Overview

• Sotheby’s will offer the one-of-a-kind 1984 Hermès prototype as the centerpiece of its inaugural “Fashion Icons” auction in Paris on July 10.
• The bag originated from an in-flight sketch by Jane Birkin and then-CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, merging the dimensions of a Birkin 40 and 35 with unique prototype hardware.
• Engraved with Birkin’s initials and fitted with a nail clipper on the shoulder strap, the prototype diverges from production models in seven distinct design elements.
• After Jane Birkin’s 1994 donation to a French AIDS charity and its 2000 purchase by collector Catherine Benier, the bag has been exhibited at MoMA, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Sotheby’s Hong Kong and most recently at Sotheby’s New York.
• Online bidding opens June 26 ahead of the physical sale, and experts anticipate record-breaking bids given the bag’s rarity and cultural significance.