy Liu. When Liu finds out she fires Samantha and keeps the bag for herself.[42] The Birkin bag also made frequent appearances on the teen hit series Gossip Girl. Many of the bags, including a cognac ostrich Birkin 35, were from the personal collection of Kelly Rutherford, the actress who played Lily van der Woodsen.[43]

In his 2008 memoir, Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag, author Michael Tonello recounted his career selling used luxury goods on eBay.[44]

In the Will & Grace episode "Last Ex to Brooklyn", Grace is given a Birkin by her husband's ex-girlfriend Diane, who works at Vogue. Will angrily says that he has been on a two-year waiting list for the bag.[45][non-primary source needed]

In the 2013 Woody Allen movie Blue Jasmine Cate Blanchett's character carries it like a shield until the end when she finally loses her mind, and her bag.

In the Gilmore Girls episode "Welcome to the Dollhouse", Rory is given a Birkin by her boyfriend Logan. Emily says that around her birthday she had hinted to Richard about wanting one.[46][47]

In How I Met Your Mother episode "The Mermaid Theory", Zoey is seen with a light brown Birkin bag as she enters the bar to meet and sit with Ted at MacLaren's pub.[citation needed]

Kim Kardashian made news in 2013 for a US$40,000 Birkin, given to her by husband Kanye West, on which the artist George Condo painted a group of nude figures.[48] Another picture showed Khloe Kardashian's child nestled in US$108,000 worth of the bags, which drew some unfavourable comments about conspicuous consumption.[49] Additionally, Kim's daughter was publicized while carrying a US$17,000 Hermès bag.[50]

In her 2015 memoir The Primates of Park Avenue, author Wednesday Martin recounts how Birkin bags signal social class status on the Upper East Side.[51]

The Birkin features in the lyrics of numerous rap songs, including Jay-Z's "30-Something",[citation needed] ASAP Rocky and Schoolboy Q's "Electric Body",[52] and the Migos track "Jane" which is a reference to Jane Birkin.[53] Following the release of his and Future's track "Big Mood",[54] Canadian rapper Drake explained the track's lyrics by stating that he has amassed a huge collection of Birkin bags as a gift to his future wife.[55]

Rosmah Mansor, the second wife of Najib Razak, former prime minister of Malaysia, is claimed to have the largest Birkin collection in the world.[56][57] In 2018, Malaysian police found a total of 272 Hermès bags, worth nearly US$13 million, after seizing the family's three apartments in Kuala Lumpur.[58][59]

Other known large collections of Birkin bags include: Singapore socialite Jamie Chua, who reportedly owns more than 200 Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags, and celebrity fashion designer Victoria Beckham, who reportedly has more than 100 Birkin bags.[60]

In 2021, US designer MSCHF bought $122,500 of Birkin bags and used them to craft a new "Birkinstocks" sandal. Rapper Future was seen wearing a pair of the shoes in February 2021.[61][62]

Comedian and rapper Zack Fox makes a reference to Birkin bags in his song "Marinate". Rapper Cardi B is also a vocal fan of the Birkin bag, and references them in her 2018 song "She Bad"[63] and her 2021 hit "Up".[64]

In The Good Fight, episode "The Gang Offends Everyone," Lucca buys herself a brand new, $20,000 Birkin bag and immediately suffers the consequences. For one, the conspicuousness of carrying it around raises eyebrows—Marissa, ooh-ing and aah-ing, quips "Everyone wants one. Like a yacht or a pony."—but then there is also the issue of whether she really has the money to pay for it.[65] The Birkin bag used on set was real.[66]

In Yasmin Zaher's 2024 novel, The Coin, the protagonist finds that her inherited Berkin bag attracts attention and power in New York. She is later involved in a Berkin bag re-selling scheme. Zaher had answered ads for similar schemes, however was unsuccessful.[67]

