The heroine of the “cult thing” rubric is called a dream by most women. This is a legendary Birkin bag – an investment with a name Hermes Birkin. Samantha, from the “Sex in the City” TV series, exclaims: “When I have this bag, I will know, I did it!” She tells her client, (actress Lucy Lou) that she too needs this bag.
This bag is a symbol of luxury. However, it may seem simple and laconic when first looked upon. The Birkin Bag has remained a desirable object for women for close to thirty years. The owner of the original Hermes Birkin has become the center of attention. This bag is so desirable that you would worry more about bag than about what is inside the bag if you lost it. Why do girls from all over the world want to own this accessory?
Jane Birkin, a popular actress from England, “presented” the idea of a legendary bag to president of Hermes Jean-Louie Dumas in 1984. She left her home in England and moved to France at a young age. Her cinema career was just beginning in this country. Jane was frequently visiting her relatives. During her travels, she met the head of one of the most luxurious and ancient fashionable houses of France. Legend tells, that Jane’s bag was so big and uncomfortable that it could not be placed into the luggage space. Jean-Louie helped the girl remove things from a shelf. During their trip, the two had long conversations. Jane complained, that she still couldn’t find an ideal bag for herself: one that was of good quality, comfortable, small and suitable to wear with any clothes. The President of Hermes promised her that he would make a bag of her dreams. Soon, Jane received a delivery of the Birkin Bag at her home.
Jane Birkin
“It is necessary to combine loyalty to artistic and financial principles, adherence to a style together with charming facility. Artistic work is behind this price,” Jean-Louie Dumas said about Hermes. The Birkin Bag is a direct confirmation of his words. The starting price of this model is approximately 9,000 dollars. You may buy such a bag on the official Hermes site or in an official shop. Women have to wait for their bags because the factory only releases five bags per week. How much time would you wait? One year at the best case. But sometimes it can take several years because both fashion lovers and famous people are all ready on the wait list.
The Birkin Bag is made from a calf’s, crocodile’s, alligator’s, ostrich’s, snake’s or lizard’s exotic skins. Also, each bag has keys and a lock with an individual code, which is covered by gold or palladium and precious stones at special order.
The Australian crocodile is the most expensive material.
Legend can not be produced by everybody: employees are recruited from a prestigious school of École Grégoire-Ferrandi. Graduates have to complete a traineeship in the company that can last for more than one year.
Strict parameters of 1:2 have already become a business card of a classical model, as well as little stable “legs”. Each Birkin is insured. These important points make them different from the numerous original copies. Markets of many countries have too many copies. The price of these bags is anywhere from $5,000 to $55,000. Many women buy such copies because of status. It is difficult to distinguish the original from the copy.
Basic principles
Pay attention to the shape of the bag: straight lines without cracks.- An original brand “stamp” is always sharp . Copy has larger space between letters.
- Engraving on copy’s decoration is deeper and letters are also set wider.
- Inside part of pockets is always made from suede. It is the easiest way to recognize a fake!
Sometimes it seems, that Birkin has a life of its own, acquiring unusual owners and getting into different stories. It is hard to forget February history with journalist Bozhena Rynska: she ordered coffee in a restaurant of Stepan Mikhalkov “Khleb&Co”. Bozhena spilled coffee on her clothes and her Birkin bag made from ostrich’s leather with a price of over 15,000 euros. The journalist wrote in her blog LiveJournal, that it happened because of a weak coffee lid. She wanted to get compensation from the owner of the restaurant. Even though she could clean the bag herself later.
Mark Jacobs is an American designer and a great admirer of Hermes. He always takes Birkin everywhere: “walking”, social events and even the beach.
At one point, Jane Birkin couldn’t use this bag because of health problems. “I think that the Hermes brand was dedicated to me rashly. I was always using the bag. As a result, I have got the disease of dystrophy of a tendon” – the actress stated.
Famous people of our time all over the world adore Birkin. Victoria Beckham is a particularly passionate lover of this model. She has more than forty variants of the legendary bag.
