The Birkin Bag by Hermes The Birkin bag is a unique luxury accessory released by Hermes in 1984. It is believed that the bag was created at a time when Hermes head, Jean-Claude Hermes and fashion icon Jane Birkin were traveling together and discussing the difficulties to locate the right bag. The Birkin Bag was released two years later. The design has remained unchanged ever since. It's an iconic classic.