How to own a Birkin bag without an invite: One of the largest ever collection of clothes and accessories goes on sale at Sotheby's - including eleven £21,000 bags - as well as Versace dresses and Chanel jackets
- Birkin bag was dreamed up by Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984
- READ MORE: The ultimate insiders' guide to buying an Hermès Birkin bag
One of the largest ever personal collections of designer clothes and accessories is going on sale in Paris, giving high-end fashion lovers a rare chance to get their hands on a Birkin bag without an invite.
Unlike other high-end brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior, you cannot simply walk into an Hermes store and purchase a Birkin, you have to be invited after spending thousand of pounds in Hermes stores.
As Paris celebrates Haute Couture Week, Sotheby's in the French capital are auctioning off an extraordinary collection of over 140 pieces of luxury handbags, fashion and jewellery accessories.
These include seven Hermes Birkin bags, with an estimated guide price of £21,178 each for the pleasure of having the sought-after accessory on your arm.
Some of these include an Hermes Birkin 35 in Bleu Mykonos in shiny Porosus Crocodile with Palladium hardware made in 2014 and a rare tricolour crocodile Birkin.
The collection is titled: The Fashion Collection – Private Treasures of a Refined Lady and it is one of the largest of its kind to to ever come to auction
Some Hermes Birkin bags will be on offer to purchase at the auction - and you don't need to be invited to purchase these accessories
The collection was meticulously assembled, from the end of 1990's and for over two decades, by a passionate European female collector based in Paris.
The collection is titled: The Fashion Collection – Private Treasures of a Refined Lady and it is one of the largest of its kind to to ever come to auction.
Some of the items range from a Chanel vintage cross brooch in gold Metal featuring turquoise and green cabochons with pearls by Gripoix made in 1993 (estimated maximum guide price of almost £1,700) to an Hermès vintage Kelly 32 Vert Emeraude in shiny alligator Mississippiensis Sellier made in 1992 (estimated maximum guide price of £15,250).
Other historical items include a Chanel golden Brown sequinned jacket, ready-to-wear by Karl Lagerfeld from 1989, a Chanel limited edition metallic gold quilted gold hardware from 2009, and an atelier Versace couture black wool and tulle dress from 1993.
A haute couture Dior hat by John Galliano during his glory years at the fashion house is also due to be on sale, along with a Chanel blue and gold mixed lurex and tweed Jacket by Karl Lagerfeld from 2011.
The whole collection carries an estimate of £627,670 to £932,000 (€741,000 to €1.1million) and will be offered in an online only auction which will run from 21 June to 3 July.
Stars such as Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B are among some of the A-listers that have been given the chance to buy a Birkin and ensured that were snapped with their handbags by their side at any given opportunity.
The idea was dreamed up by British actress Jane Birkin, who was sitting on a flight from Paris to London next to Jean-Louis Dumas, Executive Chairman of Hermes in 1984.
She complained that she could not find a bag suitable for her needs as a young mother, so he got out his sketch book and immediately started drawing a rectangular holdall with a dedicated space for her baby's bottles - and the Birkin bag was born.
Highlights of the collection up for auction will be showcased in a dedicated exhibition at Sotheby's Paris from 29 June to 3 July.
Aurelie Vassy, European Head of Sale for Handbags and Fashion, Sotheby's Paris said: 'Coming face to face with this extensive and exhaustive selection of fashion items and accessories, immaculately displayed in a flat in Paris, was one of those moments when I knew, at a glance, that I was looking at a truly extraordinary collection.
'It is the embodiment of consistently impeccable taste, from a passionate collector who assembled a spectacular and timeless wardrobe, I would consider to be the most representative of the much loved 'Parisian chic' aesthetic that I have ever seen.
'The perfect place to start or expand a fashion collection with some of fashion history's most iconic creations, the sale is sure to capture the imagination of followers of fashion all over the world, with estimates starting from 1,000 Euros.'