World's most expensive Birkin bag fetches $10 million in Paris
The modern design classic, owned by a well-known Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up to €7 million, with the final sale price set at 8.58 million with commission and fees, the Sotheby's website showed.
The previous record sale price for a handbag at auction was set by a diamond- and white gold-encrusted crocodile skin Hermes Kelly 28 which fetched nearly $513,000 in 2021 at Christie's in Hong Kong.
"After weeks of anticipation, the bidding opened at 1 million euros — prompting a gasp from the room," Sotheby's said in a statement.
Sotheby's had advised that the Birkin prototype was expected to set records.
But the staggering price tag is in keeping with the fashion world's recent flashy aesthetics.
After years of so-called "quiet luxury" dominating catwalks, designers have embraced more ostentatious looks in recent seasons that have been dubbed "boom boom" by some trend forecasters.
The identity of the buyer has not been revealed so far.
Fashion legend
The original Birkin has changed hands twice since being put up for sale by Birkin at an auction in 1994 where the proceeds went to an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids) charity, according to Sotheby's.
Thursday's seller, Catherine Benier, who has a boutique in the upmarket 6th district in Left Bank Paris, told The New York Times before the sale that the bag was the "jewel in my collection".
The birth of the bag has become a modern fashion legend.
During a Paris–London flight, the singer and actress -- who died in 2023 -- complained to a fellow traveller about not being able to find a bag suited to her needs as a young mother.
That fellow passenger happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermes.
The result of their conversation was a spacious tote with room for baby bottles, created in 1984 and named the Birkin.
It is engraved with the initials J.B. and has several unique features, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper.
Its condition "reflects the many years of use by the actress and singer," Sotheby's said beforehand.
A slightly differently sized version of the original has become the flagship product of the immensely profitable family-owned luxury French leather goods maker ever since.
Produced in very limited numbers, the bag has maintained an aura of exclusivity and is beloved by celebrities from Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez to Victoria Beckham.
Frustrated fashionistas in America even sued Hermes in a class-action suit in California last year after they were refused access to the bags.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
17 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
"Demon Slayer" film sets Japan opening 3-day box-office record
KYODO — The animated film adaptation of the popular manga " Demon Slayer" has set a new record for Japan's highest box-office revenue in its first three days, the distributor said Tuesday. The latest film, " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 'Infinity Castle -- Part 1: Akaza Returns'" drew 3.84 million visitors, hitting ¥5.52 billion (US$37 million) in box-office revenue over the three-day period from Friday, Aniplex Inc said. The subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc added the film earned ¥1.64 billion on its first day, 1.84 billion on the second and 2.04 billion on the third, making it the highest-grossing movie ever released in Japan on an opening day. Sunday marked the highest single-day box-office revenue on record. In the four days through Monday, total revenue topped ¥7.32 billion, according to Aniplex. The manga title, serialised in the Weekly Shonen Jump from 2016 to 2020, tells the story of Tanjiro Kamado, an adolescent boy who battles human-eating demons while searching for a cure for his sister, who has turned into a demon. The previous animated work based on the series, released in 2020, became the first film in Japan to surpass ¥40 billion in box-office revenue.
Bangkok Post
5 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Girls gone bad
Remember the popular HBO series Girls from over a decade ago? The show was widely recognised for its postfeminist commentary on female sexuality and millennial angst and it ran for a surprisingly long six seasons. To this day, I still don't really understand the rave reviews. I only watched a few episodes here and there, so I won't pretend to be an expert on it, but what I saw never quite resonated with me. Now comes Too Much, a new Netflix drama-comedy created by none other than Lena Dunham -- the same voice behind Girls. And after watching all 10 episodes, Too Much feels like a spiritual sequel to Girls. Whether that's a compliment or a criticism is open to interpretation. But to me, it felt like Dunham took everything that was frustrating, cringe-inducing and painfully self-conscious about Girls, gave it a new coat of paint and dropped it into a different setting -- London. The show follows Jessica (Megan Stalter), a New York-based workaholic in her mid-30s who is reeling from a heartbreak that she still hasn't emotionally recovered from. Her daily life in Manhattan is now haunted by the ghosts of her past missteps -- streets that remind her of arguments, restaurants that remind her of failed dates and friends she's slowly pushed away. So what does she do? She takes a job in London with the plan of disappearing into a life of romantic solitude -- imagining herself as some kind of modern-day Brontë sister. But her grand vision is quickly interrupted when she meets Felix (Will Sharpe), a charming but clearly problematic Englishman with a laundry list of red flags. Their messy, chaotic and at times toxic relationship becomes the central thread of the series. Genre-wise, Too Much is an odd and uneasy blend of romance, satire and character comedy. What makes the experience so uncomfortable is Megan Stalter's overbearing performance as Jessica. And it's not just the acting -- the entire show revolves around this character's emotional instability and poor decision-making, with very few moments that feel grounded or earned. I've never had a problem with characters being annoying, selfish, or even downright insufferable. In fact, some of the most memorable TV