What a Rolls-Royce is to the auto world, a Birkin is to the universe of handbags! The Hermes Birkin bag, named after actress and singer Jane Birkin, is a definite symbol of wealth due to its high price and limited availability. Time and again it has been luring collectors and deep-pocketed fashionistas to shell out whopping amount to own a Birkin, especially a rare edition. Once again a Birkin is crowned as the world’s most expensive handbag ever sold at auction as Christie’s bought the hammer down on a shiny fuchsia crocodile Hermes Birkin for $222,942.
For Handbags’ second season in Hong Kong, Christie’s presented an unprecedented collection of over 300 bags curated to fit the tastes and sensibilities of top Asian collectors. The highlight of the auction was an exceptional shiny fuschia porosus crocodile diamond Birkin 35 with 18 karat white gold and diamond hardware. The luxurious 2014 Hermes creation was expected to fetch $129,617 – $194,426 but effortlessly surpassed that mark as an anonymous buyer grabbed it for 1.72 million Hong Kong dollars (about $223,000).
The current sale of this fuschia pink Birkin smashed the previous world record of the world’s most expensive handbag held by another Hermes Birkin at $218,000 in 2011.
The auction of high-end collection included other diamond bags, Mini Kellys including two Quelle Idoles, crocodile, lizard, and ostrich exotics, and various rare editions.
Christie’s Via CNN
