5 Things that make the Hermes Birkin Bag Unforgettable

I.

The Birkin bag was named after Jane Birkin.  Birkin is an English singer and actress that enjoyed great success in the Swinging London era.  

II. 

The bag takes 48 hours to make. A full time workweek is 40 hours.  The Birkin would require one day of overtime!! Each bag is sewn by hand, buffed, painted and polished.  The skins used for Birkin bags go through a rigorous inspection process.  Cows often have mosquito markings that cannot be used on one of these masterpieces.  For crocodile and alligator bags, inspect bites are also cut out.

III.

Jean-Louis Dumas was a chief executive at Hermes when he was inspired to design the bag.  On a flight to London he was seated next to Jane Birkin.  She was carrying a straw bag that she was unable to fit all of her belongings.  After the bag fell over, she explained to Dumas the she was having trouble finding a bag that could carry all of her belongings.  Dumas designed the bag for in 1984.

IV. 

Hermes offers a 'spa treatment' option for bags that have been overused.  Hermes recommends a spa treatment every few years in order to maintain the shape of the bag.  The treatment is a refurbishment service, which makes used bags appear new.  The treatments cost about $300 but the prices vary dependent upon the bag’s damage.  The treatment takes about two months and reviews prove that Hermes does an exceptional job. 

V.

At one point the waiting list was six years long.  Due to the high demand the resale value is also high: In 2013, a red crocodile Birkin sold at an auction for over $200,000.  The bag was red with diamond hardware.  The owner was from Florida and decided to part ways with the bag after Hermes offered to sell her a black one that she thought she would wear more often.