7 Secret Details About Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin Revealed

Learn more about the unique details of Jane Birkin’s Original Hermès Birkin, which sold for a record-breaking $10.1 million at auction.

No handbag in the world carries as much cultural significance as the Hermès Birkin. But before it became the ultimate symbol of luxury and status, the Birkin was born from practicality—a design created specifically for the iconic actress and singer Jane Birkin herself. Jane’s very own Original Birkin was recently featured in Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction in Paris, held from June 26 to July 10, 2025, where it sold for an astonishing $10.1 million after an electrifying 10-minute bidding battle between nine determined collectors. This historic sale marked a rare moment in fashion history: the opportunity to acquire the very bag that embodies the intersection of craftsmanship, celebrity, and cultural legacy.

In July 2025, Sotheby’s presented the Original Hermès Birkin in its Fashion Icons sale in Paris, where it achieved a record-breaking $10.1 million following a fierce 10-minute bidding war involving nine collectors, with offers coming in over the phones, online, and in the room. The bag was exhibited in New York prior to the auction, offering collectors and admirers a rare glimpse of the prototype that sparked a cultural phenomenon and redefined luxury.

Presented in the exact condition in which Jane last used it, the bag still bears her initials “J.B.” and features her nail clipper hanging from the strap—a testament to its deeply personal significance. Crafted in Hermès Black Box leather with gilded brass hardware, its unique construction, a hybrid of the Birkin 35’s width and height and the Birkin 40’s depth, adds to its one-of-a-kind status. Other notable elements include closed metal rings (similar to the HAC model), a non-removable shoulder strap, smaller bottom studs, and an inner zip from the Éclair company.

This historic sale marked the first time in nearly 25 years that Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin was available for acquisition, cementing its place as one of the most iconic handbags ever created—and now, one of the most valuable ever sold.

The story of the Birkin began in 1981 aboard an Air France flight, where Jane Birkin found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then the artistic director of Hermès. As she tried to stow her belongings in the overhead compartment, Jane’s famous wicker basket spilled its contents onto Dumas’s lap—a chance encounter that would lead to fashion history.

Frustrated with the small bags of the time, Jane lamented to Dumas that she couldn’t find a handbag large enough to hold her daily essentials, especially while traveling with her young daughter Charlotte. Inspired by Jane’s practicality and her signature style, Dumas sketched a bag that would marry function and elegance—a design that would become the Birkin.

In 1985, Hermès presented Jane with the prototype, asking for her permission to name the new model in her honor. This very prototype—the Original Birkin—was the first of its kind, featuring distinctive characteristics that set it apart from the models Hermès would later produce commercially.

Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin bag was a true prototype that borrowed design elements from Hermès’ iconic sac Haut à Courroies (HAC), the model originally designed to carry riding gear. The very first Birkin, created especially for Jane, featured seven distinctive design elements that were never again replicated together in any subsequent Birkin model. In fact, today’s commercially produced Birkins—finalized decades ago—no longer include any of these unique characteristics, underscoring the singularity of Jane’s Original Birkin.

This prototype was more than just a fashion statement; it became inseparable from Jane herself. She carried it daily for nearly a decade, and its well-worn condition reflects her life on the move—full of advocacy, art, and personal style. Her Birkin served not only as a functional accessory but also as a canvas for her activism. Jane famously adorned it with stickers supporting Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, transforming the luxury handbag into a powerful symbol of her humanitarian efforts.

Throughout her life, Hermès gifted Jane four additional Birkin bags, yet none matched the authenticity and sentimentality of her original prototype. She cherished her Original Birkin until 1994, when she chose to donate it to a charity auction benefiting Association Solidarité Sida, a leading French AIDS charity. The bag was sold again at auction at Poulain Le Fur in May 2000 and had remained in private hands until its historic sale at Sotheby’s in July 2025.

Read on to discover each of the seven unique design details that make Jane’s Original Birkin one of the most extraordinary handbags in fashion history.

The most distinctive feature of Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin is its attached shoulder strap, which was never included on the commercial version. In the 1990s, Hermès did make a limited-edition Birkin with a detachable strap, but Jane’s Original Birkin is the only one that has a fixed, non-removable shoulder strap.

While the first Birkin bags Hermès produced came in the 40 and 35 sizes, Jane’s Original Birkin was a unique blend of the two. It matched the width and height of a Birkin 35 but had the depth of a Birkin 40, giving it a one-of-a-kind silhouette.

Jane’s Original Birkin featured gilded brass hardware, a detail that was replaced by gold-plated hardware stamped with a check mark when the Birkin was officially launched. Over time, Hermès expanded the range of hardware options to include palladium, rose gold, and ruthenium finishes.

Jane’s Original Birkin featured closed metal rings, resembling the pontets found on the Hermès sac Haut à Courroies (HAC). When Hermès first launched the Birkin commercially, the rings were open at the bottom—a design that remained until the early 1990s. Today’s Birkin bags, however, feature open rings at the top, reflecting the evolution of this signature detail.

The bag’s feet, or bottom studs, on Jane’s Original Birkin are noticeably smaller than those Hermès later used on production Birkin bags.

When Hermès crafted Jane’s Original Birkin prototype, the zippers were sourced from the Éclair company. In the 1990s, Hermès formed a partnership with Riri, which remains the exclusive manufacturer of zippers for Birkin bags to this day.

Jane’s Original Birkin was deeply personal to her, proudly bearing her initials, “J.B.,” stamped on the front flap. It quickly became her favorite accessory—one she often held close, cradling it with both arms and carrying it everywhere she went. The bag’s worn condition tells the story of years of dedicated use by the actress and singer, embodying both her style and spirit.

Known for her effortlessly cool, tomboy-chic style, Jane Birkin preferred a natural look over long, painted nails. To keep her nails neatly trimmed on the go, she kept a nail clipper attached to a chain hanging from the base of the shoulder strap inside her bag for easy and frequent use.

Sotheby’s can assist with buying or selling your next Hermès Birkin. Sotheby’s handbag auctions always feature rare and collectible Birkin bags. We also have a carefully curated selection of Birkin bags in pristine and excellent condition, available for immediate shipping. Expect to find the most popular Hermès Birkins in leather and exotic materials, new colors with 2024 date stamps, classic neutrals in all sizes and rare limited edition bags. We accept Birkin bags for consignment at auction and marketplace. Prices for Birkin bags range from $20,000 to $35,000 for leather while exotic Birkin bags are generally priced at $40,000 plus with Himalaya Birkin bags priced over $100,000.

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