A piece of fashion history went up for auction on Thursday.
On July 10, the first-ever Hermès Birkin bag sold for a record-breaking $10 million at Sotheby’s Paris. The sale of the handbag once owned by style icon Jane Birkin allegedly attracted interest from some well-known names, including Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren Sánchez and reality star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian. But neither woman was the ultimate purchaser of the famous bag.
Original Birkin bag sells for $10 million
The original Birkin was designed and crafted by Hermès specifically for the English-born actor and singer Jane Birkin in 1984, after she complained that existing bags were too small. The fashion house went on to produce subsequent versions of the bag for sale to the public. They soon became coveted status symbols thanks to the high-price (new bags generally start at around $10,000) and limited availability. One of the most memorable episodes of Sex and the City revolves around Samantha’s failed attempts to buy a Birkin.
During the Paris sale, the auctioneer described the original Birkin as “totally unique” and “the most famous bag of all time,” according to the AP. Bidding, which started at 1 million euros, was intense. Prices climbed quickly during the 10-minute auction battle, with the bag eventually going to an anonymous buyer from Japan for 7 million euros. Once fees were added in, the total price was 8.6 million euros, or just over $10 million dollars. It’s the second-highest auction price for a fashion item in history, after a pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $32.5 million in 2024.
Did Lauren Sánchez and Kim Kardashian bid on the Birkin bag?
Nine people bid on the original Birkin. Sotheby’s hasn’t commented on the identities of any of the prospective purchasers. But one of them was reportedly former TV news host Sánchez, who recently wed Bezos in a lavish Venice wedding. A source told Robb Report that Sánchez was the person who was ultimately outbid for the bag. However, a representative for Sánchez said that reports she’d offered millions for the handbag were “completely false.”
While Sánchez was quick to deny reports that she tried and failed to purchase the Birkin, Kardashian was keen to fuel rumors she was the mystery buyer. On Friday, The Kardashians star and SKIMS founder posted an AI-generated video to her Instagram Story that showed her smashing the glass case containing the Birkin and grabbing the bag. She also shared several comments.
“Are u the winner of the first Birkin bag?” one asked.
“Please tell me you bought that Birkin,” another read. “Would be BAD *SS.”
Kardashian has showed off her Birkin bags in the past.
In 2023, she was spotted toting an oversized version of the bag. That version of the Birkin retailed for $110,000, according to People. And in February 2024, she was mocked for trying to sell a battered pre-owned Birkin for $70,000 on the Kardashian Kloset resale site. Critics slammed the reality star for trying to offload the unrestored bag, noted the New York Post.
“The hardware is all scuffed and dull, the edges are worn and slightly frayed, and it’s discolored from makeup/tanner. Just wow,” one person commented on Reddit. “Anyone who buys this from them is an idiot, they can’t even be bothered to restore it or have it stored properly. Is this even a real piece? They really have no shame!”
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