An Extraordinary Birkin Reveal

Part I: PurseBop’s Birkin Reveal – on CNBC

You may or may not have seen that PurseBop was featured on CNBC earlier this week. CNBC had asked me to provide my expertise on Hermès for their news segment on Birkin bags. And after they agreed to keep me anonymous, I accepted.

While I discussed Birkins and the luxury handbag market throughout the segment, I also did something unprecedented: I did an Hermès unboxing and revealed a new Birkin on television (video). This isn’t the crux of the segment by any means, but it’s definitely the part that was most special to me. So I wanted to lean into it a bit more and give you a behind-the-scenes look into my new Hermès treasure.

Scenes from CNBC.

It was such a delight to finally reveal this Birkin in the company of the team at CNBC. It had been sitting under my bed for so long that unboxing at all was a relief. But to do so in the company of producers who were thrilled to see the bag come to life was even more special.

As I suspected, the bag was a hit. I knew it’d stir some excitement because it’s unique: its design is only found on special, limited-edition Birkins. There’s nothing else like it… even in the world of Hermès. Can you guess which one it is below?

All lined up in the CNBC studio… with a very special addition to my collection

If you chose the wildly colorful B on the right, you’ve nailed it. This inimitable Birkin has a name to match its whimsy (and no, not one that I made up for it myself). It’s the One Two Three & Away We Go Birkin by Nigel Peake.

Peake, an Irish architect and designer, pairs up with Hermès from time to time to create one-of-a-kind pieces with designs that can best be described as graphic and abstract. This is the first and only bag to feature one of his creations. The uniqueness in the bag is that the leather is printed, which as you know is very rare for Hermès as they usually do a series of tanning processes to achieve color and texture.

This limited edition Birkin, which is only available as a push offer in 25cm and Swift leather, captivated me from the moment I laid eyes on it. I couldn’t be happier to have it in my collection; Birkins always turn heads, but this one has an extra factor that goes without saying.

With demand up and production very low, I’m the first to admit that I was extremely lucky in acquiring this “Away We Go” B.

Unboxing scenes at CNBC.

The producers at CNBC gleefully toted my Birkins, “Away We Go” included, around the studio. As you all know, Birkins can garner lots of attention and create quite the buzz… and that sentiment was contagious on the day of filming. And how fun it was to see my bags lined up on these ladies’ arms—up to five at once!

CNBC Producer Claire Nolan holding five of my Birkins at once!

Producer Helen Zhao strolling through the CNBC halls

Birkins galore with Helen Zhao!

These five Birkins are the only bags I took to the studio. See the before and after photos below—on the right, this curated snapshot of my collection looks all the more complete…

Now that my I’ve finally revealed my B25, I can’t wait to take it out on the town. While my bags are often colorful and whimsical, my clothes are generally much more subdued. Basically, I like to keep the focus on Hermès.

When I’m carrying the “Away We Go” Birkin, I know my outfit will require minimal effort—some simple neutrals will do, allowing the mini B to shine as it should, with all of its bright primary colors and geometric shapes.

Before

After

As “Away We Go” goes off on adventures, I’ll be sure to keep you posted. I’ll be sharing photos of her on Instagram in the coming months as she keeps me company on everything from errands to candlelit dinners. It’s no secret that I love minis and think the B25 is practically the perfect size… so I expect to have her around quite often. Continue to follow the journeys of my Birkins and Kellys on Instagram @PurseBop

Click here to view the CNBC segment with PurseBop.

I am absolutely delighted the new Eclipse jacket from PurseBop Frocks made a cameo appearance in the CNBC segment too – you can read more about the protective Birkin raincoat at here at www.pursebopfrocks.com.