Definition of an "it" bag : "an easily recognisable status high-priced designer bag" (wikipedia).
Every once in a while, a designer handbag is characterized as the new "it" bag. However, i have in mind two specific bags that, to me, are THE "it" bags of all time. And these are , of course, the Hermes "Birkin" and the Chanel "2.55".I believe that the term "to-die-for" was first used to refer to one of those two pieces!
So right now i am going to talk about the "Birkin" , for Christ's shake, i've even named my blog after it!
To begin with, the bag was named after the famous artist Jane Birkin. Part of her distinctive style was a straw bag that she used to carry .Backin 1981, on a flight from Paris to London Birkin was seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas , then chief executive at Hermes . When by accident all the contents of her straw bag fell to the floor, she complained to him for not being able to find a leather bag that suited her style. Three years later, Dumas created a black supple leather bag based on a 1892 design and named it after her.
Each "Birkin" is totally handcrafted by specialized French artisans and it takes 48 hours of non-stop work for an average bag to be finished. It can be made of calf skin, ostrich, crocodile or lizard.
There are also different sizes - 25, 30, 35,40, 50 and 55 centimeters- and a variety of colors: pink , red, brown, navy blue, baby blue, orange, white, golden tan and black. Its weight is about 1100kg and varies depending on the leather used.The lock, keys, buckle hardware and base studs of the bag are being coated with gold or white gold (palladium) to prevent tarnishing.
However , each "Birkin" bag can be custom-made by order, meaning that the customer can choose the hide, color and the type of metallic of its hardware. The prices differ according to the materials chosen and start at $9000 , with the most expensive one costing $150000 , being made of crocodile skin and having a diamond-encrusted lock.
Until recently (april 2010) there used to be a waiting list for the "Birkin" and rumor has it that there was a waiting list of up to 6 years! Hermes has announced that the bag is now available to everyone , but the fact is that it is distributed at Hermes stores in limited quantities and on unpredictable schedules.
Now, why is this specific bag so famous and desirable? In my opinion it's a combination of characteristics. The "Birkin" is large enough to carry what a woman needs to have with her to make the day, in other words it's PRACTICAL. Secondly, there's nothing extravagant about it and it wasn't made under a specific trend that would have made it look "last year", thus it is CLASSICAL. Its fine leather and shiny but discreet hardware makes it look effortlessly LUXURIOUS and the fact that it is not massively distributed and is handcrafted makes it EXCLUSIVE. The "Birkin" was made to be an "it" bag!
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| lizard skin |
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| crocodile skin version |
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