$10 Million for a Handbag? It’s Not a Bag — It’s a Birkin.

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_{Luxury just got louder. In a record-shattering auction that left jaws on the floor, the original Hermès Birkin bag, yes, that Birkin, sold for a staggering 8.58 million euros ($10 million) at Sotheby’s in Paris. The iconic tote, once casually slung over Jane Birkin’s shoulder and later passed through just two private hands, has officially become the most expensive handbag ever sold.}

_{That sound you hear? The collective gasp of fashion lovers everywhere.}

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From In-Flight Sketch to Fashion’s Ultimate Icon

_{It all started in 1984 on a flight from Paris to London. British singer and actress Jane Birkin found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-chairman of Hermès. Frustrated with the lack of chic yet practical bags for new mothers, Birkin voiced her grievances. Dumas took notes and sketched what would become the Birkin bag, a roomy tote perfect for baby bottles, diaries, and that signature laissez-faire style.}

_{Fast forward four decades. The very first of these bags, complete with stickers, custom engravings (hello, “J.B.”), closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap, and even a built-in nail clipper, just made fashion auction history.}

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An Auction for the Ages

_{Bidding opened at 1 million euros. The room let out a gasp, and from there the action exploded into a heated telephone bidding war. The final sale price, with fees and commissions, landed at 8.58 million euros. The winning bid came from a private collector in Japan, according to Sotheby’s.}

_{This figure smashed the previous record, which belonged to a diamond-studded Hermès Kelly bag that sold for $513,000 in 2021.}

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Nostalgia in a Handbag

_{The bag’s former owner, Catherine Benier, runs a boutique in Paris’s upscale Left Bank. She purchased the bag at a 1994 charity auction after Birkin donated it to raise funds for AIDS research. Benier called it the "jewel" of her collection and said she felt nostalgic but happy the bag had found a new loving home.}

_{The financial return? A little cherry on top.}

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A Symbol of Fashion’s Flashy Turn

_{The timing of this sale couldn't be more aligned with current trends. For years, the fashion world praised “quiet luxury” and minimalist statements. But now, designers are leaning into what some forecasters call “boom boom fashion”—think sparkle, volume, and statement pieces that refuse to blend in.}

_{This well-worn Birkin, bursting with personality and historical value, fits that mood perfectly.}

_{Modern Birkins are still incredibly exclusive. Offered mainly to VIP clients, prices start around $10,000. Some frustrated fashion lovers in the U.S. even launched a class-action lawsuit last year after being denied the chance to buy one, claiming the system is unfairly restrictive.}

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A Complex Legacy

_{Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023, had a nuanced relationship with the bag that bears her name. A vocal animal rights advocate, she once asked Hermès to stop using crocodile skins or remove her name from the line altogether. Despite the tension, the Birkin bag remains one of the most iconic fashion pieces ever created.}

_{With this latest sale, the original Birkin bag joins a very elite club. It is now the second-most expensive fashion item ever sold at auction, right behind Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which went for $32.5 million in 2024.}

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