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The Birkin Bag: What Makes It So Desirable?

By Odunmorayo Oke

07 June 2024   |   3:47 pm

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It seems like everywhere you turn on social media, there is a celebrity posing with a new edition of the luxurious Hermes Birkin bag. This poses the question, what is this bag and what makes it so desirable? Join us as we uncover the details behind the Hèrmes Birkin bag. The history of the Birkin…

It seems like everywhere you turn on social media, there is a celebrity posing with a new edition of the luxurious Hermes Birkin bag. This poses the question, what is this bag and what makes it so desirable? Join us as we uncover the details behind the Hèrmes Birkin bag.

The history of the Birkin bag

In 1984, French-English actress was seated next next to Jean-Louis Damas, the chief executive of Hermès at the time. During their flight, all of Jane’s belongings poured out of her bag. This lead to the two of them having a discussion on the difficulty of getting a functional yet stylish spacious handbag.

This chance encounter greatly inspired Dumas and it led to him creating a bag that would be both practical and stylish. Following this, he named this bag the ‘Birkin’, in honour of the actress.

The allure of the Hermès Birkin bag

The bag has since then become a symbol of exclusivity and grandeur. The Kardashians have displayed their walk in closets filled with birkins of different sizes and colours, Drake has revealed he collects them for his future wife, and Cardi B has not been shy to express her love for them with a treasury of birkin bags in her home.

The luxurious bag is crafted with premium leathers and skins like crocrodile, ostrich, alligator, and lizard. In addition, it has high-quality metallic hardware like gold and platinum.

As of today, the most expensive sold birkin bag was at a Sotheby auction in 2022. It was sold for $1.51 million dollars. Known as the Diamond Himalaya Birkin, it is encrusted with stunning white forty carat diamonds and made from Niloticus crocodile skin dyed in white and gray.

Subsequently, another incredibly expensive birkin is the knotted handle gold and diamond birkin bag worth $2 million dollars. It is covered in eleven thousand diamonds and was designed by Ginza Tanaka, a Japanese designer.

Why it is so coveted:

1. A symbol of status in the society
First of all, carrying a birkin bag around on your arm would definitely turn a head or two. This is because owning this bag is similar to being a part of an exclusive club. In addition, the bag’s price tag ranges from $10,000 dollars to over $1 million dollars. It is a bag wanted by many and accessible by a few.

2. Exceptional craftsmanship
Each birkin bag is handmade by one craftsman, making use of the most exquisite materials like crocrodile, calf and ostrich leathers. Furthermore, the creation of each of these bags could take up to (18 – 24) hours. In addition, the workmanship involved ensures that they are works of art.

3. Limited accessibility
The Birkin bag is known for its limited accessibility. Hermès intentionally produces fewer bags to intentionally not meet up to its demands. Also, this creates an illusion of exclusivity, helping it to maintain its status. The waiting list could be up to six years long, which makes the bag even more desirable for people that wish to own one.

4. Celebrity endorsement
This luxurious bag has been made popular by celebrities and influencers who are always seen with their Birkin bags in hand. This is a major factor that has contributed to the bag’s desirability, as owning a Birkin is viewed as having the same expensive taste as these stars.

5. Investment value
Surprisingly, the Birkin bag is not just a fashion item but also an investment. According to a study conducted by Baghunter, Birkin bags value has increased by 500% over the last thirty five years. So, passing through the hills and valleys to officially own a birkin could also be a smart financial choice at the end of the day.