Getting a Birkin isn't impossible: Hermès artistic director explains how
Hermès Birkins, famous for their exorbitant price tags (starting at $9,000), aren't "expensive" but rather reflect the cost of quality craftsmanship, according to Hermès's artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas. In a recent interaction, he explained cost versus expense by saying an expensive product doesn't deliver value despite its price. Dumas promised anyone can own a Birkin with patience, thanks to their limited availability and handcrafted nature. He debunked exclusivity rumors by clarifying that the scarcity is due to demand outpacing supply.
The artisanal journey to owning a Birkin
While the usual apprehension about getting Birkins would be their price tags, Dumas opined on CBS's 60 Minutes that all customers need to do is "go to a store...get an appointment...meet a salesperson...talk about what you want. It's not available. You'll have to wait. They'll come back to you. It takes a long time." "Eventually," he promised, "it's gonna happen." The production process involves no assembly lines; each bag is crafted by an artisan skilled in the saddle stitch technique.
Hermès artisans: The craftsmanship behind each Birkin
Becoming an artisan at Hermès is "a life profession," with many spending their entire careers there. The painstaking process involves tasks such as spending four hours on the handle of the Kelly bag, which takes approximately 20 hours to create. Dumas stressed Hermès values craftsmanship over speed, "You cannot compress time...without compromising on quality." This commitment to quality and detail is what makes each Birkin bag so valuable and desirable.
