First ever Birkin bag to be auctioned in July [PICS]

The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend.
The prototype Birkin will be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York. Picture: iStock
The first Birkin bag, designed by French luxury brand Hermès for actress Jane Birkin in 1984, will be auctioned in Paris on 10 July 2025, Sotheby's announced on Thursday.
The large black leather tote, whose design went on to become one of the most famous and expensive bags in the world, will be the centrepiece of the 'Fashion Icons' sale, the auction house said.
This 'historic, handcrafted prototype', engraved with the initials J.B., has several unique features, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper.
The original Birkin crafted for Jane Birkin in 1985. Picture: ETX/Sotheby's©
The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend.
During a Paris–London flight, the Anglo-French singer and actress, who died in 2023, complained to a fellow traveller about not being able to find a bag suited to her needs as a young mother.
That fellow passenger happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermes.
The result of their conversation was a spacious tote with room for baby bottles, created in 1984 and named the Birkin.
ALSO READ: SA-born artist Marlene Dumas breaks global record with over R245 million painting sale [PICS]
The bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online
40 years later, the leather handbag has become the flagship product of the luxury French leather goods maker.
Produced in very limited numbers, it maintains an aura of exclusivity, with prices ranging from several thousand euros for the simplest models to several hundred thousand euros for the most luxurious.
Beloved by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, the bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online.
The prototype Birkin was exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from 6 to 12 June, ahead of the sale in the French capital.
In addition to the Birkin bag, the Sotheby's sale will feature iconic runway pieces from designers including Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen.
Bidding will open online on 26 June and close on 10 July.
NOW READ: 17-year-old Pearl Mathebula wins Miss Teen International in Peru

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June 21: What's on in Durban

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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Rotary Uvongo Flea Market: Crafts, toys, bead work, wire work, clothing and food every Saturday from 8.30am to 1pm and Sunday 9am to 2pm, opposite Douglas Mitchell Sports Grounds. Call 082 829 0059. Golden Hours Market: (tomorrow) Family-friendly market at Golden Hours School, 10am to 2pm. Live music and food stalls. Call 083 262 3693. Macnut Farm, Assagay: (tomorrow) Fresh produce market for locals, 11am to 2pm. Sunday lunch, drinks and bar. Call 031 765 2572 or 074 603 0000. uMhlanga Farmers Market: Autumn Drive, Prestondale, every Wednesday from 8am to noon. Call Ethel at 060 303 3957. SHOWS Ashton College, Ballito: (today) The college's cultural students present Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR, an adaptation of the beloved animated film by Walt Disney Pictures. The film itself was inspired by the classic French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and later transformed into a stage musical. Final show today. Tickets R80 from webtickets. Golden Horse Casino, Pietermaritzburg: (today and tomorrow) Riaad Moosa presents What's The Point. Known as 'The Comedy Doctor' for seamlessly blending medicine with humour, he grapples with the absurdity of life and the chaotic state of the world. June 21 at 5pm and 8pm, June 22 at 5pm. Tickets R200 from webtickets. Playhouse Opera: KZN Young Performers Project presents the musical, Annie, the story of the plucky youngster and her quest for a bright new life outside of the walls of Miss Hannigan's dreary orphanage. Directed by Daisy Spencer; with musical direction by Des Govender; and choreography by Evashnee Pillay. The cast comprises 120 performers. July 4-13. Tickets R150-R280 from Webtickets and Pick n Pay stores nationwide. Playhouse Drama: Little Shop of Horrors comes to the Playhouse. A ridiculous and hilarious horror-spoof, in which a plant, which has a desire for world domination, grows by eating people with all the lead characters falling prey to its voracious appetite. 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Playhouse Opera: Composer, vocalist, and traditional instrumentalist Lu Dlamini launches Gido, a personal and deeply moving new album on June 27 at 7pm. Gido is a tribute to Lu's late mother, Kitomena 'Gido' uMakhuzwayo whose life lessons are the spiritual backbone of a project that blends jazz influences with sounds of indigenous instruments. Tickets R120 from webtickets Music Revival: Pianist Chris Duigan hosts guitarist James Grace on a tour of KZN. Woodgrove Community Centre June 26 at 3.30pm. Tickets R100. At All Souls Anglican Church, Salt Rock, Sunday June 29 at 3pm, tickets R150. Booking via WhatsApp 083 417 4473 or booking@ Also Monday June 30 at Amberfield. Tickets R80 and booking from Amberfield office. At St Agnes Church, Kloof on Tuesday July 1 at 7pm, tickets R130 via WhatsApp 083 417 4473 or booking@ At Coffeeberry, Hilton on Wednesday July 2 at 6pm. Tickets R220 from info@ At Coffeeberry, Cascades on Thursday July 3 at 6pm. 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First ever Birkin bag to be auctioned in July [PICS]

