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.
