India, July 12 -- The original Hermes Birkin bag, designed in 1985 for English-French singer and actor Jane Birkin, sold for a whopping €8.6 million (Rs.86 crore) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday. The starting price was €1 million, and there was a 13-minute bidding war among nine collectors. The final bids surged past €6.2 million, €6.5 million, €6.8 million, and €7 million before a private collector from Japan outbid the last remaining rival. This sale makes it the most expensive fashion item ever auctioned - excluding jewellery. Former owner Catherine B described the bag as "a star." On social media, reactions ranged from awe to shock. Interestingly, Jeff Bezos' wife Lauren Sanchez was also one of the bidders, but narrowly missed out on being the bag's new owner. htc...