History of the Hermès Birkin Bag
The Hermès Birkin bag is a symbol of luxury and exclusivity in the world of fashion. The iconic Birkin bag story began in 1984 when actress and singer Jane Birkin met Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. During their conversation, Birkin expressed her need for a functional yet stylish bag, which led to the creation of the now-famous Birkin bag. The Birkin bag's innovative design at the time features two rolled handles, a flap top, clou “feet,” and a lock closure. This practical and elegant design has continued to capture the hearts of Hermès collectors and . The Birkin is meticulously crafted by expert trained artisans who spend a minimum of 18 hours on each piece. A single artisan creates and assembles the entire bag versus more modern assembly line manufacturing. Each Birkin bag carries a unique code indicating the year it was made, the workshop where it was crafted, and the artisan responsible for its creation.
Acquiring a Birkin directly from Hermès is no easy feat. Customers must have a purchase history with the brand, and boutiques are only allowed to order a limited number of Birkins twice a year. Moreover, the styles of Birkin bags received by the boutiques are often a surprise, making it difficult for customers to secure their desired bag. This exclusivity adds to the allure of the Hermès Birkin bag. Birkin bags are considered an investment piece due to their enduring appeal and timeless design. The Birkin bag was $2,000 in 1984 when it was first produced. Today a standard leather Birkin is around $10,000 while a crocodile and diamond-encrusted Birkin bag can retail for as much as $200,000. It is the most sought-after Hermès bags with nearly 1 million searches every month for the Birkin. The Hermès Birkin remains the most iconic of all its bags and is a testament to the brand's dedication to craftsmanship and luxury.
Birkin Bag Sizes
The Birkin bag comes in four standard sizes: Birkin 25, Birkin 30, Birkin 35, and Birkin 40. The Birkin 20 is the smallest size and is currently only available as a Limited Edition Birkin Faubourg. Insiders are saying the Birkin 20 will becoming available in exotic materials and leather at it's Paris Store. A few images of the Birkin 20 have been shared on social media platforms, but wider available of this size remains unknown. 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 Birkins 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.
Classic Birkin Bag Materials
The 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 the most popular classic option for Birkin bags. 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 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. Birkin bags 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 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.
Birkin Bag Hardware Choices
Hermès Birkins 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 Birkins 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.
Exotic Birkin Bag
Birkin handbags also come in exotic materials such as ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator skins, available in glossy or matte finishes. Birkins made from exotics are considered more exclusive and unique than leather Birkins and fetch a higher price point. Crocodile 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 Hermès Birkin, 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 Bag Sellier
Hermés Birkin Bag Sellier was first introduced in 2010 as a limited edition option and was reintroduced in 2020. The classic Hermés Birkins 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 Asian countries since it is less likely to lose its shape versus the traditional non-exotic Birkin bags. The capacity inside the Birkin Sellier bag is very similar to the traditional Birkin. 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 Birkin, the bag generally sells for a premium in the secondary market due to much more limited availability.
Limited Edition Birkin Bag
Hermès limited edition Birkins are the rarest Birkin bags because of their restricted release. Limited editions are treated as sculptural artworks to be collected and cherished. A fantastic example is the Hermès Shadow Birkin designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and first introduced in 2009 and then released in limited quantities ten years later. This Hermès bag draws influence from trompe l’oeil. This Birkin bag features a lock closure that is directly sewn onto the bag as a leather debossing without metal hardware. This technique creates the illusion of buckle straps dangling from the Hermès bag. A more playful limited release Birkin is the Fringe Birkin, which features a panel of colorful leather fringe on the face of the bag. The Hermès Faubourg Birkin is one of the most sought-after limited edition Birkin bags. An homage to the Hermès storefront on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, this bag features three windows with orange awnings and an alligator top flap. This tiny 20 centimeter Birkin comes in four variations.
Hermes Special Order or HSS Birkin Bag
Hermès also offers Special Order Birkin Bags for VIP customers who have demonstrated considerable loyalty to the brand. These Special Order (HSS) Birkin bags began to feature an embossed Horseshoe Stamp next to the Hermès logo stamp about ten years ago. The stamp has earned these ultra-rare Hermès handbags the name Horseshoe Stamp bags or HSS bags. HSS Birkins used to be highly customizable, but now the options for these Hermès bags are more restricted due to high demand. Today, most VIP clients are allowed to choose just two colors to appear on a single Special Order bag. The two colors can both appear on the outside of the bag, or the bag can have one color on the inside and the other on the outside. The stitching can either be in the same color as the leather, or can contrast the leather. The vast majority of Special Orders are crafted in leather, including epsom, togo, chevre, clemence, swift and the new taurillon novillo. Ostrich bi-colors are occasionally available as well. Crocodile and alligator Special Orders are extremely rare, and make them truly a unique collector's item. Given that Horseshoe Stamp Special Order bags are rare and require such a long wait time and a strong purchase history, they sell often sell at a premium in the secondary market. But owning such a unique bag makes the purchase a worthwhile investment for the Hermès collector.
Celebrities and the Birkin Bag
While Jane Birkin may have been the first celebrity to be blessed with a Birkin bag, many others have followed suit in acquiring the luxury item. Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Kate Moss and Jennifer Lopaz are just a small sampling of women who have added the Hermès handbag to their collections. 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. Moss is frequently seen out with her white Birkin bag with palladium hardware, which she wears with the flap and lock closure open for a casual off duty look. Jennifer Lopaz is often photographed with one of many Birkin bags.
