A black leather Hermès Birkin bag—worn, scratched, and marked—has sold for an astronomical €8.6 million, earning the title of the most expensive handbag ever auctioned. The price includes taxes, according to the Sotheby’s auction house.

This is the very first Birkin bag ever created by Hermès, designed specifically for British actress and singer Jane Birkin. On Thursday, the rare piece went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in a high-fashion auction that also included creations by Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior.

Sotheby’s had not revealed an estimated price beforehand, but bids soared past all expectations as they crossed the €1 million mark. During the live broadcast of the auction, gasps could be heard as the price kept climbing. The bidding war lasted ten minutes with nine collectors competing, and a private buyer from Japan ultimately prevailed.

Watch footage from the auction:
First Birkin handbag by Hermes sells for 7 mn euros at auction in Paris | AFP

Morgane Halimi, head of Sotheby’s Handbags and Accessories division, called the auction a “significant milestone” in fashion and luxury history.
“It’s a remarkable testament to the power of a legend and its ability to ignite passion and desire among collectors seeking extraordinary items with unique provenance,” she said. “The sale of the Original Birkin is also a tribute to the timeless appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.”

This “Original Birkin” broke all previous records for luxury editions of the same bag. In 2022, a “Diamond Himalaya Birkin” adorned with white diamonds sold for $450,000, while a Hermès Kelly sold for $390,000 in 2021. Until now, the most expensive handbag ever auctioned was a diamond and crocodile leather Kelly, which fetched $513,040.

Since Jane Birkin herself sold the bag in 1994 to support AIDS research, it has changed hands several times and was exhibited at institutions such as MoMA in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It last appeared at auction 25 years ago. Its current seller, Catherine B, described reliving “her own bidding battle” and the “indescribable feeling” of owning such a bag.

In the #SothebysParis sale room just now, Jane Birkin’s Original Hermès Birkin sold for €8.6 million / $10.1 million after more than 10 minutes of heated bidding, making it the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction. pic.twitter.com/COYFPeFbPk

— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) July 10, 2025

Jane Birkin passed away in 2023 at age 76, and had jokingly told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview that when she died, “people would only talk about the bag.” According to Sotheby’s, the “Original Birkin” has unique features never used again: a specific size, metal rings, a shoulder strap with the initials “J.B.” on the front, and a nail clipper. It still bears signs of everyday use, including discoloration from stickers.

“It’s truly incredible to think that a bag designed as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin became the most coveted and expensive fashion item in history,” Halimi remarked before the auction.

Photos of the bag available below:

How a Paris–London Flight Gave Birth to the World’s Most Famous Bag

The Birkin’s creation has become a modern fashion legend. During a flight from Paris to London, Jane Birkin expressed her frustration to a fellow passenger about not being able to find a practical bag that suited her needs as a young mother.

That passenger was Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. Their in-flight conversation inspired the design of a spacious leather bag with room for a baby bottle and other essentials. The Birkin was born in 1984.

“There are rare moments in the fashion world when an item transcends trends and becomes a legend. Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin is one of those moments,” said Morgane Halimi, Global Head of Handbags and Fashion at Sotheby’s.

Forty years later, the leather handbag has become the flagship product of the French luxury leather goods house. It is produced in extremely limited quantities, maintaining an air of exclusivity, with prices ranging from a few thousand euros for simpler models to several hundred thousand for the most luxurious editions.