It’s not a stretch to say that no purse in the world carries as much cultural significance as the Hermès Birkin — at least for fashionistas. Owning a Birkin is widely regarded as a status symbol among the wealthiest women in the world. Who can forget the episode of Sex and the City, when a fashion salesman quipped to Samantha, “It’s not a bag, it’s a Birkin!”? Now, the very first Birkin has sold at an auction for approximately 10 times the amount Sotheby's estimated it would fetch. The purse in question is the original prototype of the Hermès Birkin, created for and named after actress Jane Birkin (pictured) in 1985. With quirks, including the style icon’s initials and a non-removable shoulder strap, it’s a bonafide piece of fashion history and, according to Sotheby’s, Birkin’s prototype bag has seven unique features that were never replicated on later models. So, how did Sotheby's get their estimate so wrong? Apparently, in a frenzied moment of great fortune for the lucky seller, the hammer fell after a bidding war reportedly involving newlywed Amazon bride Lauren Sánchez. However, Jeff Bezos can keep his credit card in his wallet as the successful bidder was a private collector from Japan.
