The famous Hermès Birkin bag was born after a plane accident

The Hermès Birkin may now be the ultimate symbol of status and exclusivity, but it began by chance – the result of a purse spill and a chance meeting on a short flight.

“Birkin’s birth is a meet-cute in a romantic comedy. It’s a wonderful story,” said Marissa Meltzer, author of the new book.It’s a Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin“.

Meltzer’s book, released October 7, delves into Birkin’s creation and the life of his namesake, jane birkin, English-born actress and singer who became a French icon.

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“She was on a flight from London to Paris, and she had been known to carry these artisanal baskets as bags for years,” Meltzer told Fox News Digital.

“So, it’s all falling out while you’re trying to stuff it into the overhead compartment.”

“Her colleague on the plane said something like, ‘You know, you should think about getting a bag that at least has pockets or a zipper or something like that,'” Meltzer explained.

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“When Hermès makes a bag with pockets and a zipper, I’ll use it,” Birkin reportedly joked. “But I am Hermes,” the man replied.

Meltzer explained that the man sitting next to Birkin was Jean-Louis Dumas of the Hermès family, then the president of the brand.

“So they took out the only paper they could find, which was the Airsick Bag, and started drawing what her perfect bag would look like. At the time, it was the mid-’80s, and she had a baby, so her design was kind of like a glorified diaper bag,” Meltzer said.

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And Birkin was born.

The bag, made in 1984 and bearing Birkin’s initials, has become more than just a fashion accessory. Since then, the Perkin Hotel has joined the ranks of gold, art and real estate as a place to stand wealth.

“There’s this mystery surrounding Hermès,” Meltzer said, noting that the process of purchasing one of the brand’s most coveted handbags is “intentionally confusing and ambiguous.”

“There are no easy shortcuts,” she added. “People can try to buy a bag online that looks like a Birkin bag, or pick up another designer’s version that looks suspiciously similar, but there’s no real substitute for the real thing.”

Earlier this year, an original Birkin watch fetched more than $10 million at auction, a record that made it the most valuable fashion item ever sold. Europeaccording to Sotheby’s.

“She’s had a wild and wonderful career that’s definitely worth knowing about,” Meltzer said of Jane Birkin, the muse behind the world’s most sought-after handbag.