Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag goes on sale

CNN The original Herm s Birkin bag which acted as the blueprint for what would become one of the majority of desirable celebrity status symbols in the world will go under the hammer in Paris next month The capacious saddle-stitched handbag inspired by actor and singer Jane Birkin who died in will lead the Fashion Icons sale at Sotheby s on July the auction house mentioned in a comment Thursday Known as The Original Birkin the all-black leather handbag is the first version of the timeless luxury staple which was envisaged about years ago after a chance encounter on a plane between Birkin and then-Herm s CEO Jean-Louis Dumas Sotheby s declared There are rare moments in the world of fashion when an object transcends trends and becomes a legend Jane Birkin s Original Birkin bag is such a moment declared Morgane Halimi Sotheby s global head of handbags and fashion in the comment Halimi declared the bag stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional items with similarly dazzling provenance such as Princess Diana s black sheep sweater and British rock star Freddie Mercury s crown and cloak Like them the Original Birkin holds the anticipated to redefine records Halimi added CNN requested Sotheby s how much they expect the handbag to sell for but the auction house would not provide an estimate Birkin herself acknowledged the bag s legacy as a pop cultural phenomenon She communicated CNN s Christiane Amanpour in that after the bag s fame skyrocketed she wondered whether it might rather than her movies or hit song Je T aime Moi Non Plus become what she was best remembered for Bless me when I m dead people will possibly only talk about the bag she joked The origin story of the bag started with an unexpected encounter On a flight in Birkin detected herself seated next to Dumas They struck up a conversation in which she reported she desired a bag half the size of my suitcase Birkin notified Amanpour He revealed Well draw it for me and so I drew it on one of those sick bags the vomit bags in the airplane Birkin noted The original Birkin differs from subsequent versions in seven solutions Sotheby s commented with its size metal rings brass hardware shoulder strap zip and bottom studs setting the prototype apart from future bags The bag which is branded with Birkin s initials J B on the front flap also has a pair of nail clippers hanging from the shoulder strap the auction house revealed It will go on community display at Sotheby s New York galleries from June to Thousands flocked to see the bag when it was exhibited publicly at Sotheby s Paris Galleries last autumn and then at Sotheby s Maison in Hong Kong earlier this year the auction house added