Overview

• The original 1985 Hermès Birkin prototype sold on July 10 at Sotheby’s Paris for €8.58 million, becoming the most expensive handbag ever auctioned.
• Nine bidders competed in a ten-minute bidding war before a private Japanese collector prevailed.
• Distinct from later editions, it features a fixed shoulder strap, gilded brass hardware and a built-in nail clipper that reflect Jane Birkin’s personal specifications.
• Conceived when Birkin sketched a design on an Air France sick bag in 1984 with Hermès artistic director Jean-Louis Dumas, the prototype remained her daily companion until its 1994 charity sale.
• Having passed through Birkin’s 1994 AIDS charity auction, Catherine Benier’s 2000 acquisition and exhibitions at the V&A and MoMA, the bag’s final sale demonstrates its enduring cultural cachet and investment appeal.