The World’s Most Expensive Fashion Accessory

The Original Birkin Bag

The Birkin bag now holds the world record as the most expensive fashion accessory ever sold. The auction took place in Paris on Thursday, July 10th, opening at €1.0 million. A bidding storm followed; offers doubled, tripled, and went up past €5 million. In just ten minutes, a final phone bid reached €7.0 million, which, after fees, amounted to a staggering €8.582 million (roughly US$10.1 million), making it the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.

But where did the journey begin?

The story started in 1984, not in a design studio, but mid-air on a flight from Paris to London. Jane Birkin, the Franco-British actress and singer, was seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, chairman and artistic director of the Hermès Group. As Birkin packed her basket in the overhead compartment, it tipped, spilling its contents across the cabin. The moment sparked a conversation about handbags and led Dumas to sketch a new rectangular design on an airsickness bag.

This sketch would become the very first Birkin bag!

The original Birkin bag vs. a cheaper replica

Jane used that sample daily for years before donating it in 1994 to raise funds for AIDS charities. It changed hands again in 2000, purchased by Paris collector Catherine Benier. Meanwhile, the Birkin bag line became a global luxury icon, each hand-stitched in France, often priced above US $10,000, with large waiting lists. Some were even made in exotic leathers and sold for six figures.

The Buyer

The winning bidder of the Birkin bag remained anonymous at first but was later revealed to be a private collector from Japan who placed the call-in bid amid intense competition from eight others. Reports link the buyer to Valuence Japan Inc., a sustainable design company known for preserving cultural items. There are no reports on future resale of this expensive bag; instead, it will likely be exhibited publicly as a tribute to its legendary status.