Latest news with #FashionIcons'
Fashion United
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion United
Sotheby's to auction off Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin bag
Auction house Sotheby's is putting Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin bag up for sale as part of its first 'Fashion Icons' lot. The bag, typically known to be 'The Original Birkin', is a black leather prototype featuring design elements 'that set it apart from every Birkin that followed', Sotheby's said, including a stamp with the initials J.B. on the front flap. The bag was designed in 1985 by Hermès' then-creative director Jean-Louis Dumas, who had met Jane Birkin in a chance encounter, created the piece to cater to her needs and ultimately named the final design after the British-French actress. Current Birkin model and the Original Birkin on the plinth. Credits: Sotheby's. The historic accessory will go under the hammer in an auction taking place July 10, alongside other pieces that helped to define fashion trends from the 1950s through to the 2010s. Alongside the Birkin, the first edition of the Fashion Icons Sale will also include a selection of pieces from the late 1980s to early 1990s by Azzedine Alaïa; dresses from 'The Girl Who Lives in a Tree' and 'Plato Atlantis' collections of the late Alexander McQueen; and other pieces by designers considered 'trailblazers' over the last 70 years, including Pierre Balmain, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Thierry Mugler. The auction will be held at Sotheby's Paris galleries, where all the items will be publicly displayed from July 3 to July 9. Azzedine Alaïa, Black Lambskin Ensemble, AW 1983-84 Credits: Sotheby's.
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The Citizen
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
First ever Birkin bag to be auctioned in July [PICS]
The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. The prototype Birkin will be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York. Picture: iStock The first Birkin bag, designed by French luxury brand Hermès for actress Jane Birkin in 1984, will be auctioned in Paris on 10 July 2025, Sotheby's announced on Thursday. The large black leather tote, whose design went on to become one of the most famous and expensive bags in the world, will be the centrepiece of the 'Fashion Icons' sale, the auction house said. This 'historic, handcrafted prototype', engraved with the initials J.B., has several unique features, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper. The original Birkin crafted for Jane Birkin in 1985. Picture: ETX/Sotheby's© The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. During a Paris–London flight, the Anglo-French 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. ALSO READ: SA-born artist Marlene Dumas breaks global record with over R245 million painting sale [PICS] The bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online 40 years later, the leather handbag has become the flagship product of the luxury French leather goods maker. Produced in very limited numbers, it maintains an aura of exclusivity, with prices ranging from several thousand euros for the simplest models to several hundred thousand euros for the most luxurious. Beloved by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, the bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online. The prototype Birkin was exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from 6 to 12 June, ahead of the sale in the French capital. In addition to the Birkin bag, the Sotheby's sale will feature iconic runway pieces from designers including Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen. Bidding will open online on 26 June and close on 10 July. NOW READ: 17-year-old Pearl Mathebula wins Miss Teen International in Peru
Fashion Network
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
First-ever Hermès Birkin handbag to be auctioned in Paris in July
The first Birkin handbag, designed especially for Jane Birkin in 1984, will be auctioned in Paris on July 10, the last day of Haute Couture Week, announced auction house Sotheby's on Thursday. The large black leather tote, the original version of one of the world's most celebrated and expensive handbags, will be the 'signature item' in Sotheby's 'Fashion Icons' auction, as Sotheby's said in a press release. The handbag will be exhibited to the public at Sotheby's gallery in New York on June 6-12, ahead of its final presentation at the auction house's Parisian offices in the 8th arrondissement, on July 3-9. The 'historic handmade prototype,' engraved with the initials J.B., is distinctive for several peculiarities that make it a unique piece: its size, the closed metal rings, the non-detachable shoulder strap, and the incorporated nail clipper. Jane Birkin was undoubtedly a fashion icon, but she was keen on practicality above all. On a Paris to London flight, the British singer-actress, who died in 2023, complained with a fellow passenger of not being able to find a handbag that fit the needs of a young mother. The fellow passenger was none other than Jean-Louis Dumas, then boss of Hermès. A tote bag with a pouch for baby bottles was launched by Hermès in 1984, and was named Birkin. Forty years later, the Birkin leather handbag has become the French luxury house's most iconic product. It is manufactured in very small quantities to foster its exclusive image. Its prices can vary greatly, from a few thousand euro for the simplest models, to several hundred thousand euros for the most luxurious ones. In addition to the Birkin handbag, the auction will feature iconic items from runway shows by designers such as Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen. The auction will start online from June 26, and will continue until the closing date of July 10.
