Hermès Birkins: a guide to the most coveted limited editions

What happens when one of the world’s most exclusive bags gets even rarer? Hermès only produces a limited quantity of its iconic Birkin handbags each year, making the maison’s special editions, released every few years, incredibly difficult to get one’s hands on.

Each created from start to finish by one craftsman, these handbags come in an array of materials and colours, and demand has never been higher.

Here, we delve into the limited-edition styles, which range from uniquely utilitarian designs to dramatic pieces made in collaboration with renowned designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier.

Dramatic yet understated, the Shadow Birkin was first introduced in 2009 by Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermès’s creative director from 2003 to 2010. A decade later, Hermès re-released the bag in limited numbers.

Gaultier made his mark on Hermès by reinterpreting classic styles in contemporary ways. For the Shadow, he sought to create a trompe-l’oeil effect through the illusion of a top flap and strap that appear to be casually strewn. In reality, the design is a raised impression, making this the only Birkin to stray from the traditional structure.

One of the brand’s sportiest designs, the Club Birkin was first produced in 2012. Similar to the 2017 Touch Birkin, the Club often showcases exotic materials in its signature pair of vertical stripes.

Yet, as with the later Sunrise Rainbow, colour-blocking is key — which is why the Club always includes a contrasting centre panel.

One of Hermès’s most coveted and hard-to-find designs is the Ghillies, which is distinguished by its decorative trim.

Introduced in 2012, the Ghillies was an extension of the haute bijouterie jewellery collection produced in 2011 by Pierre Hardy, artistic director of jewellery at Hermès. The design is inspired by a style of Scottish men’s shoe with perforations known as ‘broguing’ that help it dry more efficiently after outdoor activity.

Hardy drew on his own heritage and adapted it into something both stylish and functional: the characteristic leatherwork of the brogue, applied to a women’s bag, makes it look even more feminine and immaculately detailed.

Released in 2017, the Touch is Hermès’s answer to those who want a hint of exotic material in their bags. This style is available in a variety of jewel tones and features a leather body with an alligator or crocodile top flap. Occasionally, other parts of the bag will also be highlighted by pops of exotic leather.

While collectors often prefer to wear their Birkins open for easy access to what’s inside, the Touch best presents its exceptional details when worn closed.

Bags from Hermès’s Tressage — or ‘braided’ — collection are defined by their panels of multicoloured woven leather. The Birkin iteration, introduced in 2018, was only produced in three colourways. It comes exclusively in 30- and 35-centimetre sizes.

One of Hermès’s latest ‘grail’ bags, the Faubourg Birkin was first introduced in a very limited edition at the end of 2019. It made its debut in two colourways — brown and navy — but Hermès has since dazzled collectors with versions in black and ‘béton’. The bag is modelled on the façade of the Hermès flagship store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, and comes complete with orange awnings and a clochette designed after the maison’s iconic orange shopping bag.

The Faubourg is the first Birkin to be crafted in a 20-centimetre size, and it is finished with sleek Sellier stitching, a detail typically reserved for Kellys.

First produced in 2020, the Sunrise and Sunset Rainbows are exclusive Birkins finished with Sellier stitching. Generally reserved for Hermès Kelly handbags, ‘sellier’ refers to the visible outer stitching that gives the bag a crisper, more structured shape.

An eye-catching design that is perfect for the summer season, the Sunset's colour-blocked effect combines lime, rose confetti, terre battue and sesame, while the Sunset version features abricot, bleu agate, magnolia and rouge casaque Epsom leather.

Making its debut in 2020, the Cargo Birkin is another of Hermès’s more recent limited-edition styles. Crafted in lightweight canvas and sporting five outer pockets, it is the most functional Birkin to date.

At its conception in 1981, the Birkin was celebrated for its practicality in comparison to other bags at the time. Four decades later, Hermès has cleverly played on that original principle with the addition of something for those busy mornings on the go — a coffee cup holder.

The So Black collection, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, was not always as coveted as it is today. The black hardware effect is created using a special PVD (physical vapour deposition) coating, and when it was first released in 2010, it was swiftly pulled from distribution because the delicate hardware made consumers wary that it was impractical. Of course, that only served to attract collectors. Offered in either calf box leather or matte crocodile, it is now among the most sought-after Hermès bags.

The 3 in 1 Birkin, which first graced the runway at Paris Fashion Week in spring 2021, is defined by versatility. The distinctive pochette can be attached to the handbag and used as an additional compartment or removed and carried as a standalone clutch.

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