Birkin bag

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Birkin bag made of pink calfskin
Birkin bag made of ostrich leather
Birkin Bag in pink (front view of the unlocked bag)
Jane Birkin, 1985

The Birkin Bag is a handbag made by hand since 1984 by the luxury fashion brand Hermès , which is named after the actress Jane Birkin . Like the Kelly Bag , which was also designed by Hermès in the 1930s, the bag is not only a much-imitated (and forged) classic of fashion design, but also a status symbol due to its high price and the small number of copies made . Unlike an It-Bag , which goes out of fashion after a short time, Birkin Bags are still in demand after more than 25 years and achieve high resale revenues.

history

The idea for the design of the Birkin Bag is said to have originated when the chairman of Hermès , Jean-Louis Dumas , met the actress Jane Birkin by chance on a flight from Paris to London in 1981 (or, according to other sources, 1984) . Jean-Louis Dumas helped Jane Birkin collect the contents of her torn straw bag and started a conversation with her. Jane Birkin is said to have complained that she had been looking for a leather weekend bag for years and described her ideal bag to him. Then Dumas is said to have drawn a first draft on a napkin, from which the Birkin model by Hermès is said to have developed.

Hermès has been producing the Birkin Bag exclusively to order since 1984 in a custom-made atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Depending on the material and equipment, a Birkin Bag costs between $ 9,000 and $ 150,000. On December 8, 2011, a newly made crocodile leather Birkin bag with diamond-studded metal parts was auctioned by an American auction house for $ 203,150 (EUR 180,000). Until the middle of 2015 it was the most expensive bag that had been auctioned up until then. In June 2015, the auction house Christie's auctioned a fuchsia-colored Birkin made of crocodile skin with metal parts made of 18-carat gold and diamonds for 1.73 million Hong Kong dollars (203,000 EUR) to a telephone bidder. According to the auction house, it is both the most expensive Birkin bag that has ever been auctioned and the most expensive handbag ever auctioned.

design

Compared to the older famous Hermès model, the Kelly Bag , the Birkin is considered sportier and less formal.

The leather Birkin Bag consists of a trapezoidal front and back, which are only slightly narrower towards the top, with a slightly curved upper edge and a rectangular base. The side walls of the bag are folded inwards so that the bag tapers flat upwards when closed, but can be opened wide. The bag has two handles that are attached so that the width of the bag is divided into three by the attached handles. From the back of the bag, a flap with two cutouts between the handles can be folded forward over the top edge of the bag. The metal brackets embedded in the front protrude through two further openings in the flap, through which the two ends of a belt that is also leather, sewn on the back and laterally guided through the folds of the side walls, can be pulled through, with a clasp centered with one another and with the Bag itself can be connected. The bag stands on four small metal feet that are attached to two narrow leather bars on the underside. Inside, the bag has one or more inner compartments, depending on the design. Each bag has a small padlock, the key of which is provided with a matching key case (“clochette”) and attached to a leather strap that can be looped around the handle of the bag.

The Birkin Bag is produced in sizes 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 and 55 cm in numerous colors and types of leather, the two largest variants being designed as travel bags. Since it is only made to order, the customer can put together the leather, color, metal fasteners and other equipment details herself. The types of leather offered include calf leather , ostrich leather , crocodile leather and lizard leather , and the inner lining is made of goatskin . All metal parts are coated with gold or palladium to prevent tarnishing.

The design of the Birkin as well as the Kelly Bag can be traced back to the Haut à Courroies (HAC), a bag that Émile-Maurice Hermès, the grandson of the company founder, brought out in 1892. Haut à Courroies stands for "high belt" and refers to the belt with which the bag could be closed at the top. The design of the HAC was based on the shape of saddlebags that Hermès had observed on Argentine gauchos . Like the Birkin and Kelly Bags, each HAC was (and is) sewn by a single bag maker in small-scale manual work. The HAC is still in production today and is now widely regarded as a variant of the Birkin Bag, which was derived from it much later.

In 2005 Jean-Paul Gaultier redesigned the Birkin Bag, and the Birkin has also been available as a shoulder bag since then .

Manufacturing

Depending on the range of exotic leathers, it can take months or years to get the leather for a bag. Each bag is then made by hand by a single bag maker . This takes 72 hours to two weeks, so that no more than two to three bags can be produced per week.

supply and demand

Allegedly there were long waiting lists for Birkin Bags with waiting times of up to six years. The waiting list became famous for a scene in Sex and the City in which Samantha Jones uses the name of a client to work her way up the waiting list for a Birkin Bag by five years. In 2010, however, Hermès announced that there was no longer a waiting list. The reason for the small number of items is the complex manufacturing process and the difficulty in finding competent bag makers. Critics assume, however, that Hermès deliberately keeps the number of items low in order to ensure the exclusivity of the bag, which has now become a fashion classic. According to current estimates, around 70,000 Birkin Bags are produced each year. Since February 2013 it is no longer possible to order a Birkin. The lists are closed for an indefinite period. It is not known when they will be opened again (as of 11/2015). Therefore, used Birkins are traded very highly.

Source?

Status symbol

Due to the characteristic design, the small number of pieces produced and the comparatively high sales price, the Birkin Bag has developed into a status symbol after just a few years , embodying the wealth and exclusive taste of the wearer. The traditional, meticulously handcrafted production of the Birkin Bag forms part of the myth with which the manufacturer has charged the Birkin and which makes the bag an object of longing. For example, Victoria Beckham , who can be seen in numerous photo publications with a Birkin bag on her arm, is said to have over 100 copies of the Birkin in various designs; their collection of Birkin models is valued at a total of £ 1.5 million.