Fashion Network
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
First-ever Hermès Birkin handbag to be auctioned in Paris in July
The first Birkin handbag, designed especially for Jane Birkin in 1984, will be auctioned in Paris on July 10, the last day of Haute Couture Week, announced auction house Sotheby's on Thursday. The large black leather tote, the original version of one of the world's most celebrated and expensive handbags, will be the 'signature item' in Sotheby's 'Fashion Icons' auction, as Sotheby's said in a press release. The handbag will be exhibited to the public at Sotheby's gallery in New York on June 6-12, ahead of its final presentation at the auction house's Parisian offices in the 8th arrondissement, on July 3-9. The 'historic handmade prototype,' engraved with the initials J.B., is distinctive for several peculiarities that make it a unique piece: its size, the closed metal rings, the non-detachable shoulder strap, and the incorporated nail clipper. Jane Birkin was undoubtedly a fashion icon, but she was keen on practicality above all. On a Paris to London flight, the British singer-actress, who died in 2023, complained with a fellow passenger of not being able to find a handbag that fit the needs of a young mother. The fellow passenger was none other than Jean-Louis Dumas, then boss of Hermès. A tote bag with a pouch for baby bottles was launched by Hermès in 1984, and was named Birkin. Forty years later, the Birkin leather handbag has become the French luxury house's most iconic product. It is manufactured in very small quantities to foster its exclusive image. Its prices can vary greatly, from a few thousand euro for the simplest models, to several hundred thousand euros for the most luxurious ones. In addition to the Birkin handbag, the auction will feature iconic items from runway shows by designers such as Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen. The auction will start online from June 26, and will continue until the closing date of July 10.
CNN
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag goes on sale
The original Hermès Birkin bag, which acted as the blueprint for what would become one of the most desirable celebrity status symbols in the world, will go under the hammer in Paris next month. The capacious saddle-stitched handbag, inspired by actor and singer Jane Birkin who died in 2023, will lead the 'Fashion Icons' sale at Sotheby's on July 10, the auction house said in a statement Thursday. Known as 'The Original Birkin,' the all-black, leather handbag is the first version of the timeless luxury staple, which was envisaged about 40 years ago after a chance encounter on a plane between Birkin and then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, Sotheby's said. 'There are rare moments in the world of fashion when an object transcends trends and becomes a legend. Jane Birkin's Original Birkin bag is such a moment,' said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, in the statement. Halimi said the bag 'stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional items with similarly dazzling provenance,' such as Princess Diana's 'black sheep' sweater and British rock star Freddie Mercury's crown and cloak. 'Like them, the Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records,' Halimi added. CNN asked Sotheby's how much they expect the handbag to sell for, but the auction house would not provide an estimate. Birkin herself acknowledged the bag's legacy as a pop cultural phenomenon. She told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in 2020 that, after the bag's fame skyrocketed, she wondered whether it might – rather than her movies or hit song 'Je T'aime… Moi Non Plus' – become what she was best remembered for. 'Bless me, when I'm dead… (people) will possibly only talk about the bag,' she joked. The origin story of the bag started with an unexpected encounter. On a flight in 1984, Birkin found herself seated next to Dumas. They struck up a conversation in which she said she wanted a bag 'half the size of my suitcase,' Birkin told Amanpour. 'He said, 'Well, draw it for me,' and so I drew it on one of those sick bags – the vomit bags – in the airplane,' Birkin said. The original Birkin differs from subsequent versions in seven ways, Sotheby's said, with its size, metal rings, brass hardware, shoulder strap, zip and bottom studs setting the prototype apart from future bags. The bag, which is branded with Birkin's initials – 'J.B' – on the front flap, also has a pair of nail clippers hanging from the shoulder strap, the auction house said. It will go on public display at Sotheby's New York galleries from June 6 to 12. Thousands flocked to see the bag when it was exhibited publicly at Sotheby's Paris Galleries last autumn, and then at Sotheby's Maison in Hong Kong earlier this year, the auction house added.
