Among Hermès’ many collector favourites, the Faubourg Birkin – known as the “House” Birkin for its façade inspired by the maison’s Paris flagship – has secured a firm place at the top of wish lists.
At this season’s Hong Kong sales, a rare Snow Faubourg Birkin sold for around HK$4.3 million (US$551,000) at Christie’s, setting a new auction record for the model and becoming the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction in Asia.
The result led Christie’s Handbags & Accessories sale during Hong Kong Luxury Week, which totalled HK$59.94 million (US$7.65 million), the highest figure for the category globally this season. The auction also set new records for three other Hermès designs, including the Rainy Days Faubourg Birkin, the Kelly Doll, and the Shoulder Birkin, with prices ranging from HK$3.7 million to HK$1.9 million.
Hermès Snow Faubourg Birkin was hammered for HK$3.4 million and sold for HK$4.3 million with fees
Lot 100 | HERMÈS, 2022 | A MATTE BÉTON ALLIGATOR, WHITE TOGO, SWIFT & SOMBRERO, ORANGE H & CRAIE SWIFT & BLEU BRUME CHÈVRE LEATHER SNOW FAUBOURG SELLIER BIRKIN 20 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE (Auction record for an Hermès Faubourg Birkin and for a handbag sold in Asia)
Estimate: HK$1,500,000 - 3,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$3,400,000
Sold: HK$4,318,000 (around US$551,000)
Hermès’ Paris flagship sits on Rue du Faubourg Saint‑Honoré, a street long associated with haute couture, luxury boutiques, and galleries. In 2019, its landmark façade was reimagined as the Faubourg Birkin. Introduced in the smaller Birkin 20 format, the bag recreates the storefront in miniature, with window panels, awnings, and architectural details realised through complex, multi‑material construction.
The first editions were the gold‑toned “Day” and deep blue “Night” versions, followed in 2021 by “Midnight” and “Snow”. Midnight pairs deep black tones with PVD hardware, while Snow contrasts a matte alligator body with a white Togo flap and Blue Brume chèvre “windows”, evoking the Paris boutique on a wintry evening.
Together, the four versions have become known among collectors as the “Place de Faubourg” quartet – or, in China, the “Beijing Courtyard”. On the secondary market, they rank among the most valuable Hermès designs, rivalling even the Himalaya Birkin, with the Snow Faubourg widely regarded as the rarest and most sought‑after of the four.
In 2025, another Snow Faubourg Birkin sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for HK$3.8 million, setting the previous auction record for the model.
Hermès’ Paris flagship on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
Lot 164 | HERMÈS, 2025 | A MATTE GRIS CIMENT ALLIGATOR, GRIS MISTY & CRAIE EPSOM LEATHER, ORANGE H & BLACK SWIFT LEATHER RAINY DAYS FAUBOURG SELLIER BIRKIN 20 WITH PERMABRASS HARDWARE (Auction record for an Hermès Rainy Days Faubourg Birkin)
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,600,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,950,000
Sold: HK$3,746,500 (US$478,000)
Hermès continued to expand the Faubourg line in 2024 with the debut of Rainy Days, a moody interpretation of the Paris storefront during a downpour.
Its cool grey palette pairs a Gris Misty Epsom body with a Gris Ciment matte alligator flap and handles, accented by Permabrass hardware. The signature awnings are rendered in Orange H Swift leather, adding a vivid contrast to the otherwise rain-cloud tones. As with earlier Faubourg editions, the clochette is meticulously reimagined as a miniature orange Hermès shopping bag.
The design remains extremely limited and has rarely appeared at auction. Selling for HK$3.7 million (US$478,000) with fees, the present example set a new benchmark for an Hermès Rainy Days Faubourg Birkin.
Lot 88 | HERMÈS, 2025 | A MATTE VERT D'EAU ALLIGATOR & VERT MOYEN SWIFT LEATHER QUELLE IDOLE WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE (Auction record for an Hermès Quelle Idole)
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,600,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,200,000
Sold: HK$2,794,000
Another record was set by the Quelle Idole, better known as the Kelly Doll. First released in 2000, the whimsical design was created under Jean-Louis Dumas and transforms the classic Kelly silhouette into a playful character, complete with a grinning face and dangling arms.
