Heart Evangelista is currently in Japan for a holiday break with her family, and we can't help but notice all the Hermès arm candies that she brought to her trip. Granted it's not surprising that she has a lot of Birkins and Kellys, but a closer look at her Hermès bags and you'll see just how extra special her latest additions are.
Below, we zoom in on Heart Evangelista's most expensive and rarest Hermès bags, plus everything you need to know about them.
LOOK: All of Heart Evangelista's Rarest and Most Expensive Hermès Bags
Hermès Himalaya Birkin
In 2016, Heart sparked rumors of buying the most expensive Birkin in the world. Though the socialite did not actually purchase the diamond-encrusted Himalaya Birkin that's valued at US$300,168 (or around P16.7 million in 2022), Heart did in fact buy one of its iterations sans the diamonds. Heart owns the enviable Hermès Birkin 25 Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Palladium Hardware, first released in 2015. According to Christie's website, this particular bag is valued up to HKD 800,000. In 2020, Christie's auction house sold this 2016 bag for HKD 3,000,000 or around P21.44 million.
What makes the Hermès Himalaya Birkin so expensive?
The coveted Hermès Himalaya Birkin is named after the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains, what with the bag's white-to-gray gradation. The bag's early rendition can be traced back to the early '90s when Hermès began to create a new glossy ombré crocodile leather that became known as Natura Vert Celadon. The very first Hermès Himalaya Celadon was created in 1994 and was eventually perfected in 2008. The new Himalayan bag came in a matte Birkin 30 and was kept under wraps—it was only offered and known to the most VIP Hermès clients. But the bag's covert existence was soon uncovered when Jean-Paul Gaultier sent one down the Hermès Spring Ready-to-Wear 2010 runway. Since then, it became the most coveted bag until now.
Hermès Cargo Birkin
In Paris, Heart had a grand time living the fashion girl's dream. Of course, this included shopping for new arm candies. But in true Heart fashion, she collects only the coolest totes. She recently added to her collection a limited edition Hermès Birkin Cargo 25 in Nata Toile, fashioned with Goeland canvas and Swift leather trim with Palladium hardware. At Christie's, it's valued at HKD 280,000 and was sold in 2022 for HKD 378,000 or about P2.7 million. On 1stdibs.com, this exact bag is listed at $58,875 or approximately P3.2 million.
What makes the Hermès Cargo Birkin so expensive?
You may recall that the Birkin bag was born out of Jane Birkin's complaint of not having a suitable bag to carry all her things as a young mother. Lucky that she was sitting next to Jean-Louis Dumas, Executive Chairman of Hermès, who then crafted the ultimate holdall bag to solve her woes. Forty years later, Hermès once again played with the Birkin's original utility and created the Birkin Cargo with the addition of a coffee cup holder. No wonder Heart gravitated to this bag!
Hermès Shadow Birkin
If you've followed Heart for a while now, then you'll know she loves anything that comes in white. In fact, in her early days on Instagram, she had a dedicated hashtag to document all her white 'fits: #LoveMarieXWhites. Hence, it's not a surprise that she has added an Hermès Shadow Birkin 25 in Nata Swift Leather and Palladium Hardware. This bag is valued up to HKD 260,000. In 2022, it was auctioned off at HKD 352,800 or around P2.5 million.
What makes the Hermès Shadow Birkin so expensive?
The Shadow Birkin is characterized by its unassuming yet striking embossed details. It was named "Shadow" since it is stripped off the actual hardware in front of the bag, and is left with its raised impression of the traditional Birkin flap and sangles. The bag was originally designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier in 2009 and it only came in a larger 35 size. In 2021, Hermès re-issued the bag in a smaller 25 size—much to Heart's delight as it seems to be her fave Birkin size.
Hermès Snow Faubourg Birkin (a.k.a. The House Birkin)
Early this year, Heart debuted on Instagram her latest Birkin acquisition. And it's not just any Birkin, mind you. It's the Hermès Neige (or Snow) Faubourg Birkin! This Birkin was first released in 2019, as an ode to the iconic Hermès storefront on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. The brand's flagship store was relocated there in 1880 by its Hermès CEO Charles-Émile Hermès, and has since remained there. Its most notable feature is the three windows with orange awnings, a shopping bag clochette (fashioned after the house's famous orange box and paper bag), a matte alligator skin top flap, and alligator skin handles.
What makes the Hermès Snow Faubourg Birkin so expensive?
Considered as one of Hermès' "holy grail" of bags, the Faubourg Birkin was first unveiled in 2019 and only came in two colorways, brown and navy, and were called the Day Faubourg and Night Faubourg. It was also rendered in a 20-centimeter size with Sellier stitching, a detail that's typically reserved for Kellys, and quite unusual for Birkins.
In 2021, they released two other renditions of the so-called House Birkin, and called them Minuit (Midnight) and Neige (Snow). The Snow Faubourg is crafted with a white body of Matte Alligator and a flap in White Togo. It is then decorated with white Swift leather frames, with windows made of Blue Brume Chevre, Epsom glass, and its awnings made of Orange H Swift leather to match the little Hermès shopping bag that replaces the key-holding clochette. The bag also boasts of a Sombrero leather base.
Given that the bag is made of various luxury leather, you can easily see why the Faubourgs can cost around up to US$300,000. However, according to Sothebys, the Snow Faubourg Birkin is the most expensive, having been "sold for nearly $400,000 in early 2022 via private sale." That's about P22,341,600—wow!
Oh, and fun fact: Did you know that collecting all four Faubourg Birkins is referred to as a "Place de Faubourg" or "Faubourg Square." In China, it's called a "Beijing Courtyard."
Want to see more of Heart Evangelista? Watch her exclusive Preview video below where she spills the beans on some of her most favorite designer items.
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