Some stars, including Victoria Beckham and Beyoncé, own various versions of both. The bags are available to mere mortals too, assuming they aren’t daunted by the price tag – which can start from £7,000 for the most basic, smallest size of a Birkin, or £9,500 for the larger. That’s before taking into account the myriad colourways, artist collaborations and exotic skin finishes that make an exclusive bag more exclusive still.
There’s a reason the bags are so expensive. Hermès is a house that prides itself on craftsmanship and artisanal practice, so much so that any worker must complete two years of training before making a Birkin. The laborious, solo process takes 12 to 18 hours in a workshop, using the combination of traditional hand and refined needle work that has been perfected since the bag’s inception.
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“Hermès represents the highest level of craftsmanship, the Birkin and the Kelly represent the most desirable bags from their collection. Although the Birkin has perhaps enjoyed more recent notoriety due to its appearance on Sex and the City and its many celebrity fans, the Kelly has remained an enduring symbol of understated luxury,” Sophie Hersan, co-founder and fashion director of Vestiaire Collective, tells British Vogue. “Hermès has ensured both bags remain relevant today due to slightly reinventing them over time, introducing new leathers, sizes, colours and hardware.”
Hersan cites the smaller versions of both bags – the Birkin 25 or mini Kelly – among the most popular, with some styles snapped up within 24 hours of going live on the platform. “Both bags continue to retain value, making them an enduring good investment,” she adds.
