Hermes Birkin

When it comes to handbag supremacy, the Hermès Birkin – the eternal status symbol persists to rule the rest as the valued ownership of the bag has deep-pocketed a few.

Designed in 1984, the legendary bag draws inspiration from a Paris-based British actress Jane Birkin. Its subsistence was a happy accident, resulting out of a conversation between Birkin and former Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London in the early ’80s. Jane, who had been upgraded, landed up sitting next to the executive; when her belongings dropped out of her bag, Dumas recommended she required one with pockets, and this flickered a discussion about her perfect handbag. Jane ended up drawing her specifications for “a handbag that is larger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s luggage. And the Birkin was born!

A spacious, elegant-yet-sporty bag with handles intended to be a hand-held bag, with four studs on the base, the Birkin characterized a fresh, contemporary proclamation from a fashion house known for its conventional and classical carriage. The Birkin majorly played a chief role in making Hermès the legacy it is today. It unwrapped Hermès up to new marketplace and clientele, but it also altered the archetypal Hermès client.

Victoria Beckham is alleged to possess around 100 Birkin bags, costing around a whopping 20 crores! Amongst other stars with Birkins to flash, Kim Kardashian and Kate Moss have been in the limelight for and a diaper bag respectively. In 2012, a 70 lac crocodile-skin Birkin was seemingly set on fire by Francesca Eastwood, daughter of Clint, in a project envisioned by her photographer friend, Tyler Shields – an incident that led to death threats.

The bags are produced in restricted quantities—around 12,000 per year. The Birkin’s scarceness and worth have inevitably made it a principal silage for counterfeiters, and there have been numerous arrests in the latest years. The scheme that the bag, which takes around 20 hours to manufacture, can make huge profits, attested to enticing for some. A global crime circle making Hermès copies was busted by French police in 2012 with quite a few Hermès staff in on the act.

Size Material

The Birkin is available in 4 different sizes from the delectable mini to the largest travel size. The dimensions are listed as under-

Hermes bags are offered in an extensive variety of leathers and skins, and they craft an individual look for each bag. Dyed in diverse colors with accuracy, this gives Hermes a very plush and exclusive glance. Hermes is well-known for its vigilant and skilled treatment of leather and skins. Some of the most admired kinds of leather used in Birkin bags include Box Calf, Clemence, Epsom, and Togo. Let’s comprehend each one in detail-

1. Clemence: This leather is fetched from a baby bull and is scrape resistant due to its textured finish. The leather is granular, plane, and matted.
2. Epsom: This leather is exceptionally light and is also scrape resistant. The granules are much refined than the Clemence and are comparatively simple to clean.
3. Varanus/Lizard: Offered in both matte and lisse, this is a more challenging one because it can dry out. The petite scales add to the material’s glossy look.
4. Fjord: This is adult leather with a supple texture. It is quite heavy but water repellant.
5. Swift: Previously called Gulliver, this is an extremely soft leather with exceptionally fine granules.
6. Togo: Togo has superior scrape resistance. It has raised grain but smooth-to -touch texture.
7. Ostrich leather: It is evident due to the presence of even pores throughout the exterior.
8. Alligator material: It comes in either Matte, which has an even and plainer feel, or it can come in Lisse, which is glossier.
9. Crocodile Niloticus Matte Shiny: This smooth finish has scales that are large and wide.
10. Berenia Natural: Derived from the calf, it is very smooth and defiant to scratches. It can also repel water and soak up oils.
11. Buffalo Skipper: A unusual leather from water buffalo that is supple and has a medium grainy look.
12. Box Calf: Again from calf, the leather is soft and has a faint shiny finish. It is quite prone to scratches.
13. Chamonix: Smooth leather that has no glossiness.
14. Chevre de Coromandel: Derived from goat, it is very lightweight and anti-scratches, with a smooth finish.
15. Chevre Mysore: This goat-hide leather is more superior and bumpy.
16. Doblis Suede: Also called nubuck leather, it is crafted with a napped finish for an even look.

Hardware

On Birkin, you’ll find ‘Hermès-Paris’ embossed on the front plate, as well as ‘Hermès’ on the lock, key, and in newer launches, even the zip. Some zips also have the alphabet ‘H’ at the bottom. Here’s a guide to all the available options-

Price of Birkins

The Birkin bag is circulated in limited amounts and often with irregular timings, requires clients to join a waitlist believed to be of thousands. The Hermes Birkin bag also comes with a huge price tag. Often advertised as $POA, it completely depends on accessibility at the time with prices usually mounting each year. Varying reports suggest the ‘entry-level’ Birkin with plain hardware is priced at 10 lacs. Reliable on the leather and if any unique stones are used, it could go up to 2.5 crores, if not more.

The problem of buying a Birkin at the store

All credits to the sky-scraping demand that tags along with Hermès, buying a Birkin from the boutique can be challenging than most. The truth of buying a Hermès Birkin from a Hermès boutique is a completely on fate, intense patience, and prior purchase records with the brand. Even with all three, it is still difficult to understand when, if ever, you will get a call or invite to buy the bag. There are various unrecorded rules for that get what and when straight from Hermès like building up status by shopping over a long before eyeing a Birkin; look worthy of the bag and many more. A lot of businesses have launched concierge services for the bag with an assurance that the bag will arrive. The Bag Concierge service offers to find the Hermès Birkin, no matter how extraordinary and unavailable it is.