How can a bag change the rules of luxury?

The entire world never imagined that a basic accessory for women such as a bag would leave its mark on the fashion industry as an iconic accessory not only for its price, but for a free and deeply personalized aesthetic; We are talking about the famous Birkin Bag, the bag that recently broke the record for haute couture objects auctioned at high prices by the Sotheby’s house in Paris.

The piece was sold on July 10, for eight million euros, paid by the Japanese company Valuence Japan, specialized in luxury items. Yes, you read that right! Eight million euros for a bag, but this is not just any bag, it is “The Birkin”.

This accessory was born in 1984, during a casual conversation between the British actress and muse, Jane Birkin, and Jean-Louis Dumas, then creative director of Hermès. While traveling on a flight from Paris to London, Jane complained that there did not exist in the world of design, a bag that, in addition to being functional, she loved for its construction.

Dumas, like a good French creative, took a napkin and drew a sketch inspired by the already existing Kelly bag from his own brand, but unlike its structured design, the creative opted for something more relaxed, larger, and with that irresistible “je ne sais quoi” (I don’t know what), dedicating the sketch to the demanding diva.

To achieve this, you need a solid purchasing history, a close relationship with the boutique, and enough patience. Today, a used, worn, lived-in Birkin can be worth more than a car, an apartment, or a college degree. And, more than a bag, it is a collector’s item.

She enjoyed the charm of the bag, whose admiration was not in its luxury, but in its practicality and the possibility of carrying everything necessary inside it. Also, she gave a special meaning to the way she used it, as if it were an extension of herself, personalizing it freely and without pretensions..

It was a bag that was not only heavy because of what it contained, but because of everything it said about the person carrying it in their hand. Today, that vivid and spontaneous aesthetic continues to inspire the industry. It has even been attempted to be replicated in bags decorated with accessories, stuffed animals and personalized elements.

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In some cases, they are even intentionally worn or altered to achieve the effect of the passage of time; However, it is evident that this almost spontaneous and unintentional effect is difficult to replicate authentically, since, by trying to force it, we run the risk of converting what should be a natural expression of our relationship with the object, into a simple act of consumption.