Originally retailing for around US$2,500, the Kelly Doll was not an immediate commercial success. After being discontinued in 2005, however, the Kelly Doll began to gain cult status, with demand rising sharply on the secondary market.
Among the most coveted are matte alligator examples. Last year, a Gris Perle version sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for nearly HK$2.794 million, setting an auction record for the model. The present aqua-green example achieved the same price, tying that benchmark.
HERMÈS, 2020 | A SPECIAL ORDER MATTE GRIS PERLE ALLIGATOR & CRAIE SWIFT LEATHER QUELLE IDOLE WITH GOLD HARDWARE | Sold: HK$2,794,000, Christie's Hong Kong, 2025 (Auction record for an Hermès Quelle Idole)
Lot 59 | HERMÈS, 2016 | A SHINY ROSE TYRIEN POROSUS CROCODILE JPG SHOULDER BIRKIN 42 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE (Auction record for an Hermès shoulder Birkin)
Estimate: HK$150,000 - 220,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,500,000
Sold: HK$1,905,000
During Jean-Paul Gaultier’s nearly seven-year tenure as creative director of Hermès womenswear, the designer – long known as fashion’s “enfant terrible” – brought a more daring, avant-garde spirit to the maison.
The Shoulder Birkin debuted in 2004, during his first runway show for Hermès. A departure from the classic Birkin, it featured a longer, narrower body and an extended shoulder strap, allowing the bag to sit with an easy, slouched silhouette.
The original model was discontinued in 2013, but last year, Hermès revisited the design with the Shoulder Birkin Light, a smaller, lighter version that preserves the elongated profile of Gaultier’s original.
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 165 | HERMÈS, 2025 | A BLACK SWIFT LEATHER CHEVAL NEON JUKEBOX
Estimate: HK$400,000 - 800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,400,000
Sold: HK$1,778,000
Lot 99 | HERMÈS, 2021 | A SPECIAL ORDER MATTE PINK 5P & GRIS PERLE ALLIGATOR MINI KELLY 20 II WITH GOLD HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$400,000 - 600,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,100,000
Sold: HK$1,397,000
Lot 77 | HERMÈS, 2025 | A RARE, MATTE BLEU ZELLIGE ALLIGATOR & CABAN SWIFT LEATHER QUELLE IDOLE WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,600,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,100,000
Sold: HK$1,397,000
Lot 101 | HERMÈS, 2020 | A MATTE WHITE HIMALAYA NILOTICUS CROCODILE BIRKIN 30 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$600,000 - 1,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$950,000
Sold: HK$1,206,500
Lot 102 | HERMÈS, 2024 | A MATTE GRIS NÉVÉ ALLIGATOR SELLIER BIRKIN 25 WITH GOLD HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$400,000 - 500,000
Hammer Price: HK$880,000
Sold: HK$1,117,600
Lot 135 | HERMÈS, 2023 | A LIMITED EDITION CHAI SWIFT LEATHER & OSIER MINI PICNIC KELLY WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$240,000 - 320,000
Hammer Price: HK$480,000
Sold: HK$609,600
Lot 108 | HERMÈS, 2025 | A LIMITED EDITION GOLD SWIFT LEATHER & BEIGE ÉCRU TOILE H CARGO BIRKIN 25 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$160,000 - 240,000
Hammer Price: HK$360,000
Sold: HK$457,200
Lot 40 | HERMÈS, 2022 | A LIMITED EDITION WHITE SWIFT LEATHER & EMBROIDERED CANVAS FAUBOURG TROPICAL BIRKIN 35 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Estimate: HK$200,000 - 300,000
Hammer Price: HK$320,000
Sold: HK$406,400
Auction Details:
Auction House: Christie's Hong Kong
Sale: Handbags & Accessories
Date: 25 May 2026
Number of Lots: 168
Sold: 165
Unsold: 3
Sale Rate: 98%
Sale Total: HK$59,940,190 (US$7.7 million)