The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. The prototype Birkin will be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York. Picture: iStock The first Birkin bag, designed by French luxury brand Hermès for actress Jane Birkin in 1984, will be auctioned in Paris on 10 July 2025, Sotheby's announced on Thursday. The large black leather tote, whose design went on to become one of the most famous and expensive bags in the world, will be the centrepiece of the 'Fashion Icons' sale, the auction house said. This 'historic, handcrafted prototype', engraved with the initials J.B., has several unique features, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper. The original Birkin crafted for Jane Birkin in 1985. Picture: ETX/Sotheby's© The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. During a Paris–London flight, the Anglo-French singer and actress, who died in 2023, complained to a fellow traveller about not being able to find a bag suited to her needs as a young mother. That fellow passenger happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermes. The result of their conversation was a spacious tote with room for baby bottles, created in 1984 and named the Birkin. ALSO READ: SA-born artist Marlene Dumas breaks global record with over R245 million painting sale [PICS] The bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online 40 years later, the leather handbag has become the flagship product of the luxury French leather goods maker. Produced in very limited numbers, it maintains an aura of exclusivity, with prices ranging from several thousand euros for the simplest models to several hundred thousand euros for the most luxurious. Beloved by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, the bags are not displayed in shops and cannot be ordered online. The prototype Birkin was exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from 6 to 12 June, ahead of the sale in the French capital. In addition to the Birkin bag, the Sotheby's sale will feature iconic runway pieces from designers including Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen. Bidding will open online on 26 June and close on 10 July. NOW READ: 17-year-old Pearl Mathebula wins Miss Teen International in Peru

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a day ago

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Jane Birkin's iconic Hermès prototype handbag to auction in Paris

The very first Birkin handbag made for actress Jane Birkin will go under the hammer in July. The piece of modern fashion history is likely to spark a bidding frenzy with experts predicting it could fetch upwards of six figures. The first-ever Birkin bag that was designed by French luxury brand Hermès for late actress Jane Birkin is set to be sold at auction in Paris next month. As Birkin recounted in a 2018 interview, the conversation sparked the conception of what would become one of the most iconic handbags in history. The origins of this Birkin bag is steeped in fashion lore, beginning with a chance encounter between Birkin and the late Jean-Louis Dumas, the then CEO of Hermès , on a flight from Paris to London in 1984. "I had my agenda as usual banged full of bits of paper, and everything fell to the ground," Birkin said during the interview. She continued: 'He said: 'You should have pockets in that agenda', I said: 'What can you do? Hermès don't make it with pockets', to which he replied: 'I am Hermès'." 'I think I drew it on the sick bag - or the not-be-sick bag. And (Dumas) said: 'I'll make it for you',' Birkin told "Vogue". That conversation ignited the inspiration that ultimately morphed into one of the most coveted handbags in fashion history. After Birkin's passing in 2023, the original bag, which she had generously donated in 1994 to support the French Aids charity, Association Solidarité Sida, was acquired in 2000 by Catherine Benier, a vintage store owner and collector based in Paris. The prototype heading to the auction block at Sotheby's in Paris on Thursday, July 10, is unlike any other Birkin. Over the years, the Birkin bag has become a symbol of luxury and status, often fetching astronomical sums at auctions. However, this particular piece comes with a rich history, exhibited in prestigious venues like MoMA in New York and the V&A Museum in London, it has been regarded as more than just a handbag; it embodies the "soul" of early Birkin designs. 'This bag was the very beginning of Le Birkin and we know Jane was proud to have it,' said Aurélie Vassy, head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby's.