Birkin Bags: from necessity to status
As of this year, the “Birkin Bag” has become one of the biggest status symbols since the 1990s. The bag boasts long waitlists and a requirement to have a “relationship” with an Hermes sales associate, alongside an extensive purchase history. But, the bags didn’t used to be so “special” – they were originally made out of necessity, and only became a fad in 1983.
Photo of Jane Birkin’s bag, on FAZ by Von Caroline O. Jebens
Jane Birkin
Fashion experts say that Jane Birkin was on a first class seat next to Jean-Louis Dumas when she accidentally spilled most of her belongings from the basket she always carried. Dumas jokingly claimed: “You need a basket with pockets”. Afterwards, Jane claimed: “The day Hermes creates a bag big enough to hold all of my belongings, I will give up my signature straw bag”. In 1984, the famous Birkin bag was launched at a retail price of $2000; of course Jane was gifted a 40-inch bag, which she personalized with stickers and beaded necklaces.
She used her bag as it was meant to be used, overflowing with items and personalized to her own liking. Though they were still quite expensive at the time, with limited production, the Birkin Bag didn’t have its current status until later on.
Photo of Jane Birkin on Vogue Scandinavia by Luke Leitch
Creating status
The well-known bag was popularized in the 2000s, making appearances on famous TV shows like “Sex and the City” and “Gossip girl”. Numerous factors increased its value over time, including celebrity sightings, and the bag now retails for over thousands of dollars. The most expensive Birkin Bag is the Himalaya Birkin, which is sold for up to $450K USD. Its scarcity kept the bag in high demand, it was thrilling to even see a bag and its real gems. The craftsmanship, materials and timeless design of the Birkin is something many brands could only dream of.
Currently, this majestic bag is on everyone’s wishlist, but having to spend thousands even before an offer for purchase is not something everyone can afford. This exclusivity creates status. Despite Jane Birkin’s original intentions, Birkin Bags are not about functionality, but to show wealth and status.
The “Wirkin”
A “dupe” of the famous bag is now being sold at Walmart, for an extremely small fraction of the cost of the actual piece: $78. His The bag went on sale on the store’s website and became widely popular across social media, with many fashion enthusiasts giving their thoughts on the matter: is selling such a dupe devaluing icons or making luxury accessible? This became a debate. Some people supported the idea that the Birkin Bag isn’t worth its value and that people should be able to acquire the bag they want with no shame of it not being the original, others say that this is making the actual bag lose its prestige.
Though there doesn’t seem to be an imminent threat to the value of the Birkin, it does shape our perspective on fashion and illuminate how new generations are valuing style more than prices. As thrifting and vintage shopping remains popular among Gen-Z, we see this more and more, especially when it comes to finding older designer pieces at a reasonable price. Gen-Z is truly changing how we see fashion: they see it more as a way to express themselves, rather than show off their wealth.
Today’s value
Today, these bags aren’t worn with casual outfits or filled to the brim with daily items. Now they lie in closets, dust bags, and in specially-designed compartments in people’s homes, used only as a symbol of status and wealth. But, though they are still collection pieces to some people, others are now wearing the bag like Jane Birkin would, personalized to show their identity and filled with essentials. This is a spark of hope for fashion enthusiasts: fashion is art, we should use it to express our souls.