PARIS — Sketched out on an air sickness bag, the first Birkin handbag — the prototype for fashion's must-have accessory — sold for a staggering 8.6 million euros ($10.1 million), including fees, on Thursday in Paris to become the second most valuable fashion item ever sold at auction.
The winning bid of 7 million euros drew gasps and applause from the audience. The price crushed the previous auction record for a handbag — $513,040 paid in 2021 for a Hermès White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28.
Now, the original Birkin bag, named after the actor, singer and fashion icon that Hermès created it for — the late Jane Birkin — is in a new league of its own. Only one fashion item has sold at auction for more: a pair of ruby red slippers from ''The Wizard of Oz'', which sold for $32.5 million in 2024, Sotheby's said.
Whistles in the auction room
The Paris auction room buzzed with anticipation as the sale got underway, with the auctioneer reminding the crowd that the bag was ''totally unique'' and ''the most famous bag of all time.''
The bidding started at 1 million euros but quickly increased, with telephone bidders fighting it out at the end. With Sotheby's fees included, the total price for the winning bidder from Japan was a cool 8.6 million euros, the auction house said.
From the starting price, bids rocketed past 2 million euros, then 3 million, 4 million and 5 million, to astonished gasps. When the price jumped from 5.5 million to 6 million euros in one swoop, there were whistles and applause.
The final bids were 6.2 million euros, then 6.5 million, then 6.8 million before the Japanese buyer's last winning bid: 7 million euros.