The original Birkin bag became the most coveted fashion accessory after being sold at auction for an eye-watering KSh1.3 billion ($10 million), shattering records to become the most expensive handbag ever sold.

This extraordinary sale took place at Sotheby’s in Paris, where a private collector from Japan landed the prized black leather bag.

The Birkin bag’s legacy dates back to 1985, when it was created for singer Jane Birkin after an unexpected encounter on a flight.

Birkin, seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the CEO of the legendary luxury brand Hermès, experienced a mishap when her belongings spilled out of her handbag.

In that moment, she casually asked why Hermès did not produce larger bags. The conversation sparked an instant design collaboration, and Dumas pulled out a sick bag from the plane’s seat pocket and sketched the first iteration of what would become the Birkin.

This particular Birkin bag, the original prototype, was never intended for mass production but instead became the cornerstone of a fashion phenomenon.

After creating the bag for the Anglo-French singer and actress, Hermès swiftly moved to commercial production. Since then, the Birkin bag has remained one of the most coveted items in fashion, consistently associated with elegance.

The original has some unique features, such as Birkin’s initials on the front flap, a non-removable shoulder strap, the nail clippers she kept attached to the strap, and marks where she put stickers for causes she supported, such as Médecins du Monde and UNICEF.

Jane Birkin, who died on July 16, 2023, owned the original bag for a decade before donating it to an auction to raise funds for an Aids charity in 1994.

Since then, the bag has exchanged hands from Catherine Benier, who owned the bag for 25 years before selling it on Thursday, July 10.