Tag Archives: Hermes Birkin

Shoppe the Hermes HAC (Haut à Courroies)

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The Hermes Birkin is regarded by many as THE ultimate bag but the fact that the Hermes Haut à Courroies (HAC) is indeed the original bag the Birkin was designed based on, is not a knowledge widely known by many. Looking almost exactly identical as the Birkin but with shorter handles and taller body, the HAC is nowadays more rarely spotted compared to the Birkin itself.

One of our good friends bought his HAC40 two years ago and is now thinking of letting it go to our readers at a bargain price. The bag is still in pristine condition with all corners very well taken care of. The HAC40 is indeed perfect as city bag for you who are blessed with certain heights (170cm and above) or as a weekender. With its iconic design and eye-catching yet timeless color Rouge Venetian, the bag is a classic, meant to be kept forever.

Email us at askme@purseholic.com for price and details.

Askme – Should I Buy Hermes Birkin?

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Hello Purseholic

I am a 30-year old corporate lawyer in Hong Kong and a purseholic. I have been dreaming of owning an Hermes Birkin bag ever since I bought my first designer bag with my first pay cheque (it was a Gucci). Since I have been a good repeat customer to the Hermes store in Central, HK for a few years now, I was recently offered a Togo 35 in gold with gold hardware but for whatever reason, I am now hesitating on whether or not I should get it. The bag is still on hold for me until next Tuesday. What do you think?

Mandy in HK

Hi Mandy

An Hermes Birkin or HAC in size 40 is also one of the bags I will have to have one day. However, the fact that recently I have seen more Birkins in a day compared to say, Vuitton Alma, is pretty off-putting. It could also be one of the reasons you are hesitating now. I don’t have a perfect answer to you but if you looking for something different, try to get a Birkin Jpg like the one Victoria Beckham is carrying in the picture above instead as it is rare. Having said that, the piece that you are being offered by the boutique is a worthy combo (gold Togo with gold hardware in size 35) so if it looks good on you, I think you should go ahead. Why? First, because you have a fabulous day job to justify owning a status bag like the Birkin and second, you could always sell it at some profit if you don’t really like it after a while.

J Purseholic

Write to us at askme@purseholic.com

Askme – A Bag to Impress a Girl

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Hey Purseholic

I am buying a purse for a girl I am trying to impress and came across your site when I tried doing research online. I have budget of up to $10,000. She collects designer bags and I need the bag to sweep her of her feet. How about that?

James in NYC

Hi James

Let me be honest. I am sure you are either a young and wealthy banker or a trader or someone who makes similar kind of money too easily. Unfortunately, it is kinda sad to know that you need to throw that kind of money just to impress a girl. No offense intended at all but does your look or personality repel girls?

Anyway, I am going to try to just focus on bags. Since she “collects” designer purses, I am sure the purchase of the season and the classics such as the Chanel flaps, Birkins and Kellys are already in her collection so  we need to go exotics next. The question is now, what can USD10,000 get you when it comes to truly impressive bags for a true collectors? A decent alligator skin bag from one of the European designers is definitely out of question, so you will get only Python or Ostrich at the most. I suggest going for one of the Gucci Heritage collection or the YSL Vanity in Ostrich that I posted before and spend the rest of the cash on yourself. It seems like you need some internal confidence boost.

Alternatively, If you are really serious, you need to jack up the game by asking her out, ask her casually what bag tops her wish list and try to get that one. It might cause you a bomb or you will never get it anyway but if you do, it will mean so much more.

Good luck!

J Purseholic

PS: The above Hermes Birkin should cost about USD200,000 now. If you do not intend to ask ever, that one should be impressive enough.

Write to us at askme@purseholic.com

Image is courtesy of Hermes

Lady Gaga with (Graffitied) Hermes Birkin

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What will you do to personalize your Hermes Birkin? Stamp it with your initials? Maybe. Hanging an Hermes bag charm on it? Perhaps. Tying a scarf around it? Mostly! For Lady Gaga, she was spotted with a white Birkin, graffitied with Japanese characters that translate to “I love little monster, Tokyo Love”. The “little monster” is what her fans in Japan refers her as, most of the time. I have two questions now – first, who wrote that for her because it does seem neat enough to not to be tacky. Second, will you ever do that to your bag? Then again, Lady Gaga with a plain Hermes Birkin, is really not “Lady Gaga”. Besides, with her fame, I suspect she could just walk into any Hermes store and get a Birkin off the shelf.

Image is courtesy of wireimage.com

Askme – Shooting Star Hermes Birkin

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Hi Purseholic

How do I buy a Shooting Star Birkin? I heard it is rare and difficult to get even if you have the money?

Linda in Bangkok

Hi Linda

Err… You are not supposed to be able to buy a Shooting Star Birkin or Shooting Star Hermes anything for that matter. A Shooting Star stamp is a signature deliberately put on an Hermes product created by an Hermes craftsman for his/her own consumption or gift. Each craftsman is allowed only one bag per year and the bag is not allowed for sale and not eligible for the Spa tratment. There might be some Shooting Star Birkins in the market around. In fact, you should avoid one even if you come across it.

Purseholic

Write to us at askme@purseholic.com

Askme – Hermes Birkin

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Hermes Birkin 35 in Rouge Indien Matt Alligator, EUR40,411 at luxury-shops.com

Hello Purseholic

Merry Christmas to you all and to all other readers (I hope my email got posted).

