There are very few surnames as closely associated with one singular item as that of Jane Birkin's.
But why was Jane Birkin's name attributed to such a bag? And why has it amassed such a relentless fan base? And *how* do we get our hands on one without remortgaging the house?
Here are seven things you might not know about the world's most in-demand (and expensive!) accessory…
Chic, we know, but it's true. In 1981 a 34-year-old Jane Birkin found herself being upgraded by Air France on a flight to London and being seated next to a man who later turned out to be the visionary artistic director and chairman of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas.
“I’m not quite sure what type of bag I had with me,” Jane told Vogue back in 2012, “my husband Jacques Doillon had reversed his car over my basket [photographed below], crushed it on purpose not too days before. [Dumas] thought I deserved more.”
“Little did he know that on this airplane journey, when everything fell out of whatever bag I had, the man next to me said, ‘you should have one with pockets.’ I said, ‘the day Hermès makes one with pockets I will have that.’ And he said: “‘but I am Hermès, and I will put pockets in for you’.”
Going on to make the most of this chance encounter, Jane Birkin said: “‘why don’t you make a handbag that is bigger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s suitcase?’ And he said ‘well, what would it be like?’ And I think I drew it on the sick bag - or the not-be-sick bag. And he said ‘I’ll make it for you’.”
Of course, years later, there's no denying the allure of the Hermès Birkin.
Owned by everyone from Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga to Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Victoria Beckham, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kylie Jenner and Heidi Klum, there's nothing that will stop these stars getting their hands on one of the coveted pieces.
But they don't just stop at one, with Kylie owning 13 and Cardi B still adding to her 26+ strong collection, revealing during a 2023 Get Ready With Me video with Vogue: “Everybody thinks I came here for Couture Week, but I really came here to buy a Birkin bag. I cannot find it nowhere in the States.”
“And let me tell you something,” she continues, “I’ve been looking for this Birkin for two months, and then my Hermès plug said that it was coming to New York, and I think she sold it to somebody else. But it’s ok because I came here to get it myself.”
The street style set are, of course, similarly obsessed, with some of fashion week's favourite names such as Emili Sindlev, Tamara Kalinic and Stephanie Broek having been spotted with their Birkin bags over recent seasons.
While even the most standard Hermès Birkin bags cost several thousand – usually tens of thousands of – pounds, there are certain styles that welcome an even more eye-watering price tag.
Breaking the record back in 2018 and becoming the most expensive bag ever sold at auction, the Matte Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin 35 with 18-karat white gold and diamond hardware [below] saw the hammer come down at a colossal £236,750.
For the savvier shoppers among us who don't mind sharing, thanks to a wealth of impressive rental platforms having launched over recent years it's now possible to walk around with a Hermès Birkin bag on your arm without the guilt of a six-figure purchase also weighing you down.
“Renting a Birkin is pure genius,” says Eshita Kabra-Davies, CEO & founder of fashion rental platform ByRotation. “It gives you the chance to experience an iconic luxury bag without the long waitlists or hefty price tag. You get to enjoy the exclusivity of a Birkin for a fraction of the cost, and it’s perfect for those who want to try it before making a huge investment. It’s a game-changer in the way we approach luxury fashion!”
On ByRotation, the most popular listing is the Birkin 25 Etoupe in Ecru Togo Leather. You can rent it for £130 per day or £50 per day for 7 days (working out at less than 1% of the retail price!). It’s been rented 6 times and one renter has rented it on two different occasions.
ByRotation also offers the classic black iteration – which retails for £8,200 – for £345/2 days, and the green – which retails at £20,000 – available for £2,070/3 days.
Perhaps surprisingly, there is big Birkin business on TikTok too. With the term #hermesunboxing amassing 101.7million views and #birkinunboxing 9.2million views, there's no denying the users' appetite for luxury fashion.
Hanushka Toni, the founder of resale company Sellier – who has been dubbed the ‘Birkin Queen’ – has noticed that the huge uplift in the featuring of the Hermes Birkin bag on TikTok has been followed by a sharp rise in TikTok stars buying the bags and going on to unveil the process through their social media platforms.
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“It’s not uncommon for customers in our Monaco store to spend over £100k in one visit,” she revealed. “In January, a 19 year old TikTok star spent £180k on two bags. They documented the purchase process from the store, and the unboxing video was on their page within 24 hours, amassing thousands of likes and views.”
Since the passing of Jane Birkin in July 2023, Sellier has seen an 800% increase in searches relating to ‘Jane Birkin’ – with many customers looking for the specific styles that she wore.
This one won't be a shock to Sex and the City fans, who remember Samantha Jones' struggle to bypass the waiting list and get her hands on one in season 4 of the show – but buying a Birkin isn't as easy as just walking into a shop and handing over the money.
While waiting lists at Hermès stores technically no longer exist, it's still very much a case of ‘who you know’ as demand continues to so heavily outweigh the supply.
Word on the street is, if you're looking to nab your first Birkin you must first spend 1x to 1.5x the price of the bag on other pieces. This means spending thousands of pounds on jewellery, ready-to-wear and household goods before even having the right to be offered a bag. And the higher you spend over the ratio, the greater your chances.
Different stores stock different styles, so your best bet is to enquire in store about upcoming deliveries and form a relationship with the sales expert - that way when your chosen style comes into their store you'll be top of their list of prospective buyers to call.
Alternatively - and if you're looking for a less convoluted process - you'd be wise to head to resale, vintage and rental websites to get your hands on a bit of the Birkin magic.
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