You've all heard of the illustrious "B" bag, but what exactly makes a Hermes Birkin so special? Whenever we come across one of these special bags in our store, we are always so excited. But their rarity isn't the only reason for that. We recently sold a Hermes Black Clemence Birkin 25 before welcoming the Birkin Rouge Togo 35 of which we are currently looking to find a home! Read on (and watch the video) to discover everything you need to know about this incredible bag.
The History of the Hermes Birkin Bag
Jane Birkin, an actress, singer, and songwriter based in France and popular in the 70s, was seated next to Hermes chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight in 1983 from Paris to London. After the contents of Jane's bag fell from the overhead compartment onto the deck, Jane explained to Dumas of the difficulty in finding an adequate weekend leather bag.
Inspired, Dumas created a black leather bag specifically for Jane Birkin just one year later in 1984, which was actually based on a prior design from 1982. Since that time, the bag has become a status symbol, and one of the most famous designer handbags in the world.
One-of-a-kind Birkin Craftsmanship
One of the aspects that makes the Hermes Birkin bag so special is that each and every one of them is handcrafted; made in France, each Birkin is hand sewn with the signature Hermes saddle stitching, which was developed in the 1800s. The bags are then buffed, painted, and polished by hand, which takes several days to finish. The leathers used to create Birkin bags come from different tanners in France, which brings a unique, one-of-a-kind scent and texture to each bag. All of these aspects of craftsmanship justifies both the cost and high demand for Birkin bags.
Hermes Birkin Design
The design of the Birkin bag, is of course, superior to almost any other handbag in comparison. Extremely well thought-out and created for the purpose-driven, the best Birkin design aspects include:
- Custom hides, including calf leather, lizard, ostrich, and saltwater crocodile
- The bag is securely fastened with a lock and keys. The keys are enclosed in a leather lanyard looped through the handle
- The metallic hardware is plated with gold or palladium
Birkin bags, as you can see, are special for many reasons. They aren't just bags; they're art. Shop our collection of Hermes Birkin bags.