The Birkin Bag:

The Birkin bag came about when Jean Louis Dumas (Chairman and former CEO of Hermes SA) caught the actress Jane Birkin fighting with her straw bag as she was trying to store it in an overhead compartment on a plane. At that point he decided she needed a better bag and he was going to design her one. The idea of the Birkin bag came from the Hermes Haut-Au-Courrois, meaning high belt. The HAC as it is referred to today was used in the late 1800’s to carry riding gear i.e. saddle, riding boots etc. The measurements for the HAC are quite large so Jean Louis Dumas tweaked them to make the bag more versatile as well as easier to carry and modern. The Birkin bag is produced entirely by one person called a craftsman from beginning to end. The average production time for a bag ranges from 18 hours for a 25cm to up 30 hours for a 40cm.

Pharrell Williams picking up his purple Hermes croc HAC

The Birkin bag comes in four different sizes. The size of the Birkin depends on the width of the bag. A 40cm Birkin, simply means that the bag is 40 centimeters wide or 15inches. The standard sizes are 25cm, 30cm, 35cm, and 40cm.

Hermes Birkin Bag Size Chart

Every season Hermes releases a list of colors that the Birkin will be available in. The selection of colors is also related to the skins available. The colors are divided into Blues, Greens, Pinks, Reds, Black and Greys, Purples, Yellows and Beige, Oranges, and Browns. Please note that not all skins are available in every color.

Blue Jean- a very popular color at Hermes its an amazing Sky Blue.

Vert Amande- a grassy green color.

Rouge Vif- a very bright red, sort of a lipstick shade.

Skins:

Hermes uses a mixture of exotic skins; Crocodile, Lizard (available in a 25cm or smaller), Mississippi Alligator, and Ostrich as well as a variety of leathers; Calf, Goatskin, Bull Leather etc. Click here to read | The Hermes Birkin Skin Guide.

The Niloticus Crocodile from Africa- A very popular choice at Hermes this croc is mate and very rich.

Veau Togo- The most common leather at Hermes is from a female calf and has a grainy feel.

Chevre Mysore – An amazing goatskin that is very rare due to the difficulty of finding it at Hermes quality.

Black Croc and Diamond Hermes Birkin

The Birkin Spa:

As part of the cost of the Hermes Birkin bag, once a year you may choose to have your bag freshened up at Hermes. In the US it is done in New York and LA where they have master craftsmen.

Shooting Star Birkins:

A shooting star Birkin is a Birkin bag that a craftsman makes for his wife. The bag is marked with a shooting star blind stamp and does not qualify for Birkin Spa treatments.

Chocolate Croc Hermes Birkin Bag

Blind Stamp:

Every Hermes Birkin bag comes with a set of blind stamps, a letter and a number. The letter refers to the year of production. J was 2006, K 2007 and now L for 2008. The number stamp is the craftsman ID number.

Pricing:

The starting cost of an Hermes Birkin Bag is roughly $6,000 for a 25cm in leather and can go as high as $120,000 for a 40cm Croc with the palladium hardware emblazoned in diamonds.

Acquisition:

Victoria Beckham and her insane collection of Hermes Birkins

Victoria Beckham with a Raisin Hermes birkin

Victoria Beckham with her Fuschia Ostrich Hermes Birkin Bag

Victoria Beckham with a white Veau Togo Hermes Birkin Bag

Victoria Beckham with a 40cm Rouge Vif Hermes Birkin bag