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Jane Birkin’s iconic Hermès Birkin bag made worldwide headlines this July when her original prototype was sold at auction at Sotheby’s Paris for a staggering $10.1 million, establishing a new benchmark for the world’s most valuable handbag in auction history. Now, another rare chapter of Jane’s handbag heritage comes to the Middle East with Le Birkin Voyageur, the very personal size 40 black Birkin bag that Jane used is about to go to auction as part of the first Collectors’ Week in Abu Dhabi this December.
Le Birkin Voyageur was a gift to Jane Birkin from Hermès in 2003 and was one of only four Birkins she possessed after passing on her prototype. It was the bag she carried regularly from 2003 to 2007, and it has an intimate story locked inside it, located within the handworn leather and pockets on the inside, where Jane wrote handwritten notes, drawings and included a message of her own: “Mon Birkin bag qui m’a accompagné dans le monde entier”, which refers to: “My Birkin bag, my companion on my voyages around the world.” This makes it a unique collector’s item, offering something most individual and a contrast to her old Birkin sold in Paris.
The bag will be on view at the highly luxurious St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, from December 2-5, before the live auction on December 5. The bag is estimated at around $240,000 to $440,000 (approx Dhs881,000 to Dhs1.63 million), a rare opportunity to become the new owner of one of the deeply personal articles of the adorned style icon.
Jane Birkin’s tradition of selling her Hermès bags for charitable purposes, combined with Hermès giving her new pieces from time to time, has meant that a special line of highly desirable handbags has been established, representing the moments and eras of her life. The history, combined with the recent record auction in Paris, has sent an amazing wave of increasing interest in Hermès Birkins and her own personal collection, around this time.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, says this sale is historic and that Le Birkin Voyageur gives collectors a deeply personal feeling of closeness to the woman at the origin of the world’s most iconic handbag. This is not just a piece of fashion history, but a deeply personal piece of Jane Birkin, whose legacy continues to inspire.
The auction is part of the Collectors’ Week in Abu Dhabi, a landmark event produced this year in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office to show the style and culture of the region.
For Hermès enthusiasts or for those who love fashion and value it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to either see or bid or own an iconic piece of fashion history.
