Claudine's delight at joining elite as she bags €6,300 Birkin

Claudine Keane has bagged herself the ultimate fashion accessory -- a €6,300 Hermes Birkin handbag. The iconic handbag commands a four-year waiting list in Harrods and is coveted by celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes. In fact, the bag is such a must-have for die-hard fashionistas that Hollywood siren Kim Kardashian reportedly paid a staggering €30,000 for one. Meanwhile, Mrs Beckham is said to have an addiction to her favourite handbag and has bought a whopping 150 of them, at a cost of over €1.5m. Yummy mummy Claudine (27) is obviously intent on not being left out of the exclusive handbag club. She left fashion fiends drooling during the week when she turned up for the launch of Barry McCall's book Pho20graphy with the calfskin hold-all in tow. Top stylist and Off the Rails presenter Sonya Lennon admitted she would love to be among the elite Birkin owners and explained why she believes they are a solid investment. Speaking to the Herald, she said: "Not many people in their twenties can afford them. It's a hell of a lot of money; it's the price of a car. But they've been around for nearly 40 years and I think they are an heirloom piece. "For me, the best way to see a Birkin is on the arm of somebody who has inherited it from their mother. "If I had the money, I would like to think I'd buy one for my daughter, which would then go to my granddaughter eventually." The Birkin bag, named after actress Jane Birkin and designed by French fashion house Hermes, usually starts at around €6,000 in the Hermes boutique in Dublin. "It's not targeted at the masses," Sonia said. "Jane Birkin was one of the sexiest, most iconic women ever and she was very low key; this is not a bag about screaming wealth. "I've seen one up close and they are magnificent. There is something incredibly beautiful about the Birkin. If somebody wants to buy me one for Christmas I wouldn't say no." The prices can sometimes hit six figures when the bag is made from more exotic materials such as ostrich skin. Victoria Beckham is the world's most famous Birkin lover. Posh appears to have a particular passion for the more exotic versions as she has been regularly photographed carrying the pink ostrich-skin and black crocodile versions. She also owns the Silver Himalayan style, which comes with a three-carat diamond and is worth a reported €120,000. She recently played down reports that her personal collection is worth around €2m and claims most of them have been presents from her handsome husband. Other celebrities who have been spotted with a Birkin include Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Coleen Rooney and Alex Curran.