How many Hermès Birkins does Jane Birkin have? The exclusive bag goes for thousands on the second-hand market, but the star – who the fashion item is named for – puts stickers on hers
- The Birkin was famously created after Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas bumped into Jane Birkin, who at the time was using a Kelly bag she thought was too small
- Millionaires and celebrities hoard dozens of the expensive bags, but its namesake has only ever owned five or six, just using one at a time – and donating it to charity before replacing it
The Kelly was simply too small, she informed the Hermès boss. Her perfect everyday carry-all would be roughly four times its size, with a top that could be left open to accommodate bulky objects. Dumas suggested Birkin sketch out her vision – which she promptly did, on the back of a sick bag.
Returning to Hermès’ Paris atelier, Dumas handed his artisans Birkin’s sketch and instructed them to make the actress’s dream accessory a reality. The skilled leather workers crafted something reminiscent of a classic Hermès Haut à Courroies – a leather and canvas bag first created in the early 1900s to transport saddles and riding boots – all in leather, but in a more manageable size.
Capacious enough to carry everything she could need, stylish enough to look chic in the most refined of settings, yet sufficiently supple to maintain a casual air, this Hermès novelty fulfilled Birkin’s desire for a single bag she could always simply grab and go, anywhere, anytime. She said she hated moving her belongings from one bag to another and the Hermès solved that problem: you can leave everything you might need in it and use it every single day.