In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Jane Birkin on a flight out of Paris to London. Shortly after placing her straw bag in the overhead compartment, all of its contents fell to the ground. While scrambling to replace the contents, Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult for her to find a leather weekend bag that she actually liked. Two years later, Dumas created the "Birkin bag". Based on an 1892 design and named after Birkin herself, the "Birkin bag" has become an icon for Hermès and the leather bag industry.
Hermès' "Birkin bag" is a handmade symbol of wealth with a price tag that can range anywhere from $9,000 to $150,000. The bags are hand-sewn, buffed, painted, and polished in France by expert artisans. An average bag is created in 48 hours and because of the individual craftsmanship, details of the bags may not all match. The bags are distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities, creating scarcity and intended or unintended exclusivity. The company justifies the cost, compared to other bags, based on the meticulous craftsmanship and scarcity.
"Birkin bags" are sold in a range of sizes. Each one may be made to order with different customer chosen hides, color, and hardware fixtures including a metal lock and keys. The metallic hardware [the lock, keys, buckle hardware, and base studs] are plated with gold or palladium to prevent tarnishing. The metal lock may be covered with leather as a custom option, or even diamonds. Although the Birkin bag is free of logos, it is one of the most recognized bags in the fashion industry and by the public. It is highly coveted and, for several years, was reputed for having a waiting list of up to six years – the longest wait for any bag in history.
There couldn't be a better icon to model such a bag after. Jane Birkin was born of the Order of British Empire in 1946 in London. Her mother was a stage actress, and her father a Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander and World War II Espionage Operative. Tres chic! Birkin debuted her own acting career and emerged in the Swinging London scene of the 1960's. Following films, she went into music callaborating with Serge Gainsbourg who also co-starred with her in her first lead role in the film Slogan. I love the picture above of her, in France for the film premiere of Slogan. Iconic.
In 1969, she and Gainsbourg released the duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus" [translated "I love you... me neither"]. The song caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness, and was banned by radio stations in Italy, Spain, and the UK. But, we all know that sex sells. The song's fame was partly a result of its salacious lyrics, sung in French by both Gainsbourg and Birkin to a background of increasing sexual moans and groans from Birkin and culminating in her simulated orgasm at the song's conclusion. I would imagine this is what the Lust List would sound like if it were a song.
Birkin married twice, once to Gainsbourg, and has had three children. She lives in France and continues to work in films [most recently in the lead role for the 2006 film Elektra] and music, and has collaborated with numerous artists from Franz Ferdinand to MC Solaar [a personal French favorite].
It is rumored that Birkin only used the "Birkin bag" for a limited time, eventually opting for something else. When you're as iconic as she is, I guess such an extravagant bag is just another leather weekender.
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