In the global fashion world, the Hermes Birkin Himalaya handbag has long been a symbol of class and is known as "the most expensive bag in the world".
According to Sotheby's - a world-famous auction house - the Hermes Birkin Himalaya bag is inspired by classic crocodile leather handbags, often in natural colors.
In the early 1990s, Hermes began developing a new shiny ombre crocodile leather, creating subtle gradations of color, leading to the birth of the first Hermes Himalaya bags in 1994.
The mystery of this bag lies not only in its external beauty but also in the meticulous manufacturing process, from leather selection to color finishing.
In addition to being made from the skin of the Nile crocodile (Egypt), the largest and most ferocious crocodile in Africa, one of the important factors that makes the Hermes Birkin Himalaya bag attractive is the characteristic ombre effect, transitioning from bright white in the middle to dark on the sides.
Each bag features a unique pattern, with differences in contrast and symmetry of color. This makes these bags special and hard to find, an item that only a few celebrities in the world such as Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Victoria Beckham are lucky enough to own.
"The reason this bag is so valuable is because it's completely hand-dyed," explains Daniel Englander, a specialist from the VIP Relations team at resale site Fashionphile. "The dyeing mimics the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, and it's all done by hand... which means you'll never see two bags with the exact same dyeing."
Although Hermes does not disclose the price, according to Sotheby's, the current retail price for a 25cm Himalaya Birkin bag ranges from $45,000 to $65,000. However, the actual value of these bags on the secondary market is much higher.
On the resale market, Birkin Himalayas can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially models with diamond-encrusted hardware. In 2020, a Birkin Himalaya was auctioned at Christie's for about $382,295, setting a world record at the time.
In 2022, a diamond-encrusted version could even fetch $450,000 (about more than VND11 billion) in a private auction at Sotheby's.
Surprisingly, the smaller sizes have higher resale values. Englander points out that the Birkin Himalaya 25 (the smallest size) worn by Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian is “the most sought-after and desired size.”
Ultimately, no matter how high the price of a Birkin Himalaya can go, it still doesn't stop enthusiastic collectors with the finances to snap it up.
The Hermes Birkin Himalaya is not just a high-end fashion item, but also a work of art, a symbol of luxury and a lasting investment. "At the end of the day, it's a real status symbol," Englander sums up.
