(FILES) This file photo taken on April 28, 2018 shows Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) and his wife Rosmah Mansor waving to their supporters as they arrive at the nomination centre to hand over election documents in Pekan. With his scandal-tainted career and her reputation as greedy and domineering, Malaysia's disgraced former first couple look set to have their names etched in the country's history books as synonyms for the corruption of power. / AFP PHOTO / Mohd RASFAN / TO GO WITH Malaysia-politics-Najib-Rosmah, PROFILE by Dan Martin
SINGAPORE – Birkin bags are in the news again. On Thursday night (May 17), Malaysian police raided three apartments in a luxury Kuala Lumpur condominium owned by former prime minister Najib Razak’s family.
A total of 284 boxes containing luxury handbags – including dozens and dozens of orange boxes holding Hermes Birkin bags – were loaded into trucks and carted away. Several of the orange boxes were tagged with photographs of different Birkin bags, with descriptions such as “Brown Ostrich”.
Madam Rosmah Mansor, Datuk Seri Najib’s wife, is known for her love of Birkin bags. Over the years, stories and images have been published showing her carrying Birkins of different hues.
It was reported that she bought a US$200,000 (S$270,000) crocodile Birkin bag in 2015. Her aide denied it. A recent New York Times article (May 15), however, quoted a broker who estimated that the value of her Hermes Birkin handbag collection was worth at least US$10 million.
Here are five things to know about the handbags, among the most highly coveted items in the luxury fashion world.
1. YOU CAN’T JUST WALK INTO A HERMES STORE AND BUY THEM
Only a few pieces of Birkin bags are produced annually and there is no fixed schedule as to when they are sent to the stores.
The waiting list to buy one is long, reportedly up to six years and new bags cost anything from S$16,000 to S$268,600, depending on the rarity of the crocodile skin and embellishments that could include gold buckles and diamond studs.
The alternative is to buy them off the secondary market and auction houses, where they are even pricier because of the bag’s high investment value.
2. A RARE MODEL WAS AUCTIONED FOR HK$2.98 MILLION IN HONG KONG
So what’s the big deal about these bags? Fans rave about the blemish-free quality of the leather, the gleam of the hardware and the meticulous construction. They also come in many colours and sizes, and hold their value. And, of course, the status attached to being able to afford – or be gifted – such a luxury.
A diamond-encrusted Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin 30 was auctioned off at HK$2.98 million (S$510,000) at Christie’s late last year, making it the most expensive handbag ever sold at an auction.
The buyer was not named, but was said to be from outside of Asia.
The international head of handbags and accessories at Christie’s, Mr Matthew Rubinger, told South China Morning Post that the Himalaya Birkins are coveted for their “extreme rarity, iconic status and craftsmanship”.
Only one or two Himalaya Birkins are made every year.
3. THEY ARE NAMED AFTER BRITISH-FRENCH ICON JANE BIRKIN
In 1984, late Hermes chairman and artistic director Jean-Louis Dumas created the bag for British-French actress, singer and model Jane Birkin after she told him that she had trouble finding the ideal weekend leather bag.
In 2015, Birkin asked for her name to be removed from the bag after animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) alerted her to the cruel slaughtering process that crocodiles went through for the production of the bags.
She allowed Hermes to keep using the name after the company conducted an investigation and identified the the cruel practices as an “isolated irregularity”.
4. A SINGAPOREAN HAS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST BIRKIN BAG COLLECTION
Singapore socialite Jamie Chua reportedly has one of the biggest collections of Birkin bags – more than 200. The flight attendant turned skincare entrepreneur’s collection is said to be worth S$2.9 million and is housed in a room-sized walk-in closet.
Famous celebrities who collect them include television star Kim Kardashian West and Spice Girl and fashion designer Victoria Beckham.
Back in 2009, Beckham was reported to be in the proud possession of 100 Birkin bags.
5. IT’S NOT JUST FOR WOMEN
American fashion designer Marc Jacobs, hip-hop star Pharrell Williams and American figure skater Johnny Weir are several famous men who rock the Birkin bag.
