A must-attend event for collectors the world over, the Hermès Vintage sale, organized by French brand Artcurial, was an exceptional one. A Birkin bag and a gold bracelet set two world records. Even Hermès’ biggest fans were blown away by the final figures. This luxurious little sin is more than forgivable when you lean in for a closer look at these pieces’ true aura.
The Birkin that was put up for auction, dating back to 2006, may owe its enormous value to its Porosus crocodile skin fabric and orange, charcoal red, and shocking pink colors, but the myth surrounding it and the difficulty in getting your hands on one definitely explain its high price tag. During a London-Paris flight in 1984, Jane Birkin complained about her Hermès bag’s lack of practicality. Fate had it that she found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the president of Hermès. He proposed to design the ideal bag. As soon as it came out, the Birkin was an immediate success. An icon was born, and the supposed waitlists to get one only further contributed to its rareness. With an estimated value between 40,000 and 50,000 euros, the style put up for auction set a world record by going for 63,000 euros. Another graphite crocodile skin Birkin went for 33,800 euros.
Another high point during the auction: a Kelly bag, currently out of circulation, in emerald green Porosus crocodile skin, valued between 6,000 and 8,000 euros, found a buyer for 13,000 euros. Conceived in 1935, the Kelly entered into legend along with the famous 1956 photo of actress Grace Kelly holding the bag in front of her stomach to hide a still-announced pregnancy. The photo made it around the world. They say that Hermès renamed the bag after Grace Kelly, but the Princess may have left her name behind simply due to the flux of customers that began asking for a “Kelly” bag. With its trapeze shape and double zipper with padlocked leather, it’s able to be picked out from a crowd and inextricably linked to its eponymous icon.
Hermès icons flew off the auction podium as bidders rushed to get their hands on one at all costs. Gold bracelets in Kelly, Jige, Constance, and Bolide styles all set a world record for Artcurial. Valued between 5,000 and 8,000 euros, their price was almost quadrupled when they sold for 33,800 euros. Talk about a costly way to get a Hermès classic around your wrist!
The long-awaited Hermès Smart car, limited to only 40 copies, managed to get 23,400 euros. Entirely in red leather, it was dressed up by Hermès workshops for Smart’s 10th birthday in 2009. Finally, other creations from the brand sold for eye-popping prices as well. Between Hermès carré scarves, Garden and Haut à courroies bags, and a World Time brass clock, the symbol of French elegance and savoir-faire was able to be admired at this auction, where each year dreams do come true… for a price.
The Birkin Bag by Hermès : Key Dates
1892 : The prototype of the Birkin bag is a large bag used for holding a saddle and is known as Haut à courroies because of its high handle.
1981 : The iconic Birkin bag is introduced, named after the British actress Jane Birkin, following a chance encounter with the former Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas on an Air France flight from Paris to London in 1980.
1984 : Jane Birkin replaces her straw handbag with a leather handbag Hermès created for her, thus starting the trend of the Birkin handbag.
1989 : For the first time Hermès leaves its traditional sober and discrete style and starts and advertising campaign about the bag on Vogue. Jane Birkin is on the cover.
1990s : The Birkin bag starts to become a cult object.
1996 : Jane Birkin is portrayed with her fifth Birkin bag.
2001 : The iconic tote becomes forever known worldwide as the ultimate status symbol by appearing in a key episode of Sex and the City. In the episode, Samantha Jones uses one of her celebrity client’s names in order to skip the “five year” waiting list for the bag. After the episode aired, the Birkin’s actual waiting list tripled in length, which is a true testament to the cultural impact of the show.
2003 : Kate Moss is spotted while carrying the legendary Birkin.
2005 : The bag becomes even more widely-known when Gilmore Girls features a storyline fully centred around the Birkin bag.
2007 : Victoria Beckham is photographed while carrying a Birkin: she has a true mania for this object being credited for having a collection of more than 100 Birkin bags.
2008 : Jennifer Lopez enters the club of the Birkin owners.
2010s : Hermès pushes on the concept of bespoke Birkin, by creating a series of one of a kind customized bags. On the other side many clients start to customize their Birkins with the help of por or graffiti artists, just like for the Mickey Mouse or Betty Boop and the Monopoly Man Birkins. The Birkin mania explodes.
2010 : Lady Gaga is one of the first to embrace this concept of customized Birkin bags: her studded Birkin bag in black leather becomes a symbol of her rock-post-modern style.
2011 : A red Porosus crocodile Birkin with 18-carat white-gold and diamond ‘hardware’ set a first record as the most expensive Birkin ever sold. It happens in Dallas, for 203.000 dollars.
2013 : Kim Kardashian surrenders to the charm of the Birkin Bag.
2015 : A Birkin made of fuchsia porosus crocodile with diamond-encrusted, 18k white gold hardware is sold to a phone bidder at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong for a quarter million dollars.
2017 : A Birkin Himalayan Crocodile sets a world record by being auctioned for more than 300.000 Euros.
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