Which Hermès handbag is named after actress Jane Birkin?

The Hermès handbag named after actress Jane Birkin is the Birkin bag.

The bag’s origin is linked to a 1984 conversation between Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, then chief executive of Hermès, on an airplane. Birkin reportedly described the difficulty of finding a practical yet elegant weekend bag, inspiring Dumas to develop a spacious, structured design with a distinctive flap, lock, and top handles.

Hermès introduced the bag in 1984 and named it after Birkin. It became one of the world’s most recognizable luxury handbags, with prices influenced by leather, color, hardware, size, condition, and rarity. Some versions are made from exotic skins and can command exceptionally high prices at auction.

The Kelly bag is the usual mix-up: it is named for actress and princess Grace Kelly, not Jane Birkin. Chanel 2.55 and Louis Vuitton’s Speedy are also iconic handbags, but neither is associated with the Birkin story.