Hermès takes pride in its exclusivity, so scoring a bag from the luxury brand is already a difficult task to begin with. Even if you have thousands of dollars to splurge on a designer arm candy, given the hyper-limited supply and the increasingly crazy demand, you can't simply walk into an Hermès store and make a purchase—be it a Kelly or a Birkin you're after. So can you imagine what it means to not only own an Hermès bag, but a rare one at that? An incredible feat for sure!
What Is Hermes Himalayan Birkin and Why Is It the Ultimate Status Symbol?
In the subject of rare Hermès bags, it's impossible not to mention the extremely elusive Himalayan Birkin, which is often touted as the most expensive Hermès bag of all time. In 2022, Sothebys reported that a Diamond Himalayan Birkin 30 was sold via a private sale for over $450,000, which is more or less a whopping 25 million pesos!
The it bag, which got its name from the white-capped peaks of the Himalaya Mountains, boasts of a unique natural color that's normally paired with 18-karat white gold hardware. You have to be a highly respected VIP client to be offered one, though! Either that, or you can try your luck at auctions, where it averages for over $200,000 or roughly 11 million pesos. Note that with or without the diamonds, given how notoriously rare it is to get one's hands on a Himalayan Birkin, it sells at a way higher price in the secondary market compared to other crocodile leather bags.
Bottomline: The Hermès Himalayan Birkin is not just a bag; it's the ultimate status symbol.
Filipina Socialites Who Own a Rare Hermes Himalayan Birkin
1. Heart Evangelista
Heart Evangelista is one of the first Filipinas to have owned the rare Hermès handbag, even sparking a public speculation on whether or not she "bought the most expensive Birkin ever sold." Last time we spotted her lugging it around was during a family vacation in Japan with her husband, Sen. Chiz Escudero. The style star kept things minimal and chic, opting for a neutral palette that consists of her Himalayan arm candy, a white turtleneck, and a cream trench coat, teamed with black leather boots and oversized Saint Laurent sunglasses.
2. Jinkee Pacquiao
It's no secret that the Pacquiao household's madame has quite a collection of exorbitantly priced designer bags, including the rarest ones from luxury designer brands. So it's not at all surprising that scoring an Hermès Birkin in Himalayan croc leather was a cakewalk for Jinkee Pacquiao, who was last spotted flaunting it on IG back in 2019. The socialite styled it with a long-sleeved Fendi dress in the Italian fashion house's signature monogram, which was just one of her many lavish travel OOTDs in China.
3. Sarah Yu
A stylish entrepreneur and socialite, Sarah Yu has a taste for the finer things in life. The 2022 Preview Best Dressed honoree revealed to us her favorite designer items in an exclusive video, and she took our breath away when her list included a rare beauty: an Hermès Birkin in Himalayan crocodile leather. On Instagram, we just had to check how she normally styles the It bag—and naturally, she didn't disappoint, giving us a masterclass on how to wear an all-white 'fit.
4. Michelle Takijima
Another fashionable entrepreneur-slash-socialite on our list is Michelle Takijima, the founder of Tokyo Glam. In another episode of Preview's Designer Favorites, her first pick was also the elusive Himalayan arm candy. She called the aforementioned Hermès Birkin one of her most favorite bags, and with good reason. "I love the color combination. It's very classic, and it's like a forever bag for me," she explained, further sharing that she even plans for her future daughter to inherit the covetable piece.
5. Alice Eduardo
Alice Eduardo, President and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corp., has a massive Hermès bag collection. Her equally "crazy rich" sister, Small Laude (who herself calls the Himalayan Birkin a "holy grail"), took the liberty to show off her lavish walk-in closet on her vlog, where it was revealed that Alice owns the rare Hermès arm candy in Himalayan leather—and she has it in not just one, not even two, but three different sizes! Pick up your jaws on the floor, will you?
6. Marian Rivera
The latest addition to the list is none other than GMA's primetime queen herself, the ever-fabulous Marian Rivera. With a slew of covetable designer bags she has on rotation, it certainly doesn't come as a shock that we'll find a rare Hermès Birkin in Himalayan croc sitting pretty on top of her lavish collection. The headliner of Preview's Best Dressed List of 2022 even paired her latest acquisition with the chicest outfit—Loewe's anagram embroidered ribbed midi dress. "What a pretty sight," indeed!
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