Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Aug 29, 2025

Everything You Need to Know About the Hermès Birkin

Everything You Need to Know About the Hermès Birkin

The iconic handbag, which spurred years-long waitlists and is considered a better investment than gold, remains one of the fashion world's most coveted accessories.

The Hermès Birkin is one of the most coveted handbags among fashion enthusiasts, but what exactly makes the simple leather top handle a must-have accessory?

Created by French luxury brand Hermès in the 1980s, Birkin bags are considered a symbol of wealth and exclusivity due to their extremely limited production. In some cases, the Birkin is considered even more valuable than gold.

Here is everything you need to know about the iconic handbag.

Who created the Birkin?


Jean-Louis Dumas, the executive chairman of Hermès from 1978 to 2006, created the bag for British actress and style icon Jane Birkin. His original goal was to create a bag with enough storage space while retaining a timeless design.

In 1984, Birkin sat next to Dumas on a plane from Paris to London. She complained that she still hadn't found anything that suited her lifestyle as a young mother; there was no simple bag to fit all of her daily necessities. Dumas immediately outlined a spacious and supple rectangular bag with polished saddle lid and stitching. The bag even came equipped with a space for baby bottles.

                

Jane Birkin photographed by Guégan for L'OFFICIEL Spring 1974

Why is a Birkin so expensive?


Entry-level Birkin bags with simple hardware are priced at around $9,000, according to Grazia Magazine.

The Birkin is made by skilled Hermès artisans, taking a craftsman 18 to 25 hours to complete a bag from cutting and smoothing leather, hand stitching the bag together, and attaching and polishing the hardware.

In addition to the top-quality materials and impeccable craftsmanship, the value of a Birkin lies in their limited quantity. This scarcity causes the price of the bag to increase as more and more people crave this precious bag, often turning to the resale market to get one.

What is the most expensive Birkin ever sold?




The Hermès Birkin White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Skin Diamond is the most expensive Birkin ever sold, going for over $379,000 at Christie's in Hong Kong in 2016. The bag was handcrafted from Niloticus alligator leather with more than 240 diamonds on 18 karat gold hardware.

Special Birkins


In addition to the usual Birkin bags currently on the market, as well as bags made with extremely rare and expensive materials, Hermès also releases special versions of the iconic handbag.



Why is the Birkin more precious than gold?


The Birkin is considered a good investment, meaning the luxury item has increasing demand and corresponding prices due to its scarcity, not to mention its reputation as a status symbol.

With that said, owning a Birkin can be considered a smarter investment than gold as its value only increases over time. According to The Fashion Law, "unlike the S&P 500 and gold, the value of Birkin handbags has never decreased and has steadily and consistently increased."

How can you buy a Birkin?


Unless you're a celebrity - and often even then - you'll be hard pressed to get a Birkin just by walking into an Hermès boutique. The Hermès Birkin is a tough designer item to hunt, especially since the brand doesn't reveal how many of them they will make in a year. Also, not all stores have the opportunity to display Birkin bags, and the waiting list seems to be endless.

It seems that in addition to having plenty of money, you will also need a fortune to get the chance to buy the bag in the store. And if you get lucky, the staff selling you your dream Birkin bag is a whole different story.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×