> At a Glance
> – Lucy Liu carried a Hermès Birkin for her season 4 cameo on Sex and the City
> – The bag arrived with Men-in-Black-style security, a safe, and white-glove handlers
> – Liu initially wondered, “What is the big deal with this bag?”-then realized, “It’s a big deal”
> – Why it matters: The moment captures how a single accessory became pop-culture gold and a multimillion-dollar collector’s item
Lucy Liu never expected a purse to upstage her, but the Hermès Birkin she toted for Sex and the City did exactly that-complete with a security detail that felt straight out of a spy film.
The Scene That Launched a Bag’s Legend
In the season 4 episode “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda,” Liu plays a fictionalized version of herself who lets Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) jump a five-year wait-list for the coveted accessory. During Vogue’s Life in Looks segment released January 7, Liu recalled rehearsing with a prop bag and then watching the real thing arrive under lock and key:
- Guards in suits-“like Men in Black”-escorted the purse
- It was stored in a safe between takes
- Handlers wore white gloves for every touch
> Lucy Liu remembered: “I was like, ‘What is the big deal with this bag?’ They had white gloves on, the whole nine yards.”
From Airplane Sketch to $10.1 Million Auction Block
The Birkin origin story is almost as famous as the bag itself. Jean-Louis Dumas, Hermès artistic director, sketched the design for Jane Birkin on an Air France flight in 1981 after her straw tote spilled its contents. By 1985 the style bore the star’s name, and decades later it became the ultimate celebrity flex:
| Bag Milestone | Date | Price or Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Original gifted to Jane Birkin | 1985 | Named after actress |
| Jane Birkin dies | 2023 | Age 76 |
| Jane’s personal bag at auction | July 10, 2025 | $10.1 million (opening bid $1.7 million) |
| Nine collectors battled | 2025 | 10-minute bidding war |
Modern-Day Status Symbol
The Birkin remains Hollywood’s go-to power move:
- Kylie Jenner flew private in September 2025 with a $163,000 rare version
- Cynthia Erivo carried an extra-large Birkin 50 (once an equestrian HAC bag) in December 2025
- Standard retail prices range from $13,000 to $25,000-plus, depending on size and skin
> Lucy Liu concluded: “And you know what? It’s a big deal.”
Key Takeaways
- Liu’s cameo helped cement the Birkin as TV’s ultimate luxury prop
- Hermès treats top-tier bags like museum artifacts on set
- Auction prices now rival fine art, with Jane Birkin’s own purse fetching eight figures
- Celebrities continue to fuel demand, turning the accessory into a walking investment portfolio
From rehearsal prop to $10 million collectible, the Birkin’s journey proves a purse can be far more than a place to stash your lipstick-it can be the headline.
