In 2025, Shinsuke Sakimoto, Bought Jane Birkin’s Original 1984 Hermès Birkin Bag For $10.1 Million

National Handbag Day on October 10th recognizes the versatile and utilitarian bag that goes by many names.

Call it what you will – pocketbook, clutch, reticule, purse, evening bag, case, or pouch – they’ve been coming in handy for thousands of years.

• 3400 -3100 BC – The first purse known belonged to a man – Ötzi the Iceman.
• 17th Century – Carrying bags became extremely popular among women and young girls. It was one of the most sought-after gifts for women and young girls at the time (it still is).
• 1750s – In the mid-18th century, handbags weren’t mainstream, so women carried the essentials in pockets that were as big as a bag.
• 1841 – London’s H.J. Cave made the first luxury leather handbag.  Cave manufactured the first small handbags made from durable leather. These were specially made for the family of a very successful businessman, Samuel Parkinson. His wife’s purse was smaller and more delicate. Those bags were once on display at the Amsterdam Handbag Museum. The museum is now closed
• 1900s – The term “handbag” appeared in the 1900s and referred to hand luggage for men. However, women’s bags became more popular in that period, and now the term is associated with the accessory.
• 1910 – The term “backpack” was invented. Before that, the terms knapsack and packsack were used.
• 1923 – Hermes introduced the first handbag with a zipper in 1923. Before that, bags were typically closed with drawstrings, since they were commonly used to carry coins.
• 1940 – During the Second World War, there is a cultural and fashion shift towards more sensible, less flashy items — handbags reflect this and useful styles like shoulder bags become in vogue.
• 1980s – Seemingly every decade of the 20th century brings a new handbag trend — the 1980s see the production of wildly flamboyant and colorful bags.
• 1985 – The first handbag designed for both men and women was launched—though it received mixed reviews at the time, today it’s much more widely accepted for men to carry bags.
• 2025 – Shinsuke Sakimoto, the CEO of Valuence Holdings, bought, actress and singer Jane Birkin’s original 1984 Hermès Birkin bag for $10.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris
• The first person mentioned in writing as wearing a bag is Judas Iscariot. The Bible makes him the first person in history to own a purse.
• The average woman owns 6 handbags.
• The average woman’s handbag weighs 5.2 pounds.
• A study has revealed that women’s handbags are contaminated with more bacteria than a toilet seat.
• The average student carries a book bag weighing 25% of their body weight. The recommended weight is no more than 15%.
• In ancient Egypt, men used to carry around purse-like pouches, and it was completely normal at that time.
• The word luggage comes from the verb “lug,” which means to drag.
• Shakespeare was among the first to use the word “luggage” in his masterpiece Henry IV.
• The Mouawad “1001 Nights Diamond Purse” is the most expensive handbag in the world, priced at $3.8 million.
• 2 out of 10 luxury purses on the street are knockoffs. Louis Vuitton is the most faked luxury brand in the world, according to authentication reports
• Rumor has it that, at the end of each year, Louis Vuitton burns all its unsold products.
  • Louis Vuitton denies burning unsold stock, saying it manages surplus or damaged items through recycling, repurposing, and waste-reduction initiatives.
• Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Handbags come in second. Therefore, handbags are a girl’s second-best friend.
• 22% of women go on a handbag shopping spree when given the chance to buy branded items.
• 1 in 10 women spends more than $150 per year on handbags.
• Louis Vuitton was the first branded handbag to arise. Second came Fendi, then Hermes, then Chanel, and so on.
• A woman spends about 76 days of her life searching in her handbag. On average, a bag contains 15 different items.
• The top five items in the handbag are keys, a wallet, a telephone, handkerchiefs, and pens.
• In the days of rationing during the World War II era, Gucci started to use canes as bag handles because leather was scarce. Nowadays, though, this piece has become fashionable.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Rioni

Maes & Hills

Lulu & Sweet Pea

National Today