In July 2025, the fashion world witnessed an extraordinary event that sent reverberations across luxury markets and cultural circles alike. The original Hermès Birkin bag—designed in 1984 directly for Jane Birkin—sold at Sotheby’s auction in Paris for approximately 10 million US dollars, setting a new record not just for a Birkin, but for any fashion accessory ever auctioned. This staggering amount marks the first eight-figure sale of an item originating from a fashion house, dramatically redefining what we consider as both cultural icon and investment asset.
The story of the Birkin bag itself is legendary. Created mid-flight when Jane Birkin complained to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas about her lack of space in a small wicker basket, the concept was sketched on an Air France sick bag and subsequently transformed into one of the most coveted luxury items in the world. Decades later, that original prototype resurfaced as the ultimate symbol of style, rarity, and value.
At the auction, a fierce bidding war played out over the phone and in the room. Bids soared from an opening €1 million to a jaw-dropping €7 million, which translated into roughly $10.1 million including fees. The escalating pace and intensity reflected not just the rarity of the item, but also its emotional resonance as a piece of fashion history.
The buyer, later revealed to be Shinsuke Sakimoto—former Japanese J1 League footballer turned entrepreneur and founder of luxury resale company Valuence—did not intend to resell the item. He emphasized that the acquisition was meant for preservation and public presentation, framing the Birkin as a cultural heritage artifact rather than a speculative asset.
Sakimoto expressed that although the purchase made him “sick to his stomach,” his motivation was rooted in generating global attention and reinforcing his brand’s association with cultural stewardship. He envisions the transaction as a strategic move towards elevating both art and sustainable luxury resale initiatives .
This sale eclipses earlier Birkin records—such as the alligator skin Birkin sold for over $450,000 in 2022—and pushes the benchmark for fashion accessory value into an entirely new realm.
Beyond numbers, this event sparks deeper conversations about fashion’s evolving role in society. A Birkin bag, especially an original prototype, transcends utility; it becomes a narrative of personal identity, timeless design, and market legend. That it commanded such an astronomical sum underscores how luxury pieces have become de facto artworks and investments.
Historically, fashion has repeatedly intersected with cultural collectibles. Dresses worn by celebrities or royalty—like Princess Diana’s iconic gowns—have fetched millions. The Bob Mackie gown worn when singing Happy Birthday to JFK sold for $4.8 million in 2016, and the white pleated dress from The Seven Year Itch for $4.6 million. Yet none of these matched the sheer financial impact of the Birkin sale.
Additionally, other fashion-adjacent items like the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz recently sold for $28 million at auction—technically film memorabilia rather than wearable fashion, but still indicative of cultural value in well-preserved artifacts.
However, the Birkin sale holds unique significance: it is a contemporary fashion object, still part of living brand lore and luxury markets, crossing the barrier into eight-figure territory—an unprecedented benchmark for brands, collectors, and cultural institutions alike.
The implications ripple outward: will more fashion houses begin to reframe iconic prototypes as museum pieces rather than products? Will we see sheds of contemporary accessory items pursued by collectors as aggressively as fine art? And how will brands navigate the tension between rarity—part of what drives demand—and accessibility, which may dilute allure?
For Sakimoto and Valuence, the calculation seems straightforward: invest in cultural capital. By choosing not to resell the bag, he positions himself not just as a buyer, but as a custodian of design heritage. For Hermès and the broader fashion world, the sale sets a new standard: fashion can transcend commodity and enter rarefied status akin to rare art.
Still, questions remain. Will this prompt a new asset class for luxury? Will museums and cultural institutions seek to acquire more prototypes and fashion landmarks proactively? And perhaps most importantly, what does this mean for the democratization of fashion in an era of increasing scarcity?
In the end, the sale of Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag for approximately 10 million dollars stands as a bold testament to fashion’s enduring power—not just to capture style, but to command value, prestige, and cultural memory. It reaffirms that at the intersection of design, celebrity, and craftsmanship, fashion can emerge as art, treasured taking its place alongside history’s most coveted artifacts.