characters are defined by their flaws. But if I'm meant to root for them -- or at the very least stay invested in their arc -- there has to be a sense of movement or growth. Jessica, however, is a challenge to connect with. She's whiny, theatrical, self-involved and awkward, but not in any way that feels endearing or funny. The typical redemption arc requires that a character who starts off flawed begin to recognise their own shortcomings and, little by little, make meaningful changes. Jessica does eventually start to grow and become slightly more self-aware, but it takes far too long. The show waits until the final few episodes to kick this transformation into gear, which made much of the season feel like a frustrating loop of the same behaviour and poor choices over and over again. Another major issue I had with Too Much is the dialogue. Simply put, it's not interesting. The conversations between characters are long-winded, self-indulgent, and, frankly, tedious. Maybe I'm past the age where this kind of millennial or post-millennial introspection feels relatable. But for me, watching these characters speak felt like being trapped in a room full of people having conversations I couldn't care less about. The show tries to capture the rhythm of modern emotional discourse, but ends up sounding like a parody of therapy-speak and TikTok oversharing. Jessica and Felix, as leads, are both hard to like. I get that Dunham is going for realism, showing us flawed people who don't always say the right thing or act with grace. But their narcissism and lack of self-awareness become exhausting. I kept waiting for that one episode, or even one scene, where I'd finally connect with them -- or at least understand why I should care. But that moment never came. Not all the humour misses. There are times when the show lands a decent laugh, particularly in some of the more absurd situations. I did find myself smirking occasionally, or shuffling awkwardly in my seat during especially cringey moments -- but more out of second-hand embarrassment than genuine comedy. Many of the awkward or "funny" situations are just the result of terrible decision-making and instead of being humorous, they end up feeling repetitive or needlessly exasperating. That said, the show does have a few redeeming qualities. Visually, Too Much does a lovely job of capturing the feel of London. From the grey skies and cosy cafes to the urban corners and awkward social customs, the city almost becomes a character in itself. The "fish-out-of-water" jokes, while occasionally overused, do manage to add texture and contrast to Jessica's American sensibilities. There are a few chuckle-worthy moments drawn from culture clash and misunderstanding. Another thing I genuinely appreciated is the show's refreshingly honest approach to sex and body image. Unlike many series that exclusively depict sex between perfectly toned, model-like bodies, Too Much offers scenes that feel more realistic, with characters who look like actual people. Jessica, who is plus-sized, is portrayed confidently and without apology, which adds a nice touch of authenticity and inclusivity to a genre that often lacks both. Unfortunately, none of that is quite enough to rescue the show from its own indulgences. The writing feels like therapy sessions disguised as scripts and the performances, especially from Stalter, often cross the line from bold to grating. Even the celebrity cameos -- Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Stephen Fry and Kit Harington -- feel like distractions rather than meaningful contributions. Even though I had my fair share of criticisms about Girls, at least I could acknowledge that it had a spark of originality and daring in its earlier seasons. The problem with Too Much is that it inherits all the same flaws as Girls -- the narcissism and the lack of accountability and self-involvement -- but offers even less in return. The show tries to say something about identity, self-worth, and healing, but those messages get buried under characters that are just too hard to care about. If you're older than 20 -- or just not in the mood for 10 episodes of performative vulnerability -- maybe skip this one.
Bangkok Post
6 days ago
- Bangkok Post
A trio of chefs served with your Restaurant War
Four episodes of the cooking competition The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix. It's a battle among fiery street food cooks who are joining the competition not only to win the cash prize of 1 million baht but also to learn culinary know-how and techniques from leading chefs. With chef Willment Leong as the competition's headmaster, the 10-episode cooking contest also sees three top chefs serving as head trainer for each team. Let's get to know more about them. Chef Supamongkol "Art" Supapipat A former national swimmer, chef Art was the first to introduce the concept of "Chef's Table" to Thai diners. He opened Chef's Table by Chef Art on Ekkamai Soi 10. The restaurant serves fine-dining French cuisine. Chef Art is also one of the judges for Top Chef Thailand. He is the head trainer for Team Orange in The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2. Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn Executive chef and owner of Le Du, Baan, Nusara and Mayrai among others, chef Ton specialises in Thai cuisine, turning street food into fine dining. His restaurant Nusara is currently No.6 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list while Le Du is ranked 20. Chef Ton is the head trainer for Team Green in The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2 which has so far won two consecutive team challenges. He is also the head trainer behind the winning team on The Restaurant War Thailand Season 1. Chef Pichaya "Pam" Soontornyanakij The World's Best Female Chef 2025 and Asia's Best Female Chef 2024, chef Pam is the first Asian and Thai to receive the World's Best Female Chef status. She also earned Michelin star and "Opening of the Year" awards from the Michelin Guide. Also a television personality, chef Pam is the first and only Thai female who achieve 3-knife status at the World's Best Chef Awards. Chef Pam is also behind the success of her restaurant Potong, the No.13 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list this year.
