The Elusive Birkin Bag

So what is the big deal with the elusive Birkin Bag?

All the stars seem to love the boxy style of this coveted handbag along with the social status it represents.

And even though most of us would find it more reasonable to buy a decent priced house rather than an overpriced purse, we are still infatuated with the hoopla that surrounds this Hermes handbag.

If you're one of the obsessed Birkin lovers(join the crowd), here’s a little background about this elusive bag that you may find quite interesting.

The Birkin bag was designed for and named after the British actress Jane Birkin (pictured left with husband Serge Gainsbourg).

Birkin was born December 14,1946 and emerged as an actress in the 60’s in London. Later she also became known as a singer and film director.

In 1981, the head of the Hermes company spotted the gorgeous actress struggling with several bags while boarding an airplane, and thus decided to design a bag especially for her.

Since then, the Birkin handbag has become one of Hermès' most popular and expensive handbags with an average price tag of over $20,000.

In Jane's early career, she became known for 'pushing the envelope' with controversial material of the times which only served to escalate her career further.

She has appeared in many movies and plays throughout her brilliant career and has made many musical collaborations with an extensive number of A list recording artists.

Jane Birkin's humanitarian interests led her to work with Amnesty International, on immigrant welfare and AIDS issues. She has also visited several third world countries often working with children.

She was awarded an OBE, in 2001, for her services to acting. She has also been awarded the French Ordre National du Mérite.

Some little known Birkin facts: Did you know that only five Hermes Birkin handbags are made each week? It takes anywhere from 18 to 25 hours just to create one of these exquisite bags. The waiting lists for these bags are extremely long and sometimes Birkin hopefuls wait 2 years before becoming a proud owner. Birkin handbags are only available by special order and cannot be bought at a store or online.

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