Giant 'Hermès Birkin' Bag Is In The Spotlight, The Weight Is Almost Half A Ton

The giant 'Hermes Birkin' bag (Photo: Instagram/@bigbirkbag)

JAKARTA - The Hermes Birkin bag has long been a symbol of luxury and social status. Recently, this giant version of the legendary bag managed to steal the world's attention. Not only because of its unusual size, but also because of its nearly half tonne weight.

A giant Birkin bag statue has attracted attention in Florida, United States. This giant bag caused traffic jams at West Palm Beach on Wednesday, January 21, when the "respect" to Hermès was taken to the exhibition room under police escort.

Named 'Big Birk', this bright yellow bag is the work of New York artist GEO. This work will be exhibited as part of Art Palm Beach, a contemporary art exhibition.

Weighing nearly half a ton, this artwork is so large that transportation must comply with special rules for large goods, such as prefabricated houses or construction heavy equipment.

"We are trying to pay tribute to this highly iconic and beautiful brand," said GEO, who has been in the entertainment and design industry for 25 years, quoted by VOI from the New York Post page on Wednesday, January 29.

'Big Birk' really fits the name. To create, assemble, and handle this bag, a large team is needed that works for two to three weeks. GEO explains that if one person does it, the process could take months.

Production of this bag is estimated to cost around USD 100.000 or IDR 1.6 billion, including labor, transportation, as well as materials such as styrofoam, wood, metal, and other textiles. The work process also involves amplification, smearing, painting, and coating of resin which takes hours.

This bag is designed to be separated into three parts to make it easier to transport. Some trucks are needed to carry this artwork from New York to Florida. Although winter weather had damaged some of the work during the work trip, GEO ensured that everything was repaired before the opening night of the exhibition.

Exhibited by Denis Leon Gallery, 'Big Birk' attracted great attention from visitors. In fact, some collectors have made offers to buy this artwork.

"We've received several offers from clients who want to buy them directly from the exhibition," said GEO.

"Of course, we want to make money from our artwork, but in the end this is also an extraordinary marketing strategy."

Although GEO has not had direct contact with Hermès, he admits he would be honored if one day he could work closely with the legendary fashion house.

It is known that Birkin's own bag was made exclusively in the special retailer Hermès in France by skilled craftsmen who sewed it manually without a pattern. With prices ranging from USD 9,000 or IDR 146 million in official stores.

This type of bag is one of the most difficult to find luxury items, so it is the target of collectors around the world.

In the used goods market, the price of Birkin bags can reach tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact, mock bags that resemble Birkin were sold at Walmart for less than USD 100 or IDR 1.6 million, which had sparked a stir among fashion lovers.

This is not the first time Birkin's bag has inspired GEO. Last May, he showed off a pink fuchsia Birkin bag statue in downtown New York. The striking installation went viral and caught the attention of many people in the corner of Bowery andkole Street.

With its extraordinary size and appeal, 'Big Birk' is not just a work of art, but also a symbol of respect for one of the world's most famous fashion icons.