The seven secrets behind the most famous bag in the world --[Reported by Umva mag]

If you’re familiar with Sex And The City, you’ll remember with fondness when one of the show’s most beloved characters, Samantha Jones, attempts to bag herself a free Birkin when she takes on Lucy Liu as a client for her PR business.

At the time, the bag was worth $4,000 (£3,063.70) – mere peanuts compared to what it typically goes for today, which can be anywhere from £26,000 up to a whopping £300,000.

Now, the most famous bag in the world has been placed on public display as part of a new exhibition at Sotheby’s, Excellence à la Française, designed to spotlight some of the most notable examples of French art over the last 1,000 years.

Exhibited from now until October 31, this marks the first time that the original Hermès Birkin has been exhibited in France.

It’s only been featured in two displays previously, once at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2018, and again at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2020.

The product of a chance encounter on a flight between Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, who was then the CEO of Hermès, the bag was tailored to suit the actress herself and thus the Original Hermès Birkin handbag was born in 1985.

Ever since, it’s been spotted on the arms of countless celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Ora and Lindsay Lohan.

But did you know that there are seven secrets behind the original version of the most iconic bag in the fashion industry?

Firstly, the key lies in the size. The first two Birkin bags created by Hermès measured 40cm and 35cm, and the Original Birkin is a combination of the two sizes, using the width and height of a Birkin 35 and the depth of a Birkin 40. The more you know!

The next secret lies in the hardware. While the original uses gilded brass hardware, this was replaced by gold-plated hardware when the first Birkin series was launched around 1986, and later on, rose gold, palladium and ruthenium were also introduced.

Elsewhere, the metal rings on the original are closed – and this is key to its design, which is similar to that of the Haut A Courroies model. The rings on the models that came afterwards were open at the bottom, a design kept in place until the early 1990s, when they were replaced with the open-top rings we still see today.

Likewise, the inner zip is also a key part of the design. When the original Birkin was produced, Hermès bought its zippers from the éclair company, but from the 1990s onwards, as it started business with Riri, the zippers were manufactured in a slightly different way to the original.

The bottom studs of the bag (also known as the bag’s feet) are also smaller on the original Birkin, while this early design also incorporates a feature that was subsequently dropped: a shoulder strap.

Since the original, only one Birkin has been designed with a detachable shoulder strap, released in the 1990s. However, the original is the only which has a non-removable shoulder strap.

And finally, the seventh secret of the original Birkin bag is the nail clipper. Jane Birkin herself was never a fan of long nails, and so the first designs featured a nail clipper hanging from the base of the shoulder strap.

Sometimes it’s not always convenient to head to the salon, after all.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.