Welcome to The History of the Hermès Birkin Bag!
The history of the Birkin bag:
One of the most sought-after and iconic bags in the world, the history of the Birkin bag is one worth getting to know! In 1983 the then creative director of Hermès Jean-Louis Dumas set next to the actress and socialite Jane Birkin on an international flight. When stowing her luggage on the upper-head compartment, she accidentally dropped the straw tote she was wearing, leaving her personal belongings scattered on the flor. Dumas asked why she traveled with such straw tote, she explained that most leather bags were too structured for her taste. She wanted something more boho, so Dumas designed her a bag fit for traveling, drawing it on the back of a napkin. And so, the Birkin was created!
This was a bag intended to be worn again and again during travels and running errands, it was an everyday kind of bag that would be a practical companion. Of course that changed with time, today the Birkin is a luxury good cherished by those who own it.
What is so special about the Birkin?
Hermès was founded in 1837 as a harness workshop in Paris, and the techniques that for two centuries were used to craft the highest quality saddles are still seen today in the ateliers where Hermès craftsmen and women stitch and sew Birkin and Kelly handbags by hand. It takes a single expert craftsman up to 40 hours to produce a Birkin bag. That is why it is so precious, you cannot find better quality!
The stitch on which the brand’s reputation is based — the saddle — cannot be replicated by a machine. It takes two needles simultaneously passing through the same seam to produce a Birkin. If done correctly, the saddle stitch will never unravel — whether it is on a saddle or on a Birkin. Hermès bags are usually the ones that best hold their value when you resell them, sometimes selling for multiple times their original value, that is why they can be considered an investment.
There are several different Birkin bags available, from different leathers and hardware, to Sellier and Retourne, it all impacts on the price of the bag. When you buy a Birkin bag from an Hermès store it usually costs somewhere between $9,000 to $12,000.