The first line in A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey is "My baby want a Birkin, she's been tellin' me all night long" [68]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ kagen33 (14 May 2014). "P4380374". flickr. Retrieved 7 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Craik, Laura (22 March 2024). "The mysterious world of buying a Birkin bag – and would you make the cut?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  3. ^ Reporter, Paula Mejia (29 July 2015). "Jane Birkin Requests to be Disassociated With Hermès' Famed 'Birkin' Bag". Newsweek. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Martha's Moneyed Bag Carries Too Much Baggage". The Washington Post. 22 January 2004. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Zerbo, Julie (9 April 2019). "Can the Birkin Bag Survive the Resale Market?". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  6. ^ Rupert Neate (1 January 1970). "What am I bid? Prices go through the roof at Christie's handbag auction | Fashion". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  7. ^ a b Unger, Brooke (2 July 2016). "Demand curve". The Economist—1843 Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  8. ^ Hutch, Leonie (1 March 2018). "Birkin Mad: is this the apex of capitalist lunacy?". The Oxford Student. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  9. ^ "The Crazy Economics of the World's Most Coveted Handbag". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ a b Chan, Kelvin (3 May 2017). "Birkin bag sells for record $380,000 at Hong Kong auction". AP News. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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  12. ^ "In the Bag". Time magazine. 17 April 2007. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  13. ^ Rubin, Julia (27 February 2012). "Jane Birkin Owns Exactly One Of Those 'Bloody Birkin Bags'". Styleite. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  14. ^ "The Birkin Rules". UK. 5 September 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
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  16. ^ "Jane Birkin Asks Hermes To Take Name Off Crocodile Handbag," AFP, 28 July 2015.
  17. ^ Dombey, Daniel (11 September 2015). "Hermès satisfies Birkin on farming crocodiles for bags". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
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  27. ^ Hume, Jody (9 September 2017). "You Won't Believe How Long It Takes to Make One Birkin". The Real Real. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Box up the Birkin Hermes Craftsman Stitches Up Lavish Leather Goods in Calgary". The Calgary Herald. 16 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  29. ^ "Beauty and the beasts". The Economist. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
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  31. ^ "Bagging a Birkin". Planet Money. NPR. 25 December 2015.
  32. ^ Bringing Home the Birkin, by Michael Tonello, 2008, Harper
  33. ^ "Why a $223,000 Hermès Birkin bag might actually be a good investment". Fortune. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  34. ^ Au, Desiree (3 June 2016). "Who Would Pay $300,000 for a Handbag?". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
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  39. ^ Emma Bowman (21 March 2024). "Hermès accused of antitrust violations by customers who tried to buy a Birkin bag". NPR.
  40. ^ a b Willsher, Kim (24 June 2020). "Ex-Hermès staff appear in court over fake designer handbags". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  41. ^ Kim Willsher (24 June 2020). "Ex-Hermès staff appear in court over fake designer handbags". The Guardian.
  42. ^ Faran Krentcil (3 August 2016). "Lucy Liu Can Still Kick Your Ass in Heels". Elle. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  43. ^ Mull, Amanda. "Here's your chance to own Kelly Rutherford's Birkin, straight from the set of Gossip Girl!". Purse Blog. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  44. ^ Muhlke, Christine (18 May 2008). "Bag Man (book review)". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  45. ^ Last Ex to Brooklyn, Season 6 Ep. 2. 2 October 2003.
  46. ^ Welcome to the Dollhouse, Season 6 Ep. 6. 1 October 2005.
  47. ^ Stansfield, Jen (29 March 2016). "REVIEW: GILMORE GIRLS – SEASON 6, EPISODE 6 'WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE'". Last Ditch Effort. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  48. ^ Erin Weinger (2 December 2013). "Kanye West Gives Kim Kardashian a Birkin Bag Painted by George Condo". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  49. ^ Malbon, Abigail (8 March 2019). "Khloe Kardashian had to turn off comments on this picture of True with £100k worth of Birkin bags". Cosmo. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  50. ^ Merrett, Robyn (8 March 2019). "Celebrity Kim Kardashian's 13-Month-Old Daughter Chicago Wears $592 Yeezy Heels and $17,500 Hermès Bag". People.
  51. ^ Lowrey, Annie (2 June 2015). "At Lunch With the Author Who Introduced the Upper East Side 'Wife Bonus'". The New Yorker.
  52. ^ "Do I got them hoes chirpin'? Yeah, uhh / Do I put the work in? Yeah / Do I got them hoes out workin'? Yeah / Do I make 'em put the work in the Birkin? Yeah". Genius. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  53. ^ "Migos – Birkin". genius.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  54. ^ "Drake & Future – Big Mood". genius.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  55. ^ Blum, Alexander (8 November 2017). "Drake has a massive collection of Birkin bags he wants to give to his future wife'". VT. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  56. ^ hermesauto (1 May 2018). "284 luxury handbags seized from Najib-linked apartments: 5 things about the Hermès Birkin bag". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  57. ^ Leong, Trinna (1 May 2018). "Malaysian police seize 284 luxury bags, 72 bags of cash and valuables from Najib-linked apartments". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  58. ^ Birdthistle, Elizabeth. "The Birkin: bags of style and a sound investment". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  59. ^ "Here's what you need to know about Rosmah Mansor, the former first lady of Malaysia, Business Insider – Business Insider Malaysia". Business Insider Malaysia. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  60. ^ theAsianparent (1 February 2018). "Jamie Chua's Handbags Will Take Your Breath Away!". sg.theasianparent.com. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  61. ^ Christina Calloway (8 February 2021). "Future Sets Fashion Trend Wearing $36K Birkenstock Sandals Made From Hermes Birkin Bag (Pics)". The Shade Room. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  62. ^ "A full Birkin History".
  63. ^ "Cardi B & YG - She Bad [Official Audio]". Youtube. Cardi B Youtube. 5 April 2018.
  64. ^ "Cardi B - Up [Official Music Video]". Youtube. Cardi B Youtube. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  65. ^ Tobias, Scott (21 May 2020). "The Good Fight Recap: The Hidden Hand In The Bar Song by Shaboozey the first verse says, "My baby want a Birkin, she been telling me all night long (2024). This is on the second track of his album: "Where I've Been Isn't Where I'm Going"". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  66. ^ "Fun Fact: Lucca's Birkin bag in the latest episode is 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁 😍 #TheGoodFight". Twitter. @GoodFight_CBS. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  67. ^ Khosla, Anu (5 July 2024). "How Yasmin Zaher Wrote the Year's Best New York City Novel". The Millions. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  68. ^ "Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)".
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