Brief History of the Birkin Hermès
The Birkin Hermès bag is an icon in the fashion world, highly sought-after by celebrities and the handbag-obsessed. The Birkin Hermès design is a collaboration between Jane Birkin and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. The two met on a flight from Paris to London in 1984. Birkin confided in Dumas that she lacked a purse with appropriate functionality for her fast-paced lifestyle. Out of this conversation, the Birkin 40 in chic calfbox leather was born. The Birkin’s practical design featuring two rolled handles, a flap top, clou “feet,” and a lock closure continues to resonate today. Her original Hermès Bag Birkin had a shoulder strap but was removed for all future Birkin Hermès.
The Birkin Hermès Bag remains a coveted Hermès bag thanks to its signature Hermès craftsmanship and exclusivity. The Birkin Hermès Bag takes expert artisans a minimum of 18 hours to create and is marked with a code that identifies its year of creation, the workshop it was crafted in, and the artisan who made it. How to Buy a Birkin Bag directly from Hermès requires an extensive purchase history with the brand. Hermès only allows boutiques to purchase a select number of Hermès Bags Birkin on a bi-annual basis and the style of Birkin Hermès delivered to boutiques is rarely known ahead of time. As a result, customers must either make do with available Hermès Bags Birkin or patiently wait for the style they want to become available. An Hermès Bag Birkin is a fantastic investment piece whose classic beauty withstands the test of time. Hermes Birkin bag price ranges in price from about $10,000 for a basic leather bag to over $200,000 for a crocodile and diamond style. The Hermès Bag Birkin is the most searched for Hermès bag,
Hermès Birkin Sizes
The Hermès Bag Birkin comes in four sizes: Birkin 25, Birkin 30, Birkin 35, and Birkin 40. A Birkin’s size is determined by its length in centimeters across the base. For example, a Birkin 35 has a length of 35 centimeters across the base of the bag. The Birkin 25 is large enough to fit your daily necessities while the more popular Birkin 30 offers space for necessities as well as a makeup bag or a tablet computer. The Birkin 35 can fit your essentials and a small laptop while the Birkin 40 is frequently used as a travel bag thanks to its spacious interior. All Hermès Bags Birkin have one interior side pocket and the rest of the bag is a single compartment. The bottom base holds it shape and doesn't buckle even after years of use.
Hermès Leather for Birkin Bags
The Hermès Bag Birkin has been reinvented many times since its introduction in 1984 with the help of leathers, exotic skins, and limited edition releases. The bag first appeared in calfbox leather, a heritage leather and the oldest leather used by Hermès. This leather has an extremely smooth finish that gives Birkins an extra glamorous look. The material is susceptible to scratches and watermarks, but over time these imperfections blend into the bag, adding a mirror-like texture. To ensure that your calfbox Birkin remains in good shape, keep it away from rain and lightly buff any imperfections to blend them into the leather. Togo leather is another classic option for Birkin Hermès. Introduced in 1997, this calfskin leather was named after the Togolese Republic in Africa. This leather is the result of an intensive drumming process that brings out the material’s natural features. Togo is a supple, matte material, but becomes shinier and softer over time. It has a round and irregular grain with pronounced veins and wrinkles. This material is also scratch resistant -- a major perk for both collectors and those searching for a durable Hermès bag.
Another standard Birkin Hermès leather is Clemence, which is made from cowhide. This leather is softer, heavier, and less durable than Togo. Clemence Birkins will often lose their shape over time. Clemence has a shallow grainy texture, which creates a matte effect. Hermès Bags Birkin made from Clemence leather have a casual feel and make no effort to hide their age. Epsom leather is Clemence’s opposite: Epsom is very rigid and will hold the Birkin’s shape through years of wear. Epsom is an embossed leather, meaning it has no natural grain, and is completely scratch and water resistant, which makes it easy to clean. Epsom leather is a very practical material. Like Epsom, Fjord leather is highly durable and also waterproof, soft, matte and heavy. Evercolor leather provides a Birkin Hermès with suppleness and it comes in a wide palette of “forever” colors. First appearing in 2012, this material is satiny with a small, regular grain obtained by printing. An all-new heritage leather option is the Barenia Faubourg calfskin that Hermès began using in 2016. It has a minuscule printed grain and feels waxy to the touch. This leather will darken where it is handled. You can find Hermès leather Birkin bags in every color of the rainbow on the secondary market. Hermès itself only releases Birkins in select colors every year. Thanks to the variety of Hermès leathers, Birkins can cater to each individual wearers’ personality.
Hermès Hardware
Birkin Hermès Bags are typically crafted with two types of hardware: 18-karat gold plated or palladium. The Birkin hardware includes the front facing lock closure, a lock and set of keys, the zipper, and metal feet called clou that allow the Birkin to always sit upright. Special edition Birkin Hermès may have more unique hardware. Some examples of rarer metals include 24-karat gold, rose gold, permabrass, brush palladium, brushed gold, guilloche, ruthenium, or matte black hardware. The rarest hardware is the 18-karat white gold-plated diamond-encrusted hardware found on ultra glamorous “Diamond Birkins.” Hermès only releases a few Diamond Birkins annually and they are usually constructed with elegant crocodile skin.
Crocodile Birkin
Birkin Hermès Bag come in exotic materials such as ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator skins, available in glossy or matte finishes. Hermès Bag Birkin made from exotics are considered more exclusive and unique than leather Hermès Bag Birkin and fetch a higher price point. Crocodile Birkin is the most expensive exotic material and comes in two styles: Niloticus crocodile and Porosus crocodile. Niloticus crocodile handbags will have the symbol “••” next to the Hermés logo stamp while Porosus crocodile handbags are indicated by the symbol “^”. The most expensive Birkin Hermès, the Himalaya Birkin Bag, is constructed out of Niloticus crocodile skin dyed in a white and grey gradient. The coloring is intended to evoke the white snow of the Himalaya Mountains. Alligator skins are the next most expensive exotic and differ from crocodile in that the plates are larger and non uniformed, softer to the touch, and poreless. Alligator skin is indicated by a small square adjacent to the Hermès logo stamp. Lizard skin is generally only used in smaller bags and small leather goods. As a result, Hermès typically uses the material for the smallest Birkin bag -- a Birkin 25. Thanks to the skin’s ability to absorb pigments easily, lizard Birkins are available in a vivid array of colors. Like crocodile, this luxurious skin has two styles. Niloticus lizard is identified by the “-” next to the Hermès logo stamp and Varanus Salvator lizard is indicated with a “=” symbol. Out of all the exotic materials, ostrich has the most entry-level price point and is the most durable. This material has been used by Hermès since the 1920s. Identifiable by its follicles, the points from which the feathers grow, this skin has a very pronounced dual tone. In order to prevent follicle damage, Hermès flattens the follicles and triples the skin. This material absorbs oils and will darken over time where it is frequently touched. Like lizard, this material is available in an assortment of vivid colorways. Ostrich skin bags do not have a special symbol stamped on the bag.
Birkin Sellier
Birkin Hermès Bag Sellier was first introduced in 2010 as a limited edition option and was reintroduced in 2020. The classic Birkin Hermès have stitching on the interior of the bag while the Birkin Sellier has stitching on the outside. The Birkin Sellier is also more structured than the classic style, also known as Retourne. The stitching on the inside gives the bag a more relaxed look versus the exterior stitching. The Birkin Sellier is also potentially a better style for humid Aison countries since it is less liekly to lose its shape versus the traditional non-exotic Hermès Bags Birkin. The capacity inside the bag is very similar to the traditional Birkin Hermès. The only potential downside to the more structured style is that the corners could be more prone to getting scratched in crowded cities. While the retail price of the Sellier Birkin is only slightly higher than the classic Hermès Bag Birkin, the bag generally sells for a premium in the secondary market due to much more limited availability.
Celebrities with Birkin Bags
While Jane Birkin was the first celebrity Birkin bag owner since the bag was named after her, many others have followed suit in acquiring the luxury item. Celebrities with Birkin bags include JLo, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, and Gigi Hadid and many many more. JLo was photographed all over Paris celebrating her engagement to Ben Affleck with several Birkin bags. Beckham is rumored to have a collection of Birkins worth over two million dollars, and has been pictured with quite an assortment of the Hermès bag over the years. Meanwhile, Kardashian has been seen wearing a hand painted Birkin bag by artist George Condo that is considered a priceless work of art. Gigi Hadid has been photographed with super rare and collectible Metallic Silver Birkin Hermès Bag.
Birkin Bag for Sale
Sotheby's has a curated selection of Birkin Bags for Sale for immediate purchase, auction and private sale. Birkin Bag Price depends on the a number of factors including material, condition and color. In general neutral leather Hermès Bag Birkin are the most desirable for collectors and sell faster than bright or exotic materials. Older bags that have any noticeable marks sell at lower prices than pristine or "store fresh" bags with the original plastic covering the hardware. How much does a Birkin Bag Cost has many answers but a Sotheby's handbag specialist is happy to help find your next Hermès Bag Birkin. We can answer your questions about Hermes Birkin bag price and find the best bag for your lifestyle.
Hermès Birkin Bags Available to Buy Now
