Original Birkin bag sells for $10 million, sets European fashion record

A one-of-a-kind piece of fashion history just made auction history.

The original Birkin bag—named after actress and style icon Jane Birkin—sold for $10.04 million at Sotheby’s in Paris, becoming the most expensive fashion item ever sold in Europe.

A Japanese collector placed the winning bid by phone, claiming the oversized leather bag that helped launch one of the most coveted accessories in the fashion world.

This particular Birkin is unique. It’s larger than the standard design, marked with Birkin’s initials, and still bears traces of old charity stickers from organizations she supported. Birkin originally auctioned the bag off in the 1990s to raise money for HIV/AIDS research.

The sale not only highlights the legacy of the late actress, who passed away in 2023, but also cements the Birkin’s status as a timeless cultural and fashion icon.