The iconic Jane Birkin‘s original Hermès Birkin bag is headed to Sotheby’s auction house in Paris this summer.
This legendary accessory, which Jean-Louis Dumas (then-Hermès CEO) specially created in 1984 with and for Jane Birkin, set the stage for what would become fashion’s most coveted status symbol. The prototype, now known as the “Original Birkin,” features an all-black leather design with seven unique elements that never made it to later versions – including a shoulder strap, gilded brass hardware, and a front flap marked with “J.B.” initials.
Jane donated the prototype in 1994 to support Association Solidarité Sida, a French AIDS organization. Six years after that, Catherine Benier, who owns a vintage shop in Paris and collects fashion items, purchased the bag for an undisclosed sum. Sotheby’s hasn’t revealed its auction estimate for the piece.
“There are rare moments in the world of fashion when an object transcends trends and becomes a legend. Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin bag is such a moment,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion.
Halimi compares this piece to other iconic Sotheby’s auction items with “similarly dazzling provenance,” like Princess Diana‘s Black Sheep Sweater and Freddie Mercury‘s Crown and Cloak. “Like them, the Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records, but above all, our priority is ensuring it finds a new home worthy of its iconic status and legendary history.”
Before the sale, Sotheby’s has showcased the Original Birkin globally – first at their Paris Galleries last fall, then at Sotheby’s Maison in Hong Kong earlier this year. The bag will be displayed at Sotheby’s New York Galleries from June 6 to 12, before going under the hammer during Sotheby’s Fashion Icons sale on July 10.
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