Kylie Jenner offered her roughly 390 million Instagram followers a rare look at her full Hermès Birkin collection on April 21, drawing widespread attention after casually posing in front of ceiling-high shelves lined with the coveted handbags.
The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared a photo dump on Instagram featuring her high-end leather accessories, captioning the post, “Can’t a girl have fun.” Hermès Birkins are widely regarded as among the most prestigious handbags in the world, prized for their rarity and lengthy waiting lists. While retail prices for the bags begin at approximately $12,000, secondary market resale values frequently double or triple that figure. For collectors and investors alike, the bags are considered strong appreciating assets over time.
As the founder of Kylie Cosmetics and the Khy fashion line, Jenner has made luxury a part of her personal brand.
Jenner is no stranger to displaying her Hermès collection publicly, having made headlines with it since its first appearances on social media in the mid-2010s. Her most recent Instagram post spotlit an extensive wall of Birkins and Kellys in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, spanning nine shelves in her closet, according to W Magazine.
Among the photos in the carousel, Jenner highlights a current favorite: a black alligator Birkin 30, which luxury handbag retailer Madison Avenue Couture estimates to be worth around $100,000. The bag accompanied her on her private jet to Coachella as part of an all-black look that included satin low-rise trousers, a black balconette bra top and Christian Louboutin heels.
Even so, the Birkin 30 is far from the most valuable piece in her collection. Her diamond-encrusted Hermès Himalaya Kelly — one of the rarest handbags in the world — can sell for up to $450,000 at auction. Earlier this year, Jenner added a $5,000 Kylie Cosmetics-inspired charm designed by Ashna Mehta to the exterior of the bag, posting a photo of it Feb. 11 with the caption, “Happy Valentine’s Day to me from me.”
Her brown crocodile Birkin, which she shared a photo of last September, is, according to Whatfinger, valued at more than $163,000. Jenner’s mother, Kris Jenner, also gifted her an ultra-rare Hermès Birkin for her 25th birthday in August 2022 — a bag Kylie described as one of only three ever made — reportedly worth around $100,000.
The post drew a divided response from followers. While some praised the collection, others called it tone-deaf, given the ongoing economic hardship across the country.
One Instagram commenter wrote: “I love the concept of I’m a simple minimal girl and boom 146 Birkins in the back!” Another said: “How many homeless could you feed if you sold just half of your handbag collection? Just asking here? Do you want to change? We have to be the change.” A third added: “One row of those bags could end hunger on the East Coast!”
“Feed the hungry people first,” wrote another commenter.
PETA also weighed in, writing in the comments: “That Birkin wall is a graveyard. Clearly, your empathy is buried with the bones.”