The ultimate It Bag: How a chance meeting with Jane Birkin on a plane created the Hermes legend 

These days the phrase ‘fashion icon’ is too widely abused, and too often applied to any celebrity in possession of a white shirt, this season’s jeans and a six-figure Instagram following.

But Jane Birkin really was a fashion icon. In fact, it was Birkin who inspired generations of women to wear white shirts and jeans in the first place; one of countless looks the ineffably chic French actress and singer made her own. 

Her death, aged 76, leaves her French and British fans alike lamenting the passing of a true style legend.

Like all legends, of course, Birkin leaves behind a legacy. And what a legacy it is. 

For while she will always be fondly remembered for her white shirts, flared jeans, mini dresses and gamine, messy fringe that is still being requested in hairdressing salons to this day, her greatest legacy is undoubtedly the Birkin.

Jane Birkin (pictured) really was a fashion icon. In fact, it was Birkin who inspired generations of women to wear white shirts and jeans in the first place

It’s rare enough to be so famous and stylish as to inspire a handbag (though Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, Selena Gomez and Alexa Chung all hold that distinction) — but it’s rarer still to be the muse behind the most popular, covetable and expensive handbag of all time. 

The Hermes Birkin is that bag — and Jane Birkin is that muse.

How expensive is expensive? Answer: exceedingly — the price of a house, in some parts of the country. 

In 2019, a ten-year-old matte white crocodile hide Himalaya Birkin broke the European record for a bag sold at auction by fetching £162,500 at Christie’s.

A year later, in 2020, another crocodile Himalaya Birkin was sold to an anonymous buyer for £231,000, setting a new world record for what has been dubbed the ‘Holy Grail’ of handbags.

Those who may, with some justification, be asking why the Hermes Birkin is the ‘Holy Grail’ of handbags out of the countless thousands in existence, read on.

In the pantheon of luxury brands, many fashion connoisseurs regard Hermes as the pinnacle, a storied house with a history as compelling as its products.

Founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermes, it began life making harnesses for horses and has stayed true to its equestrian roots ever since (it still makes bespoke equestrian equipment, including saddles, and its logo is a horse).

In 1880, it opened its first store, branching out into leather goods in 1922 and clothing in 1925. Silk scarves followed in 1937, the rarest ones still collected as avidly as its handbags.

Although everyone is welcome in theory, it’s a luxury few can afford. Victoria Beckham’s personal collection of Birkin bags is said to number over 100

Today, Hermes produces handbags, menswear, womenswear, jewellery, textiles, homeware and fragrance, each item revered for its quality, which tends to come at an eye-watering price. 

An entry-level Hermes bag, in canvas and calfskin leather, costs £2,690, while a Hermes Birkin typically costs from £9,000 to £150,000.

Nor can fans expect to find a bargain in the January sales: Hermes doesn’t do sales. It doesn’t need to. 

Unlike many of its competitors, it doesn’t gift its bags or pay ambassadors and influencers to endorse them, either. ‘We have celebrities who buy our bags, but we’ve never had a celebrity [ambassador], because everybody is seen as a client,’ Hermes CEO, Axel Dumas — a sixth-generation member of the Hermes family — told me when I interviewed him in 2017. ‘Everybody’s welcome, no one is judged.’

Although everyone is welcome in theory, it’s a luxury few can afford and the fanbase is a roll call of the world’s most fashionable — and famous — women, including Victoria Beckham (whose personal collection of Birkin bags is said to number over 100), Jerry Hall, Julia Roberts, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez and the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan.

Given the Birkin’s exalted status as the most expensive and desirable bag ever made, its beginnings are almost comically humble.

It was in 1980 that a 33-year-old Jane Birkin happened to sit next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then chief executive of Hermes, on an Air France flight from Paris to London.

American model Karlie Kloss is pictured walking around Soho with a black Birkin bag

Jerry Hall is another fan of the Birkin  an entry-level Hermes bag, in canvas and calfskin leather, costs £2,690, while a Hermes Birkin typically costs from £9,000 to £150,000

Heidi Klum was also a fan of the Birkin, as she donned a green coloured version of the bag when out in New York

When the British-born star attempted to place her straw travelling bag in the overhead compartment, everything fell out, cascading all over the pair of them. 

Jane apologised and explained to Dumas it had been impossible to find a leather weekend bag she liked that could hold all the items she needed as a young mother.

Inspiration struck. They then spent most of the flight talking about what their ideal bag would look like, with Dumas scribbling designs on the back of a plane sick bag. The result: a simple rectangular holdall with a flap and distinctive saddle stitching.

In 1984, the first Birkins became available to buy, and have been selling steadily ever since, with demand constantly outstripping supply.

For even customers with the requisite bank balance can’t simply walk into a Hermes store and buy a Birkin. There is always a waiting list, its exact length shrouded in secrecy, but customers can routinely expect to wait several years.

Jennifer Lopez is pictured arriving at a dance studio with a brown Birkin bag in Los Angeles

The Hermes Birkin is that bag — and Jane Birkin is that muse. How expensive is expensive? Answer: exceedingly — the price of a house, in some parts of the country

Singer Lady Gaga shows her Hermes bag with hand written message ‘I love small monster, Tokyo Love’ in 2010

Cynics might suggest that Hermes makes its bags deliberately scarce to fuel demand, but the truth is more pragmatic: a Birkin simply takes a very long time to make. Some 3,000 craftspeople work in 15 different ateliers spread across France (there’s no outsourcing to China with Hermes), each highly trained in the unique specifics of Birkin manufacture.

According to Axel Dumas, it takes seven years to master the art of making a crocodile Birkin, one of the most complex models.

With demand for brand new Birkins so high, and supply so scarce, their resale value is understandably hefty. 

According to luxury resale site Vestiaire Collective, the Birkin is constantly one of its most in-demand bags, a trend echoed by other high-end resale businesses.

Kylie Minogue was spotted donning a red Hermes bag after arriving back in London after a trip to the U.S in 2013 

Katy Perry is pictured with a bright pink Hermes Birkin bag when she was out and about in London

It’s estimated that a Birkin accrues around 130 per cent of its original retail value at resale, a return that stands up admirably against traditional investments such as diamonds, gold, stock markets and real estate.

Online platform Baghunter, which has helped customers buy and sell Hermes bags since 2014, predicts a rise in value of between eight and ten times today’s market value over the next 50 years.

Eye-wateringly expensive as they are, at least the Birkin is built to last. Like a watch, ring or any other heirloom, it’s designed to be passed down to the next generation.

A Birkin is the antithesis of fast fashion. Yes, it takes a long time to make — and even longer to purchase — but once bought, it’s to be enjoyed and cherished for ever.

As a handbag, it’s unsurpassable. As a legacy, it’s a fitting and wonderful tribute to Jane, its forever stylish namesake, immortalised in leather for years to come.