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Hermès Bag Shared by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg Is Headed to Auction

The Haut à Courroies (HAC) 50 will lead the Handbags & Accessories sale at Christie’s on November 6

By Alexandria Sillo
Black luxury handbag with gold hardware and two handles, shown on a plain background.
The Haut à Courroies (HAC) 50 once owned by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Photo: Courtesy of Christie's Images LTD.

The Hermès bag that inspired it all is headed to auction this fall, as Christie’s has announced the Haut à Courroies (HAC) 50 that once belonged to Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg will lead its upcoming “Handbags & Accessories” live sale in Paris. The bag, which was frequently photographed with the couple during their travels between London and Paris, later served as the inspiration for Birkin’s iconic namesake accessory.

Gold luggage tag labeled "frequent traveller" with a black strap.
The travel tag. Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s Images LTD
Luxury black leather handbag with two handles and a gold clasp closure.
The HAC 50. Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s Images LTD

In July, the original Birkin bag sold at Sotheby’s for a record-breaking $10.1 million. That bag was born from a chance encounter between Birkin and Hermès’s then-artistic director and CEO Jean-Louis Dumas while on a flight in the early 1980s. At the time, Birkin was familiar with the HAC through Gainsbourg, but was still using her wicker basket while struggling to find a bag that fit her needs. While today’s Birkin bags have been altered slightly since the original debut, many features are still intact. The original 40 cm size has been scaled slightly to 35 cm, and there is no longer a shoulder strap on today’s model.

Jane Birkin's original Birkin bag is on view.
Jane Birkin pictured with her namesake accessory, which was inspired by the HAC 50. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's

According to Christie’s, the HAC was originally introduced in 1892 by Hermès to carry boots and saddles, with two handles and belt-like straps that later evolved to better suit travelers. The HAC 50 bag, which was donated by Birkin to benefit Médecins du Monde in 2019, features the original saddle stitching and clochette with keys. The bag will go on a world tour of sorts before the upcoming sale, with stops in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Paris from October 30-November 6.