The Washington Post noted after a court appearance by Martha Stewart, who was armed with a Birkin :

And for a certain breed of woman, it is the handbag equivalent of a Rolls-Royce or a dozen illicit Cuban cigars. It is a bag that announces that one has achieved a breathtaking level of success. It can declare its owner's wealth and status from a distance of 50 paces.

“And for a certain type of woman, that's the handbag equivalent of a Rolls-Royce or a dozen smuggled Cuban cigars. It is a bag that announces that someone has reached a staggering level of success. It demonstrates the wealth and status of the owner over a distance of 50 paces. "

In the case of Martha Stewart, trial observers rated the bag as unsuitable because it was too pretentious and the jury could possibly use it against the accused. USA Today journalist Kelly Carter even asked whether the bag can ensure that the wearer receives privileged treatment in restaurants and shops (result: if the bag is recognized: yes!).

Francesca Eastwood , daughter of Clint Eastwood, along with her friend, photographer Tyler Shields, destroyed a crocodile skin Birkin bag valued at approximately $ 100,000 in 2012. To do this, they first set fire to the bag and then dismantled it with a chainsaw. They put the photos of it as an artistic statement on various social media platforms. The action attracted very emotional criticism due to the supposed waste of money.

Reception of the Birkin design

The success of the Birkin Bag continues in the design of other handbag manufacturers who - consciously or unconsciously - adopt elements of the Birkin design.

The Boxer handbag by the former Ralph Lauren designer Reed Krakoff , for example, picks up on the Birkin's characteristic fastening belt in addition to its clear and straight, upright basic shape with upwardly protruding handles, thus creating a spontaneous association with the Birkin. The Ricky Bag by the American designer Ralph Lauren from 2007 is even closer to the original . Although the characteristic fastening belt is missing, the shape, volume, features and materials of the Ricky Bag are based closely on the Birkin Bag. In particular, the flap with recesses for the handle is almost identical; Instead of the horizontal fastening belt, the Ricky has two vertical straps with buckles. The main difference is the much larger round lock compared to the Birkin. The design was therefore also accused of being merely a “Birkin Wannabe”. With prices between $ 3,000 and $ 17,000, the Ricky Bag is also in a similar category in terms of price (unlike the "cheap" boxer with around $ 900 ). In addition to the formal similarity, there is a conceptual similarity to the Ricky - like the Birkin, it is named after a woman (the wife Ralph Laurens) Birkin done by hand. As if that weren't enough, Ralph Lauren claims that the Ricky was inspired by old English Cooper saddlebags. Critics accuse Ralph Lauren of having made use of the immense (unsatisfied) demand for Birkin Bags with the Ricky Bag.

literature

  • Michael Tonello: Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag. Harper. London, 2009.
  • Annette C. Anton: Reaching the bag . Munich, 2005. pp. 124f, ISBN 978-3-453-35090-8 .
  • Roslynn N. Gaiter Matthew: Handbag of the Fabulous . Early Rise Publications, LLC, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9741082-1-6 .
  • Abigail Rutherford: Warman's Handbags Field Guide: Values ​​and Identification . Krause Publications, 2009, pp. 194ff, ISBN 978-1-4402-0239-1 .

Web links

Commons : Birkin Bags  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Martha's moneyed Bag Carries Too Much Baggage . In: The Washington Post , January 22, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  2. ↑ a b c d e Annie Groer: Hermes v. Hermes . In: The Washington Post , June 28, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  3. ↑ a b Tamara Abraham: Bag lady: Victoria Beckham's 100-Strong Birkin Bag Collection That's Worth £ 1.5m . In: The Daily Mail , May 20, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2016. 
  4. ↑ a b Betsy Kroll: In the Bag . In: Time magazine . April 17, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  5. ^ A b Alfons Kaiser: The most expensive bag in the world . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . December 10, 2011, p. 9 ( faz.net [accessed July 9, 2016]).
  6. ↑ This crocodile Hermes Birkin set a new handbag auction price record . In: www.purseblog.com . December 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ bähr / dpa: A handbag for more than 200,000 euros. In: FAZ.net . June 2, 2015, accessed October 13, 2018 .
  8. ↑ How to spot a fake Hermes . In: bagbible.com . August 31, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ a b Can a Birkin bag Get You Special Treatment? . In: USA Today , April 22, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  10. ↑ Stephanie Hischmiller: How to bag a Birkin . In: The Daily Mail , April 28, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  11. ↑ The History of Hermès Haut Courroies (HAC) . In: www.luxuryobsessed.com . June 29, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  12. ^ Bag to the future . In: www.wallpaper.com . February 10, 2005. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ The Wait (List) Is Over: Now Anyone With $ 5,000 Can Get Their Hands On A Birkin . In: Glamor , April 26, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  14. ↑ http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21635758-think-global-act-artisan-beauty-and-beasts The Economist December 13, 2014, accessed December 13, 2014
  15. ↑ Belinda White: Clint Eastwood's daughter under fire after destroying a $ 100,000 Hermes Birkin handbag , Telegraph Fashion May 29, 2012
  16. ^ Introducing the Reed Krakoff Shoulder Boxer . In: www.purseblog.de . November 22, 2011. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  17. ↑ New resort 2012! . In: lawrencecovellblog.blogspot.com . November 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 16, 2011. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / lawrencecovellblog.blogspot.com
  18. ↑ Ralph Lauren Ricky Bag: Too Close For Comfort? . In: The Luxe Chronicles . October 20, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  19. ↑ The Ricky Bag . In: Mirror, Mirror . January 2009. Accessed on December 16, 2011.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / styletipsweekly.blogspot.com