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Web Release
6 days ago
- Business
- Web Release
Jane Birkin's Original Hermès Bag Sells for $10 Million at Auction
In a landmark fashion moment, Jane Birkin's original Hermès handbag sold for a staggering $10.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in Paris. Created as a one-off prototype in 1984, the bag has now become the most expensive handbag ever auctioned, underscoring its unmatched cultural and historical significance. A Fashion Icon Born Mid-Flight The bag's story began in 1981 during a chance encounter aboard a flight. Jane Birkin famously sketched the design on an air sickness bag while seated next to Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas. Her practical needs and artistic flair led to the creation of what would become one of fashion's most iconic accessories. Handcrafted by Hermès and delivered to Birkin in 1985, the bag was used daily until 1994. Unlike commercial Birkin models, this prototype was adorned with stickers from Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, and even included a nail clipper—adding deeply personal touches to an already historic piece. Auction Sets Historic Records The bag sparked intense interest, with nine collectors bidding during a 10-minute showdown. Ultimately, a private buyer from Japan secured the prized item. Its final price of $10.1 million (8.6 million euros, including fees) shattered the previous auction record for a handbag, set by a diamond-studded crocodile Kelly bag that fetched $513,040 in 2021. It also eclipsed the $450,000 sale of a white-diamond Himalaya Birkin in 2022. Auctioneer Aurélie Vandevoorde described the Birkin as 'the most famous bag of all time,' while Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, called the sale 'an important milestone.' Halimi added, 'It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin has become the most desirable bag in history.' Cultural Value Beyond Luxury The record-breaking sale marks not only the financial worth of this unique accessory but also its lasting influence on fashion history. As the muse behind one of the most coveted luxury items ever made, Jane Birkin left an enduring legacy. Her passing in 2023 only deepened the emotional and cultural value tied to this iconic piece.
Hypebeast
11-07-2025
- Business
- Hypebeast
Original Hermès Birkin Sells for Staggering $10 Million USD
Summary The ultimate symbol of luxury and an icon born from a serendipitous airplane encounter,Jane Birkin's originalHermèsbag has sold at auction for an astounding $10.1 million (8.6 million euros), including fees. The sale, conducted by Sotheby's in Paris, has shattered previous records, making it the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction and the second most valuable fashion item in auction history. The prototype, famously sketched out on an air sickness bag by Birkin during a 1981 flight with then-Hermès head Jean-Louis Dumas, was handcrafted for her in 1984 and delivered in 1985. Birkin used the battered black leather bag daily until 1994, even adorning it with stickers from Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, and incorporating practical details like a nail clipper. These personal touches and its unique origins distinguish it from all subsequent commercial Birkin bags, which became a global symbol of exclusivity and high fashion. The 10-minute bidding war saw nine collectors vying for the piece, with a private collector from Japan ultimately securing the legendary bag. Its sale price eclipses the previous record for a handbag, a diamond and crocodile Kelly bag that sold for $513,040 USD in 2021, and far surpasses a white-diamond Himalaya Birkin that fetched $450,000 USD in 2022. Before the bidding, auctioneer Aurélie Vandevoorde said, 'Today, the Birkin has become a veritable fashion icon,' calling it 'the most famous bag of all time.' Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, called the sale 'an important milestone,' stating, 'It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin, has become the most desirable bag in history.' The staggering price reflects not only the bag's rarity and provenance but also its deep cultural significance as a piece of fashion history intertwined with the life of its muse, Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023.
The Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Families in Gaza eating grass and animal feed as doctors witness record levels of malnutrition
FAMILIES IN GAZA have resorted to boiling grass and eating animal feed as Israel's food, water and aid blockade on the region enters its eleventh week. Doctors in the Gaza Strip are witnessing and recording the highest levels ever of malnutrition in the territory. Acute levels of malnourishment are being seen in children and in pregnant women. Humanitarian and medical organisations held an emergency press briefing this afternoon to brief the world's media on what they are witnessing in Gaza, which has been blockaded from receiving aid by Israel. Bushma Khalidi, Oxfam's head of policy for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whose family are currently in Gaza, said: 'People are eating animal feed. They're boiling grass .' 'Families are slaughtering their horses – something unimaginable in our culture, something sacred – just to feed their children. We've seen people catching turtles from sewage-contaminated shores to cook and survive. 'Even my own family in Gaza, my brother-in-law Hassan, told me the children are dizzy most of the day. This is not because they are sick, but because they're hungry. This is how deep this has gone,' Khalidi said. A man in Northern Gaza grounds lentils as a replacement for flour in order to make bread for his family, image taken on 11 May, Alamy Alamy Mahmoud Isleem of French medical organisation Médecins du Monde's (MDM) Palestine, which operates eight clinics in Gaza, said the level of malnutrition his organisation is seeing is unprecedented. One in four children are now presenting to clinics with evidence of malnutrition, as of last month. Isleem said the levels of malnutrition his organisation has recorded in Gaza can be compared with countries which have been suffering from the issue for decades. Photo of a baby suffering from malnutrition, taken in Gaza on 5 May. One in four children are presenting with malnutrition in Gaza. Alamy Alamy On 2 March, Israel formally began a full-scale blockade on Gaza's access to food, water, fuel, medicine and other key humanitarian aid supplies. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said this week that Gaza is at risk of a food crisis 'or worse' by September . There is now a 'critical risk of famine', according to the global hunger monitor's latest report. Advertisement Israel's bombardment of Gaza continues. Israel plans to scale up a 'full force' offensive on Gaza in the coming days . 'Total collapse of dignity' Dr Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization's emergency programme, said in an emotional speech in Switzerland at the beginning of this month that the children of Gaza are 'starving' . Oxfam's Khalidi said today that Israel's actions represent a 'total disregard for humanitarian norms'. Photo taken today, 14 May, after continued Israeli bomb strikes resulted in the death of civilians, including children, in Northern Gaza. Alamy Alamy 'This isn't just a crisis – it's a collapse. It's a collapse of basic survival. It's a collapse of dignity. It's a collapse of the international order,' Khalidi said. We've called repeatedly for a permanent ceasefire, repeatedly for full and unimpeded access and repeatedly for respect of international law, yet what we're seeing the opposite.' Families eating 'rancid' food Soraya Ali, Global Media Manager at international charity Save the Children, said Israel's blockade on Gaza has reduced life in the territory to an 'inhumane nightmare'. She said families are forced to eat 'rancid food' to avoid hunger, and the most basic medical care is not available as Israel's blockade enters its 73rd day. Ali said: 'The humanitarian situation is the worst it has ever been. People continue to be displaced. They're being bombed and killed by bombs. Starved.' Trucks stopped at the border between Egypt and Gaza after 2 March after Israel launched its full blockade. Alamy, file Alamy, file Doctors without Borders (MSF) today urged the UN and the EU to use their political and economic leverage to stop the 'instrumentalisation of aid' by Israel. 'We are witnessing, in real time, the creation of conditions for the eradication of Palestinian lives in Gaza,' the medical aid agency said. It added: 'The obstruction of humanitarian aid is a direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2720, which calls for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. Israel's claims that aid is being diverted by Hamas 'remain unverified and in no way justify such measures', MSF said. 'As the occupying power, Israel must facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance for the population in need,' it added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
