World's most expensive bag sold for $10 million at auction
Published on Aug 30, 2025 at 11:18 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 27, 2025 at 9:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
The world’s most expensive bag, a black leather Hermès Birkin, sold for a record-breaking $10 million.
The leather bag was the first Birkin created by Hermès.
It was designed for the late British actor and singer Jane Birkin.
In July, it went under the hammer at Sotheby’s and attracted a winning bid of €7 million ($8.2 million), which was pushed to €8.6 million ($10 million) with fees, making it the world’s most expensive bag.
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The world’s most expensive bag had an interesting history
The Hermès prototype bag, now known as The Original Birkin, was created four decades ago and paved the way for one of the most iconic and sought-after handbags ever to be made: the Hermès Birkin.
It was crafted following a chance meeting between Jane Birkin and then CEO of Hermès Jean-Louis Dumas.
According to the story, Birkin complained that she struggled to find a bag that was big enough, and asked Dumas why the brand didn’t make bags four times the size of the Hermès Kelly.
Dumas agreed, and the resulting bag went on to become a cultural icon.
By 2006, the Hermès Birkin reportedly had a six-year waiting list, making them even more attractive to collectors.
In July, collectors and fashion historians had their chance to get their hands on the bag that started it all when Jane Birkin’s original Hermès Birkin went up for sale.
Bidding opened with a record-breaking €1 million ($1.1 million) advanced bidding.
During the 10-minute sale, bids began to roll in, but it seemed as though those present couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing, with several gasps heard.
The bag was eventually won by a private buyer from Japan who placed a winning bid of $8.2 million, or $10 million once fees are added, setting a new record for the world’s most expensive bag.
“There is no doubt that the Original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind — a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most refined way possible,” Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, said.
“It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin, has become the most desirable bag in history and will most likely continue to be so for many years to come.”
Bags not your thing? Then how about an Hermès hypercar?
For the price of The Original Birkin bag, the buyer could have bought something as unique and powerful as the Hermès Pagani hypercar.
Pagani collaborated with the French fashion house to create three very special cars, each one unique.
The limited edition Hermès Pagani Huayra came with a price tag of $7.5 million, meaning the buyer of the world’s most expensive bag could have bagged themselves the hypercar instead – and still had change.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