According to a 2016 report by American fashion magazine W, men go for neutral colours and the larger sizes. The Birkin, it adds, is “the perfect companion for a male jet-setter”. – https://www.straitstimes.com
These Are The 8 Most Expensive Hermes Birkin Handbags In The World
1- Brighton blue Porosus crocodile Birkin Bag: Auctioned off for USD113,525 (RM451,659) in 2011
Image via Heritage Auctions
- Unlike the other Birkin bags in this list, this bag is not designed with diamonds and features a silvery-white palladium hardware instead. Not that it’s stopping bidders from snatching it up at a record-setting price.
2. A metallic bronze chèvre leather Hermès Birkin bag:Auctioned off for USD117,000 (RM465,480) in December last year
Image via New York Times
- Inspired by Hermès’ celebrated window displays by Leïla Menchari, this Birkin – which features a gold hardware – only cost less than 10,000 euros (RM46,808) in 2005, the year it was produced.
3. Dark blue crocodile Birkin: Auctioned off for GBP125,000 (RM671,070) in June last year
Image via SWNS.com
- Said to be the most expensive handbag sold in Europe last year, the above handbag is embellished with white gold and 18-karat diamonds.
4. Fuchsia crocodile Birkin studded with diamonds:Auctioned off for HKD1.72 million (RM870,000) in 2016
Image via Christie’s
- Encrusted with 18-karat gold and diamonds, it is believed that former PM Najib Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor owns one of these coveted bags.
5. Blood red Hermès braise shiny porosus crocodile Birkin bag: Auctioned off for USD298,000 (RM1.185 million) in April 2016
Image via Telegraph UK
- Designed in Porosus crocodile skin, 18-karat white gold, and diamond-studded hardware, this is probably one of the nicest-looking Birkins in this list (at least, according to me, a person who cannot afford a Birkin).
6. Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin 30: Auctioned off for HKD2.98 million (RM1.51 million) last year, making it the world’s most expensive handbag sold at an auction
Image via Reuters
- Made of rare “almost albino” crocodile skin, the bag is designed with 242 diamonds on its 18-karat gold hardware and it considered one-of-a-kind. Only one or two Himalaya Birkins are made every year, contributing to its increasing value.Apparently, Rosmah also owns one of these.
- 7. 2012 Birkin Sac Bijou: Retailed for USD1.9 million (RM7.56 million)
Image via Hermés
- Created by Pierre Hardy, creative director of fine jewellery at Hermès, the Birkin Sac Bijou is made entirely of rose gold and studded with 2,712 diamonds, hence its hefty price tag.The bag retailed at USD1.9 million, with only three models made… we can’t even imagine what the resale value is like!
- 8. Hermès Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka: Retailed for USD1.9 million (RM7.56 million)
Image via Hermes
- Created by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka, this bling-y piece combines platinum, 2,000 diamonds, and a pear-shaped eight-karat stone that can also be removed and worn as a brooch.Here’s the kicker – the bag’s diamond sling can also be worn as a bracelet or necklace! – http://says.com
Not a Birkin: 5 other designer bags that are just as iconic
Orange is not always the new black. While the Hermes Birkin is still the undisputed “it” bag for having an out-of-this-world exclusive status, other designs from various luxury labels are just as iconic.
Here’s a roundup of five famous designs that you should know of.
Gucci Bamboo Bag
The design is a celebrity favourite, with famous women like Elizabeth Taylor spotted with one. The bamboo handle is so distinctive that the bag became an instant hit when it debuted in 1947.
Chanel Classic Flap Bag
This bag is a constant favourite of Rita Ora, Demi Lovato, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Lauren Conrad. Designed by Coco Chanel herself in 1955, it is believed to be the first shoulder carried bag for women.
Celine Luggage Tote
When the Celine Luggage Tote came on the scene in 2010, it required a customer wait list to be purchased. Not only that, an upfront payment of six months in advance was often needed as well.
Fendi Baguette
The Fendi Baguette’s claim to fame is via its appearance on Sex And The City in 1997. It was rumoured that more than 100,000 of the bags were sold in the first year of launch because of the cameo.
Dior Lady Dior
In 1995, Bernadette Chirac, France’s First Lady, gave Lady Diana the house of Dior’s latest creation: an elegant black stitched leather bag. She apparently fell in love with it and ordered one in every style, catapulting it to fame.
– https://www.star2.com
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