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There are a lot of high-end purses out there, but none quite as famous as the Birkin bag by Hermès. The first one was created in 1984 and since then they’ve only grown in popularity, so much that waiting lists for one can last up to six years, and that’s if you can afford one. Prices for these purses start at around $10-thousand for a basic one and they only go up from there.
Alexander Sway says his girlfriend, MJ Kim, always jokes about wanting one, but when he saw that her dream bag, the So Black Matte Alligator Mississippiensis Birkin 35, is listed for $110-thousand on Sotheby’s, he realized it was out of his price range. So he decided to surprise her by making one himself and found “blueprints” online, then watched YouTube videos to learn how to make a bag.
The Washington state man says he spent about $80 on black crocodile leather and $300 on the tools he needed to create this purse. Over two months, Alexander followed the online instructions, and the process was much more involved than he expected, including individually punching about a thousand holes to prepare for sewing. He shares the entire process in two Instagram videos, where he says that the purse “didn’t turn out perfect” and that this has made him appreciate why these bags are so expensive and the “workmanship of professionals.”
- He’s never done work with leather before, but the finished bag is beautiful.
- He surprised his girlfriend with the thoughtful gift and he says she “loves the bag” he made her.
- Alexander is winning hearts all over the Internet with his thoughtful, impressive DIY creation. One commenter writes, “Hermes is $110,000. A handbag made by your man is priceless.”
Check it out at Daily Mail