Welcome to our series, Survival of the Chicest. Here, we’ll look at the world’s most iconic fashion items, from Chanel pumps to the Breton top, charting their rise to fashion fame and decoding their allure. Ultimately we’ll be investigating what it is that’s made these pieces so popular and allowed them to stand the test of time. Today we’re looking at the Hermès Birkin bag and how it continues to appear on the arms of fashion editors, celebrities and influencers alike.
From Hollywood to the FROW, the iconic Birkin bag has become a global symbol of status and wealth. Its easy-to-recognise shape and hardware can be customised in countless exotic materials, and it’s handcrafted in a six-phase process over the course of 20 hours. Even with its jaw-dropping price tag, the Hermès Birkin remains one of the most difficult bags to get your hands on because of overwhelming demand. That said, luxury re-sale site Vestiaire Collective recently revealed that the Birkin is the most in demand bag right now and has seen an increase in sales of +185% so far this year compared with 2019. But what exactly has given this iconic piece of arm candy such enduring popularity? To understand how the Birkin bag became such a hot-ticket item, keep scrolling.
