The original Birkin bag, which became the prototype of perhaps the most coveted accessory in fashion history, was bought for 8.6 million euros (10.1 million US dollars), becoming the most expensive bag ever sold at auction, writes UNN with reference to the BBC.
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This black leather bag was made for singer Jane Birkin in 1985 after she spilled her belongings while sitting next to the head of the luxury fashion house Hermès on a plane.
She asked why they didn't make larger bags, and he sketched a new one.
The prototype he created was sold to a private collector from Japan at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, significantly exceeding the previous record of 439,000 euros (513,000 US dollars).
The auction house reported an "exciting" 10-minute battle between "nine determined collectors."
Morgan Halimi, Head of Bags and Fashion at Sotheby's, said the price was an "impressive demonstration of the power of the legend and its ability to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance to own its original."
The total amount of 8,582,500 euros includes commission and fees. Sotheby's did not publish a preliminary estimate of the value.
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After creating the bag for the Anglo-French singer and actress, Hermès launched it into commercial production, and it remains one of the most exclusive status symbols in fashion.
Some models cost tens of thousands of dollars and have multi-year waiting lists, with owners including celebrities such as Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, and Jennifer Lopez.
Birkin, who died in 2023 at the age of 76, owned the original bag for ten years and in 1994 auctioned it off to raise funds for an AIDS charity.
It was later acquired by Catherine Baignères, owner of a luxury boutique in Paris. She owned the bag for 25 years before selling it on Thursday.
According to Sotheby's, the previous record price for a bag was set in 2021 by the Retourne Kelly 28 diamond in white Himalayan niloticus crocodile.