TOKYO – The original bag custom-made for the late actress Jane Birkin, which became a design icon, was shown off in Tokyo on Wednesday by the Japanese company that purchased it for a record €8.6 million ($10 million) at Sotheby’s in Paris earlier this year.
According to fashion lore, the first Birkin bag was conceived when the Franco-British actress and singer sat next to Hermes executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight in 1984 and told him she needed a stylish-yet-functional bag as a young mother.
Dumas immediately sketched out the rectangular handbag, with a dedicated space for baby bottles.
After Birkin got her custom-made bag, the French company went on to manufacture smaller versions, turning it into an instant hit and helping fuel the fashion brand’s expansion.
The Birkin bag remains a flagship product of Hermes, with new and used ones selling for tens of thousands of dollars each.
Shinsuke Sakimoto, co-founder and CEO of the second-hand luxury goods reseller Valuence Japan, which purchased the Birkin, said the story of the handbag’s inception represented the company’s philosophy.
“We believe that products should not be spoken about in terms of price, but rather through the stories that include the brand’s philosophy and values; in other words, they should be spoken about in terms of their significance.”
Valuence plans to display its prized purchase in museums and similar venues rather than resell it, he said.
Birkin herself auctioned the bag in 1994 to support Sidaction, a French charity that raises funds to fight Aids.