Why a worn Birkin bag just sold for $10.1 million—and what makes it an auction sensation

This July, nearly two years after her passing, Jane Birkin’s original Birkin bag went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in Paris. The worn, sticker-covered prototype fetched a staggering €8.6 million, about $10.1 million, — the highest price ever paid for a handbag at auction. The winning bid came from a private collector in Japan after an intense ten-minute bidding war among nine potential buyers. The bag now ranks as the second most valuable fashion item ever sold, trailing only behind the Wizard of Oz’s Ruby Red Slippers, which sold for $32.5 million in 2024.

So, how did a single handbag, famously scuffed and casually slung over Jane Birkin’s shoulder, become the symbol of status, luxury, and exclusivity?

It all started in the early 1980s during a chance encounter on a flight between Paris and London. Jane Birkin, known for her free-spirited style and classiness, grieved about the impracticality of her current handbag to her seatmate, who turned out to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then-chief executive of Hermès. Legend has it she sketched out her ideal bag on an airsickness bag. A few years later, Hermès presented her with a custom-made leather handbag. And just like that, the Birkin bag was born.

Handmade from premium leather, available in limited numbers, and sold, often, only to those deemed worthy, the Birkin is all about fashion. While retail prices start in the tens of thousands, the bags often resell on secondary markets for significantly more,  and waitlists can stretch years.

But the bag, Jane Birkin herself carried wasn’t treated with the reverence collectors give it today. Far from stashing it away in a dust bag, Birkin used hers with abandon. She adorned it with stickers, let it get scuffed and scratched, and even auctioned it off in 1994 to support a French AIDS charity. It was sold again in 2000 to Parisian collector Catherine Benier — and now, in 2025, it's made history.

Moreover, Birkin’s original prototype differs from the official production models. It’s distinctly sized, falling between the now-famous 35 and 40, and sports gilded brass hardware instead of the gold-plated versions that became standard. Its bottom studs are smaller, and its strap is non-removable. It also bears her initials, a subtle, personal touch on an item now treasured by fashion royalty.

While the Birkin bag may have made her name ubiquitous in luxury circles, Jane Birkin was far more than just a muse. Born in London in 1946, she first married composer John Barry of James Bond fame, before capturing French hearts through her long-time partnership with iconic singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, followed in her parents’ artistic footsteps, becoming a celebrated actress and singer in her own right. Birkin later had another daughter, Lou Doillon, with director Jacques Doillon.

Though known for her musical and acting career, including an appearance as herself in Hong Sang-soo’s Korean film Haewon in 2013 — Birkin's influence extended far beyond performance. She was a fashion icon in the truest sense: not because she chased trends, but because she defined her own style. The bag that bears her name is perhaps the purest expression of that ethos, elegant, utilitarian, and unmistakably personal.

Today, the Birkin bag is a financial asset, a collector’s item, and for many, a dream. And while luxury handbags have come and gone, none have inspired quite the same frenzy or mystique. The fact that Jane Birkin’s own, well-loved prototype now holds the title of the most expensive handbag ever sold only underscores the enduring appeal of her legacy.

In a world obsessed with perfection, Jane Birkin reminded us that style is about soul. She wore her Birkin like she lived her life, fully, authentically, and unapologetically. And perhaps that’s why her bag, even decades later, still holds the world in thrall.