The Birkin Bag Legacy: A Tale of Empowerment and Luxury

Hermes is a luxury fashion brand that began in 1837. The founder, Thierry Hermes, opened a workshop in Paris where he wanted to put his creations to life. He began his journey by creating wrought harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade. As time went on, he became one of the most famous saddle retailers. This lead him to creating leather bags to feed the horses, house the saddles, and carry other accessories for the riders. This was the beginning of his legacy.

It all began with Thierry Hermes

Over the years, Thierry made a name for himself. Hermes became a staple name. A luxury name. A name that was well known to many people. He went from being the most well known saddle retailer to a luxury handbag retailer. His audience expanded from the nobleman to women and men of all kinds.

Where did the Birkin name come from?

One of his most famous bags is called the Birkin Bag. You may have seen this bag carried around In airports, around the mall, or during travels. But – where did the name Birkin come from?

One special encounter between Jean-Louis Dumas, the chief executive of Hermes, and Jane Birken, a popular British singer, model, and actress sparked the idea of the one and only Birkin bag.

Jane Birkin was carrying a wicker purse on the airplane. While she was trying to store it away all of her belongings went on the floor, along with her Hermes diary. While Dumas assisted in gathering her belongings, Birkin stated how she wish she had a suitable leather weekend bag.

A year later, the first Birkin bag was released in 1984. This bag was the perfect it girl bag. Although this bag is particularly popular today, it took some time for the bag to gain the recognition it gets today. The first advertisement was aired in 1989. It began to be noticed as a fashion symbol for many during the appearance in the tv show “Sex and the City” in 2001. One of the characters, Samantha Jones drove attention to the bag when she used a famous client’s name to get off the 5 year waitlist for this special Birkin bag.

Today, many celebrities are carrying around this luxurious yet elegant handbag. Some celebrities that you can spot styling this bag includes Kim Kardashian, Hilary Duff, Victoria Beckham, and more.

Hermes vs PaETA

In 2015, Hermes was involved in controversy about the possibility that they were using crocodiles at an unethical farm to produce the famous Hermes Birkin Crocodile bag. The company took steps in ensuring that all materials were obtained ethically.

Birkin Bag: Iconic Statement Piece

The Birkin bag is a statement piece. The elegant, yet simple handbag is well crafted by a single artisan. Each Birkin bag is unique in its own way. These pieces range from $10,000 to $150,000 depending on materials and size. With the quality and style of each bag, they are no doubt a staple piece that you will see here and there in your lifetime.