I read on the Purseforum that there is no more such thing as a wait-list for Hermes Birkin. Is that true? I have been saving for years to get a Birkin. How do I get one quickly without going through ebay or second-hand shops?

Kiki, Hong Kong

Hey Kiki

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too. You got your wish of getting posted. =)

Once upon a time the wait-list for Birkin was created to manage the demands so to allow the craftsmen to clear their perpetual backlogs but with celebs and VIP clients constantly jumping queues, it was just impossible to do so Hermes just had to recruit and train enough craftsmen to cater beyond the demands. I believe they had actually solved this problem years ago hence gradually the wait-list became more for keeping the image of the bag exclusive. Recently, Hermes has announced that there is no more such thing as wait-list. Some, including myself has speculated that this something to do with Mr Michael Tonello, who is awesome.

Most Hermes stores around the world keep a few pieces of Birkins ready. If you shop enough and ask, you might stand a chance to get one, hopefully in the material and color of your dream.

The point is Hermes wants a relationship with their Birkin owners so the SAs normally only offer to their VIP clients or if they feel you genuinely like Hermes products. The key is, to shop with Hermes for their other products as well. Trust me that they worth the money. Also, be nice and supportive to the SAs (assuming that they are nice to you too). I myself have been offered a size 50 once in Singapore and once  more in Hong Kong (I was hoping more of size 40) but I dun consider that a privilege because perhaps the size 50 is just way too big to be widely coveted.

Back to your question: there is still a wait-list if you want a Birkin of a specific material and color and they happen not to have one in the store. I am just not sure how long it is now. I know some people will just grab whatever available in the store but for a bag at that price, I say try not to settle for less than the specific thing you want even if it means you have to wait for a few months. I know a woman who was asked what color she had in mind after she purchased a few accessories and a diamond pendant and popped “You have a Birkin 35 in store now?” to the store manager. She walked away with the one she had always wanted, and a few thousand dollars poorer, of course but I am sure she was extremely high and happy.

Good luck on your Birkin hunt. Take it easy. ^^

PS: Coincidentally, I just finished reading “Bringing Home the Birkin”. Pick one for yourself and a few copies for your friends. It is like the bible for Birkin hunting.

J Purseholic

Write to us at askme@purseholic.com

Image is courtesy of luxury-shops.com

Bringing Home the Birkin

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I am currently reading this book and I have to say, so far I am impressed by the superb writing and story-telling, plots and witty jokes by Michael Tonello. I am not sure how Hermes is taking this book but hey it is a free publicity still, don’t you think? Hermes Birkin is certainly the world’s most coveted bag, with wait-list or otherwise. I have just finished the first half of the book, can’t wait to get back to the remaining pages soon. It makes great Christmas gift too, you know?

Image is courtesy of  www.bringinghomethebirkin.com

Renee Zellweger with Fall 2009 Hermes Birkin

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We featured the runway preview of the Fall 2009 Hermes Birkin back in March 2009 and now Renee Zellweger is seen carrying one in the signature orange. Admittedly, I prefer the classic Birkin for its “older” classy look and feel. I dun know about you but to me, the one Renee is carrying here looks more like an awkward Birkin-look-alike. Perhaps I will change my take upon seeing one in real life but as of now, I take the classic anytime.

Image is courtesy of UsMagazine.co.uk.

Askme – Hermes JPG Birkin

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Hi Purseholic

I am visiting Paris in November and thinking of putting my name for a Hermes Birkin. I am now torn between a classic Birkin and the new JPG Birkin. What is your comment? Also, any chance the JPG has a shorter wait-list?

Lisa, US

Hi Lisa

Honestly i did not like the JPG Birkin when i first saw it, mostly due to the shorter but wider body which means less space but it has recently grown on me and frankly speaking, the JPG looks younger and with the many classic Birkins around, I say why not a JPG, if you like it too? The image above is Posh with JPG Birkin in warm grey (not sure, but it looks like etaupe).

As for the wait-list, all i can say is this: If you buy the idea of the wait-list at all, you should know that it is there because of shortage of craftmen to create enough bags to meet the demand, so i believe the list for JPG should not be any shorter. However, when in Paris, visit all of the Hermes stores and shop there and do ask  whether they have any unpicked order which could be transferred to you. If you are lucky and like what they happen to have, you could cut short a few years. Nevertheless, make sure you will really like what you get before paying for such a big sum for a bag. Good luck! ;)

Write your queries to us at askme@purseholic.com

Purseholic

Image is courtesy of People.com

Hermes Birkin 50 @ Hermes Takashimaya Singapore

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Pharrell Williams’ purple croc HAC might be one of the most expensive bags i dun like. There is one thing about being over-the-top glam but being just OVER is another. Did Hermes decide to make the bag just because Williams is an ultra famous and rich  hip hop star? I hope not. The bag is more like a HAC-look-alike than a real HAC, except that it is real and must have cost a bomb to commoners. Anyway, if you happen to be hunting for Hermes Birkin 50 in dark blue (shade is similar to the picture i featured above, except that the picture is size 30), there is one available in the Takashimaya Singapore store now. Price? Just SGD17,400. It is considered reasonable without the wait-list. I think someone who had placed the order dropped it. Would you be kind enough to “adopt” it? Believe me, if moolah is not an issue, i will take the dark blue Birkin in much more dignified calf than Williams’ purple croc anytime. Contact Fandi at Hermes Takashimaya at (65)67355228.

PS: Sorry, i was too distracted by another bag that i forgot to take picture of the Birkin 50

Image is Hermes 30 in Togo