It can cost as much as Rs. 3 crore, but Indian celebs can’t seem to get enough of it… what is the Birkin bag all about?
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00:00These aren't just any regular designer handbags, these are called the queen of handbags.
00:11They are highly sought after collectibles which have sold for millions of dollars and
00:15are terribly hard to get because only a limited number of these bags are made every year.
00:22This is the famous Birkin bag from Hermes.
00:26And this is its story.
00:27The Birkin was inspired by French actor and singer Jane Birkin who passed away earlier
00:33this month.
00:34Jane was known for her eclectic style and in the 1980s when she was on a flight from
00:39Paris to London, she was stuffing the wicker basket she used as a purse into the overhead
00:44compartment when all her belongings spilled out onto the floor.
00:48Her co-passenger told her, you should have one with pockets and she cheekily replied,
00:53the day Hermes makes one with pockets, I will have that.
00:56And the man said, but I am Hermes.
00:59She was talking to Jean-Louis Dumas, the executive chairman of Hermes.
01:04The two then spent the rest of the flight sketching out what would years later become
01:08the iconic Birkin on a wormit bag.
01:11The original was made in black leather but was later also made in different sizes, materials
01:15and colors.
01:16It took until the 1990s for the Birkin to become a status symbol and one of the most
01:21sought after bags in fashion.
01:23In 2001, the bag's popularity hit unprecedented heights when an episode of the American show
01:28Sex and the City showed how hard it is to get one.
01:36In 2015, Jane asked Hermes to stop using her name for the crocodile leather Birkin after
01:43PETA alleged cruelty against the animals during slaughter.
01:47She said she asked the company to de-baptize the Birkin Croco until better practices in
01:52line with international norms can be put in place.
01:54Denying these allegations, Hermes said they followed international guidelines and had
01:59also launched an investigation.
02:01The Birkin now is not only a coveted handbag but also an investment.
02:05The bags increased in value over time and in 2023, it was estimated that this increase
02:11was about 8-10%.
02:13Each piece is painstakingly fashioned by hand and takes a minimum of 18 hours to make.
02:19It is marked with a date, the workshop, and signed by the craftsman who made it.
02:23Usually, Birkins are priced between $10,000 and $40,000, which is about Rs. 8-33 lakhs.
02:31But a diamond-embellished Himalaya Crocodile Birkin once sold for more than $450,000 at
02:37an auction.
02:38I've been on the waiting list for a Birkin bag forever.
02:42How to buy a Birkin directly from Hermes is a rather closely guarded secret and the wait
02:48list used to be several years long.
02:50While it isn't clear if Hermes still has a wait list or if it ever did, some say potential
02:55buyers are offered a bag by the sales staff.
02:58Rumour has it that only people who already have a long purchase history with the brand
03:03are given the opportunity to buy a Birkin.
03:05Have you seen my Birkin bag?