Hermès Birkin bag made for Jane Birkin sells for £7.4m, now the world’s priciest handbag at auction

A handbag once carried by the late British icon Jane Birkin has smashed auction records, selling for a staggering £7.4 million at Sotheby’s Paris. The original Hermès Birkin, created especially for Birkin herself, has become the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction, and the second most expensive fashion item in history.

Crafted in the 1980s after an unexpected mid-air design session, the now-legendary bag began as a conversation between Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, then artistic director of Hermès. Seated side by side on an Air France flight in 1981, the actress reportedly struggled with her overstuffed wicker basket, lamenting the lack of handbags spacious enough to carry her essentials.

What followed is now part of fashion folklore. Birkin and Dumas scribbled out a new design on the back of an aeroplane sick bag. That casual sketch evolved into the prototype of a future luxury symbol. By 1985, Hermès had completed the first official Birkin bag, naming it in her honour—with her blessing.

Fast-forward to 10 July 2025, and the very first Birkin went under the hammer in Paris. Sotheby’s described the €8.6 million (£7.4m) price tag as a testament to the “power of a legend”. The sale not only shattered the previous auction record for a handbag, but also underscored the bag’s unique status as both fashion statement and cultural artefact.

Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023, starred in a string of British and French films during the 1960s and 70s, later becoming a style muse and activist. Her association with the Birkin bag made it a must-have for celebrities and collectors alike. Over the years, fashion icons from Victoria Beckham to Khloe Kardashian have proudly flaunted their versions of the bag, further fuelling its mystique and desirability.

Morgane Halimi, global head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby’s, called the sale a “spectacular moment” in fashion history. “It’s a startling demonstration of the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance,” she said.

The previous record holder, the Hermès Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourné Kelly 28, fetched £380,000 in 2021—a price now utterly eclipsed by the original Birkin.

Despite its small size, the Birkin has always made a big statement. It isn’t just a handbag—it’s a symbol of exclusivity, craftsmanship, and cultural cachet. With each model handmade in France and often taking upwards of 18 hours to complete, Birkins are known for their meticulous detail, from hand-stitched leather to precious metal hardware.

The most expensive fashion item ever sold remains the ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, which fetched £24 million in 2024.

But as the fashion world takes in this record-breaking sale, one thing is clear: in an era of fast fashion and digital everything, the allure of heritage craftsmanship and true celebrity provenance still reigns supreme. And now, somewhere in the world, one collector owns the very handbag that started it all.