Can You Buy A Hermes Birkin Bag? Know Why Jane Birkin Inspired Handbags Are So Expensive

Hermès Birkin bag is not any regular bag but a status symbol. The timeless bag was inspired by the actress and singer Jane Birkin who breathed her last on July 16. She died battling cancer at the age of 76. While Jane was British, she carved a niche for herself in the French Film Industry and turned out to be one of the biggest fashion icons. Later, she became the inspiration for the famous Birkin bag by Hermes, the French luxury house.

The Birkin bag is one of the most iconic and elusive handbags in the luxury fashion line. It is not sold but offered to be purchased and is considered an honour. Not anyone can go to a Hermes store and buy the bag. It has long waitlists and can last you a lifetime. Even celebrities, Royalty, heads of state and executives compete for the opportunity to buy the Birkin Bag.

Here's everything you need to know about this distinguished Hermes Birkin bag inspired by Jane Birkin-

History of the Birkin Bag

During her flight from Paris to London, actress and singer Jane Birkin was seated beside Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas. Just as she put her straw bag in the overhead compartment; everything fell down. She then told Dumas that she did not find a leather bag suitable to her liking as she put together her things. This incident turned out to be the inspiration for Dumas to create the luxurious Birkin Bags in 1984. The Hermes chief executive at that time created a black leather bag for Birkin on the spot and gave birth to the legendary bag line.

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Birkin Bag Price and Who Can Buy It?

The Hermes Birkin Bag over the years has transformed into a trademark handbag and is simply known as 'The Birkin' now. When it entered the market it did not get any buyers but after the 1990s and 2001, it was considered the most exclusive well-crafted handbag in the world with premium materials and hand-stitched details. When Samantha in an episode of S*x and the City said, "It's not a bag- it's a Birkin," the popularity of the bag skyrocketed.

Reportedly, Birkin bags range from $10,000 to an astronomical $200,000 today. They are even considered equal to an investment as they retain and gain value with time. A classic Hermes Birkin Bag consists of two main determinants- material and size. Exotic leathers like calfskin, crocodile and ostrich are used and hand stitched with the finishing of gold and diamond. The crocodile skin handbag is the most difficult to get your hands on. Interestingly, a Hermès Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin with 18k white gold and diamond hardware was auctioned for over $500,000 in 2021.

A regular person cannot just go and buy The Birkin. The waitlist is long due to its controlled production and distribution. A purchase history and connection to someone who has bought a Birkin bag or the sales associate is the way to buy the luxurious handbag. If you want the special edition bag or get it customized, the waitlist is up to two years long.

Luxury fashion content creator Charles Gross shared his experience of buying his first Hermes handbag and revealed, "The wait was about two months, and then the offer came. They really know how to make you feel special when they offer a bag, and it sits in front of you, perfectly resting in its crisp orange box. It’s like a proposal scene in a movie. I laugh [saying] that, but it is truly that built up."

As the inspiration behind the iconic handbags, Jane Birkin, died, she left behind a legacy that will be cherished forever.

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