Business Improvement

Birkin Bag

The “Birkin” bag is a handbag manufactured by leather goods and readytowear manufacturer Herms. It is named after Britishborn actress and singer Jane Birkin a longtime resident of France.

lt;a href=”http://www.himfr.com/buyWarm_SocksWarm Sockslt;/agt;Press accounts of the bag’s genesis differ in details. Birkin told noted fashion writer Dana Thomas that while seated next to Herms CEO JeanLouis Dumas in 1984 on a Paris to London flight she opened her Hermsmade datebook and a flurry of loose notes fell to the floor. Dumas took her datebook and returned it a few weeks later with a pocket sewn into the back which has since become standard. Birkin went on to discuss with Dumas her difficulty in finding a leather weekend bag and at his prompting described her ideal. Shortly thereafter the bag she described arrived at her flat with a note from Dumas.1

A more piquant version of the story was repeated by film director Andrew Litvack. He put the year as 1981 and says that Birkin was called to Herms to receive the first prototype. As she was leaving with the bag they asked if she had forgotten something. Puzzled she realized they wanted her to pay for it. Litvack claims Birkin was eventually reimbursed and now receives a 10 discount on Herms products.

Generally the price of a Birkin starts at approximately 7500 USD not including sales taxes but can reach 5 and sometimes 6digit prices particularly when the bag is constructed from exotic animal skins. Allegedly the waiting list for a Birkin is over two years. In practice however many stores have a “call list” and an “order list” both usually consisting of clients who have in one way or another become “regulars” or have formed a relationship with a particular Sales Associate.

Herms does not sell its handbags online or to online retailers. Authentic Birkin bags are sometimes available on auction websites such as eBay though often at a very high markup over the retail price. It is also possible to acquire a used Birkin bag at coutureconsignment shops. In Plum Sykes’ novel Bergdorf Blondes 2004 the character Julie Bergdorf steals a Birkin from her family’s store Bergdorf Goodman to avoid a threeyear wait although in reality Birkins are only sold by Herms are not available as claimed in the novel in pink with fur trim and probably would not require such a long wait for a socialite like her.

Herms handbags have been noted for being one of the few brands of handbag to either hold or increase in value with time giving them the distinction of being considered by some as “investment quality” products. Author Michael Tonello in his book Bringing Home The Birkin published by William Morrow in 2008 shares his experiences buying and selling the Birkin Bag on eBay. He recounts how he acquired Birkin Bags in Spain and France and became a powerhouse eBay seller until Hermes refused to sell him anymore Birkins. The book provides an insiders peek at the mystique of this exclusive accessory.

Herms Birkin handbags are handbuilt by experienced craftsmen one of the primary factors contributing to the high price of all Herms handbags. The production of each bag may take up to 48 work hours translating into weeks. They are distributed worldwide to Herms boutiques on intentionally unpredictable schedules and in even fewer reliable quantities creating a sense of scarcity and exclusivity around the product.

The exterior of the bag can be made of a variety of leathers. One of the most expensive variations of the bag is made of saltwater crocodile skin. The price of these bags depends on the size of the scales. Bags with smaller scales cost much more than those with larger scales.

Typically a Birkin bag’s lining is made of goat skin and its color will match the bag’s exterior color. The bags can also be specialordered from custom leathers and colors but order privileges are granted only to certain established Herms clients and again on an unpredictable basis. Orders are reportedly submitted to Paris twice a year with “specialorder” bags coming back anywhere from a year to 2 years later. Occasionally special orders may never arrive as Herms is notorious for discontinuing certain leathers or colors without notice frequently making the arrival and “pickup” of a special order Birkin a cause for some fun fanfare both for the client and occasionally even for boutique staff.

The metallic hardware on a Birkin bag the lock keys buckle hardware and feet studs are typically plated with gold or other precious metals such as palladium which unlike silver will not tarnish. The metal lock may be covered with leather as an option when custom ordering. Certain notable Herms clients have paved buckle hardware with diamonds notoriously resulting in one black crocodile skin Birkin which notably sold for close to 65000 at auction in 2005.

Birkin lock keys are enclosed in a type of leather lanyard known as a “clochette” which is typically but not necessarily carried by looping it through one of a Birkin’s handles. The Birkin bag may be locked by closing the bag’s top flaps over all buckle loops wrapping the buckle straps and closing the lock on the front hardware.

Locks and keys are numbercoded.

In pop culture the Birkin has become a symbol of ultimate luxury although its ostentatious use by the wives and girlfriends of British footballers during the 2006 World Cup caused some fashion writers to speculate about its continued desirability.4 In Paris it has been associated with among others socalled BCBG bon chic bon genre women. Jane Birkin remarked that by 2006 the fame of the bag had exceeded her own: “Now when my daughter actress Charlotte Gainsbourg goes to America they ask her if she is the daughter of the bag.

In recent years the bag has featured prominently on popular television shows such as Sex and the City Gilmore Girls and Will amp; Grace8. In the final season of The Sopranos Dr. Melfi carried a Birkin bag into her own therapy session. In Gossip Girl Lily van der Woodsen carries her Birkin bag in black and tan in season one.

A widely publicized incident at London’s Heathrow Airport in 2006 where actress Lindsay Lohan’s orange Birkin bag was reportedly stolen drew further attention to the bag. The actress claimed that the lost bag was full of valuables worth upwards of 1000000. It was returned shortly thereafter.9 Sophie Albou founder of the fashion house Paul amp; Joe claimed to have bought a Birkin each season for ten years describing her collection as “an expensive addiction but … part of my heritage as a French woman”.

About the writer:  Himfr is a scholar focusing his research on Chinese cultures. If you are interested in purchasing China goods please visit www.himfr.com

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