The world’s most iconic handbag could be on your arm

Is there a more famous handbag than Jane Birkin’s original Hermès accessory? The British and French entertainer notably gave her name to the tote bag, perhaps unaware that the bag’s fame would surpass hers.

Now, this iconic piece of fashion history is up for grabs. The star's original Hermès Birkin comes to auction in Paris with Sotheby’s on July 10, as part of their ‘Fashion Icons’ sale. It will also be on view at the auction house’s New York saleroom's from June 6–12 and its sale will coincide with Paris Haute Couture Week.

Introduced in 1984, the Birkin’s origin was borne entirely of necessity. In 1983, Jane was seated next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. As she was placing a basket she carried in the overhead locker, the contents cascaded, falling on the floor and all over Dumas. The reason for the basket? It had been, she told Dumas, tricky to find a leather bag she liked. And so, tired of having items dropped on his head, or seeing a unique marketing opportunity, he designed a black leather bag specifically for the actress, big enough to hold everything Birkin would need. And, just like that, the Birkin was born.

Birkin’s husband later ‘mistakenly’ ran over his wife's beloved wicker basket, which she would take everywhere with her. Thus, Birkin’s eponymous tote bag became her go-to, and rocketed to handbag superstardom. It has, over time, become a prominent status symbol, coveted by the elite. At Soethbys, a larger older model can go from anything around $20,000 to $100,000.

But the course of handbag superstardom never did run smooth. There was a brief spat in 2015, when Birkin publicly requested the bag be ‘debaptised’ until ‘better practices in line with international norms can be put in place,’ which was a reference to the methods used to acquire crocodile skin for one variant of the bag. Hermès assured her they had made changes to these practices and, despite the controversy, the brand went from strength to strength.

Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s head of handbags, said: ‘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. A true unicorn in the world of fashion and accessories. [...] The prototype that started it all carries a soul and legacy that no other handbag can claim.’

Crafted 40 years ago, the all-black leather bag is distinguishable by its unique design elements. The prototype features a shoulder strap that was not retained on the production of the Birkin since. Only one limited-edition Birkin with a detachable shoulder strap was produced in the 1990s, but the Jane’s is the only one with a non-removable strap. Another unique feature is the pair of nail clippers hanging inside. Jane was never one for long nails, and so had the clipper hanging on a chain inside her bag for easy access and regular use. The bag is also branded with her initials, JB, and marked by the stickers she had stuck on the side of it.

As an activist, who was acutely aware of the power of her image, she used her bag as a force for good, and a tool to promote charitable causes close to her heart, such as Médecins du Monde and UNICEF. Birkin kept her bag for nearly 10 years before putting it up for a charity auction in 1994, in support of Association Solidarité Sida, an AIDS charity in France. It was sold next in 2000 and has been in private hands ever since.