Launched in 1984, the Hermes Birkin bag is arguably the most coveted fashion item there is.  The Birkin bag is named after Jane Birkin, the British born actress.  It was during a long haul flight whilst she sat next to the then Hermes CEO, Jean-Louis Dumas, that the contents of her handbag spilled across the floor after falling out of one of the overhead lockers.  After explaining how she was unable to find a leather weekend bag she liked, he designed the Birkin bag for her.  And thus, the Birkin bag was born.

 It has been a firm favourite of socialites and fashionistas ever since.  It comes as no surprise that even when purchased at auction, these handbags exceed their estimates and can sometimes achieve more than their original retail price.  A Birkin hold the record for the most expensive handbag every sold at an auction.  This pink diamond encrusted crocodile skin handbag dating from 2014 was sold in June of this year for an eye watering £146,000 by Christies Hong Kong.

It is certainly a very attractive handbag. However, many have questioned why a handbag carries such a staggering price?   The Birkin bag represents more than a handbag or fashion brand, it is representative of a lifestyle.  Its celebrity association has propelled its cult status.  Each handbag is handcrafted and customised should a customer desire it to be. These handbags are not mass produced in factories, but are exquisitely handmade by skilled artisans.  Each craftsman goes through a training programme of over a year and it takes each person approximately two days to put together these handbags.   This explains why a high volume of these bags are not produced and why they are sometimes so difficult to come buy (it has been known for some handbags to have a waiting list of up to two years).  Real Hermes handbags are made only using the finest materials. Controversially, the brand mainly uses the hide of crocodiles, mainly from Australia and the banks of the river Nile.  The rarity of these species will increase the price of a handbag even more.

These factors certainly explain the high costs of these bags, both at retail and at the second-hand market.  It is unlike a normal handbag, and more a work of art.  If current auction prices at Christies are anything to go by, these handbags will certainly be worth the investment to the lucky few who are able to get their hands on one.

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