There is oversized, and then there is Cynthia Erivo oversized. The actress was spotted in Palm Springs carrying a Hermès Birkin so large it almost felt like an accessory with its own gravitational pull.
The rest of her look whispered casually polished. Grey cardigan. Wide-leg denim. A brown leather coat layered just so. Soft textures, relaxed drape, weekend energy. But that bag did not whisper. It announced itself.
The piece in question appears to be the Birkin 50 in beige, the kind of collector’s item that rarely surfaces in the wild. Originally conceived as an equestrian companion under the name Haut à Courroies, it was built to carry an entire day’s worth of stable essentials. Now it’s more likely to carry airport snacks, three chargers and the kind of quiet luxury confidence only Hermès can engineer.
Price tags vary, depending on condition and color. Pre-owned pieces range from around $13,000 to $25,000 and sometimes more. A grey one sits at $16,008 on Modesens. A tan version reaches $25,500 on What Goes Around Comes Around. Another gently loved tan Birkin 50 is currently listed at $12,985 on 1stDibs. The bag may be massive, but the resale market competition is even larger.
The Birkin story, of course, is the stuff of fashion folklore. In 1981, Hermès artistic director Jean-Louis Dumas met Jane Birkin on a flight after her belongings tumbled out of a wicker bag. His solution was simple: design something beautiful and functional enough to withstand all the pleasant chaos of real life. By 1985, the silhouette took her name and entered history.
This past July, Birkin’s own original bag shattered expectations at Sotheby’s Paris, selling for $10.1 million after a bidding war involving nine collectors across phone, floor and online. It lasted only ten minutes but rewrote the hierarchy of luxury memorabilia. The prototype has been auctioned twice, displayed in exhibitions and even donated once by Birkin herself to support a French AIDS charity. Despite Hermès gifting her additional versions over the years, she remained fiercely loyal to the first one until her passing in 2023.
And celebrities have kept the mythology alive. In September, Lisa stepped out in Seoul with the 2021 Faubourg Birkin, a miniature architectural fantasy crafted to mimic the Hermès flagship storefront. Retail value: up to $300,000. Meanwhile, Kylie Jenner casually carried a rare Birkin worth $163,000 while boarding her jet.
Cynthia’s appearance feels less performative, more effortless. A woman moving through her day with a bag big enough to hold her script, her snacks and possibly her entire schedule. A gentle reminder that even in a world where exclusivity often shouts, the chicest thing is still the person who carries it